Revelation 18:4
in Revelation 18Then I heard another voice from heaven say: “Come out of her, My people, so that you will not share in her sins or contract any of her plagues.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come forth, my people, out of her, that ye have no fellowship with her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues:
KJV
And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
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This verse in Revelation 18
Commentary
14 notes on this verseCome out of her, my people - These words appear to be taken from Isa 48:20; Jer 1:8; Jer 51:6, Jer 51:45. The poet Mantuanus expresses this thought well: - Vivere qui sancte cupitis, discelite; Romae Omnia quum liceant, non licet esse bonum. “Ye who desire to live a godly life, depart; for, although all things are lawful at Rome, yet to be godly is unlawful.
This site's exposition
Come out of her, my people
on Revelation 18:4-5
A voice from heaven calls God's people out of the doomed city before judgment falls, the same call given Lot before Sodom's fire and Israel before the first Babylon's own fall in Jeremiah 51:6 and 45, separation always coming before, never after, the stroke. Her sins have reached unto heaven, the same picture used of Babel's tower and Sodom's outcry, a sin so piled up that God remembers it, not forgetting but acting on what has never been overlooked.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
A commentator
Caesarius of ArlesEXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 18:4, HOMILY 16 · Written before 542.
proposed
We see from this passage that Babylon is divided into two parts. For as long as God allows, the wicked are converted to the good, so that Babylon is divided, and that part that departs from it is the making of Jerusalem. For as long …
From so much as a dwelling in that Babylon of John's Revelation we are called away; much more then from its pomp.
What the heavenly voice said was this, "Those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son," and, "The Lord knows those who are his," or something similar to this. There follows, "Come out of her, my people, lest …
When the divine angels seized the city of the Sodomites to execute judgment upon its inhabitants and the neighboring towns, and more precisely, as seems in the writings of the holy Cyril, when the Son of God and the Holy Spirit moved there, "since the …
A commentator
CyprianTreatise XII Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews · Written before 258.
proposed
That the believer ought not to live like the Gentile. In Jeremiah: "Thus saith the Lord, Walk ye not according to the way of the Gentiles." Of this same thing, that one ought to separate himself from the Gentiles, lest he should be a companion of their sin, and become a partaker of their penalty, in the Apocalypse: "And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Go forth from her, my people, lest thou be partaker of her crimes, and lest thou be stricken with her plagues; because her crimes have reached even to heaven, and the Lord God hath remembered her iniquities. Therefore He hath returned unto her double, and in the cup which she hath mixed double is mingled for her; and in how much she hath glorified herself and possessed of delights, in so much is given unto her both torment and grief. For in her heart she says, I am a queen, and cannot be a widow, nor shah I see sorrow. Therefore in one hour her plagues shall come on her, death, grief, and famine; and she shall be burned with fire, because the Lord God is strong who shall judge her. And the kings of the earth shall weep and lament themselves for her, who have committed fornication with her, and have been conversant in her sins." Also in Isaiah: "Go forth from the midst of them, ye who bear the vessels of the Lord."
7 more voices on this verse
The Church Fathers1 voice
Of all the ornaments of the church our company of monks and virgins is one of the finest.… Let us pass now to the cottage inn that sheltered Christ and Mary.… The stall where he cried as a babe can best be honored by silence, for words are inadequate to speak its praise. Where are the spacious porticoes?
The Medieval Church1 voice
Come out of her, my people, etc. Likewise Isaiah: Depart from the midst of them, and touch no unclean thing. Be clean, you who bear the vessels of the Lord (Isa. 52). After predicting the fall of Babylon, he introduces the departure, which is the …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
And I heard another voice - Of Christ, whose people, secretly scattered even there, are warned of her approaching destruction. That ye be not partakers of her sins - That is, of the fruits of them. What a remarkable providence it was that the Revelation was printed in the midst of Spain, in the great Polyglot Bible, before the Reformation!
And I heard another voice from heaven,....
(3.) Those that are resolved to partake with wicked men in their sins must receive of their plagues. (4.) When the sins of a people reach up to heaven, the wrath of God will reach down to the earth. (5.) Though private revenge is forbidden, yet God will have his people act under him, when called to it, in pulling down his and their inveterate and implacable enemies,
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The first justification of the woman is in her being called out of Babylon the harlot, as the culminating stage of the latter's sin, when judgment is about to fall: for apostate Christendom, Babylon, is not to be converted, but to be destroyed.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And I heard another voice from heaven - He does not say whether this was the voice of an angel, but the idea seems rather to be that it is the voice of God. Come out of her, my people - The reasons for this, as immediately stated, are two: (a) That they might not participate in her sins; and, (b) That they might not be involved in the ruin that would come upon her. The language seems to be derived from such passages in the Old Testament as the following: “Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing,” Isa 48:20. “Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul; be not cut off in her iniquity,” Jer 51:6. “My people, go ye out of the midst of her, and deliver ye every man his soul from the fierce anger of the Lord,” Jer 51:45. Compare Jer 50:8. That ye be not partakers of her sins - For the meaning of this expression, see the notes on 1Ti 5:22. It is implied here that by remaining in Babylon they would lend their sanction to its sins by their presence, and would, in all probability, become contaminated by the influence around them. This is an universal truth in regard to iniquity, and hence it is the duty of those who would be pure to come out from the world, and to separate themselves from all the associations of evil. And that ye receive not of her plagues - Of the punishment that was to come upon her - as they must certainly do if they remained in her. The judgment of God that was to come upon the guilty city would make no discrimination among those who were found there; and if they would escape these woes they must make their escape from her. […]
The words behind it
28 Greek wordsEvery 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.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἤκουσα | ekousa | I heard | G191 → | 425 times |
| ἄλλην | allen | another | G243 → | 155 times |
| φωνὴν | phonen | voice | G5456 → | 139 times |
| ἐκ | ek | from | G1537 → | 911 times |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| οὐρανοῦ | ouranou | heaven | G3772 → | 272 times |
| λέγουσαν· | legousan | saying: | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| ἐξέλθατε | exelthate | do come | G1831 → | 216 times |
| ὁ | ho | you who [are] | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| λαός | laos | people | G2992 → | 141 times |
| μου | mou | of mine | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| ἐξ | ex | from | G1537 → | 911 times |
| αὐτῆς, | autes | her, | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἵνα | ina | so that | G2443 → | 668 times |
| μὴ | me | not | G3361 → | 1066 times |
| συγκοινωνήσητε | sugkoinonesete | you may have fellowship | G4790 → | |
| ταῖς | tais | in the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἁμαρτίαις | hamartiais | sins | G266 → | 173 times |
| αὐτῆς, | autes | of her, | G846 → | 5565 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐκ | ek | of | G1537 → | 911 times |
| τῶν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πληγῶν | plegon | plagues | G4127 → | 22 times |
| αὐτῆς | autes | of her | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἵνα | ina | so that | G2443 → | 668 times |
| μὴ | me | not | G3361 → | 1066 times |
| λάβητε· | labete | you may receive; | G2983 → | 257 times |
ΚαὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἤκουσαI heard
ekousaG191 →425 times
ἄλληνanother
allenG243 →155 times
φωνὴνvoice
phonenG5456 →139 times
ἐκfrom
ekG1537 →911 times
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
οὐρανοῦheaven
ouranouG3772 →272 times
λέγουσαν·saying:
legousanG3004 →1325 times
ἐξέλθατεdo come
exelthateG1831 →216 times
ὁyou who [are]
hoG3588 →19766 times
λαόςpeople
laosG2992 →141 times
μουof mine
mouG3165 →1936 times
ἐξfrom
exG1537 →911 times
αὐτῆς,her,
autesG846 →5565 times
ἵναso that
inaG2443 →668 times
μὴnot
meG3361 →1066 times
συγκοινωνήσητεyou may have fellowship
sugkoinoneseteG4790 →
ταῖςin the
taisG3588 →19766 times
ἁμαρτίαιςsins
hamartiaisG266 →173 times
αὐτῆς,of her,
autesG846 →5565 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐκof
ekG1537 →911 times
τῶνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
πληγῶνplagues
plegonG4127 →22 times
αὐτῆςof her
autesG846 →5565 times
ἵναso that
inaG2443 →668 times
μὴnot
meG3361 →1066 times
λάβητε·you may receive;
labeteG2983 →257 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach 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
2 Corinthians 6:17“Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”
it leads to
- Isaiah 52:11
Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing; come out from it, purify yourselves, you who carry the vessels of the LORD.
- 2 Corinthians 7:1
Therefore, beloved, since we have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that defiles body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
- Psalms 1:1–3
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or set foot on the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers.
- Numbers 16:26
And he warned the congregation, “Move away now from the tents of these wicked men. Do not touch anything that belongs to them, or you will be swept away because of all their sins.”
- Ezra 10:11
Now, therefore, make a confession to the LORD, the God of your fathers, and do His will. Separate yourselves from the people of the land and from your foreign wives.”
- Isaiah 52:11
Through
Isaiah 52:11Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing; come out from it, purify yourselves, you who carry the vessels of the LORD.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 6:17
“Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 48:20
Leave Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! Declare it with a shout of joy, proclaim it, let it go out to the ends of the earth, saying, “The LORD has redeemed His servant Jacob!”
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- 2 Corinthians 6:17
Through
Jeremiah 51:45Come out of her, My people! Save your lives, each of you, from the fierce anger of the LORD.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 51:6
Flee from Babylon! Escape with your lives! Do not be destroyed in her punishment. For this is the time of the LORD’s vengeance; He will pay her what she deserves.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 51:6
Where this verse is studied
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About Revelation
This page draws on 14 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); Bede, Commentary on Revelation; Caesarius of Arles, EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 18:4, HOMILY 16; Cyprian, Treatise XII Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, LETTER 46.10-12; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Revelation; Primasius of Hadrumetum, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 18:4 and Tertullian, De Corona.