Revelation / Chapter 18

Revelation 18

24 verses • SBL Greek New Testament

Translator's Introduction

What This Chapter Is About

Revelation 18 is an extended funeral dirge over Babylon's fall, modeled on the prophetic oracles against Tyre (Ezekiel 26-28) and historical Babylon (Jeremiah 50-51, Isaiah 13-14, 47). An angel of great authority announces Babylon's fall. A voice from heaven calls God's people to come out of her. Three groups mourn: kings who shared her luxury, merchants who grew rich from her trade, and sailors who carried her goods. The cargo list (vv. 12-13) catalogs Rome's extravagant trade, culminating shockingly in 'human souls.' A symbolic act closes the chapter: an angel hurls a great millstone into the sea, declaring that Babylon will be thrown down and found no more.

What Makes This Chapter Remarkable

The cargo list in verses 12-13 is one of the most economically detailed passages in the Bible, cataloging twenty-eight trade items from luxury goods to basic commodities. The list follows the actual trade routes of the Roman Empire. Its final item — 'bodies and human souls' (sōmatōn kai psychas anthrōpōn) — exposes the slave trade as the foundation of Babylon's economy, placing human trafficking as the ultimate indictment. The threefold dirge structure (kings, merchants, sailors) mirrors Ezekiel's lament over Tyre but applies it to a city of far greater scope.

Translation Friction

The command 'Come out of her, my people' (v. 4) echoes Jeremiah 51:45 and Isaiah 48:20. Whether this calls for literal physical separation or spiritual/moral disengagement from corrupt systems has been debated. The text supports both readings. The 'double portion' punishment (v. 6) draws on the cup-of-wrath imagery found throughout the prophets.

Connections

The chapter is a dense tissue of Old Testament allusion: Jeremiah 50-51 (Babylon's fall), Isaiah 13-14, 47 (oracles against Babylon), Ezekiel 26-28 (lament over Tyre), Isaiah 21:9 ('Fallen, fallen is Babylon'), and Jeremiah 25:10 (sounds of joy silenced). The millstone casting (v. 21) echoes Jeremiah 51:63-64, where Seraiah throws a scroll into the Euphrates as a symbolic act of Babylon's sinking.

Revelation 18:1

Μετὰ ταῦτα εἶδον ἄλλον ἄγγελον καταβαίνοντα ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ἔχοντα ἐξουσίαν μεγάλην, καὶ ἡ γῆ ἐφωτίσθη ἐκ τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ.

After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven with great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his glory.

KJV And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. This angel's glory (doxa) is so intense that the entire earth is lit up — a theophanic characteristic usually reserved for God himself (cf. Ezekiel 43:2, where God's glory illuminates the earth). The great authority (exousian megalēn) suggests this is an angel of the highest rank, perhaps the same one who earlier bound the dragon (20:1).
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Quotes Ezekiel 43:2. The TCR rendering of that OT passage preserves the Hebrew source text and documents the translation decisions behind it.
Revelation 18:2

καὶ ἔκραξεν ἐν ἰσχυρᾷ φωνῇ λέγων· Ἔπεσεν ἔπεσεν Βαβυλὼν ἡ μεγάλη, καὶ ἐγένετο κατοικητήριον δαιμονίων καὶ φυλακὴ παντὸς πνεύματος ἀκαθάρτου καὶ φυλακὴ παντὸς ὀρνέου ἀκαθάρτου καὶ μεμισημένου,

He cried out with a mighty voice, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, and a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast,

KJV And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The doubled 'Fallen, fallen' repeats 14:8 and Isaiah 21:9. The three 'haunts' (phylakē, literally 'prison, guard-post') describe Babylon's post-judgment state: the once-glorious city becomes a ghost town inhabited by demons and unclean creatures. The imagery echoes Isaiah 13:21-22 and 34:11-15, where ruined cities become dwelling places for desert creatures and wild animals. The SBLGNT includes 'every unclean and detestable beast,' which some manuscripts omit.
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Draws on Isaiah 21:9. Consult the TCR rendering of that passage for the underlying Hebrew and the rationale for key translation choices.
  3. [TCR Cross-Reference] Draws on Isaiah 13:21-22. Consult the TCR rendering of that passage for the underlying Hebrew and the rationale for key translation choices.
Revelation 18:3

ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ οἴνου τοῦ θυμοῦ τῆς πορνείας αὐτῆς πέπωκαν πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, καὶ οἱ βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς μετ' αὐτῆς ἐπόρνευσαν, καὶ οἱ ἔμποροι τῆς γῆς ἐκ τῆς δυνάμεως τοῦ στρήνους αὐτῆς ἐπλούτησαν.

