Revelation 8:11 kjv
And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
Revelation 8:11 nkjv
The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter.
Revelation 8:11 niv
the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.
Revelation 8:11 esv
The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the water, because it had been made bitter.
Revelation 8:11 nlt
The name of the star was Bitterness. It made one-third of the water bitter, and many people died from drinking the bitter water.
Revelation 8 11 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Rev 6:8 | ...power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the wild beasts of the earth. | Portion of earth affected by judgment. |
| Rev 8:7 | ...a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up. | Third of vegetation affected (first trumpet). |
| Rev 8:8-9 | ...a third of the sea became blood, and a third of the living creatures in the sea died... | Third of sea affected (second trumpet). |
| Rev 9:15 | ...and the four angels were released, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, to kill a third of mankind. | "Third" used in other severe judgments. |
| Rev 9:18 | By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed... | "Third" in later judgments. |
| Zech 13:8-9 | In the whole land, declares the Lord, two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third shall be left alive. | Portion preserved, portion judged. |
| Exod 7:17-21 | ...all the water in the Nile turned into blood...the fish in the Nile died... | Waters turned deadly as divine judgment. |
| Exod 15:23 | When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah, for it was bitter. | Bitter waters needing divine intervention (Marah). |
| Num 5:18,27 | The priest shall have the woman stand before the Lord and unbind her hair...the water of bitterness that brings a curse... | "Bitter water" associated with a curse or judgment. |
| Deut 29:18 | ...whose heart turns away today from the Lord our God...that no root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit springs up among you. | Wormwood (bitterness) as result of unfaithfulness. |
| Jer 9:15 | Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will feed this people with wormwood and give them poisonous water to drink. | Wormwood as a direct punishment for disobedience. |
| Jer 23:15 | Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts concerning the prophets: "Behold, I will feed them with wormwood and give them poisonous water to drink." | False prophets receive bitter judgment. |
| Lam 3:15 | He has filled me with bitterness; He has inebriated me with wormwood. | Wormwood as a metaphor for deep suffering and sorrow. |
| Lam 3:19 | Remember my affliction and my bitterness, The wormwood and the gall. | Synonym for intense anguish. |
| Amos 5:7 | Oh you who turn justice into wormwood and cast righteousness to the ground! | Wormwood symbolizing corruption and perversion of justice. |
| Acts 8:23 | For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity. | Bitterness linked to a state of spiritual evil/bondage. |
| Rev 16:3 | The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of a dead man, and every living thing in the sea died. | Waters becoming deadly as judgment (later bowls). |
| Rev 16:4 | The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood. | Rivers/springs affected by judgment (later bowls). |
| Gen 7:17-23 | The flood was forty days upon the earth. The waters increased and bore up the ark...all flesh died that moved on the earth... | Widespread death due to global water judgment. |
| Isa 49:10 | They shall not hunger or thirst; neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them, for He who has compassion on them will lead them. | Contrast: God's people protected from thirst/scorching. |
Revelation 8 verses
Revelation 8 11 Meaning
Revelation 8:11 describes the devastating outcome of the third trumpet judgment, where a great star named Wormwood falls from heaven onto a third of the rivers and springs of water. This celestial event causes the waters to become extremely bitter, leading to the death of many people who drink from them. It signifies a profound disruption to essential life sources and highlights the severity of divine judgment upon the earth, impacting a significant portion of humanity's access to vital clean water. The bitterness symbolizes divine judgment and sorrow.
Revelation 8 11 Context
Revelation 8:11 is part of the sequence of the seven trumpet judgments, which unfold after the breaking of the seventh seal. Specifically, it describes the event of the third trumpet. The first two trumpets afflicted a third of the land/vegetation and a third of the sea, respectively. This verse continues the pattern of judgments targeting vital environmental elements in thirds, emphasizing progressive, severe, yet partial devastation leading up to the final judgments. Historically, for the original audience facing persecution under the Roman Empire, these apocalyptic images provided hope for divine justice against oppressors and urged steadfastness in faith. The judgments might also subtly allude to historical instances of corrupt rulers (e.g., Nero) whose policies led to "bitterness" for the people, or spiritual pollution by idolatry and false teachings.
