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Saturday, July 19th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

Revelation 12:15

The snake then spewed out water like a river to sweep the woman away.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Vision;   Water;   The Topic Concordance - Devil/devils;   War/weapons;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Dragon;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Order;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Antipas;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Revelation, the Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Revelation, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Dragon ;   River ;   River (2);   Serpent ;   Sign;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Serpent;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Joseph;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Serpent;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Flood;   Mouth;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Apostolic Age;   Flood;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Apocalypse;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
From his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river flowing after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood.
King James Version (1611)
And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood, after the woman: that he might cause her to bee caried away of the flood.
King James Version
And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
New American Standard Bible
And the serpent hurled water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood.
New Century Version
Then the snake poured water out of its mouth like a river toward the woman so the flood would carry her away.
English Standard Version
The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood.
Berean Standard Bible
Then from the mouth of the serpent spewed water like a river to overtake the woman and sweep her away in the torrent.
Complete Jewish Bible
The serpent spewed water like a river out of its mouth after the woman, in order to sweep her away in the flood;
Darby Translation
And the serpent cast out of his mouth behind the woman water as a river, that he might make her be [as] one carried away by a river.
Easy-to-Read Version
Then the dragon poured water out of its mouth like a river. It poured the water toward the woman so that the flood would carry her away.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And the serpent cast out of his mouth water after the woman, like a flood, that he might cause her to be caried away of the flood.
George Lamsa Translation
Then the serpent sent a flood of water out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away by the flood.
Good News Translation
And then from his mouth the dragon poured out a flood of water after the woman, so that it would carry her away.
Lexham English Bible
And from his mouth the serpent spouted water like a river after the woman, in order that he could make her swept away by a river.
Literal Translation
And the serpent threw water out of his mouth like a river after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried off by the river.
Amplified Bible
And the serpent hurled water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood.
American Standard Version
And the serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman water as a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream.
Bible in Basic English
And the snake sent out of his mouth after the woman a river of water, so that she might be taken away by the stream.
Hebrew Names Version
The serpent spewed water out of his mouth after the woman like a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream.
International Standard Version
From its mouth the serpent poured water like a river behind the woman in order to sweep her away with the flood.Isaiah 59:19;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
And the serpent cast forth from his mouth after the woman waters like a river, as that she might be carried off by the river which he would make.
Murdock Translation
And the serpent ejected from his mouth waters like a river, after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the serpent cast out of his mouth water after the woman as it had ben a fludde, that he myght cause her to be caryed away of the fludde.
English Revised Version
And the serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman water as a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream.
World English Bible
The serpent spewed water out of his mouth after the woman like a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And the serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman water as a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream.
Weymouth's New Testament
And the serpent poured water from his mouth--a very river it seemed--after the woman, in the hope that she would be carried away by its flood.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the serpent sente out of his mouth aftir the womman watir as a flood, that he schulde make hir to be drawun of the flood.
Update Bible Version
And the serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman water as a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood.
New English Translation
Then the serpent spouted water like a river out of his mouth after the woman in an attempt to sweep her away by a flood,
New King James Version
So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood.
New Living Translation
Then the dragon tried to drown the woman with a flood of water that flowed from his mouth.
New Life Bible
Then the snake spit water from his mouth so the woman might be carried away with a flood.
New Revised Standard
Then from his mouth the serpent poured water like a river after the woman, to sweep her away with the flood.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And the serpent cast out of his mouth, after the woman, water as a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the serpent cast out of his mouth, after the woman, water, as it were a river: that he might cause her to be carried away by the river.
Revised Standard Version
The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with the flood.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And the dragon cast out of his mouth water after the woman as it had bene a ryver because she hulde have bene caught of the floud.
Young's Literal Translation
and the serpent did cast forth after the woman, out of his mouth, water as a river, that he may cause her to be carried away by the river,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And the dragon cast out of his mouth water after the woma, as it had bene a ryuer, that he might cause her to be caught of ye floud.
Mace New Testament (1729)
and the serpent spouted from his throat a flood of water, after the woman, in order to drown her with the flood.
Simplified Cowboy Version
The dragon's mouth spit forth a flood of water in hopes of killing the lady.

