Bible Word Study
ποταμοφόρητος
potamophorētos · carried away by a stream
ποταμοφόρητος
carried away by a stream
Definition
ποταμοφόρητος is an adjective meaning 'carried away by a river' or 'swept away by a stream.' It describes something being overwhelmed and removed by the force of flowing water. In its sole biblical occurrence in Revelation 12:15, it is used metaphorically to describe a flood of water that the serpent (the dragon) spews from its mouth to sweep away the woman (a symbol for God's people). The word emphasizes destructive, irresistible force, not a gentle carrying.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the New Testament, in the apocalyptic book of Revelation. In Revelation 12:15, it appears in a vivid, symbolic vision: 'And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood (ποταμοφόρητος).' Here, it describes the intended effect of a symbolic, persecuting flood meant to destroy the woman who represents the faithful community.
Etymology
Derived from two Greek roots: ποταμός (potamos, G4215), meaning 'river' or 'stream,' and φορέω (phoreō), a verb meaning 'to carry' or 'to bear.' It is a compound adjective literally meaning 'river-carried.' The related noun ποταμοφόρητος would describe a 'river-borne' or 'flood-swept' condition.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it captures the nature of spiritual attack and divine protection in apocalyptic literature. The flood from the serpent's mouth symbolizes overwhelming persecution, deception, or evil forces aimed at destroying God's people (the woman). Yet, the earth swallowing the flood (Revelation 12:16) shows God's sovereign intervention and protection. Understanding this Greek term enriches the imagery, highlighting the ferocity of the attack and the miraculous nature of the deliverance. In the ancient Near Eastern and Greco-Roman world, rivers and floods were common symbols of chaos, destruction, and uncontrollable forces. The imagery of being 'swept away' by a river would immediately convey a sense of catastrophic loss and helplessness against a powerful natural (or supernatural) agent. This cultural understanding amplifies the threat in Revelation's vision. κατακλύζω (kataklyzō, G2626) — to inundate or flood; emphasizes the covering or overwhelming with water. συναρπάζω (synarpazō, G4884) — to seize and carry away; focuses on the snatching action, not necessarily by water.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Dodson Greek-English Lexicon, supplemented by STEPBible TBESG data (CC BY 4.0). Concordance and morphology data are derived from the interlinear Bible.
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]