SEV Biblia, Chapter 8:7
¶ Y el primer ngel toc la trompeta, y fue hecho granizo, y fuego mezclado con sangre, y fueron enviados en la tierra, y la tercera parte de los rboles fue quemada, y toda la hierba verde fue quemada.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Revelation 8:7
Verse 7. Hail and fire mingled with blood] This was something like the ninth plague of Egypt. See Exod. ix. 18-24: "The Lord sent thunder and hail-and fire mingled with the hail-and the fire ran along upon the ground." In the hail and fire mingled with blood, some fruitful imaginations might find gunpowder and cannon balls, and canister shot and bombs. They were cast upon the earth] eiv thn ghn? Into that land; viz., Judea, thus often designated.
And the third part of trees] Before this clause the Codex Alexandrinus, thirty-five others, the Syriac, Arabic, AEthiopic, Armenian, Slavonic, Vulgate, Andreas, Arethas, and some others, have kai to triton thv ghv katekah? And the third part of the land was burnt up. This reading, which is undoubtedly genuine, is found also in the Complutensian Polyglot.
Griesbach has received it into the text.
The land was wasted; the trees - the chiefs of the nation, were destroyed; and the grass - the common people, slain, or carried into captivity. High and low, rich and poor, were overwhelmed with one general destruction.
This seems to be the meaning of these figures.
Many eminent men suppose that the irruption of the barbarous nations on the Roman empire is here intended. It is easy to find coincidences when fancy runs riot. Later writers might find here the irruption of the Austrians and British, and Prussians, Russians, and Cossacks, on the French empire!
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 7. The first angel sounded , etc.] Or blew his trumpet: and there followed hail and fire, mingled with blood ; somewhat like one of the plagues of Egypt, ( Exodus 9:23-25); in which was hail mingled with fire, only no blood, but what was caused by its fall on man and beast. Some have thought the Arian heresy is here intended, which may well enough agree with the time; and which may be compared to hail, for the mischief it did to the vines, the churches; and because of the violence with which it came, and the chillness of affection to Christ and his people, which it brought on professors of religion; and the barrenness which followed upon it, it making men barren and unfruitful in the knowledge of Christ Jesus; and to fire, because of the wrath, contentions, animosities, and divisions it occasioned among those who were called Christians: and blood may be brought into the account, since the like persecutions under Constantius and Valens were raised against the orthodox on account of it as were against the Christians under the Heathen emperors: and this storm fell upon the earth; the whole Roman empire; for even all the world was once said to be Arian, except one Athanasius; and particularly upon the carnal and earthly part of the church, who were seeking places and preferments under the Arian emperors: and burnt up the third part of trees; the trees of righteousness, the saints, particularly the doctors of the church, the tall cedars in Lebanon; who either seemed to be such, and were infected with this heresy, and destroyed by it, as many were; or were truly such, and were greatly oppressed, afflicted, and persecuted for not embracing it: and also all green grass; the common people, private Christians, weak believers, who had the truth of grace in them, and suffered much for not giving into this heresy; or who seemed to have it, but had it not, but withered away, being scorched up and destroyed with this pernicious notion: but rather this trumpet regards not the church, but the empire; and this storm of hail, fire, and blood, designs the irruption of the Goths into it, from the year 395, in which Theodosius died, to the year 408, under Radagaisus their general; with two hundred thousand of them, some say four hundred thousand, be entered and overrun all Italy, but was stopped and defeated by Stilicho; also Alaricus, king of the Goths, penetrated into Italy, came to Ravenna, and pitched his camp not far from Polentia, to whom the Emperor Honorius gave up France and Spain to make him easy, and that he might cease from his ravages and depredations f248 ; and these irruptions and devastations may be fitly expressed by hail, fire, and blood, just as the coming of the Assyrian monarch into the land of Israel is signified by a tempest of hail, and a destroying storm, ( Isaiah 28:2); and it is remarkable, as Mr. Daubuz observes, that Claudian the poet f249 , who lived at the time of Alarick's war, compares it to hail: and they were cast upon the earth ; the Roman empire, the continent more especially, as Germany, France, Spain, and Italy, which were particularly affected and distressed with these barbarous people: and the third part of trees were burnt up ; by which seem to be meant people of the higher rank, the richer sort of people, who suffered much in these calamities; (see Isaiah 2:13 Zechariah 11:2); yea, princes, nobles, and rulers, both civil and ecclesiastical, who suffered much at this time, as Jerom f250 , who was then living, testifies; and so trees are interpreted of kings, rulers, and governors, by the Targum on ( Isaiah 2:13 Zechariah 11:1,2); the trees of the field, in ( Isaiah 55:12); are interpreted of kingdoms f251 : the Alexandrian copy, the Complutensian edition, the Vulgate Latin, and all the Oriental versions, read before this clause, and the third part of the earth was burnt; that is, of the Roman empire: and all green grass was burnt up ; the common people, who may be compared to spires of grass for their multitude, being as it were innumerable; and to green grass, for their delightful, comfortable, and flourishing condition before these calamities came upon them; and for their weakness and impotency to withstand such powerful enemies; (see Job 5:25 Psalm 72:16 Isaiah 40:6,7 37:27 Numbers 22:4); and these commonly suffer most when a country is overrun and plundered by an enemy.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 7-13 - The first angel sounded the first trumpet, and there followed hail an fire mingled with blood. A storm of heresies, a mixture of dreadfu errors falling on the church, or a tempest of destruction. The secon angel sounded, and a great mountain, burning with fire, was cast int the sea; and the third part of the sea became blood. By this mountai some understand leaders of the persecutions; others, Rome sacked by the Goths and Vandals, with great slaughter and cruelty. The third ange sounded, and there fell a star from heaven. Some take this to be a eminent governor; others take it to be some person in power wh 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, s 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, an are to dispense light, and kind influences to them. Where the gospe comes to a people, and has not proper effects on their hearts an lives, it is followed with dreadful judgments. God gives alarm by the written word, by ministers, by men's own consciences, and by the sign 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 itsel burdensome. But God, in this world, sets bounds to the most terribl judgments. Corruption of doctrine and worship in the church are grea judgments, and also are the usual causes and tokens of other judgment coming on a people. Before the other three trumpets were sounded, ther was solemn warning how terrible the calamities would be that shoul follow. If lesser judgments do not take effect the church and the worl must expect greater; and when God comes to punish the world, the inhabitants shall tremble before him. Let sinners take warning to fle from the wrath to come; let believers learn to value and to be thankfu for their privileges; and let them patiently continue in well doing __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 ο 3588 πρωτος 4413 αγγελος 32 εσαλπισεν 4537 5656 και 2532 εγενετο 1096 5633 χαλαζα 5464 και 2532 πυρ 4442 μεμιγμενα 3396 5772 αιματι 129 και 2532 εβληθη 906 5681 εις 1519 την 3588 γην 1093 και 2532 το 3588 τριτον 5154 των 3588 δενδρων 1186 κατεκαη 2618 5648 και 2532 πας 3956 χορτος 5528 χλωρος 5515 κατεκαη 2618 5648
Vincent's NT Word Studies
7. The first angel. Omit angel.
Hail and fire mingled with blood (calaza kai pur memigmena aimati). Insert ejn in before aimati blood. Instead of "with blood" as A.V., and Rev., we should render "in blood." The hailstones and fire-balls fell in a shower of blood. Compare the account of the plague of fire and hail in Egypt (Exod. ix. 24) to which the reference is here, where the Septuagint reads and there was hail and the fire flaming in the hail. Compare Joel ii. 30.
And the third part of the earth was burnt up. This is added by the best texts.
Green (clwrov). See on pale, chapter vi. 8.
