Revelation 12:15
in Revelation 12Then from the mouth of the serpent spewed water like a river to overtake the woman and sweep her away in the torrent.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman water as a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream.
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.
⋯
This verse in Revelation 12
Commentary
10 notes on this verseA commentator
Victorinus of PettauCommentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John · Written before 304.
"And the serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman water as a flood, that he might carry her away with the flood." He signifies by the water which the serpent cast out of his mouth, the people who at his command would persecute her.
This site's exposition
spewed water like a river
on Revelation 12:15-16
Then from the mouth of the serpent spewed water like a river, but the earth helped the woman and opened its mouth to swallow it. Elsewhere in the book the earth suffers judgment; here it acts for her, as the Red Sea and the Jordan once did for Israel.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
And the serpent is said to have cast water out of his mouth behind the woman like a river, to make her carry the river-borne burden; the divine Scripture allegorizes the temptation as a river, saying that through Jonah he "cast me into the depths …
A commentator
Primasius of HadrumetumCOMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 12:16 · Written before 560.
proposed
It is possible to interpret the "earth" here to refer to the church, as in the psalm, "He who set the earth on its foundations, so that it should never be shaken." That is, he [set the earth] on the saints whose prayers and teachings …
The Medieval Church2 voices
When the church fled to inaccessible places where the deceiver makes his approach, out of his mouth, that is, clearly by his command, came water like a river after her. That is, he sent out against her a host of godless people and evil demons …
And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, etc. The flood signifies the onslaught of persecutors. Hence it is said: Perhaps they would have swallowed us up alive, like water (Psalm CXXIII). Therefore, the Church, not only lifted …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Water is an emblem of a great people; this water, of the Turks in particular. About the year 1060 they overran the Christian part of Asia. Afterward, they poured into Europe, and spread farther and farther, till they had overflowed many nations.
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And 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 those cases. It is the mere product of the imagination, but the sense is clear.
And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood - The water here evidently means great multitudes of nations and peoples; for in Rev 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 inundation is, that he might cause the woman, or Christian Church: - To be carried away of the flood - Entirely swept away from the face of the earth. Dr. Mosheim, in the commencement of his second chapter upon the fifth century, observes “that the Goths, the Heruli, the Franks, the Huns, and the Vandals, with other fierce and warlike nations, for the most part strangers to Christianity, had invaded the Roman empire, and rent it asunder in the most deplorable manner. Amidst these calamities the Christians were grievous, nay, we may venture to say the principal, sufferers. […]
The words behind it
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἔβαλεν | ebalen | cast | G906 → | 121 times |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὄφις | ophis | serpent | G3789 → | 13 times |
| ἐκ | ek | out of | G1537 → | 911 times |
| τοῦ | tou | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| στόματος | stomatos | mouth | G4750 → | 78 times |
| αὐτοῦ | autou | of him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ὀπίσω | opiso | after | G3694 → | 35 times |
| τῆς | tes | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γυναικὸς | gunaikos | woman | G1135 → | 211 times |
| ὕδωρ | hudor | water | G5204 → | 76 times |
| ὡς | hos | as | G5613 → | 500 times |
| ποταμόν, | potamon | a river, | G4215 → | 17 times |
| ἵνα | ina | so that | G2443 → | 668 times |
| αὐτὴν | auten | her | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ποταμοφόρητον | potamophoreton | carried away by a flood | G4216 → | |
| ποιήσῃ. | poiese | he may cause to be. | G4160 → | 569 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἔβαλενcast
ebalenG906 →121 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
ὄφιςserpent
ophisG3789 →13 times
ἐκout of
ekG1537 →911 times
τοῦthe
touG3588 →19766 times
στόματοςmouth
stomatosG4750 →78 times
αὐτοῦof him
autouG846 →5565 times
ὀπίσωafter
opisoG3694 →35 times
τῆςthe
tesG3588 →19766 times
γυναικὸςwoman
gunaikosG1135 →211 times
ὕδωρwater
hudorG5204 →76 times
ὡςas
hosG5613 →500 times
ποταμόν,a river,
potamonG4215 →17 times
ἵναso that
inaG2443 →668 times
αὐτὴνher
autenG846 →5565 times
ποταμοφόρητονcarried away by a flood
potamophoretonG4216 →
ποιήσῃ.he may cause to be.
poieseG4160 →569 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
Isaiah 59:19So shall they fear the name of the LORD where the sun sets, and His glory where it rises. For He will come like a raging flood, driven by the breath of the LORD.
it leads to
- Daniel 7:27
Then the sovereignty, dominion, and greatness of the kingdoms under all of heaven will be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all…
- Psalms 113:3
From where the sun rises to where it sets, the name of the LORD is praised.
- Zechariah 4:6
So he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of Hosts.
- Revelation 12:15–17
Then from the mouth of the serpent spewed water like a river to overtake the woman and sweep her away in the torrent.
- Psalms 22:27
All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD. All the families of the nations will bow down before Him.
- Daniel 7:27
Through
Isaiah 8:7the Lord will surely bring against them the mighty floodwaters of the Euphrates—the king of Assyria and all his pomp. It will overflow its channels and overrun its banks.
it leads to
- Isaiah 17:12–13
Alas, the tumult of many peoples; they rage like the roaring seas and clamoring nations; they rumble like the crashing of mighty waters.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 17:12–13
Through
Psalms 18:4The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of chaos overwhelmed me.
it leads to
- Psalms 116:3
The ropes of death entangled me; the anguish of Sheol overcame me; I was confronted by trouble and sorrow.
- Psalms 116:3
Through
Psalms 65:7You stilled the roaring of the seas, the pounding of their waves, and the tumult of the nations.
it leads to
- Psalms 89:9
You rule the raging sea; when its waves mount up, You still them.
- Psalms 89:9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies19
On this verse
On this chapter
About Revelation
This page draws on 11 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); Andreas of Caesarea, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 12:15-16; Bede, Commentary on Revelation; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Revelation; Primasius of Hadrumetum, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 12:16 and Victorinus of Pettau, Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John.