Revelation 16:4

Revelation 16:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
• New International Version (NIV)The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood.
• English Standard Version (ESV)The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood.

Context of Revelation 16:4

2So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and loathsome, malignant sores broke out on those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. 3And the second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it turned to blood like that of the dead, and every living thing in the sea died. And the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and springs of water, and they turned to blood. 5And I heard the angel of the waters say: “Righteous are You, O Holy One, who is and was, because You have brought these judgments. 6For they have spilled the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink, as they deserve.”

Revelation 16:4 word by word

Καὶ ὁ τρίτος ἐξέχεεν τὴν φιάλην αὐτοῦ εἰς τοὺς ποταμοὺς καὶ τὰς πηγὰς τῶν ὑδάτων, καὶ ἐγένετο αἷμα.Read the interlinear

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• theὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• thirdτρίτοςtritos · thirdG5154
• poured outἐκχέωekcheō ekchunō · to pour outG1632
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• bowlφιάληphialē · bowlG5357
• intoεἰςeis · towardG1519
• riversποταμόςpotamos · riverG4215
• springsπηγήpēgē · flowG4077
• waterὕδωρhudōr hudatos · waterG5204
• they turned toγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• bloodαἷμαaima · bloodG129

Cross-references for Revelation 16:4

• Revelation 8:10Then the third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star burning like a torch fell from heaven and landed on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water.
• Revelation 16:5And I heard the angel of the waters say: “Righteous are You, O Holy One, who is and was, because You have brought these judgments.
• Revelation 14:7And he said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come. Worship the One who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and the springs of waters.”
• Exodus 7:20Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded; in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials, Aaron raised the staff and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was turned to blood.
• Exodus 8:5And the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers and canals and ponds, and cause the frogs to come up onto the land of Egypt.’”
• Isaiah 50:2Why was no one there when I arrived? Why did no one answer when I called? Is My hand too short to redeem you? Or do I lack the strength to deliver you? Behold, My rebuke dries up the sea; I turn the rivers into a desert; the fish rot for lack of water and die of thirst.
• Ezekiel 35:8I will fill its mountains with the slain; those killed by the sword will fall on your hills, in your valleys, and in all your ravines.
• Hosea 13:15Although he flourishes among his brothers, an east wind will come— a wind from the LORD rising up from the desert. His fountain will fail, and his spring will run dry. The wind will plunder his treasury of every precious article.

Commentaries on Revelation 16:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Upon the rivers and fountains of waters - This is an allusion to the first Egyptian plague, Exodus 7:20; and to those plagues in general there are allusions throughout this chapter. It is a sentiment of the rabbins that "whatever plagues God inflicted on the Egyptians in former times, he will inflict on the enemies of his people in all later times." See a long quotation on this subject from Rabbi Tanchum in Schoettgen.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters - This coincides also with the account of the sounding of the third trumpet Revelation 8:10-11; “And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters.” As to the meaning of the phrase, “rivers and fountains of waters,” see the notes on that passage. We found, it…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-4The plagues of the second and third bowls are similar to the first plague of Egypt (Exodus 7:17–21). John may have thought about how much of Rome’s food and wealth came from the sea. After Julius Caesar cleared the sea of pirates, shipping became vital for Rome. Its end would mean economic collapse for the empire (see Revelation 18:17–19).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. (Ex 7:20.) angel--so Syriac, Coptic, and Andreas. But A, B, C, and Vulgate omit it.Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 16:4

• Temple
• Water
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• Angel
• Gnaw
• Vial
• Dragon
• Justification
• Liers-in-Wait
• Marriage
• Names, Proper
• Print; Printing; Printed
• Retribution

Commentaries on Revelation 16

• 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