Revelation 18:9-19
New English Translation
9 Then[a] the kings of the earth who committed immoral acts with her and lived in sensual luxury[b] with her will weep and wail for her when they see the smoke from the fire that burns her up.[c] 10 They will stand a long way off because they are afraid of her torment, and will say,
“Woe, woe, O great city,
Babylon the powerful city!
For in a single hour your doom[d] has come!”
11 Then[e] the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn for her because no one buys their cargo[f] any longer— 12 cargo such as gold, silver,[g] precious stones, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk,[h] scarlet cloth,[i] all sorts of things made of citron wood,[j] all sorts of objects made of ivory, all sorts of things made of expensive wood, bronze, iron and marble, 13 cinnamon, spice,[k] incense, perfumed ointment,[l] frankincense,[m] wine, olive oil and costly flour,[n] wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and four-wheeled carriages,[o] slaves and human lives.[p]
14 (The ripe fruit[q] you greatly desired[r]
has gone from you,
and all your luxury[s] and splendor[t]
have gone from you—
they will never ever be found again!)[u]
15 The merchants who sold[v] these things, who got rich from her, will stand a long way off because they are afraid of her torment. They will weep[w] and mourn, 16 saying,
“Woe, woe, O great city—
dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet clothing,[x]
and adorned with gold,[y] precious stones, and pearls—
17 because in a single hour such great wealth has been destroyed!”[z]
And every ship’s captain,[aa] and all who sail along the coast[ab]—seamen, and all who[ac] make their living from the sea, stood a long way off 18 and began to shout[ad] when they saw the smoke from the fire that burned her up,[ae] “Who is like the great city?” 19 And they threw dust on their heads and were shouting with weeping and mourning,[af]
“Woe, Woe, O great city—
in which all those who had ships on the sea got rich from her wealth—
because in a single hour she has been destroyed!”[ag]
Footnotes
- Revelation 18:9 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
- Revelation 18:9 tn On the term ἐστρηνίασεν (estrēniasen) BDAG 949 s.v. στρηνιάω states, “live in luxury, live sensually Rv 18:7. W. πορνεύειν vs. 9.”
- Revelation 18:9 tn Grk “from the burning of her.” For the translation “the smoke from the fire that burns her up,” see L&N 14.63.
- Revelation 18:10 tn Or “judgment,” condemnation,” “punishment.” BDAG 569 s.v. κρίσις 1.a.β states, “The word oft. means judgment that goes against a person, condemnation, and the sentence that follows…ἡ κ. σου your judgment Rv 18:10.”
- Revelation 18:11 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
- Revelation 18:11 tn On γόμος (gomos) BDAG 205 s.v. states, “load, freight…cargo of a ship…Ac 21:3. W. gen. of the owner Rv 18:11. W. gen. of content…γ. χρυσοῦ a cargo of gold vs. 12.”
- Revelation 18:12 tn Grk “and silver,” but καί (kai) has not been translated before most of these terms since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more
- Revelation 18:12 tn On this term BDAG 924-25 s.v. σιρικός states, “per. to silk from Ser, subst. τὸ σιρικόν silk cloth or garments w. other costly materials Rv 18:12.”
- Revelation 18:12 tn On the translation of κόκκινον (kokkinon) as “scarlet cloth” see L&N 6.170.
- Revelation 18:12 tn On the phrase πᾶν ξύλον θύϊνον (pan xulon thuinon) L&N 3.63 states, “pertaining to being made or consisting of citron wood (that is, from a citron tree)—‘of citron wood.’ καὶ πᾶν ξύλον θύϊνον καὶ πᾶν σκεῦος ἐλεφάντινον ‘and all kinds of things made of citron wood and all kinds of objects made of ivory’ Re 18:12. The citron tree belongs to the citrus family of plants, and it produces a pale yellow fruit somewhat larger than a lemon, the rind of which is often candied. In Re 18:12, however, the focus is upon the fine quality of the wood.”
- Revelation 18:13 tn On the term ἄμωμον (amōmon) L&N 5.23 states, “a generic term for any kind of spice, though often a specific reference to amomum, an Indian type of spice—‘spice, amomum.’ κιννάμωμον καὶ ἄμωμον καὶ θυμιάματα ‘cinnamon and spice and incense’ Re 18:13. In most translations ἄμωμον is interpreted as spice in general.”
- Revelation 18:13 tn Or “myrrh,” a strong aromatic ointment often used to prepare a body for burial (L&N 6.205).
- Revelation 18:13 tn The Greek term λίβανος (libanos) refers to the aromatic resin of a certain type of tree (L&N 6.212).
- Revelation 18:13 tn On σεμίδαλις (semidalis) L&N 5.10 states, “a fine grade of wheat flour—‘fine flour.’ οἶνον καὶ ἔλαιον καὶ σεμίδαλιν καὶ σῖτον ‘wine and oil and fine flour and wheat’ Re 18:13. In some languages ‘fine flour’ may be best expressed as ‘expensive flour.’ Such a rendering fits well the context of Re 18:13.”
- Revelation 18:13 tn Or “and wagons.” On the term ῥέδη (rhedē) see L&N 6.53: “a four-wheeled carriage or wagon used for travel or the transportation of loads—‘carriage, wagon.’ The term ῥέδη occurs only in Re 18:13 in a list of products bought and sold by merchants.”
- Revelation 18:13 tn Grk “and bodies and souls of men.” This could be understood (1) as a hendiadys (two things mentioned = one thing meant), referring only to slave trade; (2) it could be referring to two somewhat different concepts: slavery (bodies) and the cheapness of human life—some of the items earlier in the list of merchandise were to be obtained only at great cost of human life; or (3) a somewhat related idea, that the trade is in not just physical bodies (slavery) but human souls (people whose lives are destroyed through this trade).
