Revelation Chapter 16 verse 5 Holy Bible
And I heard the angel of the waters saying, Righteous art thou, who art and who wast, thou Holy One, because thou didst thus judge:
read chapter 16 in ASV
And the voice of the angel of the waters came to my ears, saying, True and upright is your judging, O Holy One, who is and was from all time:
read chapter 16 in BBE
And I heard the angel of the waters saying, Thou art righteous, who art and wast, the holy one, that thou hast judged so;
read chapter 16 in DARBY
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.
read chapter 16 in KJV
read chapter 16 in WBT
I heard the angel of the waters saying, "You are righteous, who are and who were, you Holy One, because you have judged these things.
read chapter 16 in WEB
and I heard the messenger of the waters, saying, `righteous, O Lord, art Thou, who art, and who wast, and who shalt be, because these things Thou didst judge,
read chapter 16 in YLT
Pulpit Commentary
Pulpit CommentaryVerse 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.
Ellicott's Commentary
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.
