For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.

for they poured out the blood of the saints and the prophets, and blood hast thou given them to drink: they are worthy.

for they have poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; they are worthy.

because blood of saints and prophets they did pour out, and blood to them Thou didst give to drink, for they are worthy;'

For they poured out the blood of Thy people and of the Prophets, and in return Thou hast given them blood to drink. And this they deserved."

For they made the blood of saints and prophets come out like a stream, and blood have you given them for drink; which is their right reward.

For they have shed the blood of the Saints and the Prophets, and so you have given them blood to drink. For they deserve this."

for men shed the blood of Christ's people and of the prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve.'

For they have shed the blood of saints - The nations here referred to. They have been engaged in scenes of bloody persecution, and this is a just recompense.
And prophets - Teachers of religion; ministers of truth. It is not necessary to understand the word "prophets" here in its technical sense, as denoting those who are raised up by God and sent forth as inspired men, but it may be understood in its more common signification in the New Testament as denoting teachers of religion in general. See the Romans 12:6 note; 1-Corinthians 14:1 note.
And thou hast given them blood to drink - To wit, by turning the streams and fountains into blood, Revelation 16:4. Blood had been poured out in such abundance that it seemed to mingle with the very water that they drank. This was a recompense for their having, in those very regions, poured out so much blood in persecuting the saints and prophets - the pious private members of the church, and the public teachers of religion.
For they are worthy - That is, they deserve this; or this is a just recompense for their sins. It is not intended that those who would thus suffer had been individually guilty of this, or that this was properly a punishment on them; but it is meant that in those countries there had been bloody persecutions, and that this was a fit recompense for what had there occurred.

Thou hast given them blood to drink - They thirsted after blood and massacred the saints of God; and now they have got blood to drink! It is said that when Tomyris, queen of the Scythians, had vanquished Cyrus, she cut off his head and threw it into a vessel of blood, saying these words: Satia te sanguine, quem sitisti, cujusque insatiabilis semper fuisti; "Satisfy thyself with blood, for which thou hast thirsted, and for which thy desire has been insatiable." See Justin. Hist., lib. i. c. 8. This figure of speech is called sarcasm in rhetoric.
"Sarcasmus with this biting taunt doth kill:
Cyrus, thy thirst was blood; now drink thy fill."

For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets,.... Which shows that rivers and fountains cannot be literally understood, but men are designed, wicked and bloody men; and it is notorious to all, how much of the blood of the saints, of the preachers of the Gospel, of the prophets and witnesses, have been shed in Italy, Savoy, and other places near Rome, as well as in Rome itself; see Revelation 17:6.
And thou hast given them blood to drink; sent the sword among them, making great slaughter and devastation; see Isaiah 49:26
for they are worthy; or deserving, to have their blood shed by the law of retaliation.

(Revelation 11:18, end; Genesis 9:6; Isaiah 49:26.) An anticipation of Revelation 18:20, Revelation 18:24; compare Revelation 13:15.
For--A, B, C, and ANDREAS omit.

Thou host given then, blood to drink - Men do not drink out of the sea, but out of fountains and rivers. Therefore this is fitly added here. They are worthy - Is subjoined with a beautiful abruptness.