For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth are grew rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

KJV For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Three groups are implicated in Babylon's corruption: nations (who drank her wine), kings (who partnered with her), and merchants (who profited from her). The Greek strēnous ('luxury, wantonness, sensuality') appears only here and in verse 7 in the New Testament — it connotes arrogant, self-indulgent excess. The verb eploutēsan ('grew rich') introduces the economic theme that will dominate the chapter.
Revelation 18:4

Καὶ ἤκουσα ἄλλην φωνὴν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ λέγουσαν· Ἐξέλθατε ὁ λαός μου ἐξ αὐτῆς, ἵνα μὴ συγκοινωνήσητε ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις αὐτῆς, καὶ ἐκ τῶν πληγῶν αὐτῆς ἵνα μὴ λάβητε·

Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my people, so that you do not share in her sins and so that you do not receive any of her plagues.

KJV And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The call 'Come out of her, my people' (exelthate ho laos mou) echoes Jeremiah 51:45 ('Come out of her, my people!'), Jeremiah 50:8, and Isaiah 48:20 and 52:11. The two purposes are moral (not sharing in sins) and protective (not sharing in plagues). The verb synkoinōnēsēte ('share in, participate with') suggests complicity — remaining in Babylon means becoming co-responsible for her crimes.
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Jeremiah 51:45. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.
  3. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Jeremiah 50:8. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.
  4. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Isaiah 48:20. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.
Revelation 18:5

ὅτι ἐκολλήθησαν αὐτῆς αἱ ἁμαρτίαι ἄχρι τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ ἐμνημόνευσεν ὁ θεὸς τὰ ἀδικήματα αὐτῆς.

For her sins have piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.

KJV For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The Greek ekollēthēsan ('have clung together, have been joined') literally means 'have been glued together' — her sins have accumulated into a mass reaching heaven. The image recalls the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:4), another human construction reaching toward heaven in defiance of God. When God 'remembers' (emnēmoneusen) crimes, it means the time for reckoning has arrived (cf. 16:19).
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] This verse quotes Genesis 11:4 — see the TCR rendering of that passage for the Hebrew source text and translation decisions.
Revelation 18:6

ἀπόδοτε αὐτῇ ὡς καὶ αὐτὴ ἀπέδωκεν, καὶ διπλώσατε τὰ διπλᾶ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῆς· ἐν τῷ ποτηρίῳ ᾧ ἐκέρασεν κεράσατε αὐτῇ διπλοῦν·

Pay her back as she herself has paid out, and repay her double according to her deeds. In the cup she mixed, mix her a double portion.

KJV Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The principle of reciprocal justice — measure for measure — is applied with intensification: not equal but double. The Greek diplōsate ta dipla ('double the double things') is emphatic. The cup imagery reverses the scenario: the cup Babylon used to intoxicate the nations (14:8, 17:2) is now filled double for her. This echoes Isaiah 40:2 (Jerusalem receiving 'double for all her sins') and Jeremiah 16:18.
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Quotes Isaiah 40:2. The TCR rendering of that OT passage preserves the Hebrew source text and documents the translation decisions behind it.
  3. [TCR Cross-Reference] Quotes Jeremiah 16:18. The TCR rendering of that OT passage preserves the Hebrew source text and documents the translation decisions behind it.
Revelation 18:7

ὅσα ἐδόξασεν αὑτὴν καὶ ἐστρηνίασεν, τοσοῦτον δότε αὐτῇ βασανισμὸν καὶ πένθος. ὅτι ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτῆς λέγει ὅτι Κάθημαι βασίλισσα, καὶ χήρα οὐκ εἰμί, καὶ πένθος οὐ μὴ ἴδω.

