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Revelation 16:3

in Revelation 16

And the second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it turned to blood like that of the dead, and every living thing in the sea died.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And the second poured out his bowl into the sea; and it became blood as of a dead man; and every living soul died, even the things that were in the sea.

KJV

And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.

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This verse in Revelation 16

Commentary

10 notes on this verse
And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea,.... Not literally; and so does not design the stagnation of it, which it is thought will be before the general conflagration; see Amo 7:4 nor is it to be understood of the sea of this world, and the men of it, who are like a troubled sea; but rather of Popish doctrines and councils, which are a sea of errors, and will now be confuted and put an end to.

This site's exposition

every living soul died in the sea

The second vial turns the sea to blood as of a dead man, thick and corrupted rather than merely reddened, and every living soul died in the sea, a completeness beyond the second trumpet's third part at 8:8-9, the vials each intensifying their matching trumpet's partial judgment into a full one. The plague recalls Exodus 7:20-21's first plague on the Nile, and the main line reads the vial series as broadly following the exodus pattern, the final wrath on the world system built on the same plagues that freed Israel from Egypt's own tyrant. Total death in the sea leaves no refuge in the deep for those who refused the gospel of 14:6-7.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers2 voices

A commentator

Oecumenius

Commentary on Revelation · Written before 550.

proposed

The blood of the sea and waters plainly indicate the killings of those encamped near the waters in land battles, as is natural.

A commentator

Primasius of Hadrumetum

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 16:3 · Written before 560.

proposed

[It says that] water turned to blood. It is easy to turn the soul from spiritual matters and think after the manner of the flesh, which we knew without difficulty to be symbolized in that first of the plagues that we read was inflicted upon …

The Medieval Church2 voices

A commentator

Andreas of Caesarea

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 16:3 · Written before 614.

proposed

It is not surprising that to expose the weakness of the antichrist and the light-mindedness of the deceived, the divine power would through the holy prophets, Enoch and Elijah, change the sea into "blood as of a dead man," that is, as of one who …

A commentator

Bede

Commentary on Revelation · Written before 735.

proposed

And the second poured out his bowl on the sea, etc. Those who are not only marked with the character of the Antichrist but also attack the stability of Christ's servants with the waves of bitter persecution will be punished with a spiritual vengeance, which …

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

proposed

The second poured out his phial upon the sea - As opposed to the dry land. And it become blood, as of a dead man - Thick, congealed, and putrid. And every living soul - Men, beasts, and fishes, whether on or in the sea, died.
3 more voices on this verse

The Nineteenth Century3 voices

And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea - So the second trumpet Rev 8:8, “And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea; and the third part of the sea became blood.” For the meaning of this as a symbol, see the notes on that verse. And it became as the blood of a dead man - “Either very bloody, like a mangled corse, or else colored, as it were, with the dark and almost black blood of a dead man” (Prof. Stuart, in loco).

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

But A, C, and Vulgate omit it. upon--Greek, "into." became as . . . blood--answering to another Egyptian plague. of a dead man--putrefying. living soul--So B and ANDREAS.

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

As the blood of a dead man - Either meaning blood in a state of putrescency, or an effusion of blood in naval conflicts; even the sea was tinged with the blood of those who were slain in these wars. This is most probably the meaning of this vial. These engagements were so sanguinary that both the conquerors and the conquered were nearly destroyed; every living soul died in the sea.

The words behind it

24 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.

Related verses

12 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Exodus 7:17–21This is what the LORD says: By this you will know that I am the LORD. Behold, with the staff in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will turn to blood.6 worksRevelation 8:8–9Then the second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned to blood,6 worksRevelation 11:6These 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.4 worksRevelation 8:9a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.4 worksPsalms 105:29He turned their waters to blood and caused their fish to die.3 worksPsalms 78:44He turned their rivers to blood, and from their streams they could not drink.3 works
The other 6 cross-references, with their words ▾
Ezekiel 16:38And I will sentence you to the punishment of women who commit adultery and those who shed blood; so I will bring upon you the wrath of your bloodshed and jealousy.2 worksGenesis 7:22Of all that was on dry land, everything that had the breath of life in its nostrils died.2 works1 Corinthians 15:45So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being;” the last Adam a life-giving spirit.2 worksPsalms 78:45He sent swarms of flies that devoured them, and frogs that devastated them.2 worksRevelation 13:1Then I saw a beast with ten horns and seven heads rising out of the sea. There were ten royal crowns on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads.1 worksRevelation 10:2He held in his hand a small scroll, which lay open. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land.1 works

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

    Revelation 11:6

    These 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…

    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…

    • Luke 4:25

      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…

    • Exodus 7:17–25

      This is what the LORD says: By this you will know that I am the LORD. Behold, with the staff in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will…

    • Psalms 105:26–36

      He sent Moses His servant, and Aaron, whom He had chosen.

  • Through

    Psalms 105:29

    He turned their waters to blood and caused their fish to die.

    it leads to

    • Exodus 7:20–21

      Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded; in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials, Aaron raised the staff and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was…

    • Psalms 78:44

      He turned their rivers to blood, and from their streams they could not drink.

  • Through

    Psalms 78:44

    He turned their rivers to blood, and from their streams they could not drink.

    it leads to

    • Psalms 105:29

      He turned their waters to blood and caused their fish to die.

    • Exodus 7:17–21

      This is what the LORD says: By this you will know that I am the LORD. Behold, with the staff in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will…

Where this verse is studied

About Revelation

The Transfiguration, Gustave Doré. Public domain.
The Transfiguration, Gustave Doré. Public domain.
Revelation: the study guide →Read Revelation 16 →
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 16:3; Bede, Commentary on Revelation; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; 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 16:3.

Read on in Revelation 16 →