Revelation 17:4-5

17:4 Now ¹  the woman was dressed in purple and scarlet clothing, ²  and adorned with gold, ³  precious stones, and pearls. She held ⁴  in her hand a golden cup filled with detestable things and unclean things from her sexual immorality. ⁵  17:5 On ⁶  her forehead was written a name, a mystery: ⁷  “Babylon the Great, the Mother of prostitutes and of the detestable things of the earth.”

Revelation 17:15-16

17:15 Then ⁸  the angel ⁹  said to me, “The waters you saw (where the prostitute is seated) are peoples, multitudes, ¹⁰  nations, and languages. 17:16 The ¹¹  ten horns that you saw, and the beast – these will hate the prostitute and make her desolate and naked. They ¹²  will consume her flesh and burn her up with fire. ¹³ 

Revelation 19:2

19:2 because his judgments are true and just. ¹⁴ 

For he has judged ¹⁵  the great prostitute

who corrupted the earth with her sexual immorality,

and has avenged the blood of his servants ¹⁶  poured out by her own hands!” ¹⁷ 

Isaiah 57:3

57:3 But approach, you sons of omen readers,

you offspring of adulteresses and prostitutes! ¹⁸ 

Nahum 3:4-5

Taunt against the Harlot City

3:4 “Because ¹⁹  you have acted like a wanton prostitute ²⁰  –

a seductive mistress who practices sorcery, ²¹ 

who ²²  enslaves ²³  nations by her harlotry, ²⁴ 

and entices peoples by her sorcery ²⁵  –

3:5 I am against you,” declares the Lord who commands armies. ²⁶ 

“I will strip off your clothes! ²⁷ 

I will show your nakedness to the nations

and your shame to the kingdoms;

[17:4]  ¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the detailed description of the woman, which is somewhat parenthetical in nature.

[17:4]  ² tn The word “clothing” is supplied to clarify that the words “purple” and “scarlet” refer to cloth or garments rather than colors.

[17:4]  ³ tn Grk “gilded with gold” (an instance of semantic reinforcement, see L&N 49.29).

[17:4]  ⁴ tn Grk “pearls, having in her hand.” Due to the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[17:4]  ⁵ tc Several mss (including 1611 1854 2053 Ï^K pc) read “sexual immorality on/of the earth” (πορνείας τῆς γῆς, porneia" th" gh") instead of “her sexual immorality.” Other mss (א sy^h** [co]) read “her sexual immorality and the earth’s” (πορνείας αὐτῆς καὶ τῆς γῆς, porneia" aujth" kai th" gh"). The translation is a rendering of πορνείας αὐτῆς, found in {A 1006 2344 al}. It seems that the first reading “sexuality immorality on/of the earth” was a scribal mistake in which letters may have been confused (auths would have been read as thsghs), or was perhaps influenced by the presence of “of the world” (τῆς γῆς) at the end of v. 5. The original wording seems to be “her sexual immorality”; codex א has conflated the two readings.

[17:5]  ⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[17:5]  ⁷ tn Some translations consider the word μυστήριον (musthrion, “mystery”) a part of the name written (“Mystery Babylon the Great,” so KJV, NIV), but the gender of both ὄνομα (onoma, “name”) and μυστήριον are neuter, while the gender of “Babylon” is feminine. This strongly suggests that μυστήριον should be understood as an appositive to ὄνομα (“a name, i.e., a mystery”).

[17:15]  ⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

[17:15]  ⁹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:15]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “and multitudes,” but καί (kai) has not been translated here and before the following term since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[17:16]  ¹¹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[17:16]  ¹² tn A new sentence was started here in the translation. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[17:16]  ¹³ tn The final clause could also be turned into an adverbial clause of means: “They will consume her flesh by burning her with fire.”

[19:2]  ¹⁴ tn Compare the similar phrase in Rev 16:7.

[19:2]  ¹⁵ tn Or “has punished.” See BDAG 568 s.v. κρίνω 5.b.α, describing the OT background which involves both the vindication of the innocent and the punishment of the guilty.

[19:2]  ¹⁶ tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.

[19:2]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “from her hand” (referring to her responsibility in causing the blood of God’s followers to be shed).

