12:15a

from the mouth of the serpent spewed water like a river: In the Greek, the phrase from the mouth of the serpent is not emphasized like it is in the Berean Standard Bible. For example:

the serpent vomited water from his mouth, like a river (New Jerusalem Bible)

serpent: The devil is referred to as “the dragon” in 12:3b–13a. He is also referred to as “the dragon” in 12:16b–12:1a and following verses. The devil is referred to as the serpent in 12:9b and here.

The change from “dragon” to serpent here is probably only for poetic style. In some languages a literal translation would wrongly refer to someone other than the devil. If that is true in your language, you may want to use the word “dragon” here.

spewed water like a river: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as spewed is literally “threw.” But the action is “from his mouth,” so in English the natural translation is “vomited water” (as in the New Jerusalem Bible). Also, the simile like a river explains that it was a large amount of water. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

forcefully poured water
-or-
spouted water (NET Bible)
-or-
tried to drown the woman with a flood of water that flowed from his mouth (New Living Translation (2004))

12:15b

to overtake the woman and sweep her away in the torrent: This clause indicates the purpose or desire of the serpent. He wanted to catch the woman and sweep her away in the water to drown her. However, this did not happen. Other ways to translate this clause are:

so that the flood would carry her away
-or-
to sweep her away with the flood (Revised Standard Version)

In some languages it is more natural to refer to the water. For example:

so that the water would overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent

overtake: This refers to the water moving faster than the woman as she fled. Then the water would reach her and carry her away.

sweep her away: Here the words sweep her away refer to lifting the woman off her feet and carrying her away in the rushing flood. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

carry her off
-or-
wash her away
-or-
sweep her away by a flood (NET Bible)

It is implied that the woman would drown in the flood. For example:

to drown her in its flood (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

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