Revelation 12:16

Revelation 12:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
• New International Version (NIV)But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.

Context of Revelation 12:16

14But the woman was given the two wings of a giant eagle so that she could fly out into the wilderness, to the place God prepared for her, where she is taken care of – away from the presence of the serpent – for a time, times, and half a time. 15Then the serpent spouted water like a river out of his mouth after the woman in an attempt to sweep her away by a flood, but the earth came to her rescue; the ground opened up and swallowed the river that the dragon had spewed from his mouth. 17So the dragon became enraged at the woman and went away to make war on the rest of her children, those who keep God’s commandments and hold to the testimony about Jesus. 18And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore.

Revelation 12:16 word by word

καὶ ἐβοήθησεν ἡ γῆ τῇ γυναικὶ καὶ ἤνοιξεν ἡ γῆ τὸ στόμα αὐτῆς καὶ κατέπιεν τὸν ποταμὸν ὃν ἔβαλεν ὁ δράκων ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• the earthὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the earthγῆgē · earth: planetG1093
• helpedβοηθέωboētheō · to helpG997
• the womanγυνήgunē · womanG1135
• openedἀνοίγωanoigō · to openG455
• herαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• mouthστόμαstoma · mouthG4750
• swallowed upκαταπίνωkatapinō · to swallowG2666
• the floodποταμόςpotamos · riverG4215
• whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• the dragonδράκωνdrakōn · dragonG1404
• cast outβάλλωballō · to throw: pourG906
• ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537

Cross-references for Revelation 12:16

• Exodus 12:35Now the Israelites had done as Moses told them – they had requested from the Egyptians silver and gold items and clothing.
• 1 Kings 17:6The ravens would bring him bread and meat each morning and evening, and he would drink from the stream.
• 2 Kings 8:9So Hazael went to visit Elisha. He took along a gift, as well as forty camel loads of all the fine things of Damascus. When he arrived, he stood before him and said, “Your son, King Ben Hadad of Syria, has sent me to you with this question, ‘Will I recover from this sickness?’”

Commentaries on Revelation 12:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16The earth helped the woman - "Nothing, and indeed," as Bishop Newton excellently observes, "was more likely to produce the ruin and utter subversion of the Christian Church than the irruptions of so many barbarous nations into the Roman empire. But the event proved contrary to human appearance and expectation: the earth swallowed up the flood; the barbarians were rather swallowed up by the Romans, than the Romans by the barbarians; the heathen conquerors…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16And the earth helped the woman - The earth seemed to sympathize with the woman in her persecutions, and to interpose to save her. The meaning is, that a state of things would exist in regard to the church thus driven into obscurity, which would be well represented by what is here said to occur. It was cut off from human aid. It was still in danger; still persecuted. In this state it was nourished from some unseen source. It was enabled to avoid the direct…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-17Verses 12-17 The church and all her friends might well be called to praise God for deliverance from pagan persecution, though other troubles awaited her. The wilderness is a desolate place, and full of serpents and scorpions, uncomfortable and destitute of provisions; yet a place of safety, as well as where one might be alone. But being thus retired could not protect the woman. The flood of water is explained by many to mean the invasions of barbarians…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15-16John imagines Satan as Leviathan, a great sea monster (compare Job 41:1), trying to destroy God's people (the woman; see study note on Revelation 12:1). In the vision, the earth protects the woman, and the dangerous waters are held back. This is similar to the way God contained the waters of chaos at creation (compare Genesis 1:2, 6–7, 9–10).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 15-1615-16. flood--Greek, "river" (compare Ex 2:3; Mt 2:20; and especially Ex 14:1-31). The flood, or river, is the stream of Germanic tribes which, pouring on Rome, threatened to destroy Christianity. But the earth helped the woman, by swallowing up the flood. The earth, as contradistinguished from water, is the world consolidated and civilized. The German masses were brought under the influence of Roman civilization and Christianity [Auberlen]. Perhaps it…Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 12:16

• Vision

In the dictionaries

• Adultery
• Dragon
• Earth
• Star
• Apostolic Age
• Astronomy
• Michael
• Revelation of John

Commentaries on Revelation 12

• 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