SEV Biblia, Chapter 12:15
Y la serpiente ech de su boca tras la mujer agua como un río, a fin de hacer que fuese arrebatada del río.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Revelation 12:15
Verse 15. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood] The water here evidently means great multitudes of nations and peoples; for in chap. xvii. 15, the interpreting angel says, The waters which thou sawest-are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. This water, then, which the dragon cast out of his mouth, must be an inundation of heathen barbarous nations upon the Roman empire; and the purpose which the dragon has in view by this inundation is, that he might cause the woman, or Christian Church:- To be carried away of the flood.] Entirely swept away from the face of the earth. Dr. Mosheim, in the commencement of his second chapter upon the fifth century, observes "that the Goths, the Heruli, the Franks, the Huns, and the Vandals, with other fierce and warlike nations, for the most part strangers to Christianity, had invaded the Roman empire, and rent it asunder in the most deplorable manner. Amidst these calamities the Christians were grievous, nay, we may venture to say the principal, sufferers. It is true these savage nations were much more intent upon the acquisition of wealth and dominion than upon the propagation or support of the pagan superstitions, nor did their cruelty and opposition to the Christians arise from any religious principle, or from an enthusiastic desire to ruin the cause of Christianity; it was merely by the INSTIGATION of the pagans who remained yet in the empire, that they were excited to treat with such severity and violence the followers of Christ." Thus the wo which was denounced, ver. 12, against the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea, came upon the whole Roman world; for, in consequence of the excitement and malicious misrepresentations of the pagans of the empire, "a transmigration of a great swarm of nations" came upon the Romans, and ceased not their ravages till they had desolated the eastern empire, even as far as the gates of Byzantium, and finally possessed themselves of the western empire. "If," says Dr. Robertson, in the introduction to his History of Charles V., vol. i., pp. 11, 12, edit. Lond. 1809, "a man was called to fix upon the period in the history of the world, during which the condition of the human race was most calamitous and afflicted, he would, without hesitation, name that which elapsed from the death of Theodosius the Great to the establishment of the Lombards in Italy, a period of one hundred and seventy-six years. The contemporary authors who beheld that scene of desolation, labour and are at a loss for expressions to describe the horror of it. The scourge of God, the destroyer of nations, are the dreadful epithets by which they distinguish the most noted of the barbarous leaders; and they compare the ruin which they had brought on the world to the havoc occasioned by earthquakes, conflagrations, or deluges, the most formidable and fatal calamities which the imagination of man can conceive." But the subtle design which the serpent or dragon had in view, when he vomited out of his mouth a flood of waters, was most providentially frustrated; for:-
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 15. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood , etc.] Which cannot design any persecution before the fall of Paganism, either of the Jews, or of the Romans; nor indeed the Arian persecution, since the casting out of this flood is distinguished from the above persecution, and was after the church began to flee upon that persecution; though it is not unusual for wicked persecutors, and violent persecutions, to be expressed by waters, and they are called proud waters, ( <19C401> Psalm 124:1-4); and these may be said to be cast out of the mouth of the serpent, the devil, who was a persecutor and a murderer from the beginning, and by whom all persecutors and persecutions are instigated, moved, and carried on; but rather, as the words of a man's mouth are as deep waters, ( Proverbs 18:4); and doctrines, good or bad, may be so called; that flood of errors and heresies, which were poured in between the times of Constantine and the rise of antichrist may be here intended; such as the Arian heresy, which denied the divinity of Christ; the Nestorian heresy, which divided his person; and the Eutychian heresy, which confounded the two natures in him; and the Macedonian heresy, which took away the deity of the Holy Ghost; and the Pelagian heresy, which destroyed the grace of God, and set up the power of man's free will: and this flood of errors and heresies may be truly said to be cast out of the serpent's mouth; since the old serpent, the devil, is the father of all lies, and errors: and the above heresies are the doctrines of devils, and damnable ones; and were designed by Satan to destroy the souls of men, and ruin the church: though since this flood followed upon the Arian persecution, and was after the church began to flee, being supported and secured by the two divisions of the empire, eastern and western, the wings of the Roman eagle, it seems best by this flood to understand the irruption of the barbarous nations, which quickly followed that division; the Goths, Huns, Vandals, Heruli, Alans, and Lombards, who were poured into the western empire, and overran, and at last destroyed it; so that this flood is contemporary with the first four trumpets; after which followed the swarms of locusts, the Saracens, which infested, teased, and tormented the eastern empire; and after them the Turks, the four angels bound at the great river Euphrates, were let loose, and like a mighty torrent overflowed, and utterly destroyed it; and all this was done at the instigation of Satan, he being filled with wrath, because the empire was become Christian, and his view was to destroy the church in it: for this flood was cast after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood ; along with the empire, and be no more; but his designs were frustrated, and he disappointed; so people, nations, and tongues, are compared to waters in ( Revelation 17:15); (see Isaiah 8:7 28:2), which the Targum interprets of the armies of much people.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 12-17 - The church and all her friends might well be called to praise God for deliverance from pagan persecution, though other troubles awaited her The wilderness is a desolate place, and full of serpents and scorpions uncomfortable and destitute of provisions; yet a place of safety, a well as where one might be alone. But being thus retired could no protect the woman. The flood of water is explained by many to mean the invasions of barbarians, by which the western empire was overwhelmed for the heathen encouraged their attacks, in the hope of destroying Christianity. But ungodly men, for their worldly interests, protecte the church amidst these tumults, and the overthrow of the empire di not help the cause of idolatry. Or, this may be meant of a flood of error, by which the church of God was in danger of being overwhelme and carried away. The devil, defeated in his designs upon the church turns his rage against persons and places. Being faithful to God an Christ, in doctrine, worship, and practice, exposes to the rage of Satan; and will do so till the last enemy shall be destroyed __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 εβαλεν 906 5627 ο 3588 οφις 3789 οπισω 3694 της 3588 γυναικος 1135 εκ 1537 του 3588 στοματος 4750 αυτου 846 υδωρ 5204 ως 5613 ποταμον 4215 ινα 2443 ταυτην 3778 ποταμοφορητον 4216 ποιηση 4160 5661
Vincent's NT Word Studies
15. Cause her to be carried away of the flood (pauthn potamoforhton poihsh). Lit., might make her one carried away by the stream: a river-born one. The word occurs only here in the New Testament.
