Revelation 16:10
in Revelation 16And the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness, and men began to gnaw their tongues in anguish
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the fifth poured out his bowl upon the throne of the beast; and his kingdom was darkened; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,
KJV
And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,
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This verse in Revelation 16
Commentary
12 notes on this verseThe seat of the beast - Επι τον θρονον του θηριου· Upon the throne of the wild beast. The regal family was smitten by the fourth vial; they did not repent: then the fifth angel pours out his vial on the throne of the wild beast, or antichristian idolatrous power. Was full of darkness - Confusion, dismay, and distress.
This site's exposition
its kingdom was plunged into darkness
on Revelation 16:10-11
The fifth bowl strikes the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness, as Egypt in the ninth plague at Exodus 10:21-23. The pattern of verse 9 repeats, for they did not repent of their deeds.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
And the bowl of the fifth angel was poured out, he says, upon the throne of the beast; and his kingdom became darkened. For it is written concerning the apostle about the Antichrist, "whom the Lord will consume by the breath of His mouth," (2 …
A commentator
Primasius of HadrumetumCOMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 16:10-11 · Written before 560.
proposed
The throne of the beast, or his kingdom, as it were, his judicial authority, is said to be darkened, because [its followers] are darkened by the joy of earthly happiness. And although they heartily rejoice in their present good rather than in the possessing of …
The Medieval Church3 voices
Pouring the bowl on the throne of the beast signifies the pouring out of a great wrath upon the kingdom of the antichrist. This kingdom is shown to be in darkness, that is, it is bereft of the light of the "sun of righteousness." The …
And the fifth poured out his bowl, etc. The seat of the beast, that is, his kingdom, like judicial power, is darkened by such plagues, that is, the false joy of earthly happiness, and it becomes devoid of light, as the Psalm says: You cast …
And they gnawed their tongues because of pain. Just as the righteous will eat the labors of their fruits, so the wicked, exposed to the worthy punishments of their blasphemy, are as if satiated with their own tongues. They harmed themselves by blaspheming out of …
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
And his kingdom was darkened - With a lasting, not a transient, darkness. However the beast as yet has his kingdom. Afterward the woman sits upon the beast. and then it is said, "The wild beast is not," chap. xvii, 3, 7, 8.
And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast,....
What effect it had there: The whole kingdom of the beast was full of darkness and distress. That very city which was the seat of their policy, the source of all their learning, and all their knowledge, and all their pomp and pleasure, now becomes a source of darkness, and pain, and anguish.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Or, as "gnashing of teeth" is one of the accompaniments of hell, so this "gnawing of their tongues" is through rage at the baffling of their hopes and the overthrow of their kingdom. They meditate revenge and are unable to effect it; hence their frenzy [GROTIUS].
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast - The previous judgments had been preparatory to this. They all had a bearing on this, and were all preliminary to it; but the “seat” - the home, the center of the power of the beast - had not yet been reached. Here, however, there was a direct blow aimed at that power, still not such yet as to secure its final overthrow, for that is reserved for the pouring out of the last vial, Rev 16:17-21. All that is represented here is a heavy judgment which was merely preliminary to to that final overthrow, but which affected the very seat of the beast. The phrase “the seat of the beast” - τὸν θρόνον τοῦ θηρίου ton thronon tou thēriou - means the “seat” or “throne” which the representative of that power occupied, the central point of the Anti-christian dominion. Compare the notes on Rev 13:2. See also Rev 2:13. I understand this as referring to the very seat of the papal power - Rome - the Vatican. And his kingdom was full of darkness - Confusion - disorder - distress, for darkness is often the emblem of calamity, Isa 59:9-10; Jer 13:16; Eze 30:18; Eze 32:7-8; Eze 34:12; Joe 2:2. And they gnawed their tongues for pain - This is a “most significant expression of the writhings of anguish.” The word rendered here “gnawed” does not occur elsewhere in the New Testament, nor is the expression elsewhere used in the Bible; but its meaning is plain - it indicates deep anguish.
The words behind it
26 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 |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πέμπτος | pemptos | fifth | G3991 → | 4 times |
| ἐξέχεεν | execheen | poured out | G1632 → | 27 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| φιάλην | phialen | bowl | G5357 → | 12 times |
| αὐτοῦ | autou | of him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἐπὶ | epi | upon | G1909 → | 883 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θρόνον | thronon | throne | G2362 → | 62 times |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θηρίου, | theriou | beast, | G2342 → | 46 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐγένετο | egeneto | became | G1096 → | 667 times |
| ἡ | he | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| βασιλεία | basileia | kingdom | G932 → | 162 times |
| αὐτοῦ | autou | of it | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἐσκοτωμένη, | eskotomene | darkened, | G4656 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐμασῶντο | emasonto | they were gnawing | G3145 → | |
| τὰς | tas | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γλώσσας | glossas | tongues | G1100 → | 49 times |
| αὐτῶν | auton | of them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἐκ | ek | for | G1537 → | 911 times |
| τοῦ | tou | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πόνου | ponou | distress | G4192 → | 4 times |
ΚαὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
πέμπτοςfifth
pemptosG3991 →4 times
ἐξέχεενpoured out
execheenG1632 →27 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
φιάληνbowl
phialenG5357 →12 times
αὐτοῦof him
autouG846 →5565 times
ἐπὶupon
epiG1909 →883 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
θρόνονthrone
thrononG2362 →62 times
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
θηρίου,beast,
theriouG2342 →46 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐγένετοbecame
egenetoG1096 →667 times
ἡthe
heG3588 →19766 times
βασιλείαkingdom
basileiaG932 →162 times
αὐτοῦof it
autouG846 →5565 times
ἐσκοτωμένη,darkened,
eskotomeneG4656 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐμασῶντοthey were gnawing
emasontoG3145 →
τὰςthe
tasG3588 →19766 times
γλώσσαςtongues
glossasG1100 →49 times
αὐτῶνof them
autonG846 →5565 times
ἐκfor
ekG1537 →911 times
τοῦthe
touG3588 →19766 times
πόνουdistress
ponouG4192 →4 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
Matthew 8:12But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
it leads to
- Matthew 25:30
And throw that worthless servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 13:42
And they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 13:28
There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves are thrown out.
- Matthew 21:43
Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.
- Matthew 13:50
and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
- Matthew 25:30
Through
Revelation 9:2The star opened the pit of the Abyss, and smoke rose out of it like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke from the…
it leads to
- Joel 2:10
Before them the earth quakes; the heavens tremble. The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars lose their brightness.
- Genesis 19:28
He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and all the land of the plain, and he saw the smoke rising from the land like smoke from a furnace.
- Joel 2:10
Through
Matthew 22:13Then the king told the servants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
it leads to
- Matthew 8:12
But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
- Matthew 8:12
Where this verse is studied
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About Revelation

This page draws on 10 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 16:10-11; 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 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 16:10-11.
