The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
The merchants of these things – Who trafficked in these things, and who supplied the city with them, Rev 18:11.
Which were made rich by her – By traffic with her.
Shall stand afar off – Rev 18:10.
For fear of her torment – Struck with terror by her torment, so that they did not dare to approach her, Rev 18:10.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 15. Stand afar off] See Re 18:10.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Not knowing how to help her, and fearing lest the buyers and sellers should he punished both alike; yet bewailing themselves that their trading is destroyed, and they are like to buy such pennyworths no more.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
15. of these thingsof thethings mentioned, Rev 18:12;Rev 18:13.
which“who.“
made rich byGreek,“derived riches from her.”
stand afar off for thefear(Compare Re 18:10).
wailingGreek,“mourning.”
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
The merchants of these things,…. Before mentioned, who have traded in them for themselves and for Rome:
which were made rich by her, see Re 18:3
shall stand afar off for fear of her torment; as the kings of the earth before, Re 18:10 being conscious to themselves of their being partners in her crimes, and so might justly fear they should share in her punishment; and it may be, they will outwardly deny they are now of her religion, and will externally embrace the reformed religion; though they will be inwardly weeping and wailing for the destruction of Rome, and the loss of their merchandise and goodly things.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Of these things (). Listed above in verses 12-14.
Who were made rich by her ( ‘ ). “Those who grew rich (ingressive aorist active participle of , for which see verses Rev 18:3; Rev 18:13) from her.”
Shall stand afar off ( ). Future middle of . Repeating the picture in verse 10. Again in verse 17. See verse 11 for the two participles .
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “The merchants of these things,” (hoi emporoi touton) “The merchants (barterers, traders) of these things;” the dainties and luxuries of food and clothes were no longer brought by the merchants who had seen the fire fall on this great, wicked city, and who had fornicated with her, Rev 18:3; Rev 18:11.
2) “Which were made rich by her,” (hoi ploutesantes ap’ autes) “Those who were made rich (wealthy) from her,” from her trade. As plutocrats, or “fat-cats,” they stood afar, backed away, awaiting like stalled hogs near the slaughterhouse, their hour of just judgment too, Gal 6:7-8; Ecc 12:13-14.
3) “Shall stand afar off,” (apo makrothen stesontai) “Shall standoff a long (far) distance;” They who flattered, now forsake her in fear. Like the person who will not go near a dead body of a funeral, as if it would prevent or delay his death; or as if they would escape judgment by standing aloof, Act 17:30-31; Heb 9:27-28.
4) “For the fear of her torment,” (dia ton phobon tou basanismou autes) “Because of the fear (they have) of her torment; For “fear hath torments,” 1Jn 4:18; Mat 10:28; Pro 1:23-30. Even the torments of hell, afar from earth, reach those whose memorex, “Son remember,” conscious recall shall bewail lost loved ones left behind, Luk 16:23-31.
5) “Weeping and Wailing,” (klaiontes kai penthountes) “Continually weeping and sorrowing (wailing);” for they, as merchants, have made merchandise of the property and life or souls of her people, in consort and collusion with this mistress-harlot and her harem of daughters, Deu 21:14; Rev 18:13; They feared a “reaping of what they had sown,” yet would not repent, even as Lucifer had done with his merchandise, Eze 28:16; 2Pe 2:3.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(15-17) The merchants of these things . . .The description is resumed. The merchants stand like the kings (see Rev. 18:10) afar off, because of the fear of her torment, saying, Woe! woe! (or, alas! alas!) the great city, because in one hour so great wealth was desolated. The words of this lamentation are parallel to the lament of the kings, the only difference is characteristicthey bewail the sudden decay of the wealth. On the fine linen and purple, comp. Rev. 18:12, and Luk. 16:19.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
‘The merchants of these things who were made rich by her will stand far off for fear of her torments, weeping and mourning, saying, “Woe, woe, the great city. She who was arrayed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stone and pearl. For in one hour so great riches are made desolate.’
As they consider the woman they see her as she was in her splendour, and they mourn because they can no longer provide her with such things at great profit to themselves. But this also reminds the reader how temporary such things are. The two woes again remind us of the fifth and sixth trumpets.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
These features are so prominent that they are treated in another paragraph:
v. 15. The merchants of these things which were made rich by her shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
v. 16. and saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls!
v. 17. For in one hour so great riches is come to naught. And every shipmaster and all the company in ships and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
v. 18. and cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city?
v. 19. 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.
v. 20. Rejoice over her, thou heaven and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her. Just as the kings and rulers before them, so here the merchants bewail the fall of the anti-Christian kingdom, which has always offered them such a lucrative trade: The traders in these things, that have grown rich from her, stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, saying, Woe and alas, the great city, that was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet goods, and ornamented with gold and precious stones and pearls! For in one hour has been made desolate such great wealth. All this is not due to mere outward sympathy, but they are included in the bankruptcy of the great harlot. They furnished the goods for her sinful and godless traffic and are therefore bound to be included in the damage that results to her. At the same time their selfishness causes them to keep their distance, lest someone identify them with her whose desolation has become so apparent.
They are finally joined in their wailing by another class of people that has grown rich from the traffic of Rome: And every shipmaster and all sea-faring people and sailors, and all whose business takes them on the sea, stood at a distance and cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, Who is like to the great city? And they threw dust on their heads, and they cried, weeping and lamenting, saying, Woe and alas, the great city, in which grew rich all that have ships on the sea from her expensive habits! For in one hour she has become desolate. This scene reminds one strongly of the destruction of the great commercial city Tyre, Eze 27:32, since anti-Christian Rome is also pictured as sitting upon great waters and doing a big business in all parts of the world. No wonder that shipmasters and sailors, and all whose business is on the sea, feel the loss of business very keenly when the power of Rome declines, that they give way to the utmost protestations of grief and lament the fall of her whose luxurious tendencies and expensive habits were a source of great gain to them.
In sharp contrast to these selfish wailings and lamentings is the triumphant cry which is here inserted: Rejoice over her, O heaven and saints and apostles and prophets, for God has judged her with your judgment. The victory always rests with the Lord and with all those that are faithful to Him, and so heaven celebrates the triumph over the great harlot, over the kingdom of Anti-Christ. And not only God and all the host of heaven are here called upon to rejoice, but also the apostles and prophets, since their earnest teaching and warning was directed against all antichristian doctrine and activity as it finally came to a head in the empire of Anti-Christ. By the fall of Rome they have been avenged, they have been vindicated, they have been given justice by God’s vengeance upon the great harlot.
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
15 The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
Ver. 15. Which were made rich by her ] By their fat benefices, commendams, a golden prebendaries, b some one yielding ten or twenty thousand by the year. The archbishopric of Toledo is worth a hundred thousand pounds a year; which is a greater revenue than some kings have had. (Spec. Europ.) What a vast estate had Wolsey gotten. So that rich and wretched Cardinal Henry Beaufort, bishop of Winchester, and Chancellor of England in the reign of Henry VI, who asked, Why should I die being so rich? (Acts and Mon.)
a The custody of an ecclesiastical benefice in the absence of a regular incumbent; the tenure or enjoyment of the revenues of a benefice held as above. D
b The holder of a prebend; a canon of a cathedral or collegiate church who holds a prebend. Originally, each canon had a praebenda or share in the funds of the church to which the clergy house was attached; in later times when the custom grew up of assigning a particular estate for the support of a particular canon, the latter received also the designation of prebendary from the estate so assigned, e.g. ‘Canon of St. Paul’s and Prebendary of Finsbury’. D
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
which: Rev 18:3, Rev 18:11, Hos 12:7, Hos 12:8, Zec 11:5, Mar 11:17, Act 16:19, Act 19:24-27
shall: Rev 18:11, Jdg 18:23, Jdg 18:24, Eze 27:31, Amo 5:16, Amo 5:17
Reciprocal: Isa 47:15 – they shall Jer 48:39 – How is it Eze 26:16 – tremble Eze 28:19 – they Act 8:20 – Thy Rev 1:7 – and all Rev 18:19 – weeping
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Rev 18:15. This is virtually the same lament that is described in verse 9, 10, because of their loss of unlawful privileges at the expense of the people. For the fear of her torment denotes that the sight of such a burning will give them a feeling of horror. Lest the reader gets lost in all this array of figurative judgments, I shall again state that it is a symbolical picture of the political and religious revolution that came upon the old wicked institution of Rome, after the work of the Reformation broke up the great conspiracy.