Contextual Overview

12 The heavens should rejoice, together with everyone who lives there. But pity the earth and the sea, because the devil was thrown down to the earth. He knows his time is short, and he is very angry." 13 When the dragon realized that it had been thrown down to the earth, it tried to make trouble for the woman who had given birth to a son. 14 But the woman was given two wings like those of a huge eagle, so that she could fly into the desert. There she would escape from the snake and be taken care of for a time, two times, and half a time. 15 The snake then spewed out water like a river to sweep the woman away. 16 But the earth helped her and swallowed the water that had come from the dragon's mouth. 17 This made the dragon terribly angry with the woman. So it started a war against the rest of her children. They are the people who obey God and are faithful to what Jesus did and taught.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

cast: Revelation 17:15, Psalms 18:4, Psalms 65:7, Psalms 93:3, Psalms 93:4, Isaiah 8:7, Isaiah 28:2, Isaiah 59:19

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 22:5 - the floods Psalms 32:6 - in the floods Psalms 69:1 - the waters Psalms 69:15 - waterflood Psalms 124:4 - the waters Psalms 144:7 - deliver me Isaiah 28:18 - when Jeremiah 46:7 - as a flood Jeremiah 47:2 - waters Daniel 11:22 - with Matthew 2:7 - General Revelation 12:9 - that Revelation 13:2 - dragon Revelation 13:8 - whose Revelation 20:2 - the dragon

Cross-References

Genesis 12:2
I will bless you and make your descendants into a great nation. You will become famous and be a blessing to others.
Genesis 12:4
Abram was seventy-five years old when the Lord told him to leave the city of Haran. He obeyed and left with his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all the possessions and slaves they had gotten while in Haran. When they came to the land of Canaan,
Genesis 12:16
The king was good to Abram because of Sarai, and Abram was given sheep, cattle, donkeys, slaves, and camels.
Genesis 20:2
he told everyone that his wife Sarah was his sister. So King Abimelech of Gerar had Sarah brought to him.
Genesis 41:1
Two years later the king of Egypt dreamed he was standing beside the Nile River.
Exodus 2:5
About that time one of the king's daughters came down to take a bath in the river, while her servant women walked along the river bank. She saw the basket in the tall grass and sent one of the young women to pull it out of the water.
Exodus 2:15
When the king heard what Moses had done, the king wanted to kill him. But Moses escaped and went to the land of Midian. One day, Moses was sitting there by a well,
1 Kings 3:1
Solomon signed a treaty with the king of Egypt and married his daughter. She lived in the older part of Jerusalem until the palace, the Lord 's temple, and the wall around Jerusalem were completed.
2 Kings 18:21
Is he depending on Egypt and its king? That's the same as leaning on a broken stick, and it will go right through his hand.
Psalms 105:4
Trust the Lord and his mighty power.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood,.... Which cannot design any persecution before the fall of Paganism, either of the Jews, or of the Romans; nor indeed the Arian persecution, since the casting out of this flood is distinguished from the above persecution, and was after the church began to flee upon that persecution; though it is not unusual for wicked persecutors, and violent persecutions, to be expressed by waters, and they are called proud waters, Psalms 124:1; and these may be said to be cast out of the mouth of the serpent, the devil, who was a persecutor and a murderer from the beginning, and by whom all persecutors and persecutions are instigated, moved, and carried on; but rather, as the words of a man's mouth are as deep waters,

Proverbs 18:4; and doctrines, good or bad, may be so called; that flood of errors and heresies, which were poured in between the times of Constantine and the rise of antichrist may be here intended; such as the Arian heresy, which denied the divinity of Christ; the Nestorian heresy, which divided his person; and the Eutychian heresy, which confounded the two natures in him; and the Macedonian heresy, which took away the deity of the Holy Ghost; and the Pelagian heresy, which destroyed the grace of God, and set up the power of man's free will: and this flood of errors and heresies may be truly said to be cast out of the serpent's mouth; since the old serpent, the devil, is the father of all lies, and errors: and the above heresies are the doctrines of devils, and damnable ones; and were designed by Satan to destroy the souls of men, and ruin the church: though since this flood followed upon the Arian persecution, and was after the church began to flee, being supported and secured by the two divisions of the empire, eastern and western, the wings of the Roman eagle, it seems best by this flood to understand the irruption of the barbarous nations, which quickly followed that division; the Goths, Huns, Vandals, Heruli, Alans, and Lombards, who were poured into the western empire, and overran, and at last destroyed it; so that this flood is contemporary with the first four trumpets; after which followed the swarms of locusts, the Saracens, which infested, teased, and tormented the "eastern" empire; and after them the Turks, the four angels bound at the great river Euphrates, were let loose, and like a mighty torrent overflowed, and utterly destroyed it; and all this was done at the instigation of Satan, he being filled with wrath, because the empire was become Christian, and his view was to destroy the church in it: for this flood was cast

