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.
• 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.
• New Living Translation (NLT)But the earth helped her by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that gushed out from the mouth of the dragon.

Context of Revelation 12:16

14The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach. 15Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.

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 12:35The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing.
• 1 Kings 17:6The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.
• 2 Kings 8:9Hazael went to meet Elisha, taking with him as a gift forty camel-loads of all the finest wares of Damascus. He went in and stood before him, and said, “Your son Ben-Hadad king of Aram has sent me to ask, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’ ”

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