Revelation 11:6
in Revelation 11These witnesses have power to shut the sky so that no rain will fall during the days of their prophecy, and power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
These have the power to shut the heaven, that it rain not during the days of their prophecy: and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to smite the earth with every plague, as often as they shall desire.
KJV
These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.
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This verse in Revelation 11
Commentary
15 notes on this verseThese have power to shut heaven - As Elijah did, 1 Kings 17:1-18:46. To turn them to blood - As Moses did, Exo 7:19-25. They shall have power to afflict the land with plagues, similar to those which were inflicted on the Egyptians.
This site's exposition
fire proceeds from their mouths
on Revelation 11:5-6
When anyone would harm them, fire proceeds from their mouths and devours their enemies, as fire fell on Elijah's captains in 2 Kings 1. They can shut the sky so that no rain will fall, as Elijah did, and turn the waters into blood, as Moses did.
This site's exposition
power to shut the sky
Adam Clarke traces the two powers to their sources, Elijah's closed sky in 1 Kings 17 and the Nile turned to blood in Exodus 7. Elijah's drought ran three years and six months by Luke 4:25 and James 5:17. That is the span of these witnesses' 1,260 days.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
And he says they have authority over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they desire. For "the presence" of the Antichrist will be revealed "in the power of Satan through all …
A commentator
Victorinus of PettauCommentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John · Written before 304.
proposed
These two candlesticks and two olive trees He has to this end spoken of, and admonished you that if, when you have read of them elsewhere, you have not understood, you may understand here. For in Zechariah, one of the twelve prophets, it is thus written: These are the two olive trees and two candlesticks which stand in the presence of the Lord of the earth; Zechariah 4:14 that is, they are in paradise. Also, in another sense, standing in the presence of the lord of the earth, that is, in the presence of Antichrist. Therefore they must be slain by Antichrist.
And the half of the week the two prophets, along with John, will take for the purpose of proclaiming to all the world the advent of Antichrist, that is to say, for a "thousand two hundred and sixty days clothed in sackcloth; " and they will work signs and wonders with the object of making men ashamed and repentant, even by these means, on account of their surpassing lawlessness and impiety. "And if any man will hurt them, fire will proceed out of their mouth, and devour their enemies.
It says, "they have," not "they will have." For whoever remains in the faith of the one church of God will in no way be wanting in that power conferred upon him by God. "They have power to turn the waters into blood and to …
Not only do they suspend the rain, but also they make useless that rain that falls. That is, they turn the waters into blood on account of those who judge in a carnal way those things which the church gives to be discerned in a …
7 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church4 voices
How deep is the divine goodness! For he brings a healing that is commensurate with the wound. For since he has received the full operation of the devil, the antichrist will come with every false sign and wonder and will be more wondrous than every …
These have the power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls, etc. All power in heaven and on earth is given to the Church in Christ, with the keys to bind and loose entrusted to it (Matthew XXVIII). But spiritually, the heaven is shut …
And they have the power over waters, etc. They not only withhold waters but also make those that descended useless, which is to turn waters into blood. The good fragrance of Christ emanating from the Church, to some is the smell of death unto death, …
These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy. What do we understand by heaven but the same thing as by the two witnesses, namely the holy preachers of the Church? When they shut heaven that it rain …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
These have power to shut heaven,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
These . . . power--Greek, "authorized power." it rain not--Greek, "huetos brechee," "rain shower not," literally, "moisten" not (the earth). smite . . . with all plagues--Greek, "with (literally, 'in') every plague."
