Revelation 16:5

And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(5-7) But this state of things is declared to be a just retribution, and reasonably so; for the corruption arises because the true power of life has been rejected: it is the refusal of the good, the want of the life-giving element, which is the secret of all death, physical, moral, spiritual. “’Tis life we want when breath is scant.” The world-power and its worshippers have driven away goodness and faith, the elements of the higher life of man; they have slain the just and the righteous, who were the salt of the earth; they have rejected Christ, who is the life of men; how can they reap anything but decay and death? They slay the righteous; the death of righteousness leaves them nothing but the lifeless blood behind; they can no longer drink moral life from the good; there is but the legacy of death. “Blood of saints and prophets did they pour out; and blood didst Thou give them to drink.”

(5) And I heard the angel of the waters . . .—That is, the angel who was set over the waters, or the angel who is, on the heavenly side, representative of the waters. (See Excursus A: On the Angels.) The angel acknowledges God’s righteousness. Thou art righteous . . . because Thou didst judge these things—i.e., because of the righteous law which these judgments manifested.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

16:1-7 We are to pray that the will of God may be done on earth as it is done in heaven. Here is a succession of terrible judgments of Providence; and there seems to be an allusion to several of the plagues of Egypt. The sins were alike, and so were the punishments. The vials refer to the seven trumpets, which represented the rise of antichrist; and the fall of the enemies of the church shall bear some resemblance to their rise. All things throughout their earth, their air, their sea, their rivers, their cities, all are condemned to ruin, all accursed for the wickedness of that people. No wonder that angels, who witness or execute the Divine vengeance on the obstinate haters of God, of Christ, and of holiness, praise his justice and truth; and adore his awful judgments, when he brings upon cruel persecutors the tortures they made his saints and prophets suffer.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And I heard the angel of the waters say - The angel who presides over the element of water; in allusion to the common opinion among the Hebrews that the angels presided over elements, and that each element was committed to the jurisdiction of a particular angel. Compare the notes on Revelation 7:1.

Thou art righteous, O Lord - In view of the judgments that reddened these streams and fountains with the blood of people, the angel ascribes righteousness to God. These judgments seemed terrible - the numbers slain were so vast - the bloody stream indicated so great slaughter, and such severity of the divine judgment; yet the angel sees in all this only the act of a righteous God bringing just retribution on the guilty.

Which art, and wast, and shalt be - That is, who art eternal - existing now; who hast existed in all past time; and who will exist ever onward. See the notes on Revelation 1:8. The reason why this attribute of God is here referred to, seems to be that the mind of the angel adverts to it in the changes and desolations that were occurring around him. In such overturnings among people - such revolutions of kingdoms - such desolations of war - the mind naturally turns to one who is unchanging; to one whose throne is from everlasting to everlasting.

Because thou hast judged thus - Hast suffered these wars to occur that have changed rivers and fountains to blood.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

5. angel of the waters—that is, presiding over the waters.

O Lord—omitted by A, B, C, Vulgate, Syriac, Coptic, and Andreas.

and shalt be—A, B, C, Vulgate, and Andreas for this clause read, "(which art and wast) holy." The Lord is now no longer He that shall come, for He is come in vengeance and therefore the third of the three clauses found in Re 1:4, 8; 4:8 is here and in Re 11:17 omitted.

judged thus—literally, "these things." "Thou didst inflict this judgment."

Matthew Poole's Commentary

This and the two following verses do but express the honour and glory that shall be given unto God, when he shall have accomplished his great work in destroying those who feed, and uphold, and maintain the beast, partly by those instruments he shall use in that work, expressed here by

the angel of the waters, partly from others.

