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

2The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land. As a result, very bad and painful sores appeared on people's skin. Everyone who had the wild animal's mark on them and who worshipped the animal's image had those sores. 3Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea. As a result, the sea became like the blood of a dead person. Everything that was living in the sea then died. Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and on the springs of water. As a result, all the water became blood. 5Then I heard the voice of the angel who had authority over the waters. He said to God, ‘Holy One, you are alive now and you always have been alive. You are right in everything that you decide. Now you have judged these people. 6They have killed your people and your prophets. They have caused your servants to bleed and to die. So now you have given these bad people blood to drink. That is what ought to happen to them. It is right.’

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

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• the thirdτρίτοςtritos · thirdG5154
• angelἄγγελοςaggelos · angelG32
• poured outἐκχέωekcheō ekchunō · to pour outG1632
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• vialφιάληphialē · bowlG5357
• uponεἰςeis · towardG1519
• the riversποταμόςpotamos · riverG4215
• fountainsπηγήpēgē · flowG4077
• of watersὕδωρhudōr hudatos · waterG5204
• they becameγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• bloodαἷμαaima · bloodG129

Cross-references for Revelation 16:4

• Revelation 8:10Then the third angel made a sound with his trumpet. I saw a very big star, which was burning with a bright light. It fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and the springs of water.
• Revelation 16:5Then I heard the voice of the angel who had authority over the waters. He said to God, ‘Holy One, you are alive now and you always have been alive. You are right in everything that you decide. Now you have judged these people.
• Revelation 14:7He said in a loud voice, ‘Respect God and give him honour! Now it is time for him to judge people. He made the sky and the earth and the sea. He also made the springs of water. So worship him!’
• Exodus 7:20Moses and Aaron obeyed the command of the Lord. Aaron lifted up the stick in front of Pharaoh and his servants. He hit the water in the Nile river with the stick. Then all the water in the river became blood.
• Exodus 8:5Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Say to Aaron, “Take your stick in your hand. Then raise your hand over the rivers, the streams and the pools. You will cause frogs to come up over the whole of Egypt.” ’
• Isaiah 50:2Nobody was there to meet me, when I came to help you. When I called out to you, nobody answered me. Do you think that my arm is too weak to rescue you? Am I not strong enough to save you? Look! I can speak to the sea so that it becomes dry! I can cause rivers to become deserts. Then the fish die because they have no water.
• Ezekiel 35:8Dead bodies will lie all over your mountains. The bodies of men who have died in battle will lie on your hills and in your valleys.
• Hosea 13:15Among the other nations, Israel has been successful. It has been like a plant that grows well. But now the Lord will send trouble. It will be like a strong east wind that comes from the desert. Israel's wells and springs of water will become dry. All the valuable things that Israel has stored will disappear.

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