And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.
Went - `away.'
Poured out. So the angel cast fire into the earth previous to the series of trumpets (Revelation 8:5).
Upon. So Coptic; but A B C, Vulgate, Syriac, read, 'into.'
Sore upon the men - antitype to the sixth Egyptian plague. "Noisome" - `evil' (cf. Deuteronomy 28:27; Deuteronomy 28:35). х Helkos (G1668) is used in Septuagint, as here.] The reason why the sixth Egyptian plague is first here, is because it was directed against the Egyptian magicians, Jannes and Jambres, so that they could not stand before Moses; so here the plague is upon those who, in the beastworship, practiced sorcery. As they submitted to the mark of the beast, so they must bear the mark of the avenging God. Contrast Ezekiel 9:4; Ezekiel 9:6; Revelation 7:3. "Grievous" - distressing.
Which had the mark of the beast. Therefore this first vial is subsequent to the beast's rule.