Thou art righteous. O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus; acknowledging the Lord’s justice and righteousness in such destruction.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And I heard the angel of the waters say,.... So we read in Jewish writings (t) of an angel that was , "the prince of the sea", and of angels that were over the waters, and others over fire (u); though here is designed not one of the "angels of the water", that presided ove the waters, as another over fire; See Gill on Revelation 14:18, but the third angel that poured out his vial upon the waters; when he had so done, he said as follows. Dr. Lightfoot thinks, and that not without reason, that since these angels appeared in the garb of priests, Revelation 15:6 and since there was a priest appointed to take care of the wells, and fountains, and ditches about Jerusalem, that the people might have water at the feasts (w), there is an allusion to him; and certain it is that there was such an officer; there was one Nechoniah, who was over the fountains and ditches (x); and in the same office was Nicodemon ben Gorion (y), thought to be the Nicodemus mentioned in the New Testament.

Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shall be: which may be understood either of God the Father, who had power over these plagues, Revelation 16:9 and sent them; or of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all, and is righteous in all his ways and works, in all his judgments on antichrist, and is the eternal "I AM", which is, and was, and shall be; see Revelation 1:8. The Alexandrian copy, and most others, and the Vulgate Latin and Syriac versions, read "holy", instead of "shalt be"; for the purity and holiness of Christ will be seen in the judgments which he will exercise, as follows:

because thou hast judged thus; or "these things"; or "them", as the Ethiopic version reads; that is, has brought these judgments upon the men signified by rivers and fountains, and made great havoc and slaughter of them, expressed by their becoming blood; the justice of which appears from the following reason.

(t) T. Bab. Gittin, fol. 68. 3.((u) Yalkut Simeoni, par. 2. fol. 58. 4. par. 2. fol. 167. 4. (w) Maimon, Cele Hamikdash, c. 7. sect. 15. (x) Misn. Shekalim, c. 5. sect. 1.((y) Abot R. Nathan, c. 5. fol. 3. 2.

Geneva Study Bible

And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Revelation 16:5. ὅσιος and δίκαιος are used together of God in hieratic inscriptions of dedication throughout Asia Minor, possibly under Jewish influence. Δίκαιος, often a title of messiah (see on Revelation 3:1 and Beer’s note on En. xxxviii. 2), is reserved here for God. Retribution is the outcome of God’s intense holiness or majesty (cf. Revelation 6:10, Revelation 15:4) asserting itself on behalf of his people (Revelation 15:3, Revelation 19:2, cf. Revelation 3:7) and in self-vindication.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

5. the angel of the waters] Here at least there is no question (see on Revelation 7:1, Revelation 14:18) that we have an elemental Angel; see Exc. I.

O Lord] Should be omitted.

which art, and wast, and shalt be] Read, which art and wast, the Holy One: the word for “holy” being the same as in Revelation 15:4. As the phrase for “which art and wast” is ungrammatical (see on Revelation 1:4), it is perhaps better to render “which is and which was.” For the omission of “which is to come,” cf. Revelation 11:17. Its virtual insertion here in the A. V. seems to be an oversight in translation, not a mistaken reading.

