13When the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. [12:14] The two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for an appointed season and seasons and half a season, away from the face of the serpent. [12:15] The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with the flood. [12:16] But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. [12:17] The dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war with the rest of her offspring — those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.
REV 12:13-17
The Woman Persecuted
In the world it was spoken into
In the apocalyptic imagery of Revelation, the dragon’s pursuit of the woman reflects the cosmic struggle between divine protection and malevolent forces, a theme resonant with Jewish apocalyptic literature like Daniel and Enoch. The woman, often interpreted as Israel or the faithful community, is given 'the two wings of the great eagle,' evoking Exodus 19:4, where God carries Israel on eagles’ wings. This symbolizes divine deliverance from persecution. The wilderness, a place of testing and provision (Exodus 16), becomes her refuge for 'a time, times, and half a time,' a period of tribulation echoing Daniel 7:25. The serpent’s attempt to destroy her with a flood of water recalls ancient Near Eastern chaos myths, where water symbolizes overwhelming evil. Yet, the earth intervenes, swallowing the flood, a motif of creation’s order resisting chaos. For 1st-century Jewish and early Christian audiences, this passage would affirm God’s sovereignty amidst persecution, drawing on familiar scriptural and cultural symbols of deliverance and cosmic conflict.
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How other translations render this
REV 12:13
- KJV
- And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
- BSB
- And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.
- Koinōnos
- When the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.
REV 12:14
- KJV
- And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
- BSB
- But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle to fly from the presence of the serpent to her place in the wilderness, where she was nourished for a time, and times, and half a time.
- Koinōnos
- The two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for an appointed season and seasons and half a season, away from the face of the serpent.
REV 12:15
- KJV
- 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.
- BSB
- Then from his mouth of the serpent spewed water like a river to overtake the woman and sweep her away in the torrent.
- Koinōnos
- The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with the flood.
REV 12:16
- 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.
- BSB
- But the earth helped the woman and opened its mouth to swallow up the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth.
- Koinōnos
- But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth.
REV 12:17
- KJV
- And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
- BSB
- And the dragon was enraged at the woman, and went to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea.
- Koinōnos
- The dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war with the rest of her offspring — those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.
Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.
Translator's notes
REV 12:14
- a time:The word translated 'a time' here refers to a specific, appointed season or opportune moment, not just a general duration of time. It implies a divinely set period.
- half:The term used here for 'half' is a straightforward numerical division, indicating precisely one-half of the preceding 'time.'
REV 12:15
- water:The word translated 'water' is a very common and general term for water in any form, whether a river, a flood, or simply liquid.
REV 12:17
- children:The word translated 'children' literally means 'seed' or 'offspring,' often used metaphorically to refer to descendants or posterity, emphasizing lineage.