Rev 18:16. The items mentioned are used symbolically, but there is some special appropriateness in the materials named. The formalities of the old Pagan Roman ceremonies were copied by the clergy of Papal Rome. Linen was used for the official robes in the services, and purple and scarlet were the royal colors. The garments were decked literally with gold and precious stones. The city is said to have all these decorations because the scarlet woman was located in the city for her corrupt practices.
Comments by Foy E. Wallace
Verses 15-16.
The extensive traffic in thirty articles specified by John represented the affiliations of the Jewish capital with all the heathen world. Included in this commercial revenue was the traffic in slaves, and souls of men–meaning the lives of men. There was no source of revenue from the heathen world not included in the coalition between Jerusalem and the merchants of the earth, as described in verses fifteen and sixteen.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
a There was nothing the merchants could do but stand fearfully in the distance and mourn their own loss of a great customer. Like the prodigal who had many friends while the money lasted ( Luk 15:13-16 ), the harlot finds no one to help her when sin’s rewards come crashing down upon her. Agian, we note her end came in a sudden and very brief period of time. Verses 17b-18 Shipmasters (pilots or captains), passengers, seamen and all others who make their living from the sea (ship builders, fishermen, divers, exporters and importers) also bewailed their loss as they watched her burn.
Fuente: Gary Hampton Commentary on Selected Books
Rev 18:15-21. The merchants, ship-masters, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, weep and wail For they can no longer import or export commodities for her, or convey strangers to and fro, for there is an end of all her gains, wealth, and glory. These lamentations are copied from the like lamentations over Tyre, (Ezekiel 26. and 27.,) and are equal to the most mournful strains of the Greek tragedians over Thebes or Troy. In all, they stand afar off In a mixture of terror and grief, but absolutely incapable of giving her any relief, Rev 18:10; Rev 18:15; Rev 18:17. In all, they cry, Alas! alas! , , wo, wo, (Rev 18:10; Rev 18:16; Rev 18:19,) for this is the third wo before mentioned, Rev 8:13; Rev 11:14. For, as the fall of the Othman empire is the end of the second wo, so the fall of Rome is the completion of the third wo. In all they lament the suddenness of her fall; for in one hour is her judgment come. At the same time, her destruction is matter of joy and triumph to the saints, apostles, and prophets; for it is added, Rev 18:20, Rejoice over her, thou heaven That is, all the inhabitants of heaven; , and ye saints; and among the saints, still more eminently, the apostles and prophets, for God hath avenged you on her For it is to avenge the cause of his church and faithful servants, that God so severely punishes this persecuting city. And a mighty angel, &c. And further, to confirm the irrecoverable ruin of this persecuting place, another mighty angel appeared in my vision, and took up a stone, like a great mill-stone, and cast it into the sea Using the same emblem by which Jeremiah foreshowed the fall of the Chaldean Babylon; saying, Thus with violence shall that great city, this mystical Babylon, be thrown down Shall sink never to rise again. Her utter desolation is further described in the two next verses, in phrases and expressions borrowed from the ancient prophets.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Again the merchants bewail their fate. Selfishness and greed characterize these individuals. They too, like the kings, stand at a distance viewing the destruction of the city (cf. Rev 18:10; Rev 18:17).