Revelation 16:3

Revelation 16:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.
• New International Version (NIV)The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead person, and every living thing in the sea died.
• English Standard Version (ESV)The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse, and every living thing died that was in the sea.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood as of a dead man; and every living creature in the sea died.

Context of Revelation 16:3

1Then I heard a loud voice from the temple, saying to the seven angels, “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.” 2So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth; and a harmful and painful sore afflicted the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image. The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood like that of a dead man; and every living thing in the sea died. 4Then the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of waters; and they became blood. 5And I heard the angel of the waters saying, “Righteous are You, the One who is and who was, O Holy One, because You judged these things;

Revelation 16:3 word by word

Καὶ ὁ δεύτερος ἐξέχεεν τὴν φιάλην αὐτοῦ εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν, καὶ ἐγένετο αἷμα ὡς νεκροῦ, καὶ πᾶσα ψυχὴ ζωῆς ἀπέθανεν τὰ ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ.¶Read the interlinear

• The secondδεύτεροςdeuteros · secondlyG1208
• his bowlφιάληphialē · bowlG5357
• into the seaθάλασσαthalassa · seaG2281
• and it becameγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• bloodαἷμαaima · bloodG129
• likeὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• of a deadνεκρόςnekros · deadG3498
• and everyπᾶςpas · allG3956
• livingζωήzōē · lifeG2222
• thingψυχήpsuchē · soul: animalG5590
• diedἀποθνήσκωapothnēskō · to dieG599

Cross-references for Revelation 16:3

• Revelation 8:8The second angel sounded, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was hurled into the sea; and a third of the sea became blood,
• Revelation 10:2and he had in his hand a little scroll, which was open. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land;
• Revelation 13:1And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten crowns, and on his heads were blasphemous names.
• Revelation 11:6These have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying; and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire.
• Exodus 7:17This is what the Lord says: “By this you shall know that I am the Lord: behold, I am going to strike the water that is in the Nile with the staff that is in my hand, and it will be turned into blood.
• Psalms 78:44And turned their rivers to blood, And their streams, so that they could not drink.
• Psalms 105:29He turned their waters into blood, And caused their fish to die.
• Ezekiel 16:38So I will judge you as women who commit adultery or shed blood are judged; and I will bring on you the blood of wrath and jealousy.
• Revelation 8:9and a third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life, died; and a third of the ships were destroyed.
• Genesis 7:22of all that was on the dry land, all in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, died.

Commentaries on Revelation 16:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3As the blood of a dead man - Either meaning blood in a state of putrescency, or an effusion of blood in naval conflicts; even the sea was tinged with the blood of those who were slain in these wars. This is most probably the meaning of this vial. These engagements were so sanguinary that both the conquerors and the conquered were nearly destroyed; every living soul died in the sea.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea - So the second trumpet Revelation 8:8, “And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea; and the third part of the sea became blood.” For the meaning of this as a symbol, see the notes on that verse. And it became as the blood of a dead man - “Either very bloody, like a mangled corse, or else colored, as it were, with the dark and almost black…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. 33. angel--So B and Andreas. But A, C, and Vulgate omit it. upon--Greek, "into." became as ... blood--answering to another Egyptian plague. of a dead man--putrefying. living soul--So B and Andreas. But A, C, and Syriac, "soul of life" (compare Ge 1:30; 7:21, 22). in the sea--So B and Andreas. But A, C, and Syriac read, "(as respects) the things in the sea."Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 16:3

• Sea
• Temple
• Vision
• Water
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• the sea, the Great Sea, the western sea
• Angel
• Gnaw
• Vial
• Dragon
• Grief; Grieve
• Justification
• Print; Printing; Printed
• Retribution
• Revelation of John

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