Bengel's Gnomen

Revelation 16:5. [178] Ὁ ὢ καὶ ὁ ἦν, which art and which wast) See on ch. Revelation 11:17, and comp. D. Lang. Comm. Apoc. f. 188.—ὁ ὅσιος) Others put καὶ before ὁ, or for ὁ, or omit καὶ ὁ.[179] Sound exegesis often distinguishes the pearls of a genuine reading from the filth of various readings: and Wolf excellently compares with this the passage, ch. Revelation 1:8, ΚΎΡΙΟς Ὁ ΘΕῸς, Ὁ ὪΝ ΚΑῚ Ὁ ἮΝ ΚΑῚ Ὁ ἘΡΧΌΜΕΝΟς, Ὁ ΠΑΝΤΟΚΡΆΤΩΡ. It will also be profitable to have brought forward another, ch. Revelation 4:8 : ἍΓΙΟς, ἍΓΙΟς, ἍΓΙΟς, ΚΎΡΙΟς Ὁ ΘΕῸς Ὁ ΠΑΝΤΟΚΡΆΤΩΡ, Ὁ ἮΝ ΚΑῚ Ὁ ὪΝ ΚΑῚ Ὁ ἘΡΧΌΜΕΝΟς. There is a very great resemblance between those two passages and this passage, which is thus: ΔΊΚΑΙΟς ΕἾ, Ὁ ὪΝ ΚΑῚ Ὁ ἮΝ, Ὁ ὍΣΙΟς. The subject there is, ΚΎΡΙΟς Ὁ ΘΕῸς Ὁ ὪΝ ΚΑῚ Ὁ ἮΝ ΚΑῚ Ὁ ἘΡΧΌΜΕΝΟς· here, in the vocative case, Ὁ ὪΝ ΚΑῚ Ὁ ἮΝ. The epithet belonging to the subject is there, Ὁ ΠΑΝΤΟΚΡΆΤΩΡ· here, in the same case, Ὁ ὍΣΙΟς· in both places without the particle ΚΑῚ. The predicate there, ch. Revelation 4:8, is ἍΓΙΟς· here ΔΊΚΑΙΟς. For the sentence is not to be thus construed, ΔΊΚΑΙΟς ΚΑῚ ὍΣΙΟς since there are many intervening words in the text. At the commencement and at the close of the Apocalypse the Lord is called Ὁ ΠΑΝΤΟΚΡΆΤΩΡ, the Almighty; here, where judgments show themselves, He is called ὁ ὅσιος, the Holy. First of all He is praised on account of His Might, lest in the time of His patience He should appear to have no strength, whereas in the end He is about to display enough of Might; afterwards He is praised for His Grace, when retribution commences. Might and Grace are alike assigned to the Lord in Psalm 62:11-12. The epithet ὅσιος answers to the Hebrew חסיד, and signifies gracious, in an active or a passive sense. God exhibits His own grace in all His works, and He receives gratitude [the attribution of grace] from all saints.

[178] τοῦ θηρίου, of the beast) Therefore the vial of the first angel will be the first mark [“character,” characterism] of the beast.—V. g.

[179] Engl. Vers, has “which art, and wast, and shalt be” (omitting ὅσιος, and substituting καὶ ὁ ἐσόμενος or ἐρχόμενος). ABC Vulg. support ὅσιος. h has et qui es pius. Rec. Text has καὶ ὁ ὅσιος.—E.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 5. - And I heard the angel of the waters say. The angels, throughout this book, are represented as having individual offices to fulfil. Here we have a reference to the angel whose duty it is to control the rivers, just as, in Revelation 14:18, another angel is represented as having authority over fire. This verse and the following one are anticipations of Revelation 19:2, which is a commentary on Revelation 18, which latter is an elaboration of the judgments here described. Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus; righteous art thou, which art and which wast, thou Holy One, because thou didst thus judge (Revised Version). There is scarcely any authority for inserting "O Lord," or "and shalt be" (cf. Revelation 11:17). The angel, as having authority over the waters, and, as it were, a commission to see that they do their duty for men, acknowledges the justice of the sentence which makes them into an instrument for, and type of, man's destruction. Though there is no authority for inserting "and shalt be," the idea is, no doubt, to express the eternal nature of God. The same expression occurs in Revelation 15:3 (Revised Version) in almost exactly parallel connection; so also in Revelation 11:17, 18. Thou hast judged thus refers to the judgment of the third vial, possibly to all the first three, Note the marginal reading of the Revised Version (supported by Alford), which disconnects this verse from the succeeding one. Revelation 16:5

Vincent's Word Studies

The angel of the waters

Set over the waters as other angels over the winds (Revelation 7:1) and over the fire (Revelation 14:18).

O Lord

Omit.

And shalt be

Following the reading ὁ ἐσόμενος. Read ὁ ὅσιος Thou Holy One.

Thou didst thus judge (παῦτα ἔκρινας)

Lit., Thou didst judge these things.