To the degree that she glorified herself and lived in luxury, give her that same measure of torment and grief. For in her heart she says, 'I sit as queen; I am no widow, and I will never see grief.'

KJV How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Babylon's inner monologue — 'I sit as queen, I am no widow' — quotes Isaiah 47:7-8, where historical Babylon made the same boast before her destruction. The Greek estrēniasen ('lived in luxury, lived wantonly') corresponds to the strēnous of verse 3. The punishment matches the crime exactly: glorification met with torment, luxury met with grief. The triple self-declaration (queen, not widow, no grief) expresses total self-assurance about to be completely overturned.
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Draws on Isaiah 47:7-8. Consult the TCR rendering of that passage for the underlying Hebrew and the rationale for key translation choices.
Revelation 18:8

διὰ τοῦτο ἐν μιᾷ ἡμέρᾳ ἥξουσιν αἱ πληγαὶ αὐτῆς, θάνατος καὶ πένθος καὶ λιμός, καὶ ἐν πυρὶ κατακαυθήσεται· ὅτι ἰσχυρὸς κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ κρίνας αὐτήν.

For this reason her plagues will come in a single day — death and grief and famine — and she will be consumed by fire, because the Lord God who judges her is mighty."

KJV Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The suddenness — 'in a single day' (en mia hēmera) — contrasts with Babylon's assumption of permanence. The three plagues (death, grief, famine) systematically dismantle her boasts from verse 7. Fire as the instrument of final destruction recalls 17:16. The closing declaration 'the Lord God who judges her is mighty' (ischyros kyrios ho theos ho krinas autēn) answers the beast-worshipers' question 'Who can wage war against [the beast]?' (13:4) — God can.
Revelation 18:9

Καὶ κλαύσουσιν καὶ κόψονται ἐπ' αὐτὴν οἱ βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς οἱ μετ' αὐτῆς πορνεύσαντες καὶ στρηνιάσαντες, ὅταν βλέπωσιν τὸν καπνὸν τῆς πυρώσεως αὐτῆς,

The kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and shared her luxury, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning.

KJV And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The first of three laments begins: kings (vv. 9-10), merchants (vv. 11-17a), and sailors (vv. 17b-19). Each follows the same pattern: identification, mourning, and the cry 'Woe, woe!' The kings weep for a partner lost, not from repentance. The smoke of burning recalls the destruction of Sodom, which Abraham watched from a distance (Genesis 19:28).
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Genesis 19:28. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.
Revelation 18:10

ἀπὸ μακρόθεν ἑστηκότες διὰ τὸν φόβον τοῦ βασανισμοῦ αὐτῆς, λέγοντες· Οὐαὶ οὐαί, ἡ πόλις ἡ μεγάλη, Βαβυλὼν ἡ πόλις ἡ ἰσχυρά, ὅτι μιᾷ ὥρᾳ ἦλθεν ἡ κρίσις σου.

They will stand far off in fear of her torment and say, "Woe, woe to the great city, Babylon the mighty city! For in a single hour your judgment has come."

KJV Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The kings stand 'far off' (apo makrothen) — close enough to see but too afraid to approach. The double 'Woe, woe' (ouai ouai) is the lament formula repeated by all three groups. The phrase 'in a single hour' (mia hōra) emphasizes the suddenness that punctuates all three dirges (vv. 10, 17, 19). The city that claimed eternal power fell in an hour.
Revelation 18:11

Καὶ οἱ ἔμποροι τῆς γῆς κλαίουσιν καὶ πενθοῦσιν ἐπ' αὐτήν, ὅτι τὸν γόμον αὐτῶν οὐδεὶς ἀγοράζει οὐκέτι,

The merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargo anymore —

KJV And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The merchants' grief is explicitly economic: they mourn because 'no one buys their cargo' (ton gomon autōn oudeis agorazei ouketi). Their relationship with Babylon was transactional — they mourn a lost market, not a lost friend. The word gomon ('cargo, freight') introduces the detailed trade list that follows.
Revelation 18:12

γόμον χρυσοῦ καὶ ἀργύρου καὶ λίθου τιμίου καὶ μαργαριτῶν καὶ βυσσίνου καὶ πορφύρας καὶ σιρικοῦ καὶ κοκκίνου, καὶ πᾶν ξύλον θύϊνον καὶ πᾶν σκεῦος ἐλεφάντινον καὶ πᾶν σκεῦος ἐκ ξύλου τιμιωτάτου καὶ χαλκοῦ καὶ σιδήρου καὶ μαρμάρου,

The cargo included gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine cloth, purple, silk, and scarlet, and all citron wood, and every kind of container made from ivory, and every kind of container made from the finest wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,.

KJV The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The cargo list moves from most to least valuable: precious metals and gems first, then luxury fabrics, then exotic woods and metals. The Greek sirikon ('silk') was an extraordinarily expensive import from China via the Silk Road. Citron wood (xylon thuinon) from North Africa was prized for furniture and could cost more than gold by weight. The list reflects actual Roman trade routes and consumer goods of the first century.
Revelation 18:13

καὶ κινάμωμον καὶ ἄμωμον καὶ θυμιάματα καὶ μύρον καὶ λίβανον καὶ οἶνον καὶ ἔλαιον καὶ σεμίδαλιν καὶ σῖτον καὶ κτήνη καὶ πρόβατα, καὶ ἵππων καὶ ῥεδῶν καὶ σωμάτων, καὶ ψυχὰς ἀνθρώπων.

Cinnamon, odours, ointments, and frankincense, wine, oil, and choice flour, wheat, beasts, and sheep, horses, chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.

KJV And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The list continues through aromatics, foodstuffs, and livestock, descending in value until it reaches its devastating climax: sōmatōn kai psychas anthrōpōn — literally 'bodies and souls of human beings.' The final item exposes the slave trade as the foundation of Babylon's economy. The Greek sōma ('body') was the standard commercial term for a slave in the ancient world. By adding kai psychas anthrōpōn ('and human souls'), John refuses to let the slave trade be sanitized by commercial language — these 'bodies' are human souls. The shift from genitive to accusative (psychas) in the Greek may emphasize the final item as a parenthetical outcry.
Revelation 18:14

καὶ ἡ ὀπώρα σου τῆς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς ψυχῆς ἀπῆλθεν ἀπὸ σοῦ, καὶ πάντα τὰ λιπαρὰ καὶ τὰ λαμπρὰ ἀπώλετο ἀπὸ σοῦ, καὶ οὐκέτι οὐ μὴ αὐτὰ εὑρήσουσιν.

The fruit that your soul craved has gone from you, and all your luxury and splendor have vanished — never to be found again.

KJV And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The Greek opōra ('ripe fruit, autumn fruit') represents the peak of enjoyment. The address shifts to second person, speaking directly to Babylon. The double negative ou mē ('never, not at all') with the emphatic ouketi ('no longer') creates a triple negation in Greek — the loss is absolute and irrecoverable. The word lipara ('rich, luxurious, oily') and lampra ('bright, splendid, gorgeous') capture the sensory appeal of Babylon's lifestyle.
Revelation 18:15

οἱ ἔμποροι τούτων, οἱ πλουτήσαντες ἀπ' αὐτῆς, ἀπὸ μακρόθεν στήσονται διὰ τὸν φόβον τοῦ βασανισμοῦ αὐτῆς, κλαίοντες καὶ πενθοῦντες,

The merchants who dealt in these things and grew rich from her will stand far off in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning,

KJV The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Like the kings (v. 10), the merchants stand at a distance — close enough to grieve their lost profits but not close enough to share the destruction. The phrase 'merchants of these things' (emporoi toutōn) links back to the cargo list: they are defined by what they sold, including human souls.
Revelation 18:16

λέγοντες· Οὐαὶ οὐαί, ἡ πόλις ἡ μεγάλη, ἡ περιβεβλημένη βύσσινον καὶ πορφυροῦν καὶ κόκκινον καὶ κεχρυσωμένη ἐν χρυσίῳ καὶ λίθῳ τιμίῳ καὶ μαργαρίτῃ,

Saying, Alas, alas, that remarkable city, that was clothed in fine cloth, purple, scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!

