Revelation 16 6

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.

Revelation 16:6 nkjv

For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, And You have given them blood to drink. For it is their just due."

Revelation 16:6 niv

for they have shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve."

Revelation 16:6 esv

For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve!"

Revelation 16:6 nlt

Since they shed the blood
of your holy people and your prophets,
you have given them blood to drink.
It is their just reward."

Revelation 16 verses

Revelation 16 6 Meaning

Revelation 16:6 presents a declaration of divine justice, explaining and affirming the righteous nature of the third bowl judgment (where waters turn to blood). The angel from the altar pronounces that the perpetrators who "shed the blood of saints and prophets" are justly punished by being "given blood to drink." This acts as a severe, direct, and fitting recompense for their heinous deeds, thus concluding with "for they are worthy" to emphasize the absolute righteousness and fairness of God's judgment upon the wicked for their persecution of His faithful people.

Revelation 16 6 Context

Revelation 16 details the outpouring of the seven bowl judgments, the final series of plagues demonstrating God's wrath before the return of Christ. Verse 6 specifically explains the divine rationale behind the third bowl, which turned all freshwaters into blood (Rev 16:4). This particular judgment targets the sources of life and sustenance, striking at the very fabric of existence for those who refuse to repent. The declaration in verse 6, voiced by "the angel in charge of the waters" (as heard by another angel or voice from the altar, implying God's sanction), affirms that these severe judgments are not arbitrary but are a direct, righteous retribution. Historically, the audience would understand the severe persecution Christians faced under the Roman Empire, which often involved violent martyrdom for their refusal to participate in emperor worship or idolatry. The verse serves as both a comfort to the suffering church that God sees and remembers their sacrifice, and a powerful polemic against the violent and idolatrous nature of the oppressing worldly powers.

Revelation 16 6 Word analysis

• γὰρ (gar) - "for" / "because": This conjunction immediately signals an explanation or justification for the preceding statement (the turning of waters into blood). It underlines that God's actions are not random, but rooted in divine reason and justice.

• ἐξέχεαν (exekhe’an) - "they have shed" / "poured out": This verb is strong, implying a deliberate and abundant spilling. It is often used for violent death, highlighting the brutal nature of the acts committed against God's people. The act is irreversible, emphasizing the gravity of their crime.

• αἷμα (haima) - "blood": More than just a bodily fluid, "blood" in biblical terms represents life itself (Lev 17:11). To shed blood signifies taking life, especially through violent means. Here, it is the innocent life violently taken, which in God's economy, "cries out" for justice.

• ἁγίων (hagion) - "saints" / "holy ones": Refers to those set apart by God for Himself through Christ, consecrated to Him. These are the faithful believers who, despite persecution, maintained their witness.

• προφητῶν (prophētōn) - "prophets": Those inspired by God to declare His truth, often exposing the sins of their generation and suffering persecution for it. In Revelation, "prophets" can also broadly refer to those who bear testimony to Christ (Rev 19:10), embodying the prophetic spirit.

• δεδώκεις (dedōkeis) - "you have given": The verb signifies God's direct, purposeful action in dispensing judgment. The perfect tense indicates a completed action with lasting results, affirming the certainty and finality of divine retribution. It's a divine reversal – what they shed, they are now given.

• αὐτοῖς (autois) - "to them": Directly refers to those identified as the persecutors, the "shedders" of innocent blood, specifically the inhabitants of the Beast's domain who carried out these atrocities.

• πιεῖν (piein) - "to drink": To consume, to absorb fully. This phrase signifies a direct and reciprocal consequence. As they caused blood to be poured out, they are now made to experience a judgment where "blood" (or a bloody consequence) is what they must ingest, indicating they are drowning in the very consequence of their sin.

• ἄξιοί (axioi) - "worthy" / "deserving": This term concludes the statement, solidifying the profound justice of God's act. Their punishment is not arbitrary or excessive, but perfectly corresponds to the magnitude and nature of their sins. They justly earned their fate.

• "for they have shed the blood of saints and prophets": This phrase encapsulates the core sin requiring divine retribution: the systematic, violent persecution and martyrdom of God's devoted followers and those who declared His truth. It evokes a history of opposition against God's messengers from Old Testament times through the early church.

• "and you have given them blood to drink": This is the heart of the lex talionis (law of retaliation) principle in divine judgment. The exact nature of their crime (shedding blood) is mirrored in their punishment (being given blood/bloody judgment to drink). It is a grotesque poetic justice, making them fully partake in the consequences of their atrocities.

• "for they are worthy": This closing statement strongly asserts the absolute righteousness of the judgment. There is no appeal; the punishment is perfectly fitting and just. It reassures the faithful that God truly sees and accounts for every injustice.

Revelation 16 6 Bonus section

The specific mention of the "angel in charge of the waters" (Rev 16:5) responding in verse 6 highlights that creation itself, subjected to humanity's sin, recognizes and affirms the justice of God's judgments. This also links back to the concept in Rev 8:3-5, where the prayers of the saints rise before God from the golden altar, signaling that the altar (which is the source of this judgment proclamation) serves as a witness to the persecution and martyrdom endured by God's people. The judgment itself, turning fresh water into blood, symbolizes an inversion of the very source of life, reflecting the inversion of justice caused by the wicked. It indicates that the pollution caused by the shedding of innocent blood affects even the natural order, demanding a cosmic purification. This severe, final judgment leaves no room for repentance (unlike earlier trumpets) but brings just desserts to those hardened in their persecution of the divine.

Revelation 16 6 Commentary

Revelation 16:6 reveals a pivotal aspect of God's character: His unyielding commitment to justice. The verse serves as the divine rationale for the turning of waters to blood, illustrating the principle of divine reciprocity – that the judgment inflicted perfectly mirrors the crime committed. Those who "shed the blood of saints and prophets" – violently persecuting God's faithful messengers and people – are now condemned to "drink" what conceptually parallels the blood they poured out. This isn't literal vampirism, but a symbolic, bitter ingestion of their own violent deeds and the ensuing consequences, manifesting as a pervasive and inescapable judgment that turns sources of life into a symbol of death. The powerful declaration, "for they are worthy," underscores the absolute moral righteousness of this divine retribution. It ensures believers that God's judgments are not capricious acts of anger but carefully weighed, morally appropriate responses to gross evil and unrepentant cruelty, thereby validating the cries of martyrs throughout history for divine vengeance and vindicating God's holiness against human sin.