Revelation 16 · Verse 10

Revelation 16:10

And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,
Revelation 16:10, King James Version

Revelation 16:10 in other translations

BSBAnd the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness, and men began to gnaw their tongues in anguish
WEBThe fifth poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was darkened. They gnawed their tongues because of the pain,
ASVAnd the fifth poured out his bowl upon the throne of the beast; and his kingdom was darkened; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,
YLTAnd the fifth messenger did pour out his vial upon the throne of the beast, and his kingdom did become darkened, and they were gnawing their tongues from the pain,
DARBYAnd the fifth poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast; and its kingdom became darkened; and they gnawed their tongues with distress,
BBEAnd the fifth let what was in his vessel come out on the high seat of the beast; and his kingdom was made dark; and they were biting their tongues for pain.
WebsterAnd the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,

What does Revelation 16:10 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
10. angel--omitted by A, B, C, Vulgate, and Syriac. But Coptic and Andreas support it. seat--Greek, "throne of the beast": set up in arrogant mimicry of God's throne; the dragon gave his throne to the beast (Re 13:2). darkness--parallel to the Egyptian plague of darkness, Pharaoh being the type of Antichrist (compare Notes, see on Re 15:2, 3; compare the fifth trumpet, Re 9:2). gnawed their tongues for pain--Greek, "owing to the pain" occasioned by the previous plagues, rendered more appalling by the darkness. Or, as "gnashing of teeth" is one of the accompaniments of hell, so this "gnawing of their tongues" is through rage at the baffling of their hopes and the overthrow of their kingdom. They meditate revenge and are unable to effect it; hence their frenzy [Grotius]. Those in anguish, mental and bodily, bite their lips and tongues.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 10. And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast. The previous judgments had been preparatory to this. They all had a bearing on this, and were all preliminary to it; but the "seat"-- the home; the centre of the power of the beasts had not yet been reached. Here, however, there was a direct blow aimed at that power, still not such yet as to secure its final overthrow, for that is reserved for the pouring out of the last vial, Rev 16:17-21. All that is represented here is a heavy judgment which was merely preliminary to that final overthrow, but which affected the very seat of the beast. The phrase "the seat of the beast"-- τον θρονοντουθηριου--means the seat or throne which the representative of that power occupied; the central point of the Antichristian dominion. Compare Barnes on "Re 13:2" See also Rev 2:13. I understand this as referring to the very seat of the Papal powers Rome--the Vatican.

And his kingdom was full of darkness. Confusion--disorder--distress; for darkness is often the emblem of calamity, Isa 59:9-10, Jer 13:16 Eze 30:18, 32:7-8, 34:12, Joel 2:2.

And they gnawed their tongues for pain. This is a "most significant expression of the writhings of anguish." The word rendered gnawed does not occur elsewhere in the New Testament, nor is the expression elsewhere used in the Bible; but its meaning is plain--it indicates deep anguish.

(e) "seat of the beast" Rev 13:2-4 (f) "darkness" Rev 9:2

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 10 The seat of the beast - Επι τον θρονον του θηριου· Upon the throne of the wild beast. The regal family was smitten by the fourth vial; they did not repent: then the fifth angel pours out his vial on the throne of the wild beast, or antichristian idolatrous power. Was full of darkness - Confusion, dismay, and distress.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Revelation 16:8-11

The heart of man is so desperately wicked, that the most severe miseries never will bring any to repent, without the special grace of God. Hell itself is filled with blasphemies; and those are ignorant of the history of human nature, of the Bible, and of their own hearts, who do not know that the more men suffer, and the more plainly they see the hand of God in their sufferings, the more furiously they often rage…

Read the full comment on Revelation 16:8-11 →

Revelation 16:10 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ΚαὶKaiAndG2532
ὁhotheG3588
πέμπτοςpemptosfifthG3991
ἄγγελοςangelosangelG32
ἐξέχεενexecheenpoured outG1632
τὴνtēntheG3588
φιάληνphialēnbowlG5357
αὐτοῦautouof himG846
ἐπὶepiuponG1909
τὸνtontheG3588
θρόνονthrononthroneG2362
τοῦtouof theG3588
θηρίου,thērioubeast,G2342
καὶkaiandG2532
ἐγένετοegenetobecameG1096
ἡhētheG3588
βασιλείαbasileiakingdomG932
αὐτοῦautouof itG846
ἐσκοτωμένη,eskotōmenēdarkened,G4656
καὶkaiandG2532
ἐμασῶντοemasōntothey were gnawingG3145
τὰςtastheG3588
γλώσσαςglōssastonguesG1100
αὐτῶνautōnof themG846
ἐκekforG1537
τοῦtoutheG3588
πόνουponoudistressG4192

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Revelation 16:10

  • Revelation 9:2

    And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

  • Matthew 8:12

    But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

  • Isaiah 8:21-22

    And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward. And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness.

  • Exodus 10:21-23

    And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days: They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.

  • Revelation 18:23

    And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.

  • Revelation 13:2-4

    And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

  • Matthew 22:13

    Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

  • Revelation 17:17

    For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

  • Revelation 18:21

    And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.

  • Luke 13:28

    There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.

  • Matthew 24:51

    And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

  • Psalms 78:49

    He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
upon.
11:2,8; 13:2-4; 17:9,17; 18:2,21,23
full.
9:2; 18:11-19; Ex 10:21-23; Ps 78:49; Isa 8:21,22; Mt 8:12; 22:13
1Pe 2:17
they.
11:10; Mt 13:42,50; 24:51; Lu 13:28

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Revelation 16:9

    And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

  • Revelation 16:10

    And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,

  • Revelation 16:11

    And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.

Read all of Revelation 16

Revelation 16:10 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y el quinto ángel derramó su copa sobre la silla de la bestia; y su reino se hizo tenebroso, y se mordían sus lenguas de dolor;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et le cinquième versa sa coupe sur le trône de la bête; et son royaume devint ténébreux; et de douleur, ils se mordaient la langue:
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und der fünfte goß seine Schale aus auf den Thron des Tieres; und sein Reich wurde verfinstert; und sie zerbissen ihre Zungen vor Pein
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et quintus angelus effudit phialam suam super sedem bestiæ: et factum est regnum ejus tenebrosum, et commanducaverunt linguas suas præ dolore: