New International Version
Revelation 16:21
21From the sky huge hailstones, each weighing about a hundred pounds, fell on people. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.
Revelation 16:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great.
- New Living Translation (NLT)There was a terrible hailstorm, and hailstones weighing as much as seventy-five pounds fell from the sky onto the people below. They cursed God because of the terrible plague of the hailstorm.
Context of Revelation 16:21
19The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath. 20Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found. From the sky huge hailstones, each weighing about a hundred pounds, fell on people. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.
Read all of Revelation 16Revelation 16:21 word by word
καὶ χάλαζα μεγάλη ὡς ταλαντιαία καταβαίνει ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους. καὶ ἐβλασφήμησαν οἱ ἄνθρωποι τὸν θεὸν ἐκ τῆς πληγῆς τῆς χαλάζης, ὅτι μεγάλη ἐστὶν ἡ πληγὴ αὐτῆς σφόδρα.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- there fellκαταβαίνωkatabainō · to come/go downG2597
- uponἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
- menὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- menἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
- a greatμέγαςmegas · greatG3173
- hailχάλαζαchalaza · hailG5464
- out ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- heavenοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772
- aboutὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
- the weight of a talentταλαντιαῖοςtalantiaios · weighing a talentG5006
- blasphemedβλασφημέωblasphēmeō · to blasphemeG987
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- the plagueπληγήplēgē · plague/blow/woundG4127
- forὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
- thereofαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- wasεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- exceedingσφόδραsphodra · veryG4970
Cross-references for Revelation 16:21
- Revelation 8:7The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.
- Revelation 11:19Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.
- Exodus 9:23When Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, the Lord sent thunder and hail, and lightning flashed down to the ground. So the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt;
- Joshua 10:11As they fled before Israel on the road down from Beth Horon to Azekah, the Lord hurled large hailstones down on them, and more of them died from the hail than were killed by the swords of the Israelites.
- Isaiah 30:30The Lord will cause people to hear his majestic voice and will make them see his arm coming down with raging anger and consuming fire, with cloudburst, thunderstorm and hail.
- Ezekiel 13:11therefore tell those who cover it with whitewash that it is going to fall. Rain will come in torrents, and I will send hailstones hurtling down, and violent winds will burst forth.
- Ezekiel 38:21I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign Lord. Every man’s sword will be against his brother.
- Revelation 16:9They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him.
- Isaiah 8:21Distressed and hungry, they will roam through the land; when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upward, will curse their king and their God.
Commentaries on Revelation 16:21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21A great hail - about the weight of a talent - Has this any reference to cannon balls and bombs? It is very doubtful; we are all in the dark in these matters. The words ̔ , as a talent, are used to express something great, excessively oppressive; as , terrible diseases, not diseases of the weight of a talent. See Rosenmuller.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven - Perhaps this is an allusion to one of the plagues of Egypt, Exodus 9:22-26. Compare the notes on Revelation 11:19. For a graphic description (by Com. Porter) of the effects of a hailstorm, see the notes on Isaiah 30:30. Compare the notes on Job 38:22. Every stone about the weight of a talent - The Attic talent was equal to about 55 lbs. or 56 lbs. Troy weight; the Jewish talent to about 113 lbs. Troy…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 17-21Verses 17-21 The seventh and last angel poured forth his vial, and the downfal of Babylon was finished. The church triumphant in heaven saw it and rejoiced; the church in conflict on earth saw it and became triumphant. God remembered the great and wicked city; though for some time he seemed to have forgotten her idolatry and cruelty. All that was most secure was carried away by the ruin. Men blasphemed: the greatest judgments that can befal men, will not…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21Despite the severity of these plagues, people around the world cursed God instead of understanding his reasons for the judgments (see Revelation 9:20; 16:9, 11). The terrible hailstorm reminds us of the seventh plague on Egypt (Exodus 9:23–24).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. fell--Greek, "descends." upon men--Greek, "the men." and men blasphemed God--not those struck who died, but the rest. Unlike the result in the case of Jerusalem (Re 11:13), where "the remnant ... affrighted ... gave glory to the God of heaven." was--Greek, "is."Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 16:21
In the dictionaries
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
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