What Does Revelation 12:15 Mean in the King James?
And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The flood is sent to swallow the woman, but the same verb hidden in “carried away” turns around and swallows the flood.
THE MEANING
When a force comes at you like a flood, this verse names its intention: to overwhelm and consume you. Its aim is exposed as an aim, not stated as a completed result; the next verse turns the image around as the earth swallows the flood.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
A threat’s intention is not proof that it can finish what it begins.
THE ROOT
καταποθῇ
katapothē
GROWS FROM
πιν
pin
Drink; with κατά in καταπίνω, drink down or swallow.
“carried away” in this verse is katapothē. The passive καταποθῇ carries the image of being swallowed down. That image returns in the next verse when the earth swallows the flood, so the threat’s own verb becomes the shape of its reversal.
ALSO GROWS
pínō: To drink.
πίνω
This is the verb at the root of καταπίνω, the compound image of swallowing down.
póma: A drink or beverage.
πόμα
This noun carries the same drink-root into what is taken in, echoing the flood’s attempt to consume the woman.
potós: Drinkable; fit to be drunk.
ποτός
This related form preserves the sense of something taken in, the consuming image beneath “carried away.”
THE PATTERN
In scripture, the force that threatens to swallow can itself be swallowed up.
Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them.He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.THE THREAD
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.The Greek uses the same swallow-down verb here that stands behind “carried away” in verse 15. The flood meant to consume the woman is itself swallowed by the earth.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us