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Revelation 18:10

in Revelation 18

In fear of her torment, they will stand at a distance and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, the mighty city of Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! for in one hour is thy judgment 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.

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This verse in Revelation 18

Commentary

11 notes on this verse

A commentator

Bede

Commentary on Revelation · Written before 735.

Saying: Woe, woe, that great city Babylon, etc. The spirit names the city, but they mourn the world, intercepted by punishment in a very short time, and all their efforts stained with ruin.

This site's exposition

lived in luxury with her

on Revelation 18:9-10

The kings watch her burn and stand at a distance, fearing her torment. Their cry, Woe, woe to the great city, is the first of three laments, in the dirge form Ezekiel used over Tyre in Ezekiel 26-27.

This site's exposition

the mighty city of Babylon

The kings call Babylon the mighty city, and John Wesley notes that Rome's own name in Greek means strength. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown call that derivation doubtful. Bede hears a wider grief, since the kings name one city and mourn a whole world.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers1 voice

A commentator

Caesarius of Arles

EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 18:9-10, HOMILY 16 · Written before 542.

With this repentance, the kings are not bewailing the evil of wealth, because they sinned with [the harlot]. Rather, they recognize that they are losing the prosperity of the world through which they became subject to its pleasures. Or, since those things in it were …

The Medieval Church2 voices

A commentator

Bede

Commentary on Revelation · Written before 735.

proposed

Standing afar off for fear of her torment. Standing afar off not in body but in mind, while each one fears for himself what he sees another suffer through calumny and power.

A commentator

Andreas of Caesarea

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 18:9-10 · Written before 614.

proposed

We think that in this passage the "kings" refer to the rulers, as the psalmist said concerning Jerusalem, "Behold, her kings have assembled." It says that those who committed fornication in her against the divine commandments will weep, since they see or hear of her …

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

Thou strong city - Rome was anciently termed by its inhabitants, Valentia, that is, strong. And the word Rome itself, in Greek, signifies strength. This name was given it by the Greek strangers.
Standing afar off for the fear of her torment,....
3 more voices on this verse

The Nineteenth Century3 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

God's judgments inspire fear even in the worldly, but it is of short duration, for the kings and great men soon attach themselves to the beast in its last and worst shape, as open Antichrist, claiming all that the harlot had claimed in blasphemous pretensions and more, and so making up to them for the loss of the harlot. mighty--Rome in Greek means strength; though that derivation is doubtful.

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

Standing afar off - Beholding her desolations with wonder and astonishment, utterly unable to afford her any kind of assistance.
Standing afar off for the fear of her torment - Not daring to approach, to attempt to rescue and save her. They who had so long contributed to the support of the papal power, and who had, in turn, been upheld by that, would not now even attempt to rescue her, but would stand by and see her destroyed, unable to render relief. Alas, alas, that great city Babylon - The language of lamentation that so great and so mighty a city should fall. For in one hour is thy judgment come - See the notes on Rev 18:8. The general sentiment here is, that, in the final ruin of papal Rome, the kings and governments that had sustained her, and had been sustained by her, would see the source of their power taken away, but that they would not, or could not attempt her rescue. There have been not a few indications already that this will ultimately occur, and that the papal power will be left to fall, without any attempt, on the part of those governments which have been so long in alliance with it, to sustain or restore it.

