Revelation 8:9

Revelation 8:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.
• New International Version (NIV)a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
• English Standard Version (ESV)A third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

Context of Revelation 8:9

7The first [angel] sounded [his trumpet], and there was [a storm of] hail and fire, mixed with blood, and it was hurled to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. 8The second angel sounded [his trumpet], and something like a great mountain blazing with fire was hurled into the sea; and a third of the sea was turned to blood; and a third of the living creatures that were in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. 10The third angel sounded [his trumpet], and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch [flashing across the sky], and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of [fresh] waters. 11The name of the star is Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the waters, because they had become bitter (toxic).

Revelation 8:9 word by word

καὶ ἀπέθανεν τὸ τρίτον τῶν κτισμάτων τῶν ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ, τὰ ἔχοντα ψυχάς, καὶ τὸ τρίτον τῶν πλοίων διεφθάρησαν.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• the third partὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the third partτρίτοςtritos · thirdG5154
• of the creaturesκτίσμαktisma · creatureG2938
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the seaθάλασσαthalassa · seaG2281
• and hadἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• lifeψυχήpsuchē · soulG5590
• diedἀποθνήσκωapothnēskō · to dieG599
• of the shipsπλοῖονploion · boatG4143
• were destroyedδιαφθείρωdiaphtheirō · to destroyG1311

Cross-references for Revelation 8:9

• Revelation 8:7The first [angel] sounded [his trumpet], and there was [a storm of] hail and fire, mixed with blood, and it was hurled to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.
• Revelation 16:3The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a corpse [foul and disgusting]; and every living thing in the sea died.
• Exodus 7:21The fish in the Nile died, and the river became foul smelling, and the Egyptians could not drink its water, and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.
• Zechariah 13:8It will come about in all the land,” Declares the Lord, “Two parts in it will be cut off and perish, But the third will be left alive.
• Psalms 48:7With the east wind You shattered the ships of Tarshish.
• Isaiah 2:16Against all the ships of Tarshish And against all the beautiful craft.
• Isaiah 23:1The [mournful, inspired] oracle (a burden to be carried) concerning Tyre: Wail, O ships of Tarshish, For Tyre is destroyed, without house, without harbor; It is reported to them from the land of Cyprus (Kittim).

Commentaries on Revelation 8:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9The third part of the ships were destroyed - These judgments seem to be poured out upon some maritime nation, destroying much of its population, and much of its traffic.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died - The effect was as if one-third of all the fish in the sea were cut off. Of course this is not to be taken literally. It is designed to describe an effect, pertaining to the maritime portion of the world, as if a third portion of all that was in the sea should perish. The natural interpretation would be to apply it to some invasion or calamity pertaining to the sea - to the…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-13Verses 7-13 The first angel sounded the first trumpet, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood. A storm of heresies, a mixture of dreadful errors falling on the church, or a tempest of destruction. The second angel sounded, and a great mountain, burning with fire, was cast into the sea; and the third part of the sea became blood. By this mountain some understand leaders of the persecutions; others, Rome sacked by the Goths and Vandals, with…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8-9the sea turned to blood: This judgment is like the first plague on Egypt (see Exodus 7:14–25; Psalm 78:44). The mountain of fire resembles the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, which destroyed ships and sea life (see Pliny the Younger, Letters 6.16.1–22).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. The symbolical interpreters take the ships here to be churches. For the Greek here for ships is not the common one, but that used in the Gospels of the apostolic vessel in which Christ taught: and the first churches were in the shape of an inverted ship: and the Greek for destroyed is also used of heretical corruptings (1Ti 6:5).Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 8:9

• Angel (a Spirit)
• Meteorology and Celestial Phenomena
• Sea
• Vision

In the dictionaries

• the sea, the Great Sea, the western sea
• Amulet
• Chain; Chains
• Crescents
• Ethics
• Gold
• Life
• Literature, Sub-Apostolic
• Midian; Midianites
• Olive Tree

Commentaries on Revelation 8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings