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Revelation 8:11

in Revelation 8

The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter like wormwood oil, and many people died from the bitter waters.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

and the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.

KJV

And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.

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This verse in Revelation 8

Commentary

12 notes on this verse
And the name of the star is called Wormwood - Is appropriately so called. The writer does not say that it would be actually so called, but that this name would be properly descriptive of its qualities. Such expressions are common in allegorical writings. The Greek word - ἄψινθος apsinthos - denotes “wormwood,” a well-known bitter herb. That word becomes the proper emblem of bitterness. Compare Jer 9:15; Jer 23:15; Lam 3:15, Lam 3:19. And the third part of the waters became wormwood - Became bitter as wormwood.

This site's exposition

burning as it were a lamp

on Revelation 8:10-11

The third trumpet drops a great burning star, named Wormwood, onto a third of the rivers and fountains, and the waters made bitter kill many men, the star's Hebrew-echoing name recalling the bitter judgment word of Jeremiah 9:15 and 23:15 against a faithless people. Gill takes the star as a real falling body corrupting real water, while others through church history have read Wormwood as a corrupting teacher or system poisoning the wells the church drinks from, both readings named and the text's own emphasis, that the water becomes literally undrinkable and men die of it, standing at the center.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers4 voices

A commentator

Caesarius of Arles

EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 8:11, HOMILY 6 · Written before 542.

proposed

A third part of humankind was made like the star that fell upon it.… Many die from the waters. This can manifestly be interpreted to refer to those who are rebaptized.

A commentator

Primasius of Hadrumetum

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 8:10-11 · Written before 560.

proposed

Since the ruin of those who are great often confuses many, it says that the star fell upon part of the rivers and fountains, and that its name was Wormwood because of its great bitterness. We know that many are weakened by the fall of …

A commentator

Oecumenius

Commentary on Revelation · Written before 550.

proposed

Naomi, who long ago suffered many afflictions concerning her children and other misfortunes, was called Bitter. (Ruth 1:20) Bitterness serves as a symbol of the remaining extraordinary hardships. This bitterness is what we sinners experienced at that time, becoming bitter over the glory of the …

A commentator

Ticonius

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 8:11 · Written before 390.

proposed

The rivers and fountains of waters signify the teachers of the divine Scriptures who instruct others but turn themselves away from the way of truth. Indeed, the name Wormwood indicates either the bitterness or the sweetness of sins, which give a present sweetness to those …

The Medieval Church1 voice

A commentator

Alcuin of York

COMMENTARY ON REVELATION · Written before 804.

proposed

And the name of the star is called Wormwood. Because the Devil withdrew from the sweetness of truth to turn into the bitterness of falsehood, it is right for him to be allotted the name of Wormwood. Then, since a great many people perish from …
5 more voices on this verse

The Medieval Church1 voice

A commentator

Bede

Commentary on Revelation · Written before 735.

proposed

And many men died from the waters. For many (as the Apostle says) follow their luxuries, through whom the way of truth is blasphemed (II Pet. II), yet for the people of God, as Moses teaches, every wave of the waters is drinkable.

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

And the name of the star is called Wormwood - The unparalleled bitterness both of Arius himself and of his followers show the exact propriety of his title. And the third part of the waters became wormwood - A very considerable part of Afric was infected with the same bitter doctrine and Spirit.
And the name of the star is called Wormwood,....

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

The symbolizers interpret the star fallen from heaven as a chief minister (ARIUS, according to BULLINGER, BENGEL, and others; or some future false teacher, if, as is more likely, the event be still future) falling from his high place in the Church, and instead of shining with heavenly light as a star, becoming a torch lit with earthly fire and smouldering with smoke.

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

The star is called Wormwood - So called from the bitter or distressing effects produced by its influence.

The words behind it

26 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.

Jeremiah 23:15Therefore this is what the LORD of Hosts says concerning the prophets: “I will feed them wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink, for from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has spread throughout the land.”10 worksJeremiah 9:15Therefore this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Behold, I will feed this people wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink.9 worksDeuteronomy 29:18Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the LORD our God to go and worship the gods of those nations. Make sure there is no root among you that bears such poisonous and bitter fruit,6 worksProverbs 5:4in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a double-edged sword.5 worksAmos 6:12“Do horses gallop on the cliffs? Does one plow the sea with oxen? But you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood—4 worksAmos 5:7There are those who turn justice into wormwood and cast righteousness to the ground.4 works
The other 6 cross-references, with their words ▾
Lamentations 3:19Remember my affliction and wandering, the wormwood and the gall.4 worksExodus 15:23And when they came to Marah, they could not drink the water there because it was bitter. (That is why it was named Marah.)3 worksRuth 1:20“Do not call me Naomi,” she replied. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has dealt quite bitterly with me.2 worksLamentations 3:5He has besieged me and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship.2 worksHebrews 12:15See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God, and that no root of bitterness springs up to cause trouble and defile many.2 worksRevelation 8:7Then the first angel sounded his trumpet, and hail and fire mixed with blood were hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, along with a third of the trees and all the green grass.2 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

    Jeremiah 23:15

    Therefore this is what the LORD of Hosts says concerning the prophets: “I will feed them wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink, for from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has spread throughout…

    it leads to

    • Jeremiah 8:14

      Why are we just sitting here? Gather together, let us flee to the fortified cities and perish there, for the LORD our God has doomed us. He has given us poisoned water to drink,…

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

  • Through

    Deuteronomy 29:18

    Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the LORD our God to go and worship the gods of those nations. Make sure…

    it leads to

    • Jeremiah 9:15

      Therefore this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Behold, I will feed this people wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Hebrews 12:15

      See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God, and that no root of bitterness springs up to cause trouble and defile many.

    • Deuteronomy 11:16–17

      But be careful that you are not enticed to turn aside to worship and bow down to other gods,

    • Deuteronomy 13:1–15

      If a prophet or dreamer of dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you,

  • Through

    Jeremiah 9:15

    Therefore this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Behold, I will feed this people wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink.

    it leads to

    • Lamentations 3:15

      He has filled me with bitterness; He has intoxicated me with wormwood.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

  • Through

    Proverbs 5:4

    in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a double-edged sword.

    it leads to

    • Ecclesiastes 7:26

      And I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a net, and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is…

  • Through

    Amos 6:12

    “Do horses gallop on the cliffs? Does one plow the sea with oxen? But you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood—

    it leads to

    • Amos 5:7

      There are those who turn justice into wormwood and cast righteousness to the ground.

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 8 →
This page draws on 12 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; Bede, Commentary on Revelation; Caesarius of Arles, EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 8:11, HOMILY 6; 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; Oecumenius, Commentary on Revelation; Primasius of Hadrumetum, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 8:10-11 and Ticonius, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 8:11.

Read on in Revelation 8 →