But the earth helped the woman and opened its mouth to swallow up the river that had poured from the dragon’s mouth.
Parallel translations
- WEB The earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon spewed out of his mouth.
- KJV 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.
- NKJV 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.
- NASB 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.
- NLT But the earth helped her by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that gushed out from the mouth of the dragon.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The earth opens its mouth and swallows the river, helping the woman. God turns creation itself to rescue His people from Satan's flood.
Overview
In a striking reversal, the very earth comes to the woman's aid, absorbing the dragon's flood—an echo of judgments where the earth swallowed God's enemies (Exodus 15:12; Numbers 16:32). It shows that all creation serves the Creator's purpose to protect His people. Satan's most furious assault is frustrated by God's providential care. The church survives because God Himself, using every means, preserves her through the dragon's rage.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- 1 Kgs 17:6The ravens would bring him bread and meat in the morning and evening, and he would drink from the brook.
- Exod 12:35–36Furthermore, the Israelites acted on Moses’ word and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold, and for clothing.
- 2 Kgs 8:9So Hazael went to meet Elisha, taking with him a gift of forty camel loads of every good thing from Damascus. And he went in and stood before him and said, “Your son Ben-hadad king of Aram has sent me to ask, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’”
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Christ at the center
Revelation ends the story with the slain-yet-standing Lamb who is worthy, the Lion of Judah, the Alpha and Omega, the returning King who makes all things new and dwells with his people forever.
How Revelation 12:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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