Revelation 12:15

Revelation 12:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
• New International Version (NIV)Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent.
• English Standard Version (ESV)The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood.

Context of Revelation 12:15

13Now when the dragon saw that he had been thrown to the earth, he stalked the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14But the woman was given two wings of the great eagle, so that she might fly away from the presence of the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is taken care of—for a time, times, and half a time. And from out of his mouth, the serpent spewed water like a river after the woman, in order to sweep her away with a flood. 16But the earth came to the aid of the woman. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had spewed from his mouth. 17So the dragon became enraged at the woman and went off to make war with the rest of her offspring—those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Yeshua.

Revelation 12:15 word by word

καὶ ἔβαλεν ὁ ὄφις ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ ὀπίσω τῆς γυναικὸς ὕδωρ ὡς ποταμόν, ἵνα αὐτὴν ποταμοφόρητον ποιήσῃ.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• the serpentὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the serpentὄφιςophis · snakeG3789
• cast outβάλλωballō · to throw: pourG906
• ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• mouthστόμαstoma · mouthG4750
• waterὕδωρhudōr hudatos · waterG5204
• asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• a floodποταμόςpotamos · riverG4215
• afterὀπίσωopisō · afterG3694
• the womanγυνήgunē · womanG1135
• thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• he might causeποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
• herοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• to be carried away of the floodποταμοφόρητοςpotamophorētos · floodedG4216

Cross-references for Revelation 12:15

• Revelation 17:15Then he tells me, “The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.
• Psalms 18:4I called upon Adonai, worthy of praise, and I was rescued from my enemies.
• Psalms 65:7who establishes mountains by His power, being girded with might,
• Psalms 93:3The floods have lifted up, Adonai, the floods have lifted up their voice, the floods lift up their crashing waves.
• Isaiah 8:7therefore behold, Adonai is bringing on them the waters of the River— mighty and massive— Assyria’s king with all his glory! It will rise over all its channels and spill over all its banks.
• Isaiah 28:2Behold, Adonai is strong and mighty, like a hailstorm, a destructive tempest, like a downpour of overflowing water, He hurls it down to earth with His hand.
• Isaiah 59:19So from the west they will fear the Name of Adonai, and His glory from the rising of the sun. For He will come like a rushing stream driven along by the Ruach Adonai.

Commentaries on Revelation 12:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood - The water here evidently means great multitudes of nations and peoples; for in Revelation 17:15, the interpreting angel says, The waters which thou sawest - are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. This water, then, which the dragon cast out of his mouth, must be an inundation of heathen barbarous nations upon the Roman empire; and the purpose which the dragon has in view by this…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood - This is special and uncommon imagery, and it is not necessary to suppose that anything like this literally occurs in nature. Some serpents are indeed said to eject from their mouths poisonous bile when they are enraged, in order to annoy their pursuers; and some sea monsters, it is known, spout forth large quantities of water; but the representation here does not seem to be taken from either of…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-17Verses 12-17 The church and all her friends might well be called to praise God for deliverance from pagan persecution, though other troubles awaited her. The wilderness is a desolate place, and full of serpents and scorpions, uncomfortable and destitute of provisions; yet a place of safety, as well as where one might be alone. But being thus retired could not protect the woman. The flood of water is explained by many to mean the invasions of barbarians…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15-16John imagines Satan as Leviathan, a great sea monster (compare Job 41:1), trying to destroy God's people (the woman; see study note on Revelation 12:1). In the vision, the earth protects the woman, and the dangerous waters are held back. This is similar to the way God contained the waters of chaos at creation (compare Genesis 1:2, 6–7, 9–10).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 15-1615-16. flood--Greek, "river" (compare Ex 2:3; Mt 2:20; and especially Ex 14:1-31). The flood, or river, is the stream of Germanic tribes which, pouring on Rome, threatened to destroy Christianity. But the earth helped the woman, by swallowing up the flood. The earth, as contradistinguished from water, is the world consolidated and civilized. The German masses were brought under the influence of Roman civilization and Christianity [Auberlen]. Perhaps it…Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 12:15

• Vision
• Water

In the dictionaries

• Adultery
• Earth
• Star
• Apostolic Age
• Astronomy
• Dragon
• Flood
• Michael
• Revelation of John

Commentaries on Revelation 12

• 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