New King James Version
Revelation 16:21
21And 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.
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.
- New International Version (NIV)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.
- 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 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
19Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. 20Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 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.
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: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.
- Revelation 11:19Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.
- Exodus 9:23And Moses stretched out his rod toward heaven; and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire darted to the ground. And the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt.
- Joshua 10:11And it happened, as they fled before Israel and were on the descent of Beth Horon, that the Lord cast down large hailstones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword.
- Isaiah 30:30The Lord will cause His glorious voice to be heard, And show the descent of His arm, With the indignation of His anger And the flame of a devouring fire, With scattering, tempest, and hailstones.
- Ezekiel 13:11say to those who plaster it with untempered mortar, that it will fall. There will be flooding rain, and you, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall tear it down.
- Ezekiel 38:21I will call for a sword against Gog throughout all My mountains,” says the Lord God. “Every man’s sword will be against his brother.
- Revelation 16:9And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.
- Isaiah 8:21They will pass through it hard-pressed and hungry; and it shall happen, when they are hungry, that they will be enraged and curse their king and their God, and look upward.
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries