SEV Biblia, Chapter 12:16
Y la tierra ayud a la mujer; y la tierra abri su boca, y sorbi el río que había echado el dragn de su boca.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Revelation 12:16
Verse 16. The earth helped the woman] "Nothing, and indeed," as Bishop Newton excellently observes, "was more likely to produce the ruin and utter subversion of the Christian Church than the irruptions of so many barbarous nations into the Roman empire. But the event proved contrary to human appearance and expectation: the earth swallowed up the flood; the barbarians were rather swallowed up by the Romans, than the Romans by the barbarians; the heathen conquerors, instead of imposing their own, submitted to the religion of the conquered Christians; and they not only embraced the religion, but affected even the laws, the manners, the customs, the language, and the very name, of Romans, so that the victors were in a manner absorbed and lost among the vanquished." See his Dissertations on the Prophecies, in loc.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 16. And the earth helped the woman , etc.] By opening itself, and taking in what the serpent cast out, so that it could not reach the woman, and annoy her, as follows: and the earth opened her mouth ; as it did when it swallowed up Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, ( Numbers 16:30); to which history this may have some respect: and swallowed up the flood which the dragon east out of his mouth ; if the flood refers to the Arian persecution, then the earth helping the woman, the church, and swallowing up this flood, may respect the Goths, who broke into the Roman provinces, under their king, Athanaricus, and fell upon the Arians, with great rage and cruelty, and infested the Roman provinces, which were nearer; they seized upon Thrace, which was the occasion of tranquillity to the orthodox; for Valens being moved by these things, desisted from persecuting them, and, leaving Antioch, he went to Constantinople to form measures for the carrying on of the war against the Goths f338 ; and thus the earth helped the woman. But if, by the flood, the errors and heresies of those times are meant, then the councils may be intended by the earth; which, though they consisted of men that were earthly, and greatly apostatized in other things, yet opposed, refuted, and condemned these heresies and errors, and so were the means of preserving the church from them, as some think; though others are of opinion that the barbarous nations are in this also designed, who embracing Arianism, and the corrupt religion, where they came, by which they were, in, some measure, mollified and reconciled to the Christians, did not seek to root them out, and destroy them, as Satan hoped they would; but since they themselves, with the Mahometans, are meant by the flood, the earth must be interpreted of the corrupt and antichristian church, the idolaters which sustained the force of this inundation, and for some time repelled it, and so secured the true church; and when the western empire was overrun by it, as by the Goths, etc. idolaters, earthly minded men, and carnal professors, were the sufferers, and bore the shock of it; and when the eastern empire was overrun by the Saracens, the tormenting locusts, the green things, grass and trees, were not hurt by them; none of the sealed ones, only those who were not sealed, ( Revelation 9:4); and the Turkish inundation was a scourge upon the antichristian party: so that it was the earth, or earthly part of professors, the idolaters, that bore the fury and force of this flood, and broke it off from the church. And so sometimes wicked men are helpful to the saints, as the Philistines were serviceable to David, to screen him from the fury of Saul; and Lysias, the chief captain, and Felix and Festus, Roman governors, were instruments of preserving the Apostle Paul from falling into the hands of the Jews, his enemies; and the Christians that were scattered by the persecution at Jerusalem found refuge and safety among the Gentiles.
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 CONJ ωργισθη 3710 5681 V-API-3S ο 3588 T-NSM δρακων 1404 N-NSM επι 1909 PREP τη 3588 T-DSF γυναικι 1135 N-DSF και 2532 CONJ απηλθεν 565 5627 V-2AAI-3S ποιησαι 4160 5658 V-AAN πολεμον 4171 N-ASM μετα 3326 PREP των 3588 T-GPN λοιπων 3062 A-GPN του 3588 T-GSN σπερματος 4690 N-GSN αυτης 846 P-GSF των 3588 T-GPM τηρουντων 5083 5723 V-PAP-GPM τας 3588 T-APF εντολας 1785 N-APF του 3588 T-GSM θεου 2316 N-GSM και 2532 CONJ εχοντων 2192 5723 V-PAP-GPM την 3588 T-ASF μαρτυριαν 3141 N-ASF του 3588 T-GSM ιησου 2424 N-GSM χριστου 5547 N-GSM
