New Living Translation
Revelation 16:12
12Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great Euphrates River, and it dried up so that the kings from the east could march their armies toward the west without hindrance.
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, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. His subjects ground their teeth in anguish, 11and they cursed the God of heaven for their pains and sores. But they did not repent of their evil deeds and turn to God. Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great Euphrates River, and it dried up so that the kings from the east could march their armies toward the west without hindrance. 13And I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs leap from the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. 14They are demonic spirits who work miracles and go out to all the rulers of the world to gather them for battle against the Lord on that great judgment day of God the Almighty.
Read all of Revelation 16Revelation 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 9:14And the voice said to the sixth angel who held the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great Euphrates River.”
- Revelation 11:14The second terror is past, but look, the third terror is coming quickly.
- Isaiah 8:7Therefore, the Lord will overwhelm them with a mighty flood from the Euphrates River—the king of Assyria and all his glory. This flood will overflow all its channels
- Revelation 17:15Then the angel said to me, “The waters where the prostitute is ruling represent masses of people of every nation and language.
- Isaiah 11:15The Lord will make a dry path through the gulf of the Red Sea. He will wave his hand over the Euphrates River, sending a mighty wind to divide it into seven streams so it can easily be crossed on foot.
- Isaiah 42:15I will level the mountains and hills and blight all their greenery. I will turn the rivers into dry land and will dry up all the pools.
- Isaiah 44:27When I speak to the rivers and say, ‘Dry up!’ they will be dry.
- Jeremiah 50:38A drought will strike her water supply, causing it to dry up. And why? Because the whole land is filled with idols, and the people are madly in love with them.
- Jeremiah 51:36This is what the Lord says to Jerusalem: “I will be your lawyer to plead your case, and I will avenge you. I will dry up her river, as well as her springs,
- Isaiah 41:2“Who has stirred up this king from the east, rightly calling him to God’s service? Who gives this man victory over many nations and permits him to trample their kings underfoot? With his sword, he reduces armies to dust. With his bow, he scatters them like chaff before the wind.
- Ezekiel 38:1This is another message that came to me from the Lord:
- Daniel 11:43He will gain control over the gold, silver, and treasures of Egypt, and the Libyans and Ethiopians will be his servants.
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
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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