complete verse (Revelation 12:15)

Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 12:15:

  • Uma: “From there, the dragon spit much water out of his mouth towards the woman, so that she would be swept away.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Then the dragon caused very much water to shoot out from his mouth at the woman so that the woman would be washed (lit. carried) away by the water.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Then the snake caused to come out of his mouth much water so that the woman might be washed away.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “So the snake spit-out much water like a river so that woman would be carried-away (and drowned) koma.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “When that one referred to as dragon observed, he spat out water which rushed-torrentially, so that that woman would be washed away by it.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “This terrible animal caused water to come from his mouth, it became a fierce water so that it would drown the woman when it reached her.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Revelation 12:15

The serpent: or “The dragon” (as in verses 13-14, above).

Poured water like a river out of his mouth: in English the verb “to spew” is the most natural one in such a context: “spewed a flood of water from his mouth.” The verb in Greek in most contexts means simply “to throw.”

To sweep her away with the flood: this translates the Greek “to make her waterborne,” that is, to float her away.

Alternative translation models for this verse are:

• Then the dragon spewed water out of his mouth like a river that flowed after that woman, so that it would make her float away.

Or:

• In order to let the water carry the woman off, the snake (or, dragon) spewed a great water out of its mouth after her.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Revelation to John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .