God’s Word Translation
Revelation 16:5
5Then I heard the angel of the water say, “You are fair. You are the one who is and the one who was, the holy one, because you have judged these things.
Revelation 16:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
- New International Version (NIV)Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say: “You are just in these judgments, O Holy One, you who are and who were;
- English Standard Version (ESV)And I heard the angel in charge of the waters say, "Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was, for you brought these judgments.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And I heard the angel of the waters saying: “You are righteous, O Lord, The One who is and who was and who is to be, Because You have judged these things.
Context of Revelation 16:5
3The second angel poured his bowl over the sea. The sea turned into blood like the blood of a dead man, and every living thing in the sea died. 4The third angel poured his bowl over the rivers and the springs. They turned into blood. Then I heard the angel of the water say, “You are fair. You are the one who is and the one who was, the holy one, because you have judged these things. 6You have given them blood to drink because they have poured out the blood of God’s people and prophets. This is what they deserve.” 7Then I heard the altar answer, “Yes, Lord God Almighty, your judgments are true and fair.”
Read all of Revelation 16Revelation 16:5 word by word
καὶ ἤκουσα τοῦ ἀγγέλου τῶν ὑδάτων λέγοντος· δίκαιος εἶ, ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν ὁ ὅσιος, ὅτι ταῦτα ἔκρινας,Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- I heardἀκούωakouō · to hearG191
- the angelὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the angelἄγγελοςaggelos · angelG32
- of the watersὕδωρhudōr hudatos · waterG5204
- sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- Thou artεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- righteousδίκαιοςdikaios · justG1342
- O Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
- shalt beὅσιοςhosios · sacredG3741
- becauseὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
- thou hast judgedκρίνωkrinō · to judgeG2919
- thusοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
Cross-references for Revelation 16:5
- Revelation 16:4The third angel poured his bowl over the rivers and the springs. They turned into blood.
- Revelation 16:7Then I heard the altar answer, “Yes, Lord God Almighty, your judgments are true and fair.”
- Revelation 15:3and singing the song of God’s servant Moses and the song of the lamb. They sang, “The things you do are spectacular and amazing, Lord God Almighty. The way you do them is fair and true, King of the Nations.
- Revelation 19:2His judgments are true and fair. He has condemned the notorious prostitute who corrupted the world with her sexual sins. He has taken revenge on her for the blood of his servants.”
- Genesis 18:25It would be unthinkable for you to do such a thing, to treat the innocent and the guilty alike and to kill the innocent with the guilty. That would be unthinkable! Won’t the judge of the whole earth do what is fair?”
- Psalms 129:4The Lord is righteous. He has cut me loose from the ropes that wicked people tied around me.
- Psalms 145:17The Lord is fair in all his ways and faithful in everything he does.
- Lamentations 1:18“The Lord is right in what he did, because I rebelled against his word. Please listen, all you people, and look at my pain. My young women and young men have gone into captivity.
- Daniel 9:14So you were prepared to bring this disaster on us. Lord our God, you are righteous in everything you do. But we never listened to you.
- Romans 2:5Since you are stubborn and don’t want to change the way you think and act, you are adding to the anger that God will have against you on that day when God vents his anger. At that time God will reveal that his decisions are fair.
- Romans 3:5But if what we do wrong shows that God is fair, what should we say? Is God unfair when he vents his anger on us? (I’m arguing the way humans would.)
- 2 Thessalonians 1:5Your suffering proves that God’s judgment is right and that you are considered worthy of his kingdom.
- Revelation 1:4From John to the seven churches in the province of Asia. Good will and peace to you from the one who is, the one who was, and the one who is coming, from the seven spirits who are in front of his throne,
- Revelation 4:8Each of the four living creatures had six wings and were covered with eyes, inside and out. Without stopping day or night they were singing, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, who is, and who is coming.”
- Revelation 11:17and said, “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun ruling as king.
Commentaries on Revelation 16:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5The angel of the waters - The rabbins attribute angels, not only to the four elements so called, but to almost every thing besides. We have already seen the angel of the bottomless pit, Revelation 9:11, and the angel of the fire, Revelation 14:18. The angel of the earth is spoken of in Yalcut Rubeni, fol. 13, 2, and is called Admael. They have also an angel that presides over the grass; another that presides over the cattle which feed upon the grass. They…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5And I heard the angel of the waters say - The angel who presides over the element of water; in allusion to the common opinion among the Hebrews that the angels presided over elements, and that each element was committed to the jurisdiction of a particular angel. Compare the notes on Revelation 7:1. Thou art righteous, O Lord - In view of the judgments that reddened these streams and fountains with the blood of people, the angel ascribes righteousness to…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5-6the angel of the waters: In Scripture, angels and archangels are shown to have special roles within the order of heaven (see Daniel 8:16; 9:21; 10:13, 21; 12:1; Luke 1:19, 26; see also 1 Enoch 66:1–2). This angel confirms that these judgments come from God, who is just and holy.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. angel of the waters--that is, presiding over the waters. O Lord--omitted by A, B, C, Vulgate, Syriac, Coptic, and Andreas. and shalt be--A, B, C, Vulgate, and Andreas for this clause read, "(which art and wast) holy." The Lord is now no longer He that shall come, for He is come in vengeance and therefore the third of the three clauses found in Re 1:4, 8; 4:8 is here and in Re 11:17 omitted. judged thus--literally, "these things." "Thou didst inflict…Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 16:5
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
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