Revelation 18:2

Something similar to this was foretold in Isaiah about the Chaldean capital city of Babylon when it was captured by Cyrus and the Persians, namely, that it would be filled with beasts and impure spirits on account of its utter desolation. For it is the …

Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, etc. Fear not, O Jerusalem, the power of the earthly city, which falls spiritually as it prevails over you with the infestation of wicked citizens. Isaiah also describes Babylon as inhabited by unclean monsters. For there is no city …

But this is also borrowed from Isa. xxi. 9 , and seems to describe not so much her sin of entertaining idols (which are truly called devils ) as her punishment, it being a common notion that unclean spirits, as well as ominous and hateful birds, used to haunt a city or house that lay in its ruins. The reason of this ruin is declared (

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens

And he cried, Babylon is fallen - This fall was mentioned before, chap. xiv, 8; but is now declared at large. And is become an habitation - A free abode.

And he cried mightily with a strong voice,....

But A, B, Vulgate, Syriac, and Coptic read, "with (literally, 'in') a mighty voice." is fallen, is fallen--so A, Vulgate, Syriac, and ANDREAS. But B and Coptic omit the second "is fallen" (Isa 21:9; This phrase is here prophetical of her fall, still future, as Re 18:4 proves. devils--Greek, "demons." the hold--a keep or prison.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens

And he cried mightily - Literally, “he cried with a strong great voice.” See Rev 10:3. Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen - See the notes on Rev 14:8. The proclamation here is substantially the same as in that place, and no doubt the same thing is referred to. And is become the habitation of devils - Of demons - in allusion to the common opinion that the demons inhabited abandoned cities, old ruins, and deserts. See the notes on Mat 12:43-45. The language here is taken from the description of Babylon in Isa 13:20-22; and for a full illustration of the meaning, see the notes on that passage. And the hold of every foul spirit - φυλακὴ phulakē. A watch-post, station, haunt of such spirits - That is, they, as it were, kept guard there; were stationed there; haunted the place. And a cage of every unclean and hateful bird - That is, they would resort there, and abide there as in a cage. The word translated “cage” is the same which is rendered “hold” - φυλακὴ phulakē. In Isa 13:21, it is said, “and owls shall dwell there”; and in Isa 14:23, it is said that it would be a “possession for the bittern.” The idea is that of utter desolation; and the meaning here is, that spiritual Babylon - papal Rome Rev 14:8 - will be reduced to a state of utter desolation resembling that of the real Babylon. It is not necessary to suppose this of the city of Rome itself - for that is not the object of the representation. It is the papacy, represented under the image of the city, and having its seat there. That is to be destroyed as utterly as was Babylon of old; that will become as odious, and loathsome, and detestable as the literal Babylon, the abode of monsters is.