complete verse (Revelation 16:20)

Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 16:20:

  • Uma: “At that time, all the islands in the sea suddenly disappeared/were-lost, and there were no longer any mountains.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Then all the islands disappeared and also including all the mountains disappeared.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “All islands in the sea disappeared, and all mountains also disappeared.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “All the small countries surrounded by ocean, they sank, and all mountains also, they ceased-to-exist.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “All the islands disappeared. All the mountains collapsed.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “All of the small lands in the midst of the sea and the mountains, they were not to be seen.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Revelation 16:20 – 16:21

Every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found: this is a vivid way of saying that all the islands and mountains disappeared from sight. This is the result of the terrible earthquake; the islands sank into the sea, and the mountains were all leveled (see 6.14). Some translators will find it helpful to connect this verse to verse 18 by saying “The earthquake shook all the islands…” or “When the earth shook, all the islands….”

Great hailstones: see comments on 8.7. In some languages these will be described as “frozen rocks.”

Heavy as a hundredweight: in the American system a hundredweight equals one hundred pounds; in the British system, one hundred and twelve pounds. The Greek word is “(the weight) of a talent,” which may be a way of saying “an enormous weight”; so New American Bible, Revised “like huge weights,” and Phillips “like heavy weights.” But the writer may have had in mind the actual weight of a talent (which was a unit of weight). Estimates vary between eighty and one hundred and twenty pounds. New Revised Standard Version and New International Version both have “about one hundred pounds.” The metric equivalent of one hundred pounds is forty-five kilograms. Biblia Dios Habla Hoy translates “more than thirty kilograms,” and Bible en français courant “up to forty kilograms.” In languages that have a limited group of numbers, or where objects have to be counted by a limited number of body parts such as fingers and toes, it will be better to say “Huge hailstones of tremendous weight (or, weighing as much as an adult person).”

Dropped on men from heaven, till men cursed God: instead of the exclusively male men, the inclusive “people” should be used. In languages that distinguish between heaven as the abode of God, and the sky, it is preferable to use “sky” here. For cursed God see verses 9 and 11.

The plague of the hail: this is like the plague that struck Egypt (see Exo 9.23-25); for plague see 9.18; 15.1.

So fearful was that plague: this translates the Greek “that plague was exceedingly great”; something like “terrible” or “awful” can be said.

An alternative translation model for these two verses is:

• When the earth shook violently, all the islands and mountains disappeared. Huge hailstones (or, frozen rocks), each weighing around one hundred pounds, fell from the sky on people. But because God punished them so severely (or, terribly) by sending hail like this, they cursed (or, said evil things against) him.

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 .