- Revelation 18:14 tn On ὀπώρα (opōra) L&N 3.34 states, “ἡ ὀπώρα σου τῆς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς ψυχῆς ‘the ripe fruit for which you longed’ Re 18:14. In this one occurrence of ὀπώρα in the NT, ‘ripe fruit’ is to be understood in a figurative sense of ‘good things.’”
- Revelation 18:14 tn Grk “you desired in your soul.”
- Revelation 18:14 tn On λιπαρός (liparos) BDAG 597 s.v. states, “luxury Rv 18:14.”
- Revelation 18:14 tn On τὰ λαμπρά (ta lampra) BDAG 585 s.v. λαμπρός 4 states, “splendor…in which a rich man takes delight (cp. Jos., Ant. 12, 220 δωρεὰς δοὺς λαμπράς) Rv 18:14.”
- Revelation 18:14 tn Verse 14 is set in parentheses because in it the city, Babylon, is addressed directly in second person. sn This verse forms a parenthetical aside in the narrative.
- Revelation 18:15 tn Grk “the merchants [sellers] of these things.”
- Revelation 18:15 tn Grk “her torment, weeping.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started in the translation by supplying the words “They will” here.
- Revelation 18:16 tn The word “clothing” is supplied to clarify that the words “purple” and “scarlet” refer to cloth or garments rather than colors.
- Revelation 18:16 tn Grk “gilded with gold” (an instance of semantic reinforcement, see L&N 49.29).
- Revelation 18:17 tn On ἠρημώθη (ērēmōthē) L&N 20.41 states, “to suffer destruction, with the implication of being deserted and abandoned—‘to be destroyed, to suffer destruction, to suffer desolation.’ ἐρημόομαι: μιᾷ ὥρᾳ ἠρημώθη ὁ τοσοῦτος πλοῦτος ‘such great wealth has been destroyed within a single hour’ Re 18:17.”
- Revelation 18:17 tn On κυβερνήτης (kubernētēs) BDAG 574 s.v. 1 states, “one who is responsible for the management of a ship, shipmaster, lit. Rv 18:17.”
- Revelation 18:17 tn Or perhaps, “everyone who sails as a passenger.” On πλέων (pleōn) BDAG 825 s.v. πλέω states, “πᾶς ὁ ἐπὶ τόπον πλέων everyone who sails to a place = seafarer, sea traveler…Rv 18:17. The vv.ll.…have led to various interpretations. Some render: everyone who sails along the coast…See EbNestle, Einführung in das Griech. NT 1909, 182; AFridrichsen, K. Hum. Vetensk.-Samf. i Upps. Årsb. ’43, 31 note ὁ ἐπίτοπον πλέων=one who sails occasionally, a passenger.—S. also IHeikel, StKr 106, ’34/’35, 317).”
- Revelation 18:17 tn Grk “and as many as.”
- Revelation 18:18 tn Here the imperfect ἔκραζον (ekrazon) has been translated ingressively.
- Revelation 18:18 tn Grk “from the burning of her, saying.” For the translation “the smoke from the fire that burned her up,” see L&N 14.63. Here the participle λέγοντες (legontes, “saying”) has not been translated because it is redundant in contemporary English.
- Revelation 18:19 tn Grk “with weeping and mourning, saying.” Here the participle λέγοντες (legontes) has not been translated because it is redundant in contemporary English.
- Revelation 18:19 tn On ἡρημώθη (hērēmōthē) L&N 20.41 states, “to suffer destruction, with the implication of being deserted and abandoned—‘to be destroyed, to suffer destruction, to suffer desolation.’ ἐρημόομαι: μιᾷ ὥρᾳ ἠρημώθη ὁ τοσοῦτος πλοῦτος ‘such great wealth has been destroyed within a single hour’ Re 18:17.”
Revelation 18:9-19
Lexham English Bible
9 And the kings of the earth will weep and mourn over her, those who committed sexual immorality and lived sensually with her, when they see the smoke of her burning, 10 standing far off[a] because of the fear of her torment, saying,
“Woe, woe, the great city,
Babylon the powerful city,
because in one hour your judgment has come!”
11 And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargo any more— 12 cargo of gold and silver and precious stones and pearls and fine linen and purple cloth and silk and scarlet cloth and all kinds of scented wood and all kinds of ivory goods and all kinds of goods of precious wood and bronze and iron and marble 13 and cinnamon and amomum[b] and incense and ointment and frankincense and wine and olive oil and fine wheat flour and wheat and domesticated animals and sheep and horses and carriages and slaves[c] and human lives.
14 “And the fruit your soul desires[d] has departed from you,
and all the luxury and the splendor has perished from you,
and they will never find them any more.”
15 The merchants of these things, who became rich from them, will stand far off[e], weeping and mourning because of the fear of her torment, 16 saying,
“Woe, woe, the great city,
dressed in fine linen and purple cloth and scarlet cloth,
and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls,
17 because in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!”
And every shipmaster and every seafarer[f] and sailors and all those who labor on the sea stood far off[g] 18 and began to cry out when they[h] saw the smoke of her burning, saying, “Who is like the great city?” 19 And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying,
“Woe, woe, the great city,
in which all those who had ships on the sea
became rich from her prosperity,
because in one hour she has been laid waste!”
Footnotes
- Revelation 18:10 Literally “from afar”
- Revelation 18:13 Or “spice”; the term can refer to “spice” in general, or specifically to amomum, a spice from India
- Revelation 18:13 Literally “bodies”
- Revelation 18:14 Literally “your fruit of desire”
- Revelation 18:15 Literally “from afar”
- Revelation 18:17 Literally “everyone who sails to a place”
- Revelation 18:17 Literally “from afar”
- Revelation 18:18 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.
2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software