Revelation 12:16

Revelation 12:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
• New International Version (NIV)But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.

Context of Revelation 12:16

14But the woman received the two wings of a very big eagle. Then she could fly to the place in the wilderness that God had prepared for her. In that place God would keep her safe from the big snake. God would take care of her there for a time, times and half a time. 15Then the dragon poured lots of water out of his mouth like a river. He wanted the river of water to carry the woman away. But a big hole opened in the ground. The river that poured from the dragon's mouth went down into the hole. That helped the woman to escape. 17As a result, the dragon was very angry with the woman. So he went away to fight a war against her other descendants. Those are the people who obey God's commands. They continue to trust Jesus and to speak his message. 18After that, the dragon stood on the shore of the sea.

Revelation 12:16 word by word

καὶ ἐβοήθησεν ἡ γῆ τῇ γυναικὶ καὶ ἤνοιξεν ἡ γῆ τὸ στόμα αὐτῆς καὶ κατέπιεν τὸν ποταμὸν ὃν ἔβαλεν ὁ δράκων ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• the earthὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the earthγῆgē · earth: planetG1093
• helpedβοηθέωboētheō · to helpG997
• the womanγυνήgunē · womanG1135
• openedἀνοίγωanoigō · to openG455
• herαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• mouthστόμαstoma · mouthG4750
• swallowed upκαταπίνωkatapinō · to swallowG2666
• the floodποταμόςpotamos · riverG4215
• whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• the dragonδράκωνdrakōn · dragonG1404
• cast outβάλλωballō · to throw: pourG906
• ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537

Cross-references for Revelation 12:16

• Exodus 12:35The Israelites obeyed Moses. They asked the Egyptians for silver and gold. They also asked them for clothes.
• 1 Kings 17:6The ravens brought him bread and meat to eat, every morning and every evening. He drank water from the stream.
• 2 Kings 8:9So Hazael went to meet Elisha. He took a gift with him. There were 40 camels that carried many kinds of valuable things that came from Damascus. He arrived at Elisha's house and he stood in front of him. Hazael said, ‘Your servant, Ben-Hadad, king of Syria, has sent me to you. He asks, “Will I get well again after this disease?” ’

Commentaries on Revelation 12:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16The earth helped the woman - "Nothing, and indeed," as Bishop Newton excellently observes, "was more likely to produce the ruin and utter subversion of the Christian Church than the irruptions of so many barbarous nations into the Roman empire. But the event proved contrary to human appearance and expectation: the earth swallowed up the flood; the barbarians were rather swallowed up by the Romans, than the Romans by the barbarians; the heathen conquerors…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16And the earth helped the woman - The earth seemed to sympathize with the woman in her persecutions, and to interpose to save her. The meaning is, that a state of things would exist in regard to the church thus driven into obscurity, which would be well represented by what is here said to occur. It was cut off from human aid. It was still in danger; still persecuted. In this state it was nourished from some unseen source. It was enabled to avoid the direct…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-17Verses 12-17 The church and all her friends might well be called to praise God for deliverance from pagan persecution, though other troubles awaited her. The wilderness is a desolate place, and full of serpents and scorpions, uncomfortable and destitute of provisions; yet a place of safety, as well as where one might be alone. But being thus retired could not protect the woman. The flood of water is explained by many to mean the invasions of barbarians…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15-16John imagines Satan as Leviathan, a great sea monster (compare Job 41:1), trying to destroy God's people (the woman; see study note on Revelation 12:1). In the vision, the earth protects the woman, and the dangerous waters are held back. This is similar to the way God contained the waters of chaos at creation (compare Genesis 1:2, 6–7, 9–10).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 15-1615-16. flood--Greek, "river" (compare Ex 2:3; Mt 2:20; and especially Ex 14:1-31). The flood, or river, is the stream of Germanic tribes which, pouring on Rome, threatened to destroy Christianity. But the earth helped the woman, by swallowing up the flood. The earth, as contradistinguished from water, is the world consolidated and civilized. The German masses were brought under the influence of Roman civilization and Christianity [Auberlen]. Perhaps it…Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 12:16

• Vision

In the dictionaries

• Adultery
• Dragon
• Earth
• Star
• Apostolic Age
• Astronomy
• Michael
• Revelation of John

Commentaries on Revelation 12

• 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