God’s Word Translation
Revelation 8:11
11That star was named Wormwood. One-third of the water turned into wormwood, and many people died from this water because it had turned bitter.
Revelation 8:11 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
- New International Version (NIV)the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.
- English Standard Version (ESV)The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the water, because it had been made bitter.
- New King James Version (NKJV)The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter.
Context of Revelation 8:11
9one-third of the creatures that were living in the sea died, and one-third of the ships were destroyed. 10When the third angel blew his trumpet, a huge star flaming like a torch fell from the sky. It fell on one-third of the rivers and on the springs. That star was named Wormwood. One-third of the water turned into wormwood, and many people died from this water because it had turned bitter. 12When the fourth angel blew his trumpet, one-third of the sun, one-third of the moon, and one-third of the stars were struck so that one-third of them turned dark. There was no light for one-third of the day and one-third of the night. 13I saw an eagle flying overhead, and I heard it say in a loud voice, “Catastrophe, catastrophe, catastrophe for those living on earth, because of the remaining trumpet blasts which the three angels are about to blow.”
Read all of Revelation 8Revelation 8:11 word by word
καὶ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ ἀστέρος λέγεται ὁ Ἄψινθος· καὶ ἐγένετο τὸ τρίτον τῶν ὑδάτων εἰς ἄψινθον, καὶ πολλοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀπέθανον ἐκ τῶν ὑδάτων ὅτι ἐπικράνθησαν.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- the nameὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the nameὄνομαonoma · nameG3686
- of the starἀστήρastēr · starG792
- is calledλέγωlegō · to say: callG3004
- Wormwoodἄψινθοςapsinthos · wormwoodG894
- the third partτρίτοςtritos · thirdG5154
- of the watersὕδωρhudōr hudatos · waterG5204
- becameγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
- wormwoodεἰςeis · towardG1519
- manyπολύςpolus polos · muchG4183
- menἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
- diedἀποθνήσκωapothnēskō · to dieG599
- ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- becauseὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
- they were made bitterπικραίνωpikrainō · to embitterG4087
Cross-references for Revelation 8:11
- Deuteronomy 29:18Make sure there is no man, woman, family, or tribe among you today who turns from the Lord our God to worship the gods of those nations. Make sure that no one among you is the source of this kind of bitter poison.
- Ruth 1:20She answered them, “Don’t call me Naomi [Sweet]. Call me Mara [Bitter] because the Almighty has made my life very bitter.
- Proverbs 5:4but in the end she is as bitter as wormwood, as sharp as a two-edged sword.
- Jeremiah 9:15This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: I am going to feed these people bitterness and give them poison to drink.
- Jeremiah 23:15This is what the Lord of Armies says about the prophets: I will give them wormwood to eat and poison to drink. The prophets of Jerusalem have spread godlessness throughout the land.
- Lamentations 3:5He has attacked me and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship.
- Amos 5:7You, Israel, turn justice into poison and throw righteousness on the ground.
- Amos 6:12Do horses run on rocks? Does a farmer plow the sea with oxen? Yet, you have turned justice into something deadly and what is righteous into poison.
- Hebrews 12:15Make sure that everyone has kindness from God so that bitterness doesn’t take root and grow up to cause trouble that corrupts many of you.
- Exodus 15:23When they came to Marah, they couldn’t drink the water because it tasted bitter. That’s why the place was called Marah [Bitter Place].
Commentaries on Revelation 8:11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11The star is called Wormwood - So called from the bitter or distressing effects produced by its influence.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11And the name of the star is called Wormwood - Is appropriately so called. The writer does not say that it would be actually so called, but that this name would be properly descriptive of its qualities. Such expressions are common in allegorical writings. The Greek word - ̓́ apsinthos- denotes “wormwood,” a well-known bitter herb. That word becomes the proper emblem of bitterness. Compare Jeremiah 9:15; Jeremiah 23:15; Lamentations 3:15, Lamentations 3:19…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-13Verses 7-13 The first angel sounded the first trumpet, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood. A storm of heresies, a mixture of dreadful errors falling on the church, or a tempest of destruction. The second angel sounded, and a great mountain, burning with fire, was cast into the sea; and the third part of the sea became blood. By this mountain some understand leaders of the persecutions; others, Rome sacked by the Goths and Vandals, with…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 10-11The star named Wormwood (a shrubby plant that produces a bitter extract) is symbolic, not physical. Bitter water is linked to judgment from early in Israel’s history (Exodus 15:22–26; Numbers 5:18; Jeremiah 9:13–16; 23:15). The message is that widespread judgment has started.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1111. The symbolizers interpret the star fallen from heaven as a chief minister (Arius, according to Bullinger, Bengel, and others; or some future false teacher, if, as is more likely, the event be still future) falling from his high place in the Church, and instead of shining with heavenly light as a star, becoming a torch lit with earthly fire and smouldering with smoke. And "wormwood," though medicinal in some cases, if used as ordinary water would not…Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 8:11
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Revelation 8
- 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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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