Revelation 16:13
in Revelation 16And I saw three unclean spirits that looked like frogs coming out of the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits, as it were frogs:
KJV
And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
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This verse in Revelation 16
Commentary
13 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And I saw three unclean spirits - They assumed a visible form which would well represent their odiousness - that of frogs - but still they are spoken of as “spirits.” They were evil powers, or evil influences (Rev 16:14, “spirits of devils”), and the language here is undoubtedly designed to represent some such power or influence which would, at that period, proceed from the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. Like frogs - βατράχοι batrachoi. This word does not occur in the New Testament except in the passage before us. It is properly translated frogs.
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.
This site's exposition
three unclean spirits that looked like frogs
Frogs were the second plague of Egypt, which the magicians could copy, and the figure fits spirits that work false signs. Albert Barnes notes that the word for frogs occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. John Wesley sets each against one person of the Trinity.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
A commentator
Caesarius of ArlesEXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 16:13-14, HOMILY 13 · Written before 542.
proposed
In addition to their ugly appearance, frogs are unclean also in their places of habitation. Although they seem to be native to the waters, they cannot endure it when the waters recede or dry up, and they roll around in the waters themselves and in …
And he says they came out from the mouth of the Dragon and from the mouth of the False Prophet. The Dragon, the author of evil, he calls the Devil, and the False Prophet is someone else acting by the power of the Devil, as …
A commentator
Primasius of HadrumetumCOMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 16:13 · Written before 560.
proposed
In view of the various passions in all of the vexations and vices they cause, evil spirits are said to possess a diversity of characteristics. And so, rightly did [Jesus] say somewhere in the Gospel, "deaf and dumb spirit," and elsewhere, "unclean spirit," and elsewhere …
The Medieval Church2 voices
A commentator
BonaventureCollationes de Decem Praeceptis, Collation 3 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
From these three idolatries proceed all falsities and disordered states of sin, by which the wretched soul is subjected to demons; which is well signified in Revelation, where it is said: "I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the …
And I saw from the mouth of the dragon and from the mouth of the beast, etc. The spirit of the devil, and the Antichrist, and the leaders of his body, who are called threefold according to the number of parts of one body, are …
5 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
This passage mentions individually the devil as a dragon, the antichrist as a beast, and the false prophet as another figure distinct from the other two. It says that spirits similar to frogs come out from these, for they are characterized by a poisonous and …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Out of the mouth of the dragon, the wild beast, and the false prophet - It seems, the dragon fights chiefly against God; the beast, against Christ; the false prophet, against the Spirit of truth; and that the three unclean spirits which come from them, and exactly resemble them, endeavour to blacken the works of creation, of redemption, and of sanctification.
And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The dragon acts the part of God the Father, assigning his authority to his representative the beast, as the Father assigns His to the Son. They are accordingly jointly worshipped; compare as to the Father and Son, Joh 5:23; as the ten-horned beast has its ten horns crowned with diadems (Greek, Re 13:1), so Christ has on His head many diadems.
Three unclean spirits - Perhaps false teachers, called afterwards spirits of devils, which persuade the kings of the earth by lying miracles to come forth to the place of general slaughter, Rev 16:14, Rev 16:16, Some good critics apply this to Vespasian, and his pretended miracles. See the account in Tacitus, lib. iv. c. 81.
The words behind it
24 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 |
| εἶδον | eidon | I saw [coming] | G1492 → | 374 times |
| ἐκ | ek | out of | G1537 → | 911 times |
| τοῦ | tou | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| στόματος | stomatos | mouth | G4750 → | 78 times |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δράκοντος | drakontos | dragon | G1404 → | 13 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐκ | ek | out of | G1537 → | 911 times |
| τοῦ | tou | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| στόματος | stomatos | mouth | G4750 → | 78 times |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θηρίου | theriou | beast | G2342 → | 46 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐκ | ek | out of | G1537 → | 911 times |
| τοῦ | tou | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| στόματος | stomatos | mouth | G4750 → | 78 times |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ψευδοπροφήτου | pseudoprophetou | false prophet | G5578 → | 11 times |
| πνεύματα | pneumata | spirits | G4151 → | 378 times |
| τρία | tria | three | G5140 → | 69 times |
| ἀκάθαρτα | akatharta | unclean | G169 → | 32 times |
| ὡς | hos | as | G5613 → | 500 times |
| βάτραχοι. | batrachoi | frogs. | G944 → |
ΚαὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
εἶδονI saw [coming]
eidonG1492 →374 times
ἐκout of
ekG1537 →911 times
τοῦthe
touG3588 →19766 times
στόματοςmouth
stomatosG4750 →78 times
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
δράκοντοςdragon
drakontosG1404 →13 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐκout of
ekG1537 →911 times
τοῦthe
touG3588 →19766 times
στόματοςmouth
stomatosG4750 →78 times
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
θηρίουbeast
theriouG2342 →46 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐκout of
ekG1537 →911 times
τοῦthe
touG3588 →19766 times
στόματοςmouth
stomatosG4750 →78 times
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
ψευδοπροφήτουfalse prophet
pseudoprophetouG5578 →11 times
πνεύματαspirits
pneumataG4151 →378 times
τρίαthree
triaG5140 →69 times
ἀκάθαρταunclean
akathartaG169 →32 times
ὡςas
hosG5613 →500 times
βάτραχοι.frogs.
batrachoiG944 →
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
Revelation 19:20But the beast was captured along with the false prophet, who on its behalf had performed signs deceiving those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. Both the beast and…
it leads to
- Revelation 20:14–15
Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Revelation 20:10
And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, into which the beast and the false prophet had already been thrown. There they will be tormented day…
- Revelation 21:8
But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This…
- Revelation 20:14–15
Through
Revelation 20:10And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, into which the beast and the false prophet had already been thrown. There they will be tormented day…
it leads to
- Matthew 25:41
Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
- Revelation 19:20
But the beast was captured along with the false prophet, who on its behalf had performed signs deceiving those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. Both the beast and…
- Matthew 25:46
And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
- Matthew 25:41
Through
Revelation 16:14These are demonic spirits that perform signs and go out to all the kings of the earth, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty.
it leads to
- Revelation 17:14
They will make war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will triumph over them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and He will be accompanied by His called and chosen…
- 1 Timothy 4:1
Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons,
- Revelation 17:14
Where this verse is studied
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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); Andreas of Caesarea, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 16:13; Bede, Commentary on Revelation; Bonaventure, Collationes de Decem Praeceptis, Collation 3; Caesarius of Arles, EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 16:13-14, HOMILY 13; 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 16:13.