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The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Revelation 12:16

But the earth helped the woman and opened its mouth to swallow up the river that had poured from the dragon's mouth.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Vision;   The Topic Concordance - Devil/devils;   War/weapons;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Dragon;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Order;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Dragon;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Antipas;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Revelation, the Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Revelation, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Dragon ;   River (2);   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Joseph;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Dragon;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Apostolic Age;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Apocalypse;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
But the earth helped the woman. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river that the dragon had spewed from his mouth.
King James Version (1611)
And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed vp the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
King James Version
And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
New American Standard Bible
But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon had hurled out of his mouth.
New Century Version
But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that came from the mouth of the dragon.
English Standard Version
But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth.
Contemporary English Version
But the earth helped her and swallowed the water that had come from the dragon's mouth.
Complete Jewish Bible
but the land came to her rescue — it opened its mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon had spewed out of its mouth.
Darby Translation
And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
Easy-to-Read Version
But the earth helped the woman. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that came from the mouth of the dragon.
Geneva Bible (1587)
But the earth holpe the woman, & the earth opened her mouth, and swalowed vp the flood, which the dragon had cast out of his mouth.
George Lamsa Translation
But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed up the water which the dragon had gushed out of his mouth.
Good News Translation
But the earth helped the woman; it opened its mouth and swallowed the water that had come from the dragon's mouth.
Lexham English Bible
And the earth came to the aid of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river that the dragon had spouted out of his mouth.
Literal Translation
And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river which the dragon threw out of his mouth.
Amplified Bible
But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon had hurled out of his mouth.
American Standard Version
And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
Bible in Basic English
And the earth gave help to the woman, and with open mouth took up the river which the dragon sent out of his mouth.
Hebrew Names Version
The eretz helped the woman, and the eretz opened its mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon spewed out of his mouth.
International Standard Version
But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had poured from its mouth.
Etheridge Translation
And the earth succoured the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed the river which the dragon had cast forth from his mouth.
Murdock Translation
And the earth helped the woman: and the earth opened its mouth, and drank up the flood which the serpent ejected from his mouth.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the earth holpe the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swalowed vp the ryuer which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
English Revised Version
And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
World English Bible
The earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon spewed out of his mouth.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
But the earth helped the woman, and opened her mouth, and swallowed up the river which the dragon had cast out of his mouth.
Weymouth's New Testament
But the earth came to the woman's help: it opened its mouth and drank up the river which the Dragon had poured from his mouth.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the erthe helpide the womman, and the erthe openyde his mouth, and soop up the flood, that the dragoun sente of his mouth.
Update Bible Version
And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
New English Translation
but the earth came to her rescue; the ground opened up and swallowed the river that the dragon had spewed from his mouth.
New King James Version
But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.
New Living Translation
But the earth helped her by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that gushed out from the mouth of the dragon.
New Life Bible
The earth helped the woman by opening its mouth. It drank in the flood of water that this dragon spit from his mouth.
New Revised Standard
But the earth came to the help of the woman; it opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the earth helped the woman: and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
Revised Standard Version
But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river which the dragon had poured from his mouth.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And the erth holpe the woman and the erth opened her mouth and swalowed vp the rever which the dragon cast out of hys mouth.
Young's Literal Translation
and the land did help the woman, and the land did open its mouth and did swallow up the river, that the dragon did cast forth out of his mouth;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And the earth holpe the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swalowed vp the ryuer which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
Mace New Testament (1729)
but the earth helped the woman, for the earth opened its jaws, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon threw out of his throat,
Simplified Cowboy Version
But the earth came to her rescue and swallowed up all the water.

Contextual Overview

12Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea; with great fury the devil has come down to you, knowing he has only a short time." 13And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle to fly from the presence of the serpent to her place in the wilderness, where she was nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. 15Then from the mouth of the serpent spewed water like a river to overtake the woman and sweep her away in the torrent. 16But the earth helped the woman and opened its mouth to swallow up the river that had poured from the dragon's mouth.17And the dragon was enraged at the woman, and went to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Exodus 12:35, Exodus 12:36, 1 Kings 17:6, 2 Kings 8:9

Reciprocal: Genesis 4:11 - opened Numbers 16:32 - the earth 1 Samuel 23:27 - the Philistines 2 Samuel 22:5 - the floods Ezra 6:4 - the expenses Ezra 8:36 - they furthered Psalms 32:6 - in the floods Psalms 69:1 - the waters Psalms 69:15 - waterflood Psalms 124:4 - the waters Psalms 144:7 - deliver me Isaiah 8:7 - the Lord bringeth Jeremiah 26:24 - that Jeremiah 47:2 - waters Ezekiel 29:3 - the great Daniel 11:22 - with Acts 18:16 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 12:13
Please say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake, and on account of you my life will be spared."
Genesis 12:14
So when Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.
Genesis 12:15
When Pharaoh's officials saw Sarai, they commended her to him, and she was taken into the palace of Pharaoh.
Genesis 13:2
And Abram had become extremely wealthy in livestock and silver and gold.
Genesis 20:14
So Abimelech brought sheep and cattle, menservants and maidservants, and he gave them to Abraham and restored his wife Sarah to him.
Genesis 24:35
"The LORD has greatly blessed my master, and he has become rich. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, menservants and maidservants, camels and donkeys.
Genesis 26:14
He owned so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him.
Genesis 32:5
I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, menservants, and maidservants. I have sent this message to inform my master, so that I may find favor in your sight.'"
Job 1:3
and he owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very large number of servants. Job was the greatest man of all the people of the East.
Job 42:12
So the LORD blessed Job's latter days more than his first. He owned 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the earth helped the woman,.... By opening itself, and taking in what the serpent cast out, so that it could not reach the woman, and annoy her, as follows:

