English Standard Version
Revelation 16:12
12The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east.
Revelation 16:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
- New International Version (NIV)The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great Euphrates River, and it dried up so that the kings from the east could march their armies toward the west without hindrance.
Context of Revelation 16:12
10The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in anguish 11and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds. The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east. 13And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. 14For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty.
Read all of Revelation 16Revelation 16:12 word by word
Καὶ ὁ ἕκτος ἐξέχεεν τὴν φιάλην αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸν ποταμὸν τὸν μέγαν τὸν Εὐφράτην, καὶ ἐξηράνθη τὸ ὕδωρ αὐτοῦ ἵνα ἑτοιμασθῇ ἡ ὁδὸς τῶν βασιλέων τῶν ἀπὸ ἀνατολῆς ἡλίου.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- theὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- theἄγγελοςaggelos · angelG32
- sixthἕκτοςhektos · sixthG1623
- poured outἐκχέωekcheō ekchunō · to pour outG1632
- hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- vialφιάληphialē · bowlG5357
- uponἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
- theΕὐφράτηςEuphratēs · EuphratesG2166
- greatμέγαςmegas · greatG3173
- riverποταμόςpotamos · riverG4215
- the waterὕδωρhudōr hudatos · waterG5204
- was dried upξηραίνωxērainō · to dryG3583
- thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
- the wayὁδόςhodos · roadG3598
- of the kingsβασιλεύςbasileus · kingG935
- ofἀπόapo · away fromG575
- the eastἀνατολήanatolē · eastG395
- ·ἥλιοςhēlios · sunG2246
- might be preparedἑτοιμάζωhetoimazō · to make readyG2090
Cross-references for Revelation 16:12
- Revelation 9:14saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates."
- Revelation 11:14The second woe has passed; behold, the third woe is soon to come.
- Isaiah 8:7therefore, behold, the Lord is bringing up against them the waters of the River, mighty and many, the king of Assyria and all his glory. And it will rise over all its channels and go over all its banks,
- Revelation 17:15And the angel said to me, "The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages.
- Isaiah 11:15And the Lord will utterly destroy the tongue of the Sea of Egypt, and will wave his hand over the River with his scorching breath, and strike it into seven channels, and he will lead people across in sandals.
- Isaiah 42:15I will lay waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their vegetation; I will turn the rivers into islands, and dry up the pools.
- Isaiah 44:27who says to the deep, 'Be dry; I will dry up your rivers';
- Jeremiah 50:38A drought against her waters, that they may be dried up! For it is a land of images, and they are mad over idols.
- Jeremiah 51:36Therefore thus says the Lord: "Behold, I will plead your cause and take vengeance for you. I will dry up her sea and make her fountain dry,
- Isaiah 41:2Who stirred up one from the east whom victory meets at every step? He gives up nations before him, so that he tramples kings underfoot; he makes them like dust with his sword, like driven stubble with his bow.
- Ezekiel 38:1The word of the Lord came to me:
- Daniel 11:43He shall become ruler of the treasures of gold and of silver, and all the precious things of Egypt, and the Libyans and the Cushites shall follow in his train.
Commentaries on Revelation 16:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Upon the great river Euphrates - Probably meaning the people in the vicinity of this river; though some think that the Tiber is intended. The water thereof was dried up - The people discomfited, and all impediments removed. The kings of the east - There seems to be an allusion here to the ruin of Babylon by Cyrus, predicted by the Prophet Jeremiah, Jeremiah 50:1-51:64. But what city or people is pointed out by this Babylon it is in vain to conjecture.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates - On the situation of that river, and the symbolical meaning of this language, see the notes on Revelation 9:14-21. The reference there was supposed to be to the Turkish power, and the analogy of interpretation would seem to require that it should be so understood here. There is every reason, therefore, to suppose that this passage has reference to something in the future history of…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-16Verses 12-16 This probably shows the destruction of the Turkish power, and of idolatry, and that a way will be made for the return of the Jews. Or, take it for Rome, as mystical Babylon, the name of Babylon being put for Rome, which was meant, but was not then to be directly named. When Rome is destroyed, her river and merchandise must suffer with her. And perhaps a way will be opened for the eastern nations to come into the church of Christ. The great…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12The Euphrates, the largest river in Mesopotamia, lay between Babylon and Israel. It marked the eastern border of the Roman Empire. If it dried up, kings from the east could move their armies westward (compare Revelation 9:13–16). From John's perspective as an ancient Jewish writer, people would always associate these armies with Mesopotamia, not with countries farther east like China or India.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. angel--so Coptic and Andreas. A, B, C, Vulgate, and Syriac omit. kings of the east--Greek, "the kings who are from the rising of the sun." Reference to the Euphrates similarly occurs in the sixth trumpet. The drying up of the Euphrates, I think, is to be taken figuratively, as Babylon itself, which is situated on it, is undoubtedly so, Re 17:5. The waters of the Euphrates (compare Is 8:7, 8) are spiritual Babylon's, that is, the apostate Church's (of…Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 16:12
In the dictionaries
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
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