Discovery BoxRevelation 16:18 
Context16:18 Then 1 there were flashes of lightning, roaring, 2 and crashes of thunder, and there was a tremendous earthquake – an earthquake unequaled since humanity 3 has been on the earth, so tremendous was that earthquake.
Revelation 16:21
Context16:21 And gigantic hailstones, weighing about a hundred pounds 4 each, fell from heaven 5 on people, 6 but they 7 blasphemed God because of the plague of hail, since it 8 was so horrendous. 9
1 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
2 tn Or “sounds,” “voices.” It is not entirely clear what this refers to. BDAG 1071 s.v. φωνή 1 states, “In Rv we have ἀστραπαὶ καὶ φωναὶ καὶ βρονταί (cp. Ex 19:16) 4:5; 8:5; 11:19; 16:18 (are certain other sounds in nature thought of here in addition to thunder, as e.g. the roar of the storm?…).”
3 tn The singular ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used generically here to refer to the human race.
4 tn Here BDAG 988 s.v. ταλαντιαῖος states, “weighing a talent…χάλαζα μεγάλη ὡς ταλαντιαία a severe hailstorm with hailstones weighing a talent (the talent=125 librae, or Roman pounds of c. 343 gr. or 12 ounces each) (weighing about a hundred pounds NRSV) Rv 16:21.” This means each hailstone would weigh just under 100 pounds or 40 kilograms.
5 tn Or “the sky.” Due to the apocalyptic nature of this book, it is probably best to leave the translation as “from heaven,” since God is ultimately the source of the judgment.
6 tn Grk “on men,” but ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used here in a generic sense to refer to people in general (the hailstones did not single out adult males, but would have also fallen on women and children).
7 tn Grk “the men”; for stylistic reasons the pronoun “they” is used here.
8 tn Grk “the plague of it.”
9 tn Grk “since the plague of it was exceedingly great.”
