Revelation 16:1-14

The Bowls of God’s Wrath

16:1 Then ¹  I heard a loud voice from the temple declaring to the seven angels: “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls containing God’s wrath.” ²  16:2 So ³  the first angel ⁴  went and poured out his bowl on the earth. Then ⁵  ugly and painful sores ⁶  appeared on the people ⁷  who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image.

16:3 Next, ⁸  the second angel ⁹  poured out his bowl on the sea and it turned into blood, like that of a corpse, and every living creature that was in the sea died.

16:4 Then ¹⁰  the third angel ¹¹  poured out his bowl on the rivers and the springs of water, and they turned into blood. 16:5 Now ¹²  I heard the angel of the waters saying:

“You are just ¹³  – the one who is and who was,

the Holy One – because you have passed these judgments, ¹⁴ 

16:6 because they poured out the blood of your saints and prophets,

so ¹⁵  you have given them blood to drink. They got what they deserved!” ¹⁶ 

16:7 Then ¹⁷  I heard the altar reply, ¹⁸  “Yes, Lord God, the All-Powerful, ¹⁹  your judgments are true and just!”

16:8 Then ²⁰  the fourth angel ²¹  poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was permitted to scorch people ²²  with fire. 16:9 Thus ²³  people ²⁴  were scorched by the terrible heat, ²⁵  yet ²⁶  they blasphemed the name of God, who has ruling authority ²⁷  over these plagues, and they would not repent and give him glory.

16:10 Then ²⁸  the fifth angel ²⁹  poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast so that ³⁰  darkness covered his kingdom, ³¹  and people ³²  began to bite ³³  their tongues because ³⁴  of their pain. 16:11 They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their sufferings ³⁵  and because of their sores, ³⁶  but nevertheless ³⁷  they still refused to repent ³⁸  of their deeds.

16:12 Then ³⁹  the sixth angel ⁴⁰  poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates and dried up its water ⁴¹  to prepare the way ⁴²  for the kings from the east. ⁴³  16:13 Then ⁴⁴  I saw three unclean spirits ⁴⁵  that looked like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 16:14 For they are the spirits of the demons performing signs who go out to the kings of the earth ⁴⁶  to bring them together for the battle that will take place on the great day of God, the All-Powerful. ⁴⁷ 

[16:1]  ¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

[16:1]  ² tn Or “anger.” Here τοῦ θυμοῦ (tou qumou) has been translated as a genitive of content.

[16:2]  ³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the directions given by the voice from the temple.

[16:2]  ⁴ tn Grk “the first”; the referent (the first angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:2]  ⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[16:2]  ⁶ tn Or “ulcerated sores”; the term in the Greek text is singular but is probably best understood as a collective singular.

[16:2]  ⁷ tn Grk ‘the men,” but this is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") and refers to both men and women.

[16:3]  ⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “next” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[16:3]  ⁹ tn Grk “the second”; the referent (the second angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:4]  ¹⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[16:4]  ¹¹ tn Grk “the third”; the referent (the third angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:5]  ¹² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the somewhat parenthetical nature of the remarks that follow.

[16:5]  ¹³ tn Or “righteous,” although the context favors justice as the theme.

[16:5]  ¹⁴ tn Or “because you have judged these things.” The pronoun ταῦτα (tauta) is neuter gender.

[16:6]  ¹⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate that this judgment is the result of what these wicked people did to the saints and prophets.

[16:6]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “They are worthy”; i.e., of this kind of punishment. By extension, “they got what they deserve.”

[16:7]  ¹⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[16:7]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “the altar saying.”

[16:7]  ¹⁹ tn On this word BDAG 755 s.v. παντοκράτωρ states, “the Almighty, All-Powerful, Omnipotent (One) only of God…(ὁ) κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ π. …Rv 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7; 21:22.”

[16:8]  ²⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[16:8]  ²¹ tn Grk “the fourth”; the referent (the fourth angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:8]  ²² tn Grk “men,” but this is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") and refers to both men and women.

[16:9]  ²³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “thus” to indicate the implied result of the bowl poured on the sun.

[16:9]  ²⁴ tn Grk “men,” but this is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") and refers to both men and women.

[16:9]  ²⁵ tn On this phrase BDAG 536 s.v. καῦμα states, “burning, heat Rv 7:16…καυματίζεσθαι κ. μέγα be burned with a scorching heat 16:9.”

[16:9]  ²⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “yet” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[16:9]  ²⁷ tn For the translation “ruling authority” for ἐξουσία (exousia) see L&N 37.35.

[16:10]  ²⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[16:10]  ²⁹ tn Grk “the fifth”; the referent (the fifth angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:10]  ³⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so that” to indicate the implied result of the fifth bowl being poured out.

[16:10]  ³¹ tn Grk “his kingdom became dark.”

[16:10]  ³² tn Grk “men,” but this is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") and refers to both men and women.

[16:10]  ³³ tn On this term BDAG 620 s.v. μασάομαι states, “bite w. acc. τὰς γλώσσας bite their tongues Rv 16:10.”

[16:10]  ³⁴ tn The preposition ἐκ (ek) has been translated here and twice in the following verse with a causal sense.

[16:11]  ³⁵ tn Grk “pains” (the same term in Greek [πόνος, ponos] as the last word in v. 11, here translated “sufferings” because it is plural). BDAG 852 s.v. 2 states, “ἐκ τοῦ π. in pain…Rv 16:10; pl. (Gen 41:51; Jos., C. Ap. 2, 146; Test. Jud. 18:4) ἐκ τῶν π. …because of their sufferings vs. 11.”

[16:11]  ³⁶ tn Or “ulcerated sores” (see 16:2).

[16:11]  ³⁷ tn Grk “and they did not repent.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but nevertheless” to express the contrast here.

[16:11]  ³⁸ tn Grk “they did not repent” The addition of “still refused” reflects the hardness of people’s hearts in the context.

[16:12]  ³⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[16:12]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “the sixth”; the referent (the sixth angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:12]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “and its water was dried up.” Here the passive construction has been translated as an active one.

[16:12]  ⁴² tn Grk “in order that the way might be prepared.” Here the passive construction has been translated as an active one.

[16:12]  ⁴³ tn Grk “from the rising of the sun.” BDAG 74 s.v. ἀνατολή 2.a takes this as a geographical direction: “ἀπὸ ἀ. ἡλίου…from the east Rv 7:2; 16:12; simply ἀπὸ ἀ. …21:13.”

[16:13]  ⁴⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[16:13]  ⁴⁵ sn According to the next verse, these three unclean spirits are spirits of demons.

[16:14]  ⁴⁶ tn BDAG 699 s.v. οἰκουμένη 1 states, “the inhabited earth, the world…ὅλη ἡ οἰκ. the whole inhabited earth…Mt 24:14; Ac 11:28; Rv 3:10; 16:14.”

[16:14]  ⁴⁷ tn On this word BDAG 755 s.v. παντοκράτωρ states, “the Almighty, All-Powerful, Omnipotent (One) only of God…(ὁ) κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ π. …Rv 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7; 21:22.”