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John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 12:17

And the dragon was wroth with the woman ,.... The devil was very angry with the church, because he could not destroy her by the Arian persecution he had raised; and because he could not carry her away with the flood, either of errors and heresies, or of the barbarous nations; and because he could not, by any means, come at her, and indeed did not well know where she was, a place being prepared for her of God in the wilderness, where she was taken care of: wherefore he took another method as... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 12:10

Revelation 12:10 ; per Adam Clarke The accuser of our brethren - There is scarcely any thing more common in the rabbinical writings than Satan as the accuser of the Israelites. And the very same word κατηγορος , accuser, or, as it is in the Codex Alexandrinus, κατηγωρ , is used by them in Hebrew letters, קטיגור katigor ; e. gr., Pirkey Eliezer, c. 46, speaking of the day of expiation; "And the holy blessed God hears their testimony from their accuser, הקטיגור מן min hakkatigor... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 12:11

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb - Here is given the reason why the followers of Christ prevailed at this time against all their adversaries. It was because they fought against the dragon in the armor of God. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb - by proclaiming salvation to sinners through Christ crucified, and by their continual intercession at the throne of grace for the conversion of the heathen world. And by the word of their testimony - By constantly testifying... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 12:12

Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them - Let the Christians, who are now partakers of the present temporal prosperity, and advanced to places of trust in the empire, praise and magnify the Lord who has thus so signally interfered in their behalf. But it is added: - Wo to the inhabiters of the earth, and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you - By the inhabiters of the earth are meant the people in subjection to the Roman empire; and by the sea, those parts of... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 12:13

And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth - When the heathen party saw that they were no longer supported by the civil power: - He persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child - The heathens persecuted the Christian Church in the behalf of which Divine Providence had raised up a dynasty of Christian Roman emperors. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 12:14

And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle - Του αετου του μεγαλου· Of The great eagle. The great eagle here mentioned is an emblem of the Roman empire in general, and therefore differs from the dragon, which is a symbol of the Heathen Roman empire in particular. The Roman power is called an eagle from its legionary standard, which was introduced among the Romans in the second year of the consulate of C. Marius; for before that time minotaurs, wolves, leopards, horses, boars,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 12:15

And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood - The water here evidently means great multitudes of nations and peoples; for in Revelation 17:15 , the interpreting angel says, The waters which thou sawest - are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. This water, then, which the dragon cast out of his mouth, must be an inundation of heathen barbarous nations upon the Roman empire; and the purpose which the dragon has in view by this inundation is, that he might cause the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 12:16

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,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 12:17

And the dragon was wroth with the woman - The heathen party, foiled in their subtle attempt to destroy Christianity, were greatly enraged, and endeavored to excite the hatred of the multitude against the religion of Jesus. "They alleged that before the coming of Christ the world was blessed with peace and prosperity; but that since the progress of their religion everywhere, the gods, filled with indignation to see their worship neglected and their altars abandoned, had visited the earth with... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Revelation 12:1-17

The following analysis will help to make clear the relation of the several parts of the vision. I. THE ORIGIN OF THE ENMITY BETWEEN CHRIST AND THE WORLD . ( Revelation 12:7-13 .) II. THE PROGRESS OF THE WARFARE . 1. The assaults of the devil. 2. The overthrow and punishment of the devil. ( Revelation 20:1-10 .) 3. The victory of the faithful. ( Revelation 14:13 ; Revelation 19:1-10 ; Revelation 21:1-27 .; 22.) read more

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