For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
6. of saints and prophets ] See Rev 11:18, Rev 18:20.
for they are worthy ] Omit “for:” but we may compare Rev 3:4, where a very different judgement is grounded on the same weighty words.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
For they have shed the blood of saints – The nations here referred to. They have been engaged in scenes of bloody persecution, and this is a just recompense.
And prophets – Teachers of religion; ministers of truth. It is not necessary to understand the word prophets here in its technical sense, as denoting those who are raised up by God and sent forth as inspired men, but it may be understood in its more common signification in the New Testament as denoting teachers of religion in general. See the Rom 12:6 note; 1Co 14:1 note.
And thou hast given them blood to drink – To wit, by turning the streams and fountains into blood, Rev 16:4. Blood had been poured out in such abundance that it seemed to mingle with the very water that they drank. This was a recompense for their having, in those very regions, poured out so much blood in persecuting the saints and prophets – the pious private members of the church, and the public teachers of religion.
For they are worthy – That is, they deserve this; or this is a just recompense for their sins. It is not intended that those who would thus suffer had been individually guilty of this, or that this was properly a punishment on them; but it is meant that in those countries there had been bloody persecutions, and that this was a fit recompense for what had there occurred.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 6. Thou hast given them blood to drink] They thirsted after blood and massacred the saints of God; and now they have got blood to drink! It is said that when Tomyris, queen of the Scythians, had vanquished Cyrus, she cut off his head and threw it into a vessel of blood, saying these words: Satia te sanguine, quem sitisti, cujusque insatiabilis semper fuisti; “Satisfy thyself with blood, for which thou hast thirsted, and for which thy desire has been insatiable.” See Justin. Hist., lib. i. c. 8. This figure of speech is called sarcasm in rhetoric.
“Sarcasmus with this biting taunt doth kill:
Cyrus, thy thirst was blood; now drink thy fill.”
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Because of their persecutions of, and cruelty towards, Gods faithful ministers and people, which rendered the spilling of their blood but a condign punishment suited to their sin.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
6. (Rev 11:18;Gen 9:6; Isa 49:26.)An anticipation of Rev 18:20;Rev 18:24; compare Re13:15.
ForA, B, C, andANDREAS omit.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets,…. Which shows that rivers and fountains cannot be literally understood, but men are designed, wicked and bloody men; and it is notorious to all, how much of the blood of the saints, of the preachers of the Gospel, of the prophets and witnesses, have been shed in Italy, Savoy, and other places near Rome, as well as in Rome itself; see Re 17:6.
And thou hast given them blood to drink; sent the sword among them, making great slaughter and devastation; see Isa 49:26
for they are worthy; or deserving, to have their blood shed by the law of retaliation.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
For (). Second causal conjunction () explanatory of the first , like the two cases of in 15:4.
They poured out (). Second aorist active indicative of with – instead of –.
Blood hast thou given them to drink ( ). H (blood) is the emphatic word, measure for measure for shedding the blood of saints and prophets (Rev 11:18; Rev 18:24). Perfect active indicative of , and so a permanent and just punishment. is the abbreviated second aorist active infinitive of for (). It is the epexegetical infinitive after . There was no more drinking-water, but only this coagulated blood.
They are worthy ( ). “Terrible antithesis” (Swete) to 3:4. The asyndeton adds to it (Alford).
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
For they are worthy. Omit for.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets,” (hoti haima hagion kai propheton eksechean) “Because they have shed blood of both saints and prophets; primarily from among the Jewish believers who had received the Messiah as Saviour under the witnessing of the two witnesses, during their testimony for 42 months, before the revelation of the man of sin, who required personal worship, Rev 11:1-4; Dan 9:26-27; 2Th 2:4-12 – – and before the 144,000 were sealed against death in the 42 month period after Satan was cast out of heaven, Rev 12:7-14.
2) “And thou hast given them blood to drink,” (kai haima autois dedokas pein) “And thou hast, in judgment that is righteous, doled out to them, given to them, blood to drink; even to those who had been blood-thirsty for forced worship of the beast, to the point of murdering those who would not worship him or his image, Rev 13:14.
3) “For they are worthy,” (aksioi eisin) “They are worthy,” they have it coming, it is a just retribution for their blood-thirsty murder of saints and prophets (those who had not been among the 144,000) who were sealed and preserved against death, Rev 7:3-4; Rev 14:1.
They had murdered saints and prophets of their own lifetime, as their rebellious fathers had done before the coming of Christ, Mat 23:34-36; Act 7:51-54; Rev 11:18; Rev 18:20. They were given blood to drink to quench their thirst.