after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood; along with the empire, and be no more; but his designs were frustrated, and he disappointed; so people, nations, and tongues, are compared to waters in Revelation 17:15; see Isaiah 8:7, which the Targum interprets of the armies of much people.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood - This is special and uncommon imagery, and it is not necessary to suppose that anything like this literally occurs in nature. Some serpents are indeed said to eject from their mouths poisonous bile when they are enraged, in order to annoy their pursuers; and some sea monsters, it is known, spout forth large quantities of water; but the representation here does not seem to be taken from either of those cases. It is the mere product of the imagination, but the sense is clear. The woman is represented as having wings, and as being able thus to escape from the serpent. But, as an expression of his wrath, and as if with the hope of destroying her in her flight by a deluge of water, he is represented as pouring a flood from his mouth, that he might, if possible, sweep her away. The figure here would well represent the continued malice of the papal body against the true church, in those dark ages when it was sunk in obscurity, and, as it were, driven out into the desert. That malice never slumbered, but was continually manifesting itself in some new form, as if it were the purpose of papal Rome to sweep it entirely away.

That he might cause her to be carried away of the flood - Might cause the church wholly to be destroyed. The truth taught is, that Satan leaves no effort untried to destroy the church.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

NOTES ON CHAP. XII., BY J. E. C.

Verse Revelation 12:15. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood — The water here evidently means great multitudes of nations and peoples; for in Revelation 17:15, the interpreting angel says, The waters which thou sawest-are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. This water, then, which the dragon cast out of his mouth, must be an inundation of heathen barbarous nations upon the Roman empire; and the purpose which the dragon has in view by this inundation is, that he might cause the woman, or Christian Church:-

To be carried away of the flood. — Entirely swept away from the face of the earth. Dr. Mosheim, in the commencement of his second chapter upon the fifth century, observes "that the Goths, the Heruli, the Franks, the Huns, and the Vandals, with other fierce and warlike nations, for the most part strangers to Christianity, had invaded the Roman empire, and rent it asunder in the most deplorable manner. Amidst these calamities the Christians were grievous, nay, we may venture to say the principal, sufferers. It is true these savage nations were much more intent upon the acquisition of wealth and dominion than upon the propagation or support of the pagan superstitions, nor did their cruelty and opposition to the Christians arise from any religious principle, or from an enthusiastic desire to ruin the cause of Christianity; it was merely by the INSTIGATION of the pagans who remained yet in the empire, that they were excited to treat with such severity and violence the followers of Christ." Thus the wo which was denounced, Revelation 12:12, against the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea, came upon the whole Roman world; for, in consequence of the excitement and malicious misrepresentations of the pagans of the empire, "a transmigration of a great swarm of nations" came upon the Romans, and ceased not their ravages till they had desolated the eastern empire, even as far as the gates of Byzantium, and finally possessed themselves of the western empire. "If," says Dr. Robertson, in the introduction to his History of Charles V., vol. i., pp. 11, 12, edit. Lond. 1809, "a man was called to fix upon the period in the history of the world, during which the condition of the human race was most calamitous and afflicted, he would, without hesitation, name that which elapsed from the death of Theodosius the Great to the establishment of the Lombards in Italy, a period of one hundred and seventy-six years. The contemporary authors who beheld that scene of desolation, labour and are at a loss for expressions to describe the horror of it. The scourge of God, the destroyer of nations, are the dreadful epithets by which they distinguish the most noted of the barbarous leaders; and they compare the ruin which they had brought on the world to the havoc occasioned by earthquakes, conflagrations, or deluges, the most formidable and fatal calamities which the imagination of man can conceive." But the subtle design which the serpent or dragon had in view, when he vomited out of his mouth a flood of waters, was most providentially frustrated; for:-


 
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