Revelation 17:15

15 And he said to me, "The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and crowds and nations and languages.

Revelation 17:15 Meaning and Commentary

Revelation 17:15

And he saith unto me
That is, the angel, who proposed to give John the interpretation of the vision, he went on with it as follows:

the waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth,
(See Gill on Revelation 17:1),

are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues;
denoting the vast multitude of people, of which the several kingdoms, of divers languages, consist, which belong to the jurisdiction of Rome Papal: it is an eastern way of speaking, and is particularly used to express the various kingdoms, and infinite number of people belonging to the Babylonish monarchy, which was an emblem of the antichristian state, ( Daniel 3:4 Daniel 3:7 Daniel 3:29 ) ( 4:1 ) and these are compared to waters, to many waters; which phrase sometimes is used for the sea, ( Psalms 107:23 ) because of the vast numbers of them; the whole world wondered after the beast, and the kings and inhabitants of the earth have been subject to the see of Rome; and because of their overbearing force, carrying all before them; see ( Isaiah 8:7 Isaiah 8:8 ) ( Jeremiah 47:2 ) ( Revelation 13:3 Revelation 13:4 ) and because, like waters, they are continually upon the flux, one generation succeeding another; and because of their instability, fickleness, and inconstancy, as in religion, so in their constitution, they will hate the whore they love; and as they frequently change and alter in their form, at last they will utterly cease: so the Jews ^F23 interpret many waters, in ( Song of Solomon 8:7 ) of all people, and of the kings of the earth, and of the nations of the world; and they say, that many waters never signify any other than all the nations, and those that are appointed over them ^F24. So, "he drew me out of many waters", ( Psalms 18:16 ) is by the Targum on the place explained, he delivered me from many people. And so ( Psalms 46:4 ) is paraphrased by the Targumist;

``people, "as rivers", and their streams, shall come, and make glad the city of the Lord;''

see the Targum on ( Isaiah 8:7 ) and in ( Ezekiel 32:2 ) where it is observed kingdoms are compared to waters ^F25.

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FOOTNOTES:

F23 Targum in Cant. viii. 7. Shirhashirim Rabba fol. 26. 1.
F24 Zohar in Gen. fol. 51. 3. & Raya Mehimna in ib. & in Numb. fol. 105. 3. Bemidbar Rabba, sect. 2. fol. 179. 4.
F25 Yaikut Simeoni, par. 2. fol. 93. 2.

Revelation 17:15 In-Context

13 These have one opinion, and they will give their power and authority to the beast.

14 These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him [are] called and chosen and faithful."

15 And he said to me, "The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and crowds and nations and languages.

16 And the ten horns that you saw and the beast, these will hate the prostitute and will make her desolate and naked, and they will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire.

17 For God put into their hearts to carry out his purpose and to make {a unanimous decision} and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.