Revelation 16:12

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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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.

Context of Revelation 16:12

10Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast so that darkness covered his kingdom, and people began to bite their tongues because of their pain. 11They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their sufferings and because of their sores, but nevertheless they still refused to repent of their deeds. Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates and dried up its water to prepare the way for the kings from the east. 13Then I saw three unclean spirits that looked like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14For they are the spirits of the demons performing signs who go out to the kings of the earth to bring them together for the battle that will take place on the great day of God, the All-Powerful.

Revelation 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, the one holding the trumpet, “Set free the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates!”
• Revelation 11:14The second woe has come and gone; the third is coming quickly.
• Isaiah 8:7So look, the sovereign master is bringing up against them the turbulent and mighty waters of the Euphrates River – the king of Assyria and all his majestic power. It will reach flood stage and overflow its banks.
• Revelation 17:15Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw (where the prostitute is seated) are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages.
• Isaiah 11:15The Lord will divide the gulf of the Egyptian Sea; he will wave his hand over the Euphrates River and send a strong wind, he will turn it into seven dried-up streams, and enable them to walk across in their sandals.
• Isaiah 42:15I will make the trees on the mountains and hills wither up; I will dry up all their vegetation. I will turn streams into islands, and dry up pools of water.
• Isaiah 44:27who says to the deep sea, ‘Be dry! I will dry up your sea currents,’
• Jeremiah 50:38A drought will come upon her land; her rivers and canals will be dried up. All of this will happen because her land is filled with idols. Her people act like madmen because of those idols they fear.
• Jeremiah 51:36Therefore the Lord says, “I will stand up for your cause. I will pay the Babylonians back for what they have done to you. I will dry up their sea. I will make their springs run dry.
• Isaiah 41:2Who stirs up this one from the east? Who officially commissions him for service? He hands nations over to him, and enables him to subdue kings. He makes them like dust with his sword, like windblown straw with his bow.
• Ezekiel 38:1The word of the Lord came to me:
• Daniel 11:43He will have control over the hidden stores of gold and silver, as well as all the treasures of Egypt. Libyans and Ethiopians will submit to him.

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

• Animals
• Euphrates
• Temple
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• Angel
• Gnaw
• Vial
• Consecrate; Consecration
• Dayspring
• Dragon
• Hair
• Justification
• Print; Printing; Printed
• Retribution

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