Revelation 16:3

“And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea, etc.] Not literally; and so does not design the stagnation of it, which it is thought will be before the general conflagration; (see <300704>Amos 7:4) nor is it to be understood of the sea of this world, and the men of it, who are like a troubled sea; but rather of Popish doctrines and councils, which are a sea of errors, and will now be confuted and put an end to. Brightman applies it to the council of Trent, and makes this angel to be Chemnitius, a German divine, who wrote a confutation of it; but as the sea is a collection of many waters, and many waters in this book signify the people and nations under the Romish yoke, sea here may…”

“angel--So B and ANDREAS. But A, C, and Vulgate omit it. upon--Greek, "into." became as . . . blood--answering to another Egyptian plague. of a dead man--putrefying. living soul--So B and ANDREAS. But A, C, and Syriac, "soul of life" (compare Gen 1:30; Gen 7:21-22). in the sea--So B and ANDREAS. But A, C, and Syriac read, "(as respects) the things in the sea."”

“And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea - So the second trumpet Revelation 8:8, “And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea; and the third part of the sea became blood.” For the meaning of this as a symbol, see the notes on that verse. And it became as the blood of a dead man - “Either very bloody, like a mangled corse, or else colored, as it were, with the dark and almost black blood of a dead man” (Prof. Stuart, in loco). The latter would seem to be, most probably, the meaning; implying that the ocean would become discolored, and indicating that this was the effect of blood shed in great quantities on its waters. In…”

“The second poured out his phial upon the sea - As opposed to the dry land. And it become blood, as of a dead man - Thick, congealed, and putrid. And every living soul - Men, beasts, and fishes, whether on or in the sea, died. Revelation 16:4”

“16:3-4 The plagues of the second and third bowls are similar to the first plague of Egypt (Exod 7:17-21). Perhaps John had in mind that much of Rome’s food and wealth came by sea. After Julius Caesar rid the sea of pirates, shipping became Rome’s lifeblood. Its end would mean economic death for the empire (see Rev 18:17-19).”

“upon: Rev 8:8, Rev 10:2, Rev 13:1 it became: Rev 11:6; Exo 7:17-21; Psa 78:44, Psa 105:29; Eze 16:38 and every: Rev 8:9; Gen 7:22 Revelation 16:4”