Revelation 17:18

18 And the woman whom thou hast seen, is the great city, that hath kingdom on [upon] the kings of the earth.

Revelation 17:18 Meaning and Commentary

Revelation 17:18

And the woman which thou sawest
( Revelation 17:3 ) as there described,

is that great city,
often mentioned in this book; great Babylon, the city of Rome, ( Revelation 11:8 ) ( 14:8 ) ( 16:19 ) which reigneth over the kings of the earth; which then reigned in John's time over the kings of the earth; and this clearly points out the city of Rome, for there was no other city then, but that, which reigned over the kings of the earth; that was then the metropolis of the Roman empire, to which the whole world was subject; and therefore it is called all the world, ( Luke 2:1 ) and since, all the kings of the empire have been under the jurisdiction of Rome Papal. It was formerly called Urbs Regum, a "city of kings" ^F26, either for the reason in the text, or because its inhabitants looked like kings.

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FOOTNOTES:

F26 Justin. l. 18. c. 2.

Revelation 17:18 In-Context

16 And the ten horns that thou hast seen in the beast, these shall [hate the fornicary woman, or whore, and shall] make her desolate and naked, and shall eat the fleshes of her, and shall burn together her with fire. [And the ten horns that thou hast seen in the beast, these shall hate the fornicary woman, or whore, and shall make her desolate, and naked, and shall eat the flesh of her, and shall burn her together with fire.]

17 For God gave into the hearts of them, that they do that that is pleasant to him [that they do that that is pleasant before him], that they give their kingdom to the beast, till the words of God be ended.

18 And the woman whom thou hast seen, is the great city, that hath kingdom on [upon] the kings of the earth.