Revelation 16 2

Revelation 16:2 kjv

And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.

Revelation 16:2 nkjv

So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image.

Revelation 16:2 niv

The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly, festering sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.

Revelation 16:2 esv

So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and harmful and painful sores came upon the people who bore the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.

Revelation 16:2 nlt

So the first angel left the Temple and poured out his bowl on the earth, and horrible, malignant sores broke out on everyone who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue.

Revelation 16 verses

Revelation 16 2 Meaning

The verse describes the initial act of divine judgment in the final outpouring of God's wrath. The first of seven angels pours his bowl of judgment upon the earth, resulting in harmful and painful sores afflicting specifically those individuals who have received the mark of the beast and have actively worshipped its image. This highlights a targeted divine retribution against rebellion and idolatry.

Revelation 16 2 Context

Revelation chapter 16 commences the final series of God's judgments upon the earth, characterized by the pouring out of seven bowls of divine wrath. These bowl judgments are distinguished from earlier seals and trumpets, which offered warnings and limited destruction with a possibility for repentance; the bowls signify complete, irreversible, and unmitigated wrath, representing the culmination of divine indignation against persistent human rebellion. Verse 2 specifically initiates this sequence, directly following the heavenly scene in Revelation 15 where the bowls are filled with the wrath of God. The targeted nature of this first plague against those bearing the beast's mark directly addresses the prophecies and warnings outlined in Revelation 14. Historically and symbolically, this judgment strongly opposes the Roman imperial cult that demanded emperor and image worship, directly correlating the beast's demands with this severe divine consequence. It reaffirms God's perfect justice, distinguishing between His loyal followers and those who allied with the adversary.

Revelation 16 2 Word analysis

• So the first angel (Καὶ ὁ πρῶτος ἄγγελος - Kai ho prōtos angelos): Establishes sequence, indicating the initiation of a series. "Angelos" means a messenger or envoy, implying an executor of divine will.
• went (ἀπῆλθεν - apelthen): Denotes a decisive and immediate action, fulfilling a specific divine commission.
• and poured out (ἐξέχεεν - execeen): From ekcheō, signifying a full, unrestrained, and complete emptying of the contents, symbolizing total judgment without reservation.
• his bowl (τὴν φιάλην αὐτοῦ - tēn phialēn autou): A phialē is a shallow, broad dish, contrasting with a deep cup. Its rapid emptying signifies swift, overwhelming judgment directly applied. These bowls are identified in Revelation 15:7 as containing "the wrath of God."
• on the earth (εἰς τὴν γῆν - eis tēn gēn): Specifies the domain of the initial judgment, indicating impact upon the physical land and the unrepentant inhabitants of the world system opposed to God.
• and harmful (ἕλκος κακὸν - helkos kakon): Helkos refers to a festering sore, boil, or ulcer. Kakon means evil, bad, or malignant. Describes a severely distressing and physically degrading affliction.
• and painful sores (καὶ πονηρόν - kai ponēron): Ponēron means painful, wretched, or pernicious. Reinforces the suffering aspect, indicating the affliction is agonizing, not just superficial.
• came upon (ἐγένετο ἐπὶ - egeneto epi): Signifies that the sores materialized and directly afflicted. It denotes the immediate and certain execution of the judgment.
• the people who had the mark of the beast (τοὺς ἀνθρώπους τοὺς ἔχοντας τὸ χάραγμα τοῦ θηρίου - tous anthrōpous tous echontas to charagma tou thēriou): Identifies the specific, exclusive recipients. Anthrōpos denotes humans. Charagma is an engraved stamp, an imprint, or an identifying mark of ownership or allegiance, given by thērion, the monstrous wild animal or oppressive earthly power.
• and who worshiped its image (καὶ τοὺς προσκυνοῦντας τῇ εἰκόνι αὐτοῦ - kai tous proskynountas tē eikoni autou): Further specifies the target group. Proskyneō means to prostrate oneself, to venerate, or to worship. Eikōn means image or likeness, often a statue. This emphasizes the idolatrous act of devotion to the beast's system.

Words-Group Analysis:

• So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth: This sequence denotes swift, obedient, and thorough execution of God's will. The pouring on "the earth" highlights the universal and fundamental impact on the realm of those under judgment.
• harmful and painful sores came upon: The combined adjectives "harmful" (kakon) and "painful" (ponēron) with "sores" (helkos) paint a picture of an affliction that is not only disfiguring but deeply agonizing, physically debilitating, and inherently evil in its nature. It indicates visible, severe torment.
• the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped its image: This defining clause clarifies the divine selectivity of the judgment. The plague is not random but precisely targets those who demonstrated their ultimate allegiance to the anti-God system through both an identifying symbol (the mark) and an act of devotion (worship), revealing the justice of God.

Revelation 16 2 Bonus section

• The selection of a "sore" as the first plague suggests a reversal of the spiritual "wholeness" that God's faithful embody. For those aligned with the beast, their physical bodies become corrupted, symbolizing their spiritual sickness and defilement.
• This specific judgment serves as a polemic against the supposed power of the beast. While the beast commands allegiance and seeks to control bodies with a mark, God demonstrates His superior power by directly afflicting those very bodies and revealing the beast's impotence to protect its followers.
• The visible, painful nature of the sores would make them difficult, if not impossible, to conceal. This public display of suffering underscores the humiliation and inescapable nature of divine judgment, contrasting with the often hidden and deceptive nature of sin.
• The judgment highlights the theme of cosmic retribution: as those loyal to the beast likely participated in persecuting God's people, God now causes their own bodies to suffer a painful, inescapable affliction, delivering just recompense.

Revelation 16 2 Commentary

Revelation 16:2 details the initial manifestation of God's final, undiluted wrath. The judgment of "harmful and painful sores" is reminiscent of the boils plague on Egypt, signifying a powerful act of divine judgment against oppression. Crucially, this plague is precisely targeted; it does not fall indiscriminately but exclusively upon those who have openly embraced the adversarial world system by receiving the mark of the beast and worshiping its image. This specificity underscores God's justice, demonstrating that the consequences directly correlate with willful allegiance and rebellion against Him. The sores are not merely physical afflictions but serve as a visible, humiliating testament to the internal corruption and spiritual disease of those who have rejected the Creator for an idol. This judgment emphasizes that loyalty to worldly power, manifested in such tangible ways, will inevitably result in severe and inescapable divine retribution.