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
These have power to shut heaven - That is, so far as rain is concerned - for this is immediately specified. There is probably a reference here to an ancient opinion that the rain was kept in the clouds of heaven as in reservoirs or bottles, and that when they were opened it rained; when they were closed it ceased to rain. So Job, “He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds, and the cloud is not rent under them,” Job 26:8. “Which the clouds do drop and distil upon man abundantly,” Job 36:28. “Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven?” Job 38:37; compare Gen 1:7; Gen 7:12; Gen 8:2; 2Ki 7:2. To shut or close up the heavens, therefore, is to restrain the rain from descending, or to produce a drought. Compare notes on Jas 5:17. That it rain not in the days of their prophecy - In the time when they prophesy. Probably the allusion here is to what is said of Elijah, 1Ki 17:1. This would properly refer to some miraculous power; but still it may be used to denote merely that they would be clothed with the power of causing blessings to be withheld from people, as if rain were withheld; that is, that in consequence of the calamities that would be brought upon them, and the persecutions which they would endure, God would bring judgments upon people as if they were clothed with this power. The language, therefore, it seems to me, does not necessarily imply that they would have the power of working miracles. And have power over waters to turn them to blood - The allusion here is doubtless to what occurred in Egypt, Exo 7:17. Compare the notes on Rev 8:8. This, too, would literally denote the power of working a miracle; but still it is not absolutely necessary to suppose that this is intended. Anything that would be represented by turning waters into blood, would correspond with all that is necessarily implied in the language. […]
The words behind it
36 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| οὗτοι | houtoi | These | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| ἔχουσιν | echousin | have | G2192 → | 707 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐξουσίαν | exousian | power | G1849 → | 102 times |
| κλεῖσαι | kleisai | to shut | G2808 → | 16 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| οὐρανὸν | ouranon | sky | G3772 → | 272 times |
| ἵνα | ina | so that | G2443 → | 668 times |
| μὴ | me | not | G3361 → | 1066 times |
| ὑετὸς | hu'etos | rain | G5205 → | |
| βρέχῃ | breche | may fall | G1026 → | |
| τὰς | tas | in the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἡμέρας | hemeras | days | G2250 → | 389 times |
| τῆς | tes | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| προφητείας | propheteias | prophecy | G4394 → | 19 times |
| αὐτῶν, | auton | of them, | G846 → | 5565 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐξουσίαν | exousian | power | G1849 → | 102 times |
| ἔχουσιν | echousin | they have | G2192 → | 707 times |
| ἐπὶ | epi | over | G1909 → | 883 times |
| τῶν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὑδάτων | hudaton | waters | G5204 → | 76 times |
| στρέφειν | strephein | to turn | G4762 → | |
| αὐτὰ | auta | them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| εἰς | eis | into | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| αἷμα | haima | blood | G129 → | 97 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| πατάξαι | pataxai | to strike | G3960 → | |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γῆν | gen | earth | G1093 → | 248 times |
| ἐν | en | with | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| πάσῃ | pase | every | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| πληγῇ | plegea | plague | G4127 → | 22 times |
| ὁσάκις | hosakis | as often as | G3740 → | |
| ἐὰν | ean | if | G1437 → | 352 times |
| θελήσωσιν. | thelesosin | they shall desire. | G2309 → | 208 times |
οὗτοιThese
houtoiG3778 →1381 times
ἔχουσινhave
echousinG2192 →707 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
ἐξουσίανpower
exousianG1849 →102 times
κλεῖσαιto shut
kleisaiG2808 →16 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
οὐρανὸνsky
ouranonG3772 →272 times
ἵναso that
inaG2443 →668 times
μὴnot
meG3361 →1066 times
ὑετὸςrain
hu'etosG5205 →
βρέχῃmay fall
brecheG1026 →
τὰςin the
tasG3588 →19766 times
ἡμέραςdays
hemerasG2250 →389 times
τῆςof the
tesG3588 →19766 times
προφητείαςprophecy
propheteiasG4394 →19 times
αὐτῶν,of them,
autonG846 →5565 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐξουσίανpower
exousianG1849 →102 times
ἔχουσινthey have
echousinG2192 →707 times
ἐπὶover
epiG1909 →883 times
τῶνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
ὑδάτωνwaters
hudatonG5204 →76 times
στρέφεινto turn
strepheinG4762 →
αὐτὰthem
autaG846 →5565 times
εἰςinto
eisG1519 →1755 times
αἷμαblood
haimaG129 →97 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
πατάξαιto strike
pataxaiG3960 →
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
γῆνearth
genG1093 →248 times
ἐνwith
enG1722 →2738 times
πάσῃevery
paseG3956 →1235 times
πληγῇplague
plegeaG4127 →22 times
ὁσάκιςas often as
hosakisG3740 →
ἐὰνif
eanG1437 →352 times
θελήσωσιν.they shall desire.
thelesosinG2309 →208 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Kings 17:1Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was among the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As surely as the LORD lives—the God of Israel before whom I stand—there will be neither dew nor rain in…
it leads to
- James 5:17
Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 4:25–26
But I tell you truthfully that there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and great famine swept over all…
- Luke 1:17
And he will go on before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to…
- 1 Kings 22:14
But Micaiah said, “As surely as the LORD lives, I will speak whatever the LORD tells me.”
- 2 Kings 3:14
Then Elisha said, “As surely as the LORD of Hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not for my regard for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at…
- James 5:17
Through
Luke 4:25But I tell you truthfully that there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and great famine swept over all…
it leads to
- 1 Kings 17:1
Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was among the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As surely as the LORD lives—the God of Israel before whom I stand—there will be neither dew nor rain in…
- Matthew 20:15
Do I not have the right to do as I please with what is mine? Or are you envious because I am generous?’
- Isaiah 55:8
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.
- 1 Kings 17:1
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies11
About Revelation

This page draws on 13 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Alcuin of York, COMMENTARY ON REVELATION; Andreas of Caesarea, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 11:5-6; Bede, Commentary on Revelation; Hippolytus of Rome, Dubious Hippolytus Fragments; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Revelation; Primasius of Hadrumetum, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 11:6; Ticonius, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 11:6 and Victorinus of Pettau, Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John.
