Revelation 18:4-14

4 I heard another voice from heaven, saying, "¹Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues;

5 for her sins have ²piled up as high as heaven, and God has ³remembered her iniquities.

6 "⁴Pay her back even as she has paid, and give back to her double * according to her deeds; in the ⁵cup which she has mixed, mix twice as much for her.

7 "⁶To the degree that she glorified herself and ⁷lived sensuously, to the same degree give her torment and mourning; for she says in her heart, '⁸I SIT as A QUEEN AND I AM NOT A WIDOW, and will never see mourning.'

8 "For this reason ⁹in one day her plagues will come, pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be ¹⁰burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her ¹¹is strong.

Lament for Babylon

9 "And ¹²the kings of the earth, who committed acts of immorality and ¹³lived sensuously with her, will ¹⁴weep and lament over her when they ¹⁵see the smoke of her burning,

10 ¹⁶standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, '¹⁷Woe, woe, ¹⁸the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in ¹⁹one hour your judgment has come.'

11 "And the ²⁰merchants of the earth ²¹weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargoes any more -

12 cargoes of ²²gold and silver and precious stones and pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet, and every kind of citron wood and every article of ivory and every article made from very costly wood and bronze and iron and marble,

13 and cinnamon and spice and incense and perfume and frankincense and wine and olive oil and fine flour and wheat and cattle and sheep, and cargoes of horses and chariots and slaves and ²³human lives.

14 "The fruit you long for has gone from you, and all things that were luxurious and splendid have passed away from you and men will no longer find them.

Revelation 18:4-14 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO REVELATION 18

This chapter gives an account of the fall of Babylon, and of the lamentation of many, and of the joy of others, by reason of it; which account is published by several angels: the first that declares her fall is described by his original, descending from heaven; by the great power he had; by his resplendent glory, and by his mighty cry in publishing her destruction; which is illustrated by the desolate condition she will be in upon her fall; the reasons of which are given, became the nations and kings of the earth had committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth were enriched by her luxury, Re 18:1-3. Another voice is heard from heaven, calling upon the people of God, first to come out of her, lest partaking of her sins they should share in her plagues, seeing her iniquities had reached to heaven, and were remembered before God; and next to take full vengeance on her, because she had glorified herself, lived deliciously, and in great security, Re 18:4-7. And then follows a continuation of the account of her destruction, what her plagues would be, death, mourning, famine, and fire; and which would be sudden, in one hour, and certain, from the power and justice of God, Re 18:8. Next follow the lamentations of the kings, merchants, and masters of ships, because of her greatness, riches, and merchandise, which are all come to nothing, Re 18:9-19. And then the church; the saints, apostles, and prophets, are called upon to rejoice at the vengeance taken on her, Re 18:20 upon which a mighty angel appears, who by an action signifies the manner of her destruction, and the irrecoverableness of her state and condition, Re 18:21 and declares her utter ruin, by affirming that nothing that was either delightful or profitable, or necessary or comfortable, should any more be found in her; giving the reasons of it, because of her luxury, idolatry, and bloodshed, Re 18:22-24.

Cross References

• 1. Isaiah 52:11; Jeremiah 50:8; Jeremiah 51:6, 9, 45; 2 Corinthians 6:17
• 2. Jeremiah 51:9
• 3. Revelation 16:19
• 4. Psalms 137:8; Jeremiah 50:15, 29
• 5. Revelation 17:4
• 6. Ezekiel 28:2-8
• 7. 1 Timothy 5:11; Revelation 18:3, 9
• 8. Isaiah 47:7; Zephaniah 2:15
• 9. Isaiah 47:9; Jeremiah 50:31; Revelation 18:10
• 10. Revelation 17:16
• 11. Jeremiah 50:34; Revelation 11:17
• 12. Revelation 17:2; Revelation 18:3
• 13. 1 Timothy 5:11; Revelation 18:3, 7
• 14. Ezekiel 26:16; Ezekiel 27:35
• 15. Revelation 14:11; Revelation 18:18; Revelation 19:3
• 16. Revelation 18:15, 17
• 17. Revelation 18:16, 19
• 18. Revelation 11:8; Revelation 16:19; Revelation 18:16, 18, 19, 21
• 19. Revelation 17:12; Revelation 18:8, 17, 19
• 20. Ezekiel 27:9-25; Rev 18:3, 15, 19, 23
• 21. Ezekiel 27:27-34
• 22. Ezekiel 27:12-22; Revelation 17:4
• 23. 1 Chronicles 5:21; Ezekiel 27:13; 1 Timothy 1:10

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "joined together"
• [b] Lit "double" to her
• [c] Or "luxuriously"
• [d] Lit "death"
• [e] Or "luxuriously"
• [f] Lit "stone"
• [g] Or "brass"
• [h] Gr "amomon"
• [i] Lit "bodies"
• [j] Lit "souls of people" (Gr "anthropoi")
• [k] Lit "of your soul's desire"