Revelation 18:9
in Revelation 18Then 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the kings of the earth, who committed fornication and lived wantonly with her, shall weep and wail over her, when they look upon the smoke of her burning,
KJV
And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
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This verse in Revelation 18
Commentary
10 notes on this verseA commentator
Caesarius of ArlesEXPOSITION 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 …
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.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
How in various ways and vividly he wove the lament over it and the height of mourning. And since almost everything is clear, if anything alone seems difficult, having noted it in passing let us proceed to the rest.
The Medieval Church3 voices
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 …
And the kings of the earth will weep and lament for her, etc. The weeping of the kings, merchants, and sailors of Babylon can be understood in two ways: either in the day of judgment, when all the glory of the world perishes, and the …
When they see the smoke of her burning. That is, the sign of destruction, because smoke precedes fire. For what is this rampage and destruction of the world other than the smoke of impending hell?
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication,....
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
lived deliciously--Greek, "luxuriated." The faithless Church, instead of reproving, connived at the self-indulgent luxury of the great men of this world, and sanctioned it by her own practice.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The kings of the earth - Those who copied her superstitions and adopted her idolatries.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And the kings of the earth - This verse commences the description of the lamentation over the fall of the mystical Babylon (see the Analysis of the chapter). Who have committed fornication - That is, who have been seduced by her from the true God, and have been led into practical idolatry. See the notes on Rev 14:8. The kings of the earth seem to be represented as among the chief mourners, because they had derived important aid from the power which was now to be reduced to ruin.
The words behind it
23 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 |
| κλαύσουσιν | klausousin | they will weep | G2799 → | 39 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| κόψονται | kopsontai | they will wail | G2875 → | |
| ἐπ᾽ | ep᾽ | for | G1909 → | 883 times |
| αὐτὴν | auten | her | G846 → | 5565 times |
| οἱ | hoi | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| βασιλεῖς | basileis | kings | G935 → | 114 times |
| τῆς | tes | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γῆς | ges | earth | G1093 → | 248 times |
| οἱ | hoi | the [ones who] | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| μετ᾽ | met᾽ | with | G3326 → | 461 times |
| αὐτῆς | autes | her | G846 → | 5565 times |
| πορνεύσαντες | porneusantes | having committed sexual immorality | G4203 → | 8 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| στρηνιάσαντες, | streniasantes | having lived luxuriously, | G4763 → | |
| ὅταν | hotan | when | G3752 → | 123 times |
| βλέπωσιν | bleposin | they may see | G991 → | 132 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| καπνὸν | kapnon | smoke | G2586 → | 13 times |
| τῆς | tes | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πυρώσεως | puroseos | burning | G4451 → | |
| αὐτῆς | autes | of her | G846 → | 5565 times |
ΚαὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
κλαύσουσινthey will weep
klausousinG2799 →39 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
κόψονταιthey will wail
kopsontaiG2875 →
ἐπ᾽for
ep᾽G1909 →883 times
αὐτὴνher
autenG846 →5565 times
οἱthe
hoiG3588 →19766 times
βασιλεῖςkings
basileisG935 →114 times
τῆςof the
tesG3588 →19766 times
γῆςearth
gesG1093 →248 times
οἱthe [ones who]
hoiG3588 →19766 times
μετ᾽with
met᾽G3326 →461 times
αὐτῆςher
autesG846 →5565 times
πορνεύσαντεςhaving committed sexual immorality
porneusantesG4203 →8 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
στρηνιάσαντες,having lived luxuriously,
streniasantesG4763 →
ὅτανwhen
hotanG3752 →123 times
βλέπωσινthey may see
bleposinG991 →132 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
καπνὸνsmoke
kapnonG2586 →13 times
τῆςof the
tesG3588 →19766 times
πυρώσεωςburning
puroseosG4451 →
αὐτῆςof her
autesG846 →5565 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
Revelation 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…
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 18:23
The light of a lamp will never shine in you again, and the voices of a bride and bridegroom will never call out in you again. For your merchants were the great ones of…
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 14:8
Through
Revelation 17:2The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and those who dwell on the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her immorality.”
it leads to
- Jeremiah 51:7
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.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 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…
- Jeremiah 51:7
Through
Revelation 19:3And a second time they called out: “Hallelujah! Her smoke rises forever and ever.”
it leads to
- Isaiah 34:10
It will not be quenched—day or night. Its smoke will ascend forever. From generation to generation it will lie desolate; no one will ever again pass through it.
- Revelation 18:18
and cry out at the sight of the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her. “What city was ever like this great city?” they will exclaim.
- Isaiah 34:10
Through
Revelation 18:18and cry out at the sight of the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her. “What city was ever like this great city?” they will exclaim.
it leads to
- Revelation 13:4
They worshiped the dragon who had given authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can wage war against it?”
- Revelation 13:4
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
About Revelation

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 Oecumenius, Commentary on Revelation.
