The Meaning of Revelation 16:6 Explained

Revelation 16:6

KJV: For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.

YLT: because blood of saints and prophets they did pour out, and blood to them Thou didst give to drink, for they are worthy;'

Darby: for they have poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; they are worthy.

ASV: for they poured out the blood of the saints and the prophets, and blood hast thou given them to drink: they are worthy.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For  they have shed  the blood  of saints  and  prophets,  and  thou hast given  them  blood  to drink;  for  they are  worthy. 

What does Revelation 16:6 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Specifically, God poured out blood on the earth-dwellers because they poured out the blood of His saints and prophets. He makes the punishment fit the crime (cf. Isaiah 49:26).
"Pharaoh tried to drown the Jewish boy babies, but it was his own army that eventually drowned in the Red Sea [1]. Haman planned to hang Mordecai on the gallows and to exterminate the Jews; but he himself was hanged on the gallows, and his family was exterminated ( Esther 7:10; Esther 9:10). King Saul refused to obey God and slay the Amalekites, so he was slain by an Amalekite ( 2 Samuel 1:1-16)." [2]
At least an Amalekite claimed to have slain Saul. The saints refer to all believers, and the prophets are those who delivered messages from God to humankind (cf. Revelation 11:18; Revelation 18:24). The angel affirmed that those guilty of slaying the saints and prophets deserve what they get. They took lives contrary to God"s will, and now God is taking their lives in exchange.

Context Summary

Revelation 16:1-9 - Recompense For The Blood Of Saints
It makes us pause to hear that angels, who rejoice over one sinner that repenteth, are employed in these terrible judgments. It is very startling to hear their outspoken acquiescence in the plagues that vitiate the earth, sea, springs, and sun. The angel of the waters insists that God has judged righteously, and the altar, beneath which are the souls of the martyrs, assents.
Our softer age shrinks from such conceptions of the divine judgments, but it is likely that our standards are weakened and warped by our daily contact with what is earthly and human. God's love is not soft and emasculated, but strong, vigorous, and righteous. Only when we reach the land of light and glory, shall we understand the true horror of sin and the inveteracy of human apostasy. Then we also shall be able to take up those solemn words of endorsement in Revelation 15:7, Even so, Lord God, Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments. [source]

Chapter Summary: Revelation 16

1  The angels pour out their bowls of wrath
6  The plagues that follow
16  Armageddon

Greek Commentary for Revelation 16:6

For [οτι]
Second causal conjunction (οτι — hoti) explanatory of the first οτι — hoti like the two cases of οτι — hoti in Revelation 15:4. [source]
They poured out [εχεχεαν]
Second aorist active indicative of εκχεω — ekcheō with αν — ̇an instead of ον — ̇on hast thou given them to drink αιμα — Haima (blood) is the emphatic word, measure for measure for shedding the blood of saints and prophets (Revelation 11:18; Revelation 18:24). Perfect active indicative of διδωμι — didōmi and so a permanent and just punishment. Πειν — Pein is the abbreviated second aorist active infinitive of πινω — pinō for πιειν — piein It is the epexegetical infinitive after δεδωκας — dedōkas There was no more drinking-water, but only this coagulated blood.They are worthy (αχιοι εισιν — axioi eisin). “Terrible antithesis” (Swete) to Revelation 3:4. The asyndeton adds to it (Alford). [source]
They are worthy [αχιοι εισιν]
“Terrible antithesis” (Swete) to Revelation 3:4. The asyndeton adds to it (Alford). [source]
For they are worthy []
Omit for. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Revelation 16:6

Revelation 16:1 A great voice [μεγαλης πωνης]
Not an angel as in Revelation 5:2; Revelation 7:2; Revelation 10:3; Revelation 14:7, Revelation 14:9, Revelation 14:15, Revelation 14:18, but of God as Revelation 15:8 shows, since no one could enter the ναος — naos out Second aorist active imperative of εκχεω — ekcheō (same form as present active imperative). Blass would change to εκχεατε — ekcheate (clearly aorist) as in Revelation 16:6. [source]
Revelation 17:6 Of the martyrs of Jesus [των μαρτυρων Ιησου]
“Witnesses” (Revelation 2:13) for Jesus (objective genitive) unto blood (Revelation 16:6; Revelation 18:24) and so martyrs in the modern sense of the word. “Drunk with blood” is a common idea with the ancients (Euripides, Josephus, Philo, Cicero, Pliny).With a great wonder (ταυμα μεγα — thauma mega). Cognate accusative with εταυμασα — ethaumasa f0). [source]
Revelation 18:24 Was found [ευρετη]
First aorist passive indicative of ευρισκω — heuriskō See Revelation 16:6; Revelation 17:6 for the blood already shed by Rome. Rome “butchered to make a Roman holiday” (Dill, Roman Society, p. 242) not merely gladiators, but prophets and saints from Nero‘s massacre a.d. 64 to Domitian and beyond.Of all that have been slain (παντων των εσπαγμενων — pantōn tōn esphagmenōn). Perfect passive articular participle genitive plural of σπαζω — sphazō the verb used of the Lamb slain (Revelation 5:9, Revelation 5:12; Revelation 13:8). Cf. Matthew 23:35 about Jerusalem. [source]
Revelation 3:4 Did not defile [ουκ εμολυναν]
First aorist active indicative of μολυνω — molunō (1 Corinthians 8:7; 1 Peter 1:4), pollution.They shall walk (περιπατησουσιν — peripatēsousin). Future active of περιπατεω — peripateō promise of fellowship with Christ (μετ εμου — met' emou with me) “in white” (εν λευκοις — en leukois), as symbols of purity (Revelation 7:9, Revelation 7:13) like the angel (Matthew 28:3), with possibly a reference to Enoch (Genesis 5:22). For they are worthy (οτι αχιοι εισιν — hoti axioi eisin). To walk with Christ, not worthy in the same sense as God and Christ (Revelation 4:11; Revelation 5:9), but in a relative sense. See Revelation 16:6 for bad sense of αχιος — axios f0). [source]
Revelation 3:4 They shall walk [περιπατησουσιν]
Future active of περιπατεω — peripateō promise of fellowship with Christ For they are worthy To walk with Christ, not worthy in the same sense as God and Christ (Revelation 4:11; Revelation 5:9), but in a relative sense. See Revelation 16:6 for bad sense of αχιος — axios f0). [source]

What do the individual words in Revelation 16:6 mean?

because [the] blood of saints and of prophets they have poured out blood to them You have given to drink worthy they are
ὅτι αἷμα ἁγίων καὶ προφητῶν ἐξέχεαν αἷμα αὐτοῖς δέδωκας πιεῖν ἄξιοί εἰσιν

ὅτι  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
αἷμα  [the]  blood 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: αἷμα  
Sense: blood.
ἁγίων  of  saints 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: ἅγιος  
Sense: most holy thing, a saint.
προφητῶν  of  prophets 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: προφήτης  
Sense: in Greek writings, an interpreter of oracles or of other hidden things.
ἐξέχεαν  they  have  poured  out 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἐκχέω 
Sense: to pour out, shed forth.
αἷμα  blood 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: αἷμα  
Sense: blood.
αὐτοῖς  to  them 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
δέδωκας  You  have  given 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Indicative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: διδῶ 
Sense: to give.
πιεῖν  to  drink 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: πίνω  
Sense: to drink.
ἄξιοί  worthy 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: ἄξιος  
Sense: weighing, having weight, having the weight of another thing of like value, worth as much.
εἰσιν  they  are 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.