New King James Version
Revelation 8:11
11The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter.
Revelation 8:11 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
- New International Version (NIV)the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.
- English Standard Version (ESV)The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the water, because it had been made bitter.
- New Living Translation (NLT)The name of the star was Bitterness. It made one-third of the water bitter, and many people died from drinking the bitter water.
Context of Revelation 8:11
9And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. 10Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter. 12Then the fourth angel sounded: And a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night. 13And I looked, and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”
Read all of Revelation 8Revelation 8:11 word by word
καὶ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ ἀστέρος λέγεται ὁ Ἄψινθος· καὶ ἐγένετο τὸ τρίτον τῶν ὑδάτων εἰς ἄψινθον, καὶ πολλοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀπέθανον ἐκ τῶν ὑδάτων ὅτι ἐπικράνθησαν.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- the nameὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the nameὄνομαonoma · nameG3686
- of the starἀστήρastēr · starG792
- is calledλέγωlegō · to say: callG3004
- Wormwoodἄψινθοςapsinthos · wormwoodG894
- the third partτρίτοςtritos · thirdG5154
- of the watersὕδωρhudōr hudatos · waterG5204
- becameγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
- wormwoodεἰςeis · towardG1519
- manyπολύςpolus polos · muchG4183
- menἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
- diedἀποθνήσκωapothnēskō · to dieG599
- ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- becauseὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
- they were made bitterπικραίνωpikrainō · to embitterG4087
Cross-references for Revelation 8:11
- Deuteronomy 29:18so that there may not be among you man or woman or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the Lord our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations, and that there may not be among you a root bearing bitterness or wormwood;
- Ruth 1:20But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.
- Proverbs 5:4But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword.
- Jeremiah 9:15therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Behold, I will feed them, this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink.
- Jeremiah 23:15“Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts concerning the prophets: ‘Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, And make them drink the water of gall; For from the prophets of Jerusalem Profaneness has gone out into all the land.’ ”
- Lamentations 3:5He has besieged me And surrounded me with bitterness and woe.
- Amos 5:7You who turn justice to wormwood, And lay righteousness to rest in the earth!”
- Amos 6:12Do horses run on rocks? Does one plow there with oxen? Yet you have turned justice into gall, And the fruit of righteousness into wormwood,
- Hebrews 12:15looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;
- Exodus 15:23Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah.
Commentaries on Revelation 8:11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11The star is called Wormwood - So called from the bitter or distressing effects produced by its influence.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11And the name of the star is called Wormwood - Is appropriately so called. The writer does not say that it would be actually so called, but that this name would be properly descriptive of its qualities. Such expressions are common in allegorical writings. The Greek word - ̓́ apsinthos- denotes “wormwood,” a well-known bitter herb. That word becomes the proper emblem of bitterness. Compare Jeremiah 9:15; Jeremiah 23:15; Lamentations 3:15, Lamentations 3:19…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-13Verses 7-13 The first angel sounded the first trumpet, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood. A storm of heresies, a mixture of dreadful errors falling on the church, or a tempest of destruction. The second angel sounded, and a great mountain, burning with fire, was cast into the sea; and the third part of the sea became blood. By this mountain some understand leaders of the persecutions; others, Rome sacked by the Goths and Vandals, with…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 10-11The star named Wormwood (a shrubby plant that produces a bitter extract) is symbolic, not physical. Bitter water is linked to judgment from early in Israel’s history (Exodus 15:22–26; Numbers 5:18; Jeremiah 9:13–16; 23:15). The message is that widespread judgment has started.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1111. The symbolizers interpret the star fallen from heaven as a chief minister (Arius, according to Bullinger, Bengel, and others; or some future false teacher, if, as is more likely, the event be still future) falling from his high place in the Church, and instead of shining with heavenly light as a star, becoming a torch lit with earthly fire and smouldering with smoke. And "wormwood," though medicinal in some cases, if used as ordinary water would not…Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 8:11
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Revelation 8
- 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