and the earth opened her mouth; as it did when it swallowed up Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, Numbers 16:30; to which history this may have some respect:

and swallowed up the flood which the dragon east out of his mouth; if the flood refers to the Arian persecution, then the earth helping the woman, the church, and swallowing up this flood, may respect the Goths, who broke into the Roman provinces, under their king, Athanaricus, and fell upon the Arians, with great rage and cruelty, and infested the Roman provinces, which were nearer; they seized upon Thrace, which was the occasion of tranquillity to the orthodox; for Valens being moved by these things, desisted from persecuting them, and, leaving Antioch, he went to Constantinople to form measures for the carrying on of the war against the Goths a; and thus the earth helped the woman. But if, by the flood, the errors and heresies of those times are meant, then the councils may be intended by the earth; which, though they consisted of men that were earthly, and greatly apostatized in other things, yet opposed, refuted, and condemned these heresies and errors, and so were the means of preserving the church from them, as some think; though others are of opinion that the barbarous nations are in this also designed, who embracing Arianism, and the corrupt religion, where they came, by which they were, in, some measure, mollified and reconciled to the Christians, did not seek to root them out, and destroy them, as Satan hoped they would; but since they themselves, with the Mahometans, are meant by the flood, the earth must be interpreted of the corrupt and antichristian church, the idolaters which sustained the force of this inundation, and for some time repelled it, and so secured the true church; and when the western empire was overrun by it, as by the Goths, c. idolaters, earthly minded men, and carnal professors, were the sufferers, and bore the shock of it and when the eastern empire was overrun by the Saracens, the tormenting locusts, the green things, grass and trees, were not hurt by them; none of the sealed ones, only those who were not sealed, Revelation 9:4; and the Turkish inundation was a scourge upon the antichristian party: so that it was the earth, or earthly part of professors, the idolaters, that bore the fury and force of this flood, and broke it off from the church. And so sometimes wicked men are helpful to the saints, as the Philistines were serviceable to David, to screen him from the fury of Saul; and Lysias, the chief captain, and Felix and Festus, Roman governors, were instruments of preserving the Apostle Paul from falling into the hands of the Jews, his enemies; and the Christians that were scattered by the persecution at Jerusalem found refuge and safety among the Gentiles.

a Hist. Eccl. Magdeburg. cent. 4. c. 3. p. 80.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And the earth helped the woman - The earth seemed to sympathize with the woman in her persecutions, and to interpose to save her. The meaning is, that a state of things would exist in regard to the church thus driven into obscurity, which would be well represented by what is here said to occur. It was cut off from human aid. It was still in danger; still persecuted. In this state it was nourished from some unseen source. It was enabled to avoid the direct attacks of the enemy, and when he attacked it in a new form, a new mode of intervention in its behalf was granted, as if the earth should open and swallow up a flood of water. We are not, therefore, to look for any literal fulfillment of this, as if the earth interposed in some marvelous way to aid the church. The sense is, that, in that state of obscurity and solitude, the divine interposition was manifested, in an unexpected manner, as if, when an impetuous stream was rolling along that threatened to sweep everything away, a chasm should suddenly open in the earth and absorb it. During the dark ages many such interventions occurred, saving the church from utter destruction. Overflowing waters are often in the Scriptures an emblem of mighty enemies. Psalms 124:2-5, “if it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us; then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us: then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul: then the proud waters had gone over our soul.” Psalms 18:16, “he sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.” Jeremiah 47:2, “behold, waters rise up out of the north, and shall be an overflowing flood, and shall overflow the land,” etc. Compare Jeremiah 46:7-8, and notes on Isaiah 8:7-8.

And the earth opened her mouth - A chasm was made sufficient to absorb the waters. That is, John saw that the church was safe from this attack, and that, in order to preserve it, there was an interposition as marked and wonderful as if the earth should suddenly open and swallow up a mighty flood.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

NOTES ON CHAP. XII., BY J. E. C.

Verse Revelation 12:16. The earth helped the woman — "Nothing, and indeed," as Bishop Newton excellently observes, "was more likely to produce the ruin and utter subversion of the Christian Church than the irruptions of so many barbarous nations into the Roman empire. But the event proved contrary to human appearance and expectation: the earth swallowed up the flood; the barbarians were rather swallowed up by the Romans, than the Romans by the barbarians; the heathen conquerors, instead of imposing their own, submitted to the religion of the conquered Christians; and they not only embraced the religion, but affected even the laws, the manners, the customs, the language, and the very name, of Romans, so that the victors were in a manner absorbed and lost among the vanquished." See his Dissertations on the Prophecies, in loc.


 
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