This judgment blood is given to Israel’s persecutors in the last days. So vicious are her beast persecutors that they are figuratively identified with both Babylon and Rome in their most wicked and cruel times, as persecutors of the Church of Jesus Christ, Rev 17:6; Rev 18:24; Rev 6:10.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(6) For they have shed . . .Better, Because they shed (not, have shed, but did shed, or pour out), and blood didst Thou give them; they are worthy. For is to be omitted; the sentence has a startling force without it. Theyi.e., those enemies of all righteousnessare worthy; they receive the due reward of their deeds.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
6. For they The Babylonian men of Rev 16:2.
Are worthy Deserving this recompense in kind. Rev 18:6.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
Ver. 6. For they have shed ] As Minerius that monster, the cruel Duke of Alva, bloody Bonner, the Guises, and other of the pope’s champions. Duke d’Alva, boasted of it, that he had put 36,000 Protestants to death; but they were rescued by the goodness of God and by the prowess of Queen Elizabeth, and now they are got from under the altar, as Rev 16:7 . (Acts and Mon.; Camden.) a
Thou hast given them blood to drink ] As Tomyris dealt by Cyrus, the Parthians by Crassus, the Romans by those Jews that cried out, “His blood be upon us,” &c., as our laws do by the priests and Jesuits, and those that receive them, proceeding against such as traitors to the state. The putting out of the French king’s eyes, who promised before with his eyes to see one of God’s true servants burned; the death of Charles IX of France, author of the Parisian massacre, by exceeding bleeding at sundry parts of his body; who seeth not to be the just hand of God upon them? This Charles beholding the bloody bodies of the butchered Protestants, in that execrable massacre, and feeding his eye upon that woeful spectacle, breathed out this bloody speech, Quam bonus est odor hostis mortui! How sweet is the smell of a slain enemy! and shortly after breathed out his accursed soul, Inter horribilium blasphemiarum diras, saith a historian, tantam sanguinis vim proieciens, &c., after that Beza had forewarned him (but in vain) by that verse,
” Tu veto Herodes sanguinolente time. “
So Julian, Attila, Felix of Wurtemburg, Henry III of France, stabbed in the same chamber wherein he, then being Duke of Anjou, had contrived the French massacre. So let thine enemies perish, O Lord.
” Talia quisque luat, qualia quisque facit! “
“Let everyone be paid according to his deeds.”
a See the Mirror or Looking Glass both for Saints and Sinners, set forth by my most loving and highly honoured friend, Mr Sam. Clarke, pastor and preacher of the word at Bennett Fink, London; unto whom not only I give thanks for his help in this publication, but also all the Churches that shall get good thereby.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Rev 16:6 . The retribution once threatened on Jerusalem and the Jews (Mat 23:35 ) is now transferred apparently to Rome, the later antagonist of the faith ( cf. on Rev 18:24 ). Once the Romans made Christian blood run like water. Now, by the irony of providence, they shall find nothing but blood to drink. This moral vengeance ( cf. Hawthorne’s House of the Seven Gables ), with its grim equivalence between sin and sin’s punishment (Rev 11:18 , Rev 13:10 , Rev 18:7 ; cf. 2Ti 2:12 , etc.) is not pushed, however, into the grotesque and elaborately Dantesque details, e.g. , of the Apocalypse of Peter. (the verb runs all through this chapter, and this chapter only), cf. Dittenberger’s Sylloge Inscript. Graec. 816 7 (cent. A.D.) . . . ., all prophets are , but all are not prophets.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
have. Omit.
saints. See Act 9:13.
prophets. App-189.
for. The texts omit.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Rev 16:6. , are worthy) An abrupt sentence, with great force. So ch. Rev 14:5, . Psa 99:5, .
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
they have: Rev 6:10, Rev 6:11, Rev 13:10, Rev 13:15, Rev 17:6, Rev 17:7, Rev 18:24, Rev 19:2, Deu 32:42, Deu 32:43, 2Ki 24:4, Isa 49:26, Isa 51:22, Isa 51:23, Jer 2:30, Lam 4:13, Mat 7:2, Mat 21:35-41, Mat 23:30-37
for they are: Rev 11:18, Rev 18:20, Jer 26:11, Jer 26:16, Luk 12:48, Heb 10:29
Reciprocal: Exo 14:26 – the waters Exo 21:24 – General Jdg 1:7 – as I have Jdg 5:2 – for the avenging 1Sa 15:33 – As thy sword 2Sa 3:29 – rest 2Sa 16:8 – returned 2Ki 10:25 – let 2Ch 24:25 – for the blood Psa 7:13 – persecutors Psa 9:12 – When Psa 79:3 – Their Psa 109:17 – General Pro 13:2 – the soul Isa 14:4 – How Isa 26:21 – also Isa 33:1 – when thou shalt cease Isa 63:6 – make Jer 19:4 – filled Jer 26:15 – ye shall Jer 26:19 – Thus Jer 34:17 – behold Jer 50:15 – as she Jer 50:29 – recompense Jer 50:42 – they are cruel Jer 51:35 – The violence Eze 14:23 – that I have not Eze 16:38 – shed Eze 24:9 – Woe Eze 32:6 – water Dan 7:25 – shall wear out Dan 8:24 – shall destroy Joe 3:2 – will plead Joe 3:7 – and will Mat 14:11 – and given Mat 24:49 – to smite Mat 26:52 – they Mar 9:42 – it Luk 3:20 – General Luk 6:38 – with Luk 12:45 – to beat Rom 6:21 – for the 2Th 1:6 – General 2Ti 3:3 – fierce Rev 9:21 – their murders Rev 18:6 – Reward
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Verse 6
They are worthy; they deserve this retribution.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
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. Isa 49:26).
"Pharaoh tried to drown the Jewish boy babies, but it was his own army that eventually drowned in the Red Sea [Exo 1:22; Exo 14:28]. 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 (Est 7:10; Est 9:10). King Saul refused to obey God and slay the Amalekites, so he was slain by an Amalekite (2Sa 1:1-16)." [Note: Wiersbe, 2:610.]
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. Rev 11:18; Rev 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.