KJV And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The merchants describe Babylon in terms of her consumer goods — the same items from the cargo list now appear as her clothing and jewelry. This is the language of commerce applied to a city: Babylon is described the way a merchant would describe inventory. Her identity is reduced to the luxury goods she consumed. The description parallels 17:4.
Revelation 18:17

ὅτι μιᾷ ὥρᾳ ἠρημώθη ὁ τοσοῦτος πλοῦτος. Καὶ πᾶς κυβερνήτης καὶ πᾶς ὁ ἐπὶ τόπον πλέων καὶ ναῦται καὶ ὅσοι τὴν θάλασσαν ἐργάζονται ἀπὸ μακρόθεν ἔστησαν

For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste!" Every ship captain, every seafarer, sailors, and all who make their living from the sea stood far off

KJV For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The second 'single hour' (mia hōra) refrain reinforces the theme of sudden destruction. The Greek ērēmōthē ('has been laid waste, has been made desolate') is related to erēmos ('wilderness, desolate place') — Babylon's wealth becomes a wasteland. The third mourning group (seafarers) includes four categories: ship captains (kybernētēs), seafarers (ho epi topon pleōn), sailors (nautai), and sea-traders — representing the entire maritime economy.
Revelation 18:18

καὶ ἔκραζον βλέποντες τὸν καπνὸν τῆς πυρώσεως αὐτῆς λέγοντες· Τίς ὁμοία τῇ πόλει τῇ μεγάλῃ;

Cried when they noticed the smoke of her burning and stated, What city is like to this remarkable city!

KJV And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The sailors' cry 'What city was ever like the great city?' echoes Ezekiel 27:32, the lament over Tyre: 'Who was ever destroyed like Tyre in the midst of the sea?' It also darkly mirrors the beast-worshipers' cry 'Who is like the beast?' (13:4). In all these cases, the answer that Revelation presses is: God alone is incomparable.
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] References Ezekiel 27:32 — the TCR OT rendering of that text provides the Hebrew source and explains the translation decisions involved.
Revelation 18:19

καὶ ἔβαλον χοῦν ἐπὶ τὰς κεφαλὰς αὐτῶν καὶ ἔκραζον κλαίοντες καὶ πενθοῦντες, λέγοντες· Οὐαὶ οὐαί, ἡ πόλις ἡ μεγάλη, ἐν ᾗ ἐπλούτησαν πάντες οἱ ἔχοντες τὰ πλοῖα ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ ἐκ τῆς τιμιότητος αὐτῆς, ὅτι μιᾷ ὥρᾳ ἠρημώθη.

They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and mourning, "Woe, woe to the great city, where all who had ships at sea grew rich from her wealth! For in a single hour she has been laid waste."

KJV And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Throwing dust on the head is an ancient Near Eastern mourning gesture (Joshua 7:6, Job 2:12, Ezekiel 27:30). The third and final 'single hour' (mia hōra) refrain completes the pattern. The Greek timiotētos ('wealth, preciousness, costliness') derives from timē ('honor, price, value') — Babylon's value was entirely material, and now it is gone. All three laments follow the same structure: identification of the mourners, the double 'woe,' the description of what was lost, and the 'single hour' refrain.
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Joshua 7:6. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.
  3. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Job 2:12. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.
  4. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Ezekiel 27:30. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.
Revelation 18:20

Εὐφραίνου ἐπ' αὐτῇ, οὐρανέ, καὶ οἱ ἅγιοι καὶ οἱ ἀπόστολοι καὶ οἱ προφῆται, ὅτι ἔκρινεν ὁ θεὸς τὸ κρίμα ὑμῶν ἐξ αὐτῆς.

Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets! For God has pronounced judgment for you against her.

