2166. Euphratés

Lexical Summary

Euphratés: Euphrates

Original Word: Εὐφράτης
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: Euphratés
Pronunciation: yoo-frah'-tace
Phonetic Spelling: (yoo-frat'-ace)
KJV: Euphrates
NASB: Euphrates
Word Origin: [of foreign origin]

1. Euphrates, a river of Asia

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Euphrates.

Of foreign origin (compare Prath); Euphrates, a river of Asia -- Euphrates.

see HEBREW Prath

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
of uncertain origin
Definition
Euphrates, a river of Asia
NASB Translation
Euphrates (2).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 2166: Αὐφράτης

Αὐφράτης, Αὐφράτου, ὁ, Euphrates, a large and celebrated river, which rises in the mountains of Armenia Major, flows through Assyria, Syria, Mesopotamia and the city of Babylon, and empties into the Persian Gulf (Hebrew פְּרָת (i. e. (probably) 'the great stream' (Genesis 1:18); cf. Fried. Delitzsch, Wo lag d. Par., p. 169)): Revelation 9:14; Revelation 16:12. (B. D. under the word and references there.)

Topical Lexicon

Geographical Profile

The Euphrates is the longest river of western Asia, rising in the mountains of modern-day Turkey, coursing through Syria and Iraq, and finally emptying into the Persian Gulf. Fed by melting snow and seasonal rains, it has served as a natural highway and lifeline for peoples and empires from the dawn of history. In Scripture it is repeatedly called “the great river” (Genesis 15:18; Revelation 16:12), a reminder of its unmatched scale and strategic importance within the biblical world.

Early Biblical Mentions

1. Edenic Context (Genesis 2:14). The Euphrates is one of the four rivers flowing from the garden of Eden, linking it to humanity’s beginnings.
2. Patriarchal Era (Genesis 15:18). God’s covenant with Abram extends the promised land “from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates,” marking the Euphrates as the northern-eastern frontier of Israel’s inheritance.
3. National Life. Moses’ final charge (Deuteronomy 1:7) and the Divine promise to Joshua (Joshua 1:4) reiterate the river as Israel’s outer border, reinforcing the scope of God’s redemptive plan for His people.

Covenant Boundary and Promised Territory

Throughout the Old Testament the Euphrates functions as a divinely defined perimeter:
• It frames the maximum extent of Israel’s God-given territory (1 Kings 4:21).
• Crossing the river often symbolizes leaving or entering the sphere of covenant blessing (2 Samuel 8:3).
• When Israel obeyed, boundaries expanded toward it; when Israel rebelled, enemies from beyond the river pressed westward, underscoring the conditional experience of covenant promises.

Setting of National Judgment and Exile

Assyrian and Babylonian armies, situated along or near the Euphrates, repeatedly invaded Israel and Judah. Prophets such as Isaiah (Isaiah 8:5-8) and Jeremiah (Jeremiah 46:2-10) speak of the river as the staging ground for judgment. Jeremiah dramatically buried a linen waistband “at the Euphrates” (Jeremiah 13:4-11) to illustrate Judah’s coming ruin. Thus the river embodies both blessing when Israel is faithful and chastening when Israel departs from the LORD.

Prophetic Significance Leading to the Day of the LORD

The Old Testament anticipates a future reckoning involving the Euphrates. Isaiah foretells a time when the LORD will “dry up the tongue of the Sea of Egypt” and smite “the River” into seven streams so that men can cross on foot (Isaiah 11:15). Zechariah envisions worldwide dominion extending “from the River to the ends of the earth” (Zechariah 9:10). These predictions prepare the reader for the river’s eschatological role in Revelation.

Occurrences in Revelation

1. Revelation 9:14 (sixth trumpet). “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” The command unleashes a vast cavalry that slays a third of mankind, demonstrating that forces of judgment have been restrained by God until His appointed hour.
2. Revelation 16:12 (sixth bowl). “The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the east.” As in earlier prophecy, miraculous desiccation of the river removes a natural barrier, enabling hostile armies to advance toward Armageddon.

Both passages underscore the sovereignty of God over geographic and spiritual realms. The Euphrates—once a token of Covenant promise—now becomes the stage on which divine wrath is displayed, showing the seamless unity of God’s dealings from Genesis through Revelation.

Symbolic and Theological Themes

• Boundary: Represents limits established by God—limits that He alone may move or remove.
• Restraint and Release: The river pictures the temporary withholding of judgment until God’s predetermined moment.
• Reversal: Waters that once nourished civilization become an avenue for destruction when humanity persists in rebellion.
• Consummation: By linking Eden (Genesis) and Armageddon (Revelation), the Euphrates bookends redemptive history, illustrating that the Creator who began all things will also bring history to its ordained finale.

Implications for Ministry and Discipleship

1. Confidence in God’s Sovereignty. The same Lord who set the Euphrates as a boundary for Abram directs end-time events. Believers can trust His unbroken rule over nations and nature.
2. Call to Faithful Obedience. Israel’s experience at the river warns the Church against complacency. When God’s people compromise, boundaries meant for blessing can become points of discipline.
3. Urgency of Gospel Mission. Revelation’s imagery of massive eastern armies highlights the vast populations east of the Euphrates who must still hear the good news. Drying up the river foreshadows unobstructed movement—an invitation for the Church to press beyond traditional barriers with the message of Christ.
4. Hope of Final Restoration. Just as Eden’s river nourished life, the closing vision of Scripture promises “the river of the water of life” flowing from God’s throne (Revelation 22:1). The believer’s ultimate home is not bounded by earthly rivers but secured in the presence of the Lamb.

Summary

Strong’s Greek 2166 draws attention to the Euphrates as a thread woven through the tapestry of Scripture: a literal river, a covenant frontier, a highway of judgment, and ultimately a signpost of God’s comprehensive plan. From Eden to the eschaton, its flow testifies that the Word of God is unified, trustworthy, and moving inexorably toward the fulfillment of every promise in Jesus Christ.

Forms and Transliterations

Ευφρατη Εὐφράτῃ Ευφρατην Εὐφράτην Euphrate Euphratē Euphrátei Euphrátēi Euphraten Euphratēn Euphráten Euphrátēn

Englishman's Concordance

Revelation 9:14 N-DMS
GRK: τῷ μεγάλῳ Εὐφράτῃ
NAS: at the great river Euphrates.
KJV: the great river Euphrates.
INT: great Euphrates

Revelation 16:12 N-AMS
GRK: μέγαν τὸν Εὐφράτην καὶ ἐξηράνθη
NAS: river, the Euphrates; and its water
KJV: river Euphrates; and
INT: great the Euphrates and was dried up

Strong's Greek 2166
2 Occurrences

Εὐφράτῃ — 1 Occ.
Εὐφράτην — 1 Occ.