What Does Revelation 16:8 Mean in the King James?
And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
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 ability to scorch is described as something received, so even this violence has no self-originating force.
THE MEANING
The sun’s light becomes scorching heat that harms people directly. The verse says this capacity is given: the terror is real, yet its force is received rather than self-originating.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
This undoes the belief that destructive force is self-authorizing or ultimate: even here, the ability to scorch is described as received.
THE ROOT
ἐδόθη
edothē
GROWS FROM
δίδωμι
didōmi
to give, grant, or set
The Greek says, literally, “it was given to him to scorch”; the KJV’s “power” makes the granted capacity explicit. The verb keeps the scorching tied to a transfer: its force is received, not self-originating.
ALSO GROWS
paradidōmi: hand over, deliver
παραδίδωμι
This compound uses the same giving verb for a transfer from one to another, echoing the verse’s received ability.
apodidōmi: give back, render
ἀποδίδωμι
The same verb family can describe what is returned or rendered, keeping the giver and receiver in view.
καυματίσαι
kaumatisai
GROWS FROM
καῦμα
kauma
burning heat
“scorch” in this verse is kaumatisai. The Greek family ties the scorching action to the heat itself, joining the force and its effect in one word family. Revelation 16:9 repeats the scorching verb, carrying the bodily harm directly into the next verse.
ALSO GROWS
kauma: heat, burning heat
καῦμα
This noun names the force that the verse turns against people.
kaumatizō: scorch, burn with heat
καυματίζω
The next verse uses this same verb family for the people’s scorching.
ἐκχέω
ekcheō
GROWS FROM
χέω
cheō
to pour
The same Greek word family describes the bowl poured out here, blood shed, and the Set-Apart Breath poured out. English gives those acts different verbs; Greek retains the motion of outpouring, though their effects differ sharply.
ALSO GROWS
ekcheō: pour out, pour forth
ἐκχέω
Acts 2:17 uses this verb for what is poured out from above, showing that the same motion can carry a life-giving gift.
ekchynnō: pour out, shed
ἐκχύννω
Matthew 26:28 uses this related form for blood being shed, joining this bowl’s outpouring to another grave release.
THE PATTERN
Power is repeatedly shown as received authority rather than self-originating force.
Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.THE THREAD
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.The next verse repeats the Greek scorch-word, then says God has power over the plagues. It carries the granted scorching forward to the people’s response and refusal to turn.
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