18:1 After these things I saw another angel, who possessed great authority, coming down out of heaven, and the earth was lit up by his radiance. 1 18:2 He 2 shouted with a powerful voice:
“Fallen, fallen, is Babylon the great!
She 3 has become a lair for demons,
a haunt 4 for every unclean spirit,
a haunt for every unclean bird,
a haunt for every unclean and detested beast. 5
18:3 For all the nations 6 have fallen 7 from
the wine of her immoral passion, 8
and the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her,
and the merchants of the earth have gotten rich from the power of her sensual behavior.” 9
18:4 Then 10 I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, so you will not take part in her sins and so you will not receive her plagues, 18:5 because her sins have piled 11 up all the way to heaven 12 and God has remembered 13 her crimes. 14 18:6 Repay her the same way she repaid others; 15 pay her back double 16 corresponding to her deeds. In the cup she mixed, mix double the amount for her. 18:7 As much as 17 she exalted herself and lived in sensual luxury, 18 to this extent give her torment and grief because she said to herself, 19 ‘I rule as queen and am no widow; I will never experience grief!’ 18:8 For this reason, she will experience her plagues 20 in a single day: disease, 21 mourning, 22 and famine, and she will be burned down 23 with fire, because the Lord God who judges her is powerful!”
18:9 Then 24 the kings of the earth who committed immoral acts with her and lived in sensual luxury 25 with her will weep and wail for her when they see the smoke from the fire that burns her up. 26 18:10 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 27 has come!”
18:11 Then 28 the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn for her because no one buys their cargo 29 any longer – 18:12 cargo such as gold, silver, 30 precious stones, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, 31 scarlet cloth, 32 all sorts of things made of citron wood, 33 all sorts of objects made of ivory, all sorts of things made of expensive wood, bronze, iron and marble, 18:13 cinnamon, spice, 34 incense, perfumed ointment, 35 frankincense, 36 wine, olive oil and costly flour, 37 wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and four-wheeled carriages, 38 slaves and human lives. 39
18:14 (The ripe fruit 40 you greatly desired 41
has gone from you,
and all your luxury 42 and splendor 43
have gone from you –
they will never ever be found again!) 44
1 tn Grk “glory”; but often in the sense of splendor, brightness, or radiance (see L&N 14.49).
2 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style
3 tn Or “It” (the subject is embedded in the verb in Greek; the verb only indicates that it is third person). Since the city has been personified as the great prostitute, the feminine pronoun was used in the translation.
4 tn Here BDAG 1067 s.v. φυλακή 3 states, “a place where guarding is done, prison…Of the nether world or its place of punishment (πνεῦμα 2 and 4c) 1 Pt 3:19 (BReicke, The Disobedient Spirits and Christian Baptism ’46, 116f). It is in a φ. in the latter sense that Satan will be rendered harmless during the millennium Rv 20:7. The fallen city of Babylon becomes a φυλακή haunt for all kinds of unclean spirits and birds 18:2ab.”
5 tc There are several problems in this verse. It seems that according to the ms evidence the first two phrases (i.e., “and a haunt for every unclean spirit, and a haunt for every unclean bird” [καὶ φυλακὴ παντὸς πνεύματος ἀκαθάρτου καὶ φυλακὴ παντὸς ὀρνέου ἀκαθάρτου, kai fulakh panto" pneumato" akaqartou kai fulakh panto" orneou akaqartou]) are to be regarded as authentic, though there are some ms discrepancies. The similar beginnings (καὶ φυλακὴ παντός) and endings (ἀκαθάρτου) of each phrase would easily account for some
6 tn Or “all the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).
7 tc ‡ Several
8 tn See the notes on the words “passion” in Rev 14:8 and “wrath” in 16:19.
9 tn According to BDAG 949 s.v. στρῆνος and στρηνιάω, these terms can refer either to luxury or sensuality. In the context of Rev 18, however (as L&N 88.254 indicate) the stress is on gratification of the senses by sexual immorality, so that meaning was emphasized in the translation here.
10 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
11 tn On ἐκολλήθησαν (ekollhqhsan) BDAG 556 s.v. κολλάω 2.a.β states, “fig. cling to = come in close contact with (cp. Ps 21:16; 43:26 ἐκολλήθη εἰς γῆν ἡ γαστὴρ ἡμῶν. The act.=‘bring into contact’ PGM 5, 457 κολλήσας τ. λίθον τῷ ὠτίῳ) ἐκολλήθησαν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι ἄχρι τ. οὐρανοῦ the sins have touched the heaven = reached the sky (two exprs. are telescoped) Rv 18:5.”
12 tn Or “up to the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).
13 tn That is, remembered her sins to execute judgment on them.
14 tn Or “her sins.”
15 tn The word “others” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
16 tn On this term BDAG 252 s.v. διπλόω states, “to double τὰ διπλᾶ pay back double Rv 18:6.”
17 tn “As much as” is the translation of ὅσα (Josa).
18 tn On the term ἐστρηνίασεν (estrhniasen) BDAG 949 s.v. στρηνιάω states, “live in luxury, live sensually Rv 18:7. W. πορνεύειν vs. 9.”
19 tn Grk “said in her heart,” an idiom for saying something to oneself.
20 tn Grk “For this reason, her plagues will come.”
21 tn Grk “death.” θάνατος (qanatos) can in particular contexts refer to a manner of death, specifically a contagious disease (see BDAG 443 s.v. 3; L&N 23.158).
22 tn This is the same Greek word (πένθος, penqo") translated “grief” in vv. 7-8.
23 tn Here “burned down” was used to translate κατακαυθήσεται (katakauqhsetai) because a city is in view.
24 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
25 tn On the term ἐστρηνίασεν (estrhniasen) BDAG 949 s.v. στρηνιάω states, “live in luxury, live sensually Rv 18:7. W. πορνεύειν vs. 9.”
26 tn Grk “from the burning of her.” For the translation “the smoke from the fire that burns her up,” see L&N 14.63.
27 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.”
28 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
29 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.”
30 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
31 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.”
32 tn On the translation of κόκκινον (kokkinon) as “scarlet cloth” see L&N 6.170.
33 tn On the phrase πᾶν ξύλον θύϊνον (pan xulon quinon) 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.”
34 tn On the term ἄμωμον (amwmon) 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.”
35 tn Or “myrrh,” a strong aromatic ointment often used to prepare a body for burial (L&N 6.205).
36 tn The Greek term λίβανος (libano") refers to the aromatic resin of a certain type of tree (L&N 6.212).
37 tn On σεμίδαλις (semidali") 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.”
38 tn Or “and wagons.” On the term ῥέδη (rJedh) 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.”
39 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).
40 tn On ὀπώρα (opwra) 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.’”
41 tn Grk “you desired in your soul.”
42 tn On λιπαρός (liparo") BDAG 597 s.v. states, “luxury Rv 18:14.”
43 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.”
44 tn Verse 14 is set in parentheses because in it the city, Babylon, is addressed directly in second person.