Revelation 8:9-12
Context8:9 and a third of the creatures 1 living in the sea died, and a third of the ships were completely destroyed. 2
8:10 Then 3 the third angel blew his trumpet, and a huge star burning like a torch fell from the sky; 4 it landed 5 on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. 8:11 (Now 6 the name of the star is 7 Wormwood.) 8 So 9 a third of the waters became wormwood, 10 and many people died from these waters because they were poisoned. 11
8:12 Then 12 the fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. And there was no light for a third of the day 13 and for a third of the night likewise.
[8:9] 1 tn Or “a third of the living creatures in the sea”; Grk “the third of the creatures which were in the sea, the ones having life.”
[8:9] 2 tn On the term translated “completely destroyed,” L&N 20.40 states, “to cause the complete destruction of someone or something – ‘to destroy utterly.’ τὸ τρίτον τῶν πλοίων διεφθάρησαν ‘a third of the ships were completely destroyed’ Re 8:9.”
[8:10] 3 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
[8:10] 4 tn Or “from heaven” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).
[8:11] 6 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” in keeping with the parenthetical nature of this remark.
[8:11] 7 tn Grk “is called,” but this is somewhat redundant in contemporary English.
[8:11] 8 sn Wormwood refers to a particularly bitter herb with medicinal value. According to L&N 3.21, “The English term wormwood is derived from the use of the plant as a medicine to kill intestinal worms.” This remark about the star’s name is parenthetical in nature.
[8:11] 9 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the star falling on the waters.
[8:11] 10 tn That is, terribly bitter (see the note on “Wormwood” earlier in this verse).
[8:11] 11 tn Grk “and many of the men died from these waters because they were bitter.”
[8:12] 12 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
[8:12] 13 tn Grk “the day did not shine [with respect to] the third of it.”