New Living Translation
Revelation 16:6
6Since they shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets, you have given them blood to drink. It is their just reward.”
Revelation 16:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
- New International Version (NIV)for they have shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve!"
- New King James Version (NKJV)For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, And You have given them blood to drink. For it is their just due.”
Context of Revelation 16:6
4Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs, and they became blood. 5And I heard the angel who had authority over all water saying, “You are just, O Holy One, who is and who always was, because you have sent these judgments. Since they shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets, you have given them blood to drink. It is their just reward.” 7And I heard a voice from the altar, saying, “Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, your judgments are true and just.” 8Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, causing it to scorch everyone with its fire.
Read all of Revelation 16Revelation 16:6 word by word
ὅτι αἷμα ἁγίων καὶ προφητῶν ἐξέχεαν, καὶ αἷμα αὐτοῖς δέδωκας πιεῖν· ἄξιοί εἰσιν.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Forὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
- they have shedἐκχέωekcheō ekchunō · to pour outG1632
- the bloodαἷμαaima · bloodG129
- of saintsἅγιοςhagios · holy: saintG40
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- prophetsπροφήτηςprophētēs · prophetG4396
- thou hast givenδίδωμιdidōmi · to giveG1325
- themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- to drinkπίνωpinō piō poō · to drinkG4095
- forγάρgar · forG1063
- they areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- worthyἄξιοςaxios · worthyG514
Cross-references for Revelation 16:6
- Revelation 6:10They shouted to the Lord and said, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you judge the people who belong to this world and avenge our blood for what they have done to us?”
- Revelation 13:10Anyone who is destined for prison will be taken to prison. Anyone destined to die by the sword will die by the sword. This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently and remain faithful.
- Revelation 17:6I could see that she was drunk—drunk with the blood of God’s holy people who were witnesses for Jesus. I stared at her in complete amazement.
- Revelation 18:24In your streets flowed the blood of the prophets and of God’s holy people and the blood of people slaughtered all over the world.”
- Revelation 19:2His judgments are true and just. He has punished the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality. He has avenged the murder of his servants.”
- Deuteronomy 32:42I will make my arrows drunk with blood, and my sword will devour flesh— the blood of the slaughtered and the captives, and the heads of the enemy leaders.”’
- 2 Kings 24:4who had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood. The Lord would not forgive this.
- Isaiah 49:26I will feed your enemies with their own flesh. They will be drunk with rivers of their own blood. All the world will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel.”
- Isaiah 51:22This is what the Sovereign Lord, your God and Defender, says: “See, I have taken the terrible cup from your hands. You will drink no more of my fury.
- Jeremiah 2:30“I have punished your children, but they did not respond to my discipline. You yourselves have killed your prophets as a lion kills its prey.
- Lamentations 4:13Yet it happened because of the sins of her prophets and the sins of her priests, who defiled the city by shedding innocent blood.
- Matthew 7:2For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.
- Matthew 21:35But the farmers grabbed his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.
- Matthew 23:30Then you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would never have joined them in killing the prophets.’
- Revelation 11:18The nations were filled with wrath, but now the time of your wrath has come. It is time to judge the dead and reward your servants the prophets, as well as your holy people, and all who fear your name, from the least to the greatest. It is time to destroy all who have caused destruction on the earth.”
- Revelation 18:20Rejoice over her fate, O heaven and people of God and apostles and prophets! For at last God has judged her for your sakes.
Commentaries on Revelation 16:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6Thou hast given them blood to drink - They thirsted after blood and massacred the saints of God; and now they have got blood to drink! It is said that when Tomyris, queen of the Scythians, had vanquished Cyrus, she cut off his head and threw it into a vessel of blood, saying these words: Satia te sanguine, quem sitisti, cujusque insatiabilis semper fuisti; "Satisfy thyself with blood, for which thou hast thirsted, and for which thy desire has been…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6For they have shed the blood of saints - The nations here referred to. They have been engaged in scenes of bloody persecution, and this is a just recompense. And prophets - Teachers of religion; ministers of truth. It is not necessary to understand the word “prophets” here in its technical sense, as denoting those who are raised up by God and sent forth as inspired men, but it may be understood in its more common signification in the New Testament as…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6Punishing God's enemies is fair because they killed God's holy people and prophets. Since they shed blood, they must drink blood. The principle of lex talionis (the law of retribution), which is the basis of Roman and Jewish law, shows that God is completely fair in judging and rewarding people based on their actions (see Revelation 2:23; 11:18; 14:13; 18:6; 20:12, 13; 22:12).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. (Re 11:18, end; Ge 9:6; Is 49:26.) An anticipation of Re 18:20, 24; compare Re 13:15. For--A, B, C, and Andreas omit.Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 16:6
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 Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries