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Revelation 18:19

in Revelation 18

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 wealth! For in a single hour she has been destroyed.”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

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

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.

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This verse in Revelation 18

Commentary

11 notes on this verse

A commentator

Bede

Commentary on Revelation · Written before 735.

And they threw dust on their heads. That is, reproaching the face of their leaders; by whom they were seduced and perished; or accusing the madness of their heart, which is the principal part of a man, with late repentance.

This site's exposition

the smoke rising from the fire

on Revelation 18:18-19

The seafarers throw dust on their heads, the sign of mourning at Job 2:12 and Joshua 7:6. They mourn the city where all who had ships on the sea were enriched, and ask what city was ever like this great city.

This site's exposition

throw dust on their heads

Bede gives the dust two senses, shame cast on the leaders who misled them and a late repentance for their own folly. Albert Barnes adds a plain economic point, that a luxurious city enriches many traders while it drains itself. John Wesley traces the lament to Ezekiel 26 to 28.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers1 voice

A commentator

Primasius of Hadrumetum

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 18:17-19 · Written before 560.

proposed

"They threw dust on their heads." This means that they reproached their leaders by whom they were led astray and so were lost.… "They wept and mourned." … To be sure, we know that many are often stricken by such contrition, and so it is …

The Medieval Church2 voices

A commentator

Bede

Commentary on Revelation · Written before 735.

proposed

For in one hour she is made desolate. Note that each of the mourning persons not only bewails the loss of riches but also the sudden and unforeseen ruin of the deceitful world.

A commentator

Andreas of Caesarea

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 18:15-19, 22 · Written before 614.

proposed

He leads before our eyes the sufferings of this Babylon, and through the laments made over her he depicts the greatness of her misfortune that she, who previously boasted of her royal majesty, will suffer.… He speaks figuratively of the present life as a "sea," …

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

And they cast dust on their heads - As mourners. Most of the expressions here used in describing the downfall of Babylon are taken from Ezekiel's description of the downfall of Tyre, Ezek. xxvi, 1 - Ezek. xxviii, 19.
And they cast dust on their heads,....
3 more voices on this verse

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

The pleasures of sin are but for a season, and they will end in dismal sorrow. All those who rejoice in the success of the church's enemies will share with them in their downfall; and those who have most indulged themselves in pride and pleasure are the least able to bear calamities; their sorrows will be as excessive as their pleasure and jollity were before.

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

And they cast dust on their heads - A common sign of lamentation and mourning among the Orientals. See the notes on Job 2:12. By reason of her costliness - The word rendered “costliness” - τιμιότητος timiotētos - means, properly, “preciousness, costliness”; their magnificence, costly merchandise. The luxury of a great city enriches many individuals, however much it may impoverish itself. For in one hour is she made desolate - So it seemed to them. See the notes on Rev 18:17.

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

They cast dust on their heads - They showed every sign of the sincerest grief. The lamentation over this great ruined city, Rev 18:9-19, is exceedingly strong and well drawn. Here is no dissembled sorrow; all is real to the mourners, and affecting to the spectators.

The words behind it

38 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 18:10In 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.”14 worksJoshua 7:6Then 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.7 worksEzekiel 27:30They will raise their voices for you and cry out bitterly. They will throw dust on their heads and roll in ashes.6 worksRevelation 18:3All the nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her immorality. The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown wealthy from the extravagance of her luxury.”5 worksJob 2:12When they lifted up their eyes from afar, they could barely recognize Job. They began to weep aloud, and each man tore his robe and threw dust in the air over his head.5 works1 Samuel 4:12That same day a Benjamite ran from the battle line all the way to Shiloh, with his clothes torn and dirt on his head.4 works
The other 12 cross-references, with their words ▾
Revelation 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.”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 worksEcclesiastes 7:16Do not be overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself?4 works2 Samuel 13:19And Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her robe. And putting her hand on her head, she went away crying bitterly.3 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,3 worksNehemiah 9:1On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth, with dust on their heads.3 worksRevelation 18:16saying: “Woe, woe to the great city, clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls!3 worksRevelation 18:17For in a single hour such fabulous wealth has been destroyed!” Every shipmaster, passenger, and sailor, and all who make their living from the sea, will stand at a distance3 worksEzekiel 27:33When your wares went out to sea, you satisfied many nations. You enriched the kings of the earth with your abundant wealth and merchandise.3 worksRevelation 17:16And the ten horns and the beast that you saw will hate the prostitute. They will leave her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and burn her with fire.3 worksLamentations 2:10The elders of the Daughter of Zion sit on the ground in silence. They have thrown dust on their heads and put on sackcloth. The young women of Jerusalem have bowed their heads to the ground.2 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.2 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

    Job 2:12

    When they lifted up their eyes from afar, they could barely recognize Job. They began to weep aloud, and each man tore his robe and threw dust in the air over his head.

    it leads to

    • Lamentations 2:10

      The elders of the Daughter of Zion sit on the ground in silence. They have thrown dust on their heads and put on sackcloth. The young women of Jerusalem have bowed their heads to…

      Reached by 3 separate paths from here.

    • 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.

  • Through

    Revelation 18:3

    All the nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her immorality. The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown wealthy from the extravagance…

    it leads to

    • 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.”

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Revelation 17:2

      The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and those who dwell on the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her immorality.”

    • Revelation 18:9

      Then the kings of the earth who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her will weep and wail at the sight of the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her.

  • Through

    Revelation 18:10

    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.”

    it leads to

    • Revelation 18:8

      Therefore 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.”

    • Revelation 18:15–17

      The 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,

  • Through

    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.

    it leads to

    • Genesis 37:29

      When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes,

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 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 18:15-19, 22; Bede, Commentary on Revelation; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Primasius of Hadrumetum, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 18:17-19.

Read on in Revelation 18 →