The words behind it

28 Greek words

Every Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

18 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Revelation 18:19Then they will throw dust on their heads as they weep and mourn and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, where all who had ships on the sea were enriched by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been destroyed.”14 worksRevelation 18:8Therefore her plagues will come in one day—death and grief and famine—and she will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.”10 worksRevelation 18:15–17The merchants who sold these things and grew their wealth from her will stand at a distance, in fear of her torment. They will weep and mourn,8 worksRevelation 14:8Then a second angel followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, who has made all the nations drink the wine of the passion of her immorality.”7 worksRevelation 11:8Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city—figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where their Lord was also crucified.6 worksRevelation 16:19The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. And God remembered Babylon the great and gave her the cup of the wine of the fury of His wrath.6 works
The other 12 cross-references, with their words ▾
Joel 1:15Alas for the day! For the Day of the LORD is near, and it will come as destruction from the Almighty.5 worksAmos 5:16Therefore this is what the LORD, the God of Hosts, the Lord, says: “There will be wailing in all the public squares and cries of ‘Alas! Alas!’ in all the streets. The farmer will be summoned to mourn, and the mourners to wail.5 worksRevelation 14:7And he said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come. Worship the One who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and the springs of waters.”5 worksJeremiah 30:7How awful that day will be! None will be like it! It is the time of Jacob’s distress, but he will be saved out of it.4 worksJeremiah 51:8–9Suddenly Babylon has fallen and been shattered. Wail for her; get her balm for her pain; perhaps she can be healed.4 worksRevelation 17:12The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but will receive one hour of authority as kings, along with the beast.4 worksIsaiah 13:6Wail, for the Day of the LORD is near; it will come as destruction from the Almighty.4 worksNahum 3:7Then all who see you will recoil from you and say, ‘Nineveh is devastated; who will grieve for her?’ Where can I find comforters for you?”4 worksRevelation 18:2And he cried out in a mighty voice: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a lair for demons and a haunt for every unclean spirit, every unclean bird, and every detestable beast.4 worksDaniel 4:30the king exclaimed, “Is this not Babylon the Great, which I myself have built by the might of my power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?”4 worksNumbers 16:34At their cries, all the people of Israel who were around them fled, saying, “The earth may swallow us too!”3 worksIsaiah 21:9Look, here come the riders, horsemen in pairs.” And one answered, saying: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon! All the images of her gods lie shattered on the ground!”3 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Joel 1:15

    Alas for the day! For the Day of the LORD is near, and it will come as destruction from the Almighty.

    it leads to

    • Isaiah 13:6–9

      Wail, for the Day of the LORD is near; it will come as destruction from the Almighty.

    • Jeremiah 30:7

      How awful that day will be! None will be like it! It is the time of Jacob’s distress, but he will be saved out of it.

    • Zephaniah 1:14–18

      The great Day of the LORD is near—near and coming quickly. Listen, the Day of the LORD! Then the cry of the mighty will be bitter.

  • Through

    Revelation 14:8

    Then a second angel followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, who has made all the nations drink the wine of the passion of her immorality.”

    it leads to

    • Isaiah 21:9

      Look, here come the riders, horsemen in pairs.” And one answered, saying: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon! All the images of her gods lie shattered on the ground!”

    • Jeremiah 51:7–8

      Babylon was a gold cup in the hand of the LORD, making the whole earth drunk. The nations drank her wine; therefore the nations have gone mad.

    • Revelation 18:2–3

      And he cried out in a mighty voice: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a lair for demons and a haunt for every unclean spirit, every unclean bird, and every detestable…

  • Through

    Revelation 18:19

    Then they will throw dust on their heads as they weep and mourn and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, where all who had ships on the sea were enriched by her…

    it leads to

    • Joshua 7:6

      Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown before the ark of the LORD until evening, as did the elders of Israel; and they all sprinkled dust on their heads.

    • Ezekiel 27:30

      They will raise their voices for you and cry out bitterly. They will throw dust on their heads and roll in ashes.

Where this verse is studied

About Revelation

The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, Jan and Hubert van Eyck, about 1430 to 1432. Public domain.
The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, Jan and Hubert van Eyck, about 1430 to 1432. Public domain.
Revelation: the study guide →Read Revelation 18 →
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Andreas of Caesarea, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 18:9-10; Bede, Commentary on Revelation; Caesarius of Arles, EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 18:9-10, HOMILY 16; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748) and John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament.

Read on in Revelation 18 →