KJV Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. This call to heavenly rejoicing contrasts sharply with the earthly mourning that precedes it. While kings, merchants, and sailors weep, heaven is told to rejoice. The Greek ekrinen ho theos to krima hymōn ex autēs literally means 'God has judged your judgment out of her' — God has taken up the saints' cause and rendered the verdict they were owed. This answers the cry of the martyrs in 6:10: 'How long before you judge and avenge our blood?'
Revelation 18:21

Καὶ ἦρεν εἷς ἄγγελος ἰσχυρὸς λίθον ὡς μύλινον μέγαν καὶ ἔβαλεν εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν λέγων· Οὕτως ὁρμήματι βληθήσεται Βαβυλὼν ἡ μεγάλη πόλις, καὶ οὐ μὴ εὑρεθῇ ἔτι.

Then a mighty angel picked up a stone like a great millstone and hurled it into the sea, saying, "With such violence Babylon the great city will be thrown down, and will never be found again.

KJV And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The symbolic act directly echoes Jeremiah 51:63-64, where Seraiah ties a stone to a scroll and throws it into the Euphrates, declaring 'So shall Babylon sink.' The Greek hormēmati ('with violence, with a rush') conveys sudden, forceful, irreversible destruction. Jesus used the millstone image for judgment (Matthew 18:6, Mark 9:42), but here the scale is cosmic — the entire city-system sinks like a stone.
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Quotes Jeremiah 51:63-64. The TCR rendering of that OT passage preserves the Hebrew source text and documents the translation decisions behind it.
Revelation 18:22

καὶ φωνὴ κιθαρῳδῶν καὶ μουσικῶν καὶ αὐλητῶν καὶ σαλπιστῶν οὐ μὴ ἀκουσθῇ ἐν σοὶ ἔτι, καὶ πᾶς τεχνίτης πάσης τέχνης οὐ μὴ εὑρεθῇ ἐν σοὶ ἔτι, καὶ φωνὴ μύλου οὐ μὴ ἀκουσθῇ ἐν σοὶ ἔτι,

The sound of harpists and musicians, flute players and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again. No craftsman of any craft will ever be found in you again. The sound of the mill will never be heard in you again.

KJV And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The sixfold 'never again' (ou mē ... eti) refrain catalogs the sounds and activities of a living city being silenced forever. The list moves from entertainment (music) to industry (crafts) to daily life (milling grain). This passage closely follows Jeremiah 25:10, which lists the sounds that will cease from Jerusalem. The progressive silencing — from the cultural to the mundane — paints a picture of total civilizational collapse.
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Draws on Jeremiah 25:10. Consult the TCR rendering of that passage for the underlying Hebrew and the rationale for key translation choices.
Revelation 18:23

καὶ φῶς λύχνου οὐ μὴ φάνῃ ἐν σοὶ ἔτι, καὶ φωνὴ νυμφίου καὶ νύμφης οὐ μὴ ἀκουσθῇ ἐν σοὶ ἔτι· ὅτι οἱ ἔμποροί σου ἦσαν οἱ μεγιστᾶνες τῆς γῆς, ὅτι ἐν τῇ φαρμακείᾳ σου ἐπλανήθησαν πάντα τὰ ἔθνη,

The light of a lamp will never shine in you again, and the voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. For your merchants were the great ones of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your sorcery.

KJV And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The silencing continues: lamplight (domestic life) and wedding celebrations (the continuation of community) cease. The charges then shift from lament to indictment: Babylon's merchants were 'the great ones' (megistanes, 'grandees, nobles') of the earth, and her 'sorcery' (pharmakeia, from which English derives 'pharmacy') deceived all nations. The word pharmakeia can mean literal drug-based sorcery or metaphorical enchantment — Babylon's seductive power operated like a drug.
Revelation 18:24

καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ αἷμα προφητῶν καὶ ἁγίων εὑρέθη καὶ πάντων τῶν ἐσφαγμένων ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς.

In her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who have been slaughtered on the earth."

KJV And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The final indictment is the most sweeping: Babylon is responsible not only for the deaths of prophets and saints but for 'all who have been slaughtered on the earth' (pantōn tōn esphagmenōn epi tēs gēs). The verb esphagmenōn ('slaughtered') is the same word used for the Lamb in 5:6 — Babylon slaughters; the Lamb was slaughtered. This echoes Jesus's indictment of Jerusalem in Matthew 23:35 ('all the righteous blood shed on earth'). Babylon's guilt is comprehensive and systemic.
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