[57:3]  ¹⁸ tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “offspring of an adulterer [masculine] and [one who] has committed adultery.” Perhaps the text has suffered from transposition of vav (ו) and tav (ת) and מְנָאֵף וַתִּזְנֶה (mÿna’ef vattizneh) should be emended to מְנָאֶפֶת וְזֹנָה (mÿna’efet vÿzonah, “an adulteress and a prostitute”). Both singular nouns would be understood in a collective sense. Most modern English versions render both forms as nouns.

[3:4]  ¹⁹ tn The preposition מִן (min) on מֵרֹב (merov; Heb “from the abundance of harlotries”) is causal: “because of; in consequence of” (HALOT 598 מִן 6; BDB 579-80 s.v. מִן 2.e). See, e.g., Exod 2:23; 15:23; Deut 7:7; 2 Sam 3:11, 37; Job 22:4; Isa 6:4; 43:4; 53:5; Ezek 28:5, 18; Nah 1:5; Zech 2:8; see also IBHS 213 §11.2.11.d; R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 58, §319. The causal sense is supported by the LXX’s ἀπό (apo, “from, because of”). Most English versions adopt the causal sense (KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NJPS).

[3:4]  ²⁰ tn Heb “Because of the many harlotries of the harlot.” The MT connects v. 4 with vv. 5-6; however, the LXX connects v. 4 with vv. 1-3. The Masoretic division is followed by NRSV and NJPS; the LXX division is followed by KJV and NIV; and the NASB division equivocates on the issue. It is best to connect v. 4 with vv. 5-6 (following the MT) because: (1) vv. 1-3 constitute a self-contained woe-oracle; and (2) the theme of the harlot unifies vv. 4-6: the accusation against the harlot (v. 4) and the stereotypical punishment of the harlot (vv. 5-6).

[3:4]  ²¹ tn Heb “fair of form, a mistress of sorceries.”

[3:4]  ²² tn Heb “she.” This has been translated as a relative pronoun for stylistic reasons. The shift from 2nd person feminine singular (“you”) to 3rd person feminine singular (“she”) is an example of heterosis of persons, a common literary/poetic device used in Hebrew poetry and prophetic literature.

[3:4]  ²³ tc The MT reads the Qal participle הַמֹּכֶרֶת (hammokheret) which is derived from מָכַר (makhar, “to sell, to betray”): “the one who sells/betrays [nations].” The MT is supported by the LXX. The Dead Sea Scrolls read הממכרת (4QpNah 2:7): “the one who sells/betrays [nations]” (see DJD 5:38). Dahood repoints the MT as a Hophal participle, הַמֻּכֶּרֶת (hammukkeret) from נָכַר (nakhar, “to know, to recognize”): “the one who is known [by the nations for her harlotries]” (M. Dahood, “Causal Beth and the Root NKR in Nahum 3.4,” Bib 52 [1971]: 395-96). The BHS editors suggest emending the MT, due to metathesis, to הַכֹּמֶרֶת (hakkomeret) from II כמר (“to ensnare”; HALOT 482 s.v. II כמר) which is related to Assyrian kamaru [A] (“to ensnare”): “The one who ensnares [nations].” The related nouns “snare; net” (מִכְמָר, mikhmar) and “net” (מִכְמֶרֶת, mikhmeret) are used as metaphors of the wicked destroying their victims (Ps 141:10; Isa 51:20; Hab 1:15, 16). This approach is adopted by NJPS: “who ensnared nations.” Others suggest emending to the Qal participle הַכֹּמֶרֶת from III כמר (“to destroy, to overthrow”; BDB 485 s.v. III כמר) related to Assyrian kamaru [B] (“to destroy; to annihilate”): “the one who destroys nations.” The MT may be retained due to strong external support (LXX and 4QpNah) and adequate internal support; the conjectural emendations are unnecessary.

[3:4]  ²⁴ tn Heb “the one who sells nations by her harlotries.”

[3:4]  ²⁵ tn Heb “and clans by her sorceries.”

[3:5]  ²⁶ tn Traditionally, “the Lord of hosts.” See the note on the expression “the Lord who commands armies” in 2:13.

[3:5]  ²⁷ tn Heb “I will uncover your skirts over your face.”