Revelation 8:9
◄  Revelation 8:9  ►
New International Version (©2011)
a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

New Living Translation (©2007)
one-third of all things living in the sea died, and one-third of all the ships on the sea were destroyed.

English Standard Version (©2001)
A third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
and a third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life, died; and a third of the ships were destroyed.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

International Standard Version (©2012)
one-third of the creatures that were living in the sea died, and one-third of the ships was destroyed.

NET Bible (©2006)
and a third of the creatures living in the sea died, and a third of the ships were completely destroyed.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English (©2010)
And a third of all creatures that were in the Sea that had breath, died, and a third of ships was destroyed.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
one-third of the creatures that were living in the sea died, and one-third of the ships were destroyed.

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.

American King James Version
And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.

American Standard Version
and there died the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, even they that had life; and the third part of the ships was destroyed.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the third part of those creatures died, which had life in the sea, and the third part of the ships was destroyed.

Darby Bible Translation
and the third part of the creatures which were in the sea which had life died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.

English Revised Version
and there died the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, even they that had life; and the third part of the ships was destroyed.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.

Weymouth New Testament
And a third part of the creatures that were in the sea--those that had life--died; and a third part of the ships were destroyed.

World English Bible
and one third of the living creatures which were in the sea died. One third of the ships were destroyed.

Young's Literal Translation
and die did the third of the creatures that are in the sea, those having life, and the third of the ships were destroyed.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

8:7-13 The first angel sounded the first trumpet, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood. A storm of heresies, a mixture of dreadful errors falling on the church, or a tempest of destruction. The second angel sounded, and a great mountain, burning with fire, was cast into the sea; and the third part of the sea became blood. By this mountain some understand leaders of the persecutions; others, Rome sacked by the Goths and Vandals, with great slaughter and cruelty. The third angel sounded, and there fell a star from heaven. Some take this to be an eminent governor; others take it to be some person in power who corrupted the churches of Christ. The doctrines of the gospel, the springs of spiritual life, comfort, and vigour, to the souls of men, are corrupted and made bitter by the mixture of dangerous errors, so that the souls of men find ruin where they sought refreshment. The fourth angel sounded, and darkness fell upon the great lights of heaven, that give light to the world, the sun, and the moon, and the stars. The guides and governors are placed higher than the people, and are to dispense light, and kind influences to them. Where the gospel comes to a people, and has not proper effects on their hearts and lives, it is followed with dreadful judgments. God gives alarm by the written word, by ministers, by men's own consciences, and by the signs of the times; so that if people are surprised, it is their own fault. The anger of God makes all comforts bitter, and even life itself burdensome. But God, in this world, sets bounds to the most terrible judgments. Corruption of doctrine and worship in the church are great judgments, and also are the usual causes and tokens of other judgments coming on a people. Before the other three trumpets were sounded, there was solemn warning how terrible the calamities would be that should follow. If lesser judgments do not take effect the church and the world must expect greater; and when God comes to punish the world, the inhabitants shall tremble before him. Let sinners take warning to flee from the wrath to come; let believers learn to value and to be thankful for their privileges; and let them patiently continue in well doing.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea,.... The fishes; by whom men are meant, the inhabitants of the Roman empire; see Ezekiel 29:4, where by fish the Targum understands mighty princes and governors:

and had life, died; were put to death by these savage and barbarous people, who killed all they met with, men, women, and children, young and old, rich and poor, high and low:

and the third part of the ships were destroyed; by which may be designed either the cities and towns within such a part of the Roman jurisdiction, which were burnt or plundered by them; or their goods and effects, which they pillaged, and carried off the wealth and riches of the people, even all their substance, as Austin (p) and Jerom (q), who lived in those times, affirm.

(p) De Civitate Dei, l. 1. c. 10. vid. L. Vivem in ib. (q) Ad Eustochium.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

9. The symbolical interpreters take the ships here to be churches. For the Greek here for ships is not the common one, but that used in the Gospels of the apostolic vessel in which Christ taught: and the first churches were in the shape of an inverted ship: and the Greek for destroyed is also used of heretical corruptings (1Ti 6:5).

Revelation 8:9 Parallel Commentaries

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The First Four Trumpets
…8And 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; 9And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed. 10And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell on the third part of the rivers, and on the fountains of waters; …

Isaiah 2:16 for every trading ship and every stately vessel.
Zechariah 13:8 In the whole land," declares the LORD, "two-thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in it.
Zechariah 13:9 This third I will put into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, 'They are my people,' and they will say, 'The LORD is our God.'"
Revelation 8:7 The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.
Revelation 9:15 And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind.
Revelation 9:18 A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths.
Revelation 12:4 Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born.