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Revelation 16:12

in Revelation 16

And 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 of the East.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And the sixth poured out his bowl upon the great river, the river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way might be made ready for the kings that come from the sunrising.

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.

This verse in Revelation 16

Commentary

10 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

Upon 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.

This site's exposition

the kings of the East

on Revelation 16:12-14

The sixth bowl dries up the Euphrates to prepare the way for the kings of the East. The dragon, the beast, and the false prophet are named together here for the first time. Frogs were unclean under Leviticus 11:10 and were Egypt's second plague at Exodus 8:1-15.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers2 voices

A commentator

Primasius of Hadrumetum

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 16:12 · Written before 560.

proposed

[The waters dried up to prepare the way for the coming king from the east], that is, for Christ, concerning whom we read, "Behold a man, whose name is East," for him who is coming a way is prepared so that he might judge. Moreover, …

A commentator

Oecumenius

Commentary on Revelation · Written before 550.

proposed

The sixth angel made the Euphrates River passable, perhaps drying up some of its springs so that passage by it would be easy for the kings. By a diabolic agency and by the permission of God, many kings were gathered together for their mutual war; …

The Medieval Church2 voices

A commentator

Andreas of Caesarea

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 16:12 · Written before 614.

proposed

Perhaps by divine providence the Euphrates River will diminish in size and provide passage to the kings of the nations for their wars of destruction against each other and the rest of humankind. According to what is adduced in subsequent portions of the Revelation, we …

A commentator

Bede

Commentary on Revelation · Written before 735.

proposed

And the sixth angel poured out his bowl on that great river Euphrates, etc. With the people perishing, the abundance of Babylon, in which nothing living, nothing green, that is not fit for fire, will remain. This is what was said above: The harvest of …

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

proposed

Was dried up - The far greater part of the Turkish empire lies on this side the Euphrates. The Romish and Mahometan affairs ran nearly parallel to each other for several ages. In the seventh century was Mahomet himself; and, a little before him, Boniface III., with his universal bishopric.
3 more voices on this verse

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

And the sixth angel poured his vial on the great river Euphrates,....

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

Israel's promotion to the priest-kingdom after Pharaoh's downfall, and at the Lord's descent at Sinai to establish the theocracy, typifies the restored kingdom of Israel at the Lord's more glorious descent, when Antichrist shall be destroyed utterly.
And 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 Rev 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 the Turkish dominions, and to some bearing of the events which are to occur in that history on the ultimate downfall of the anti-Christian power referred to by the “beast.” And the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared - That is, as the effect of pouring out the vial. There is an allusion here, undoubtedly, to the dividing of the waters of the Red Sea, so that the children of Israel might pass. See Exo 14:21-22. Compare the notes on Isa 11:15. In this description the Euphrates is represented as a barrier to prevent the passage of “the kings of the East,” on their way to the West for some purpose not yet specified; that is, applying the symbol of the Euphrates as being the seat of the Turkish power, the meaning is, that “that power” is such a hindrance, and that, in some way that hindrance is to be removed as if the waters of an unbridged and unfordable river were dried up so as to afford a safe and easy passage through. Still there are several inquiries as to the application of this, which is not easy, and, as it refers to what is still future, it may be impossible to answer. The language requires us to put upon it the following interpretation: (a) The persons here referred to as “kings of the East,” were ready to make a movement toward the West, over the Euphrates, and would do this if this obstruction were not in their way. […]

The words behind it

29 Greek words

Every 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.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    Jeremiah 51:36

    Therefore this is what the LORD says: “Behold, I will plead your case and take vengeance on your behalf; I will dry up her sea and make her springs run dry.

    it leads to

    • Jeremiah 50:38

      A drought is upon her waters, and they will be dried up. For it is a land of graven images, and the people go mad over idols.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

  • Through

    Revelation 9:14

    saying to the sixth angel with the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.”

    it leads to

    • 2 Samuel 8:3

      David also defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, who had marched out to restore his dominion along the Euphrates River.

    • Genesis 2:14

      The name of the third river is Hiddekel; it runs along the east side of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

    • Revelation 9:15

      So the four angels who had been prepared for this hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind.

    • Jeremiah 51:63

      When you finish reading this scroll, tie a stone to it and cast it into the Euphrates.

    • Revelation 7:1

      After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back its four winds so that no wind would blow on land or sea or on any tree.

  • Through

    Isaiah 42:15

    I will lay waste the mountains and hills and dry up all their vegetation. I will turn the rivers into dry land and drain the marshes.

    it leads to

    • Isaiah 44:27

      who says to the depths of the sea, ‘Be dry, and I will dry up your currents,’

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

  • Through

    Isaiah 41:25

    I have raised up one from the north, and he has come—one from the east who calls on My name. He will march over rulers as if they were mortar, like a potter who…

    it leads to

    • Isaiah 41:2

      Who has aroused one from the east and called him to his feet in righteousness? He hands nations over to him and subdues kings before him. He turns them to dust with his sword,…

Where this verse is studied

On this page

About Revelation

The Transfiguration, Gustave Doré. Public domain.
The Transfiguration, Gustave Doré. Public domain.
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 16:12; Bede, Commentary on Revelation; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; 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 and Primasius of Hadrumetum, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 16:12.