Revelation 16:1
in Revelation 16Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go, pour out on the earth the seven bowls of God’s wrath.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And I heard a great voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels, Go ye, and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God into the earth.
KJV
And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.
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This verse in Revelation 16
Commentary
10 notes on this versePour out the seven phials - The epistles to the seven churches are divided into three and four: the seven seals, and so the trumpets and phials, into four and three. The trumpets gradually, and in a long tract of time, overthrow the kingdom of the world: the phials destroy chiefly the beast and his followers, with a swift and impetuous force.
This site's exposition
the seven bowls of God’s wrath
The order comes in a loud voice from the temple, and at 15:8 no one could enter the temple. The command is therefore God's own, and the seven bowls follow at once.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
The inevitable outcome of the divine command is here revealed. However, also revealed is that authority which the church especially merited to receive by divine inspiration, namely, to inflict judgment upon those who are to be damned and to grant mercifully absolution to those who …
For the whole exodus of the people out of Egypt, which took place under divine guidance, was a type and image of the exodus of the Church which should take place from among the Gentiles; and for this cause He leads it out at last from this world into His own inheritance, which Moses the servant of God did not [bestow], but which Jesus the Son of God shall give for an inheritance.
The Medieval Church2 voices
From this we are led to think that until the divine vexation with the wicked distinguishes who the righteous are, the saints in no wise obtain the lot of the Jerusalem above or the priesthood in the temple of God or the [final] rest. "It …
And I heard a great voice: Go and pour out the seven bowls, etc. The Church is given the power to impose judgment on the damned and to mercifully grant absolution to the converted. And indeed, all angels are commanded to pour out on the …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And I heard a great voice out of the temple,....
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
a great voice--namely, God's. These seven vials (the detailed expansion of the vintage, Re 14:18-20) being called "the last," must belong to the period just when the term of the beast's power has expired (whence reference is made in them all to the worshippers of the beast as the objects of the judgments), close to the end or coming of the Son of man.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
Go your ways, and pour out - These ministers of the Divine justice were ready to execute vengeance upon transgressors, having full power; but could do nothing in this way till they received especial commission. Nothing can be done without the permission of God; and in the manifestation of justice or mercy by Divine agency, there must be positive command.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And I heard a great voice out of the temple - A loud voice out of the temple as seen in heaven (notes on Rev 11:19), and that came, therefore, from the very presence of God. Saying to the seven angels - That had the seven vials of wrath. See the notes on Rev 15:1, Rev 15:7. Go your ways - Your respective ways, to the fulfillment of the task assigned to each. And pour out the vials of the wrath of God - Empty those vials; cause to come upon the earth the plagues indicated by their contents.
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 |
| ἤκουσα | ekousa | I heard | G191 → | 425 times |
| μεγάλης | megales | [a] loud | G3173 → | 243 times |
| φωνῆς | phones | voice | G5456 → | 139 times |
| ἐκ | ek | from | G1537 → | 911 times |
| τοῦ | tou | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ναοῦ | naou | temple | G3485 → | 45 times |
| λεγούσης | legouses | saying | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| τοῖς | tois | to the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἑπτὰ | hepta | seven | G2033 → | 86 times |
| ἀγγέλοις· | angelois | angels; | G32 → | 175 times |
| ὑπάγετε | hupagete | do go | G5217 → | 79 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐκχέετε | ekcheete | do pour out | G1632 → | 27 times |
| τὰς | tas | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἑπτὰ | hepta | seven | G2033 → | 86 times |
| φιάλας | phialas | bowls | G5357 → | 12 times |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θυμοῦ | thumou | wrath | G2372 → | 18 times |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεοῦ | theou | of God | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| εἰς | eis | into | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γῆν.¶ | gen | earth. | G1093 → | 248 times |
ΚαὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἤκουσαI heard
ekousaG191 →425 times
μεγάλης[a] loud
megalesG3173 →243 times
φωνῆςvoice
phonesG5456 →139 times
ἐκfrom
ekG1537 →911 times
τοῦthe
touG3588 →19766 times
ναοῦtemple
naouG3485 →45 times
λεγούσηςsaying
legousesG3004 →1325 times
τοῖςto the
toisG3588 →19766 times
ἑπτὰseven
heptaG2033 →86 times
ἀγγέλοις·angels;
angeloisG32 →175 times
ὑπάγετεdo go
hupageteG5217 →79 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐκχέετεdo pour out
ekcheeteG1632 →27 times
τὰςthe
tasG3588 →19766 times
ἑπτὰseven
heptaG2033 →86 times
φιάλαςbowls
phialasG5357 →12 times
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
θυμοῦwrath
thumouG2372 →18 times
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
θεοῦof God
theouG2316 →1312 times
εἰςinto
eisG1519 →1755 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
γῆν.¶earth.
genG1093 →248 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
Psalms 79:6Pour out Your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge You, on the kingdoms that refuse to call on Your name,
it leads to
- Psalms 14:4
Will the workers of iniquity never learn? They devour my people like bread; they refuse to call upon the LORD.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 10:25
Pour out Your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge You, and on the families that do not call on Your name. For they have devoured Jacob; they have consumed him and finished…
- Psalms 14:4
Through
Revelation 15:1Then I saw another great and marvelous sign in heaven: seven angels with the seven final plagues, with which the wrath of God is completed.
it leads to
- Leviticus 26:21
If you walk in hostility toward Me and refuse to obey Me, I will multiply your plagues seven times, according to your sins.
- Leviticus 26:21
Through
Zephaniah 3:8Therefore wait for Me,” declares the LORD, “until the day I rise to testify. For My decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out upon them My indignation—all My burning anger.…
it leads to
- Zephaniah 1:18
Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them on the Day of the LORD’s wrath. The whole earth will be consumed by the fire of His jealousy.” For indeed, He…
- Joel 3:2
I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning My people, My inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among…
- Zephaniah 1:18
Through
Revelation 16:17Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came from the throne in the temple, saying, “It is done!”
it leads to
- Revelation 21:6
And He told me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give freely from the spring of the water of life.
- John 19:30
When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished.” And bowing His head, He yielded up His spirit.
- Revelation 21:6
Through
Jeremiah 10:25Pour out Your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge You, and on the families that do not call on Your name. For they have devoured Jacob; they have consumed him and finished…
it leads to
- Psalms 79:6–7
Pour out Your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge You, on the kingdoms that refuse to call on Your name,
- Psalms 79:6–7
Where this verse is studied
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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 16:1; Bede, Commentary on Revelation; Irenaeus, AGAINST HERESIES 4.30.4; 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 and Ticonius, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 16:1.
