Revelation 17:3 BSB

Revelation 17:3

And the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, where I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness: and I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet-colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

KJV

So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

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Commentary

5 voices

Victorinus of Pettau

Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John (304)

"And I saw the woman herself sitting upon the scarlet-coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy." But to sit upon the scarlet beast, the author of murders, is the image of the devil. Where also is treated of his captivity, concerning which we have fully considered. I remember, indeed, that this is called Babylon also in the Apocalypse, on account of confusion; and in Isaiah also; and Ezekiel called it Sodom. In fine, if you compare what is said against Sodom, and what Isaiah says against Babylon, and what the Apocalypse says, you will find that they are all one.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

John Gill

1697–1771

Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748)

So he carried me away in the spirit,.... Not in body, as if he was removed from the isle of Patmos to some other place; but in a visionary way, just as Ezekiel was carried between earth and heaven, in the visions of God, to Jerusalem, Eze 8:

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

There is, indeed, a very close connection between them; the seven heads of the beast being "seven hills on which the woman sitteth." And yet there is a very remarkable difference between them, - between the papal power and the city of Rome. This woman is the city of Rome, with its buildings and inhabitants; especially the nobles.

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

Albert Barnes

1798–1870

Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)

So he carried me away in the spirit - In vision. He seemed to himself to be thus carried away; or the scene which he is about to describe was made to pass before him as if he were present. Into the wilderness - Into a desert. Compare the notes on Rev 12:6. Why this scene is laid in a wilderness or desert is not mentioned. Prof. Stuart supposes that it is because it is “appropriate to symbolize the future condition of the beast.” So DeWette and Rosenmuller.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

23 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
Καὶ	Kai	and	G2532 →
ἀπήνεγκέν	apēnegken	he carried away	G667 →
με	me	me	G3165 →
εἰς	eis	into	G1519 →
ἔρημον	erēmon	a wilderness	G2048 →
ἐν	en	in	G1722 →
πνεύματι.	pneumati	[the] Spirit.	G4151 →
καὶ	kai	and	G2532 →
εἶδον	eidon	I saw	G1492 →
γυναῖκα	gunaika	a woman	G1135 →
καθημένην	kathēmenēn	sitting	G2521 →
ἐπὶ	epi	upon	G1909 →
θηρίον	thērion	a beast	G2342 →
κόκκινον	kokkinon	scarlet	G2847 →
γέμοντα	gemonta	being full	G1073 →
ὀνόματα	onomata	names	G3686 →
βλασφημίας,	blasphēmias	of blasphemy,	G988 →
ἔχων	echōn	having	G2192 →
κεφαλὰς	kephalas	heads	G2776 →
ἑπτὰ	hepta	seven	G2033 →
καὶ	kai	and	G2532 →
κέρατα	kerata	horns	G2768 →
δέκα.	deka	ten.	G1176 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Revelation 12:6
And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place for her to be nourished for 1,260 days.
leads to
- Revelation 11:2–3
  But exclude the courtyard outside the temple. Do not measure it, because it has been given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for 42 months.
- Revelation 13:5
  The beast was given a mouth to speak arrogant and blasphemous words, and authority to act for 42 months.
- Revelation 12:14
  But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle to fly from the presence of the serpent to her place in the wilderness, where she was nourished for a time, and times,…
- 1 Kings 17:3–6
  “Leave here, turn eastward, and hide yourself by the Brook of Cherith, east of the Jordan.
- Revelation 12:4
  His tail swept a third of the stars from the sky, tossing them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, ready to devour her child…
Through
Revelation 12:3
Then another sign appeared in heaven: a huge red dragon with seven heads, ten horns, and seven royal crowns on his heads.
leads to
- Revelation 17:12
  The 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.
- Daniel 7:24
  And the ten horns are ten kings who will rise from this kingdom. After them another king, different from the earlier ones, will rise and subdue three kings.
- Revelation 12:9
  And the great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.