Revelation 8 11 Word analysis
- And the name (καὶ τὸ ὄνομα - kai to onoma): Standard connective, introducing the identification.
- of the star (τοῦ ἀστέρος - tou asteros): The fallen object is explicitly called a "star." In apocalyptic literature, stars can symbolize angelic beings (Rev 9:1), rulers (Num 24:17, Isa 14:12), or powerful entities, here clearly representing an instrument of divine judgment.
- is Wormwood (λέγεται Ἄψινθος - legetai Apsinthos): Wormwood (ἀψίνθιον - apsinthion) is a plant known for its intense bitterness, often associated in the Old Testament with judgment, sorrow, poison, and divine wrath against unrighteousness (Deut 29:18, Jer 9:15, Lam 3:15, Amos 5:7). Its application here as a name emphasizes the resulting character of the event.
- A third (καὶ τὸ τρίτον - kai to triton): Reinforces the recurring motif of partial judgment that affects a significant, yet not total, portion of the earth. This is a common numerical symbolism in Revelation for measured, progressive judgment.
- of the waters (τῶν ὑδάτων - tōn hydatōn): Refers specifically to sources of fresh drinking water – rivers and springs. This is a crucial distinction from the sea, implying a direct impact on human and land-based life that relies on these resources.
- became Wormwood (ἐγένετο Ἄψινθος - egeneto Apsinthos): Not just poisoned, but literally became Wormwood in its bitterness, highlighting the transformative, catastrophic effect on the water's nature.
- and many (καὶ πολλοὶ - kai polloi): Signifies a significant, large number.
- men/people (τῶν ἀνθρώπων - tōn anthrōpōn): Direct impact on human life, indicating the scale of the disaster.
- died (ἀπέθανον - apethanon): The ultimate, lethal consequence of drinking the poisoned water. It underscores the severity and finality of the judgment.
- from the waters (ἐκ τῶν ὑδάτων - ek tōn hydatōn): Specifies the cause of death.
- because they were made bitter (ὅτι ἐπικράνθησαν - hoti epikranthēsan): "Made bitter" (from πικραίνω - pikrainō) directly links the lethal effect to the quality of the water, a result of the star's impact. The passivity indicates it was done to the waters.
Word Groups Analysis:
- "star... is Wormwood": Establishes the celestial object as the agent of the judgment and simultaneously names the nature of the judgment – bitterness and death. This personifies the bitter quality.
- "A third of the waters became Wormwood": Emphasizes the severe, yet measured, impact on critical fresh water sources. The transformation to "Wormwood" means not just contamination, but a fundamental change to their life-sustaining quality.
- "many people died from the waters, because they were made bitter": Directly links the transformed water to widespread human death. This underscores the dire consequences of this specific judgment for human survival.
Revelation 8 11 Bonus section
The imagery of a star falling and poisoning waters could also carry polemic implications against pagan star worship, showing that what pagans considered divine or beneficent could, in God's hand, become an instrument of judgment and bitterness. Additionally, the specificity of rivers and springs distinguishes this judgment from the prior sea judgment, demonstrating God's pervasive judgment impacting every part of the hydrological cycle essential for human survival. Some ancient historical events, like meteoric impacts or volcanic eruptions that can contaminate water sources, might have contributed to the literal understanding of such apocalyptic imagery for the original audience. However, the consistent symbolic use of "Wormwood" in the Old Testament points primarily to spiritual decay and resulting divine retribution.
Revelation 8 11 Commentary
Revelation 8:11 powerfully portrays the devastating spiritual and physical consequences of divine judgment during the tribulation. The fall of the star, named "Wormwood," symbolizes not merely a physical catastrophe but a profound spiritual contamination that pollutes the very sources of life. In a biblical context, water often signifies life, spiritual truth, and refreshment (Jn 4:10, 7:38). Thus, the turning of fresh waters to bitterness represents a divine perversion or judgment upon sources that were meant to sustain. This bitterness leads to widespread death, serving as a dire warning of the consequences of rejecting God's life-giving truth and justice. The specificity of "a third" continues to highlight that these trumpet judgments are progressive, aiming to provoke repentance before the final, more complete judgments. It can also serve as a timeless reminder that when life's essential spiritual and physical foundations become polluted by sin or falsehood, the result is death and anguish for many.