Revelation 16:21

New Testament Apocalyptic ASV (1901)

What does Revelation 16:21 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And great hail, [every stone] about the weight of a talent, cometh down out of heaven upon men: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof is exceeding great.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And great hail, [every stone] about the weight of a talent, cometh down out of heaven upon men: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof is exceeding great.
Revelation 16:21 — American Standard Version

Context — Revelation 16

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
21And great hail, [every stone] about the weight of a talent, cometh down out of heaven upon men: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof is exceeding great.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, etc.] Which must be understood not as after the fall of the cities, and the flight of the islands and mountains, but at the same time; and it looks as if such men that shall escape at the battle of Armageddon, that hail stones from heaven will fall upon them and destroy them; just as the kings of the Amorites and their men were killed by hail stones, cast down by the Lord from heaven, as they fled before Joshua, when more were killed by the stones than were slain by the sword, (<061011>Joshua 10:11) the allusion seems to be to the plague of hail in (<020923>Exodus 9:23-26) every stone about the weight of a talent; which is threescore pound…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“fell--Greek, "descends." upon men--Greek, "the men." and men blasphemed God--not those struck who died, but the rest. Unlike the result in the case of Jerusalem (Rev 11:13), where "the remnant . . . affrighted . . . gave glory to the God of heaven." was--Greek, "is." Next: Revelation Chapter 17”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven - Perhaps this is an allusion to one of the plagues of Egypt, Exodus 9:22-26. Compare the notes on Revelation 11:19. For a graphic description (by Com. Porter) of the effects of a hailstorm, see the notes on Isaiah 30:30. Compare the notes on Job 38:22. Every stone about the weight of a talent - The Attic talent was equal to about 55 lbs. or 56 lbs. Troy weight; the Jewish talent to about 113 lbs. Troy. Whichever weight is adopted, it is easy to conceive what must be the horror of such a storm, and what destruction it must cause. We are not, of course, to suppose necessarily, that this would literally occur; it is a frightful image to denote…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“And a great hail falleth out of heaven - From which there was no defence. From the earthquake men would fly into the fields; but here also they are met by the hail: nor were they secure if they returned into the houses, when each hail - stone weighed sixty pounds. Next: Revelation Chapter 17”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“16:21 Despite the severity of these plagues, the people of the world again cursed God rather than recognizing his reason for the judgments (see 9:20; 16:9, 11). • The terrible hailstorm is a reminder of the seventh plague on Egypt (Exod 9:23-24).”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“there fell: Rev 8:7, Rev 11:19; Exo 9:23-26; Jos 10:11; Isa 30:30; Eze 13:11, Eze 13:13, Eze 38:21, Eze 38:22 blasphemed: Rev 16:9, Rev 16:11; Isa 8:21 Next: Revelation Chapter 17”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification