John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 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 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 design the whole jurisdiction of Rome, or mystical Babylon; (see Jeremiah 51:36) and particularly its maritime powers, Spain and Portugal: and as the second trumpet affected the sea, ( Revelation 8:8) and brought the Vandals into Spain and Portugal, so this second vial affects the sea, and brings great wars, slaughter, and bloodshed into these parts, when they also will be reformed from Popery: and it became as the blood of a dead man ; thick, clotted together, and putrid, and so never to be returned to their former state: and every living soul died in the sea : those, that are not reformed will either die by the sword, or fly into other parts; for there will be no comfortable living for the Popish party in those countries where now they live in power, ease, and affluence. This, and the following vial, are referred by Mr. Daubuz, the one to the first crusades, or holy wars, for the regaining of the holy land, and the other to the latter of them.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-7 - We are to pray that the will of God may be done on earth as it is don in heaven. Here is a succession of terrible judgments of Providence and there seems to be an allusion to several of the plagues of Egypt The sins were alike, and so were the punishments. The vials refer to the seven trumpets, which represented the rise of antichrist; and the fall of the enemies of the church shall bear some resemblance to their rise. All things throughout their earth, their air, their sea, their rivers, their cities, all are condemned to ruin, all accursed for the wickedness of that people. No wonder that angels, who witness of execute the Divine vengeance on the obstinate haters of God, of Christ and of holiness, praise his justice and truth; and adore his awfu judgments, when he brings upon cruel persecutors the tortures they mad his saints and prophets suffer.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ ο 3588 T-NSM δευτερος 1208 A-NSM αγγελος 32 N-NSM εξεχεεν 1632 5656 V-AAI-3S την 3588 T-ASF φιαλην 5357 N-ASF αυτου 846 P-GSM εις 1519 PREP την 3588 T-ASF θαλασσαν 2281 N-ASF και 2532 CONJ εγενετο 1096 5633 V-2ADI-3S αιμα 129 N-NSN ως 5613 ADV νεκρου 3498 A-GSM και 2532 CONJ πασα 3956 A-NSF ψυχη 5590 N-NSF ζωσα 2198 5723 V-PAP-NSF απεθανεν 599 5627 V-2AAI-3S εν 1722 PREP τη 3588 T-DSF θαλασση 2281 N-DSF
Vincent's NT Word Studies
3. It became (egeneto). Or there came.Blood. Compare Exod. vii. 19.
As of a dead man. Thick, corrupt, and noisome.
Living soul (yuch zwsa). The best texts read yuch zwhv soul of life.
