Skip to content
mannafest.faith
Read

Revelation 9:18

in Revelation 9

A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke, and sulfur that proceeded from their mouths.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

By these three plagues was the third part of men killed, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone, which proceeded out of their mouths.

KJV

By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.

⋯

This verse in Revelation 9

Commentary

10 notes on this verse

A commentator

Andreas of Caesarea

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 9:17-19 · Written before 614.

"The fire that proceeds with smoke and sulfur from their mouths," through which one third of humankind is killed, signifies those sins that consume the fruits of the heart by means of the poisonous assaults and instigations of the demons. Or the fire signifies the …

This site's exposition

The riders had breastplates

on Revelation 9:17-19

The riders' breastplates the colors of fire, sapphire, and sulfur match the fire, smoke, and sulfur, which kill A third of mankind. Their tails were like snakes, having heads, so this cavalry, like the locusts, is a host beyond nature.

This site's exposition

the three plagues of fire, smoke, and sulfur

Jamieson, Fausset and Brown note that the oldest manuscripts read plagues, as the Berean text does: the three plagues of fire, smoke, and sulfur. These proceeded from their mouths, and by them A third of mankind was killed.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers2 voices

A commentator

Oecumenius

Commentary on Revelation · Written before 550.

proposed

Then the vision varies and exalts the power of the holy angels, warning against "lions" and "fire", "smoke" and divine beings and serpents, through all of which their terrible and incredible nature is signified.

A commentator

Caesarius of Arles

EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 9:18-19, HOMILY 7 · Written before 542.

proposed

[The smoke, fire, and sulphur from their mouths] are the blasphemies that proceed from their mouths against God. "Their tails are like serpents." The leaders [of the heretics] we call "tails," and the rulers of the world we call "heads." It is through these that …

The Medieval Church1 voice

A commentator

Alcuin of York

COMMENTARY ON REVELATION · Written before 804.

proposed

And thus I saw the horses in the vision: and they that sat on them, had breastplates of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone. These horses, that is preachers of errors, in whom the seduced people are also understood, have demons as riders, not …

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

And by these three was the third part of men killed,....

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

By these three - Three things - explained immediately as referring to the fire, the smoke, and the brimstone. Was the third part of men killed - See the notes on Rev 8:7-12, on each of which verses we have notices of calamities that came upon the third part of the race, of the sea, of rivers, etc. We are not to suppose that this is to be taken literally, but the description is given as it appeared to John.
2 more voices on this verse

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

By these three--A, B, C, and Aleph read (apo for kupo), "From"; implying the direction whence the slaughter came; not direct instrumentality as "by" implies. A, B, C, Aleph also add "plagues" after "three." English Version reading, which omits it, is not well supported. by the fire--Greek, "owing to the fire," literally, "out of."

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

By these three was the third part of men killed - That is, By these was great carnage made.

The words behind it

25 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

5 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.

Revelation 9:15So the four angels who had been prepared for this hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind.10 worksRevelation 9:17Now the horses and riders in my vision looked like this: The riders had breastplates the colors of fire, sapphire, and sulfur. The heads of the horses were like the heads of lions, and out of their mouths proceeded fire, smoke, and sulfur.8 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.7 worksRevelation 8:12Then the fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun and moon and stars were struck. A third of the stars were darkened, a third of the day was without light, and a third of the night as well.5 worksRevelation 6:8Then I looked and saw a pale green horse. Its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed close behind. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill by sword, by famine, by plague, and by the beasts of the earth.4 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 9:15

    So the four angels who had been prepared for this hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind.

    it leads to

    • Revelation 8:7

      Then 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…

    • Revelation 8:9

      a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

    • Revelation 9:10

      They had tails with stingers like scorpions, which had the power to injure people for five months.

  • Through

    Revelation 9:17

    Now the horses and riders in my vision looked like this: The riders had breastplates the colors of fire, sapphire, and sulfur. The heads of the horses were like the heads of lions, and…

    it leads to

    • Revelation 14:10

      he too will drink the wine of God’s anger, poured undiluted into the cup of His wrath. And he will be tormented in fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and…

    • 1 Chronicles 12:8

      Some Gadites defected to David at his stronghold in the desert. They were mighty men of valor, trained for battle, experts with the shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions…

    • 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 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…

    • Genesis 19:24

      Then the LORD rained down sulfur and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the LORD out of the heavens.

Where this verse is studied

About Revelation

The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, Jan and Hubert van Eyck, about 1430 to 1432. Public domain.
The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, Jan and Hubert van Eyck, about 1430 to 1432. Public domain.
Revelation: the study guide →Read Revelation 9 →
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; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Alcuin of York, COMMENTARY ON REVELATION; Andreas of Caesarea, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 9:17-19; Andreas of Caesarea, Commentary on the Apocalypse; Caesarius of Arles, EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 9:18-19, HOMILY 7; 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) and Oecumenius, Commentary on Revelation.

Read on in Revelation 9 →