Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Revelation 18:9

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,

The Lamentation over them on Earth, Rev 18:9-19

9. the kings of the earth ] Who bore a more or less immediately active part in her destruction, Rev 17:16: see note there.

shall bewail her ] Read simply, shall weep.

the smoke of her burning ] Cf. Gen 19:28.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

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. As a matter of fact, the kings of Europe have owed much of their influence and power to the support which has been derived from the papacy, and when that power shall fall, there will fall much that has contributed to sustain oppressive and arbitrary governments, and that has prevented the extension of popular liberty. In fact, Europe might have been long since free, if it had not been for the support which despotic governments have derived from the papacy.

And lived deliciously with her – In the same kind of luxury and dissoluteness of manners. See Rev 18:3, Rev 18:7. The courts of Europe, under the papacy, have had the same general character for dissoluteness and licentiousness as Rome itself. The same views of religion produce the same effects everywhere.

Shall bewail her, and lament for her – Because their ally is destroyed, and the source of their power is taken away. The fall of the papacy will be the signal for a general overturning of the thrones of Europe.

When they shall see the smoke of her burning – When they shall see her on fire, and her smoke ascending toward heaven. See the notes on Rev 14:11.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Rev 18:9-24

The merchants of the earth shall bewail her, and lament for her.

The fall of the corrupt in human life

Wrong, including all that is morally evil ill human thought, feeling, and action is constantly falling. Though it has a very slow death, it will by the eternal law of moral disintegration be one day brought down.

I. The lamentation of the bad.

1. The ruling class. True kinghood is the majesty of intellect and goodness.

2. The mercantile class. When the grand altruistic truth of Christian socialism becomes realised by the masses–Let no man seek his own, but every man anothers wealth–then the every-man-for-himself principle will fall, and with its fall what will become of the enormous possessions which they have obtained merely by working for themselves?

II. The jubilation of the good.

1. Because the fall is just. Evil has no right to exist.

2. Because the fall is beneficent. It is the uprooting of those thorns and thistles and noxious weeds that have turned the paradise of our being into a howling wilderness.

3. Because the fall is complete. Destroyed once, it is destroyed for ever. (D. Thomas, D. D.)

The commercial Babylon

1. We should first of all learn that the hold of God on all that we have and are is absolute. We are but tenants-at-will. The proud and conceited talk as if the world were ours–My river is my own, and I have made it for myself–is an abomination to the Lord. God has never waived His rights in entrusting to us His loans. Let merchants, stockbrokers, bankers, bondholders, traders learn this lesson. At any moment God may bring all our possessions to nought; and He will do that at His own time, not waiting for ours.

2. It may well yield us matter for lamentation that the use of so much earthly capital is a perverted one. Many of Gods gifts are put in alliance with overreaching, corruption, and fraud. But when things of wealth and beauty become the instruments of apostacy it is sad indeed.

3. Let us learn to look at whatever is beautiful and costly and artistic as precious in the truest sense only as it is allied to or in harmony with righteousness. Beauty and wealth are only of genuine value when employed in accordance with Gods will and Word.

4. Let us take care that, so far as we are concerned, we have no share in this heart-apostacy of Babylon the great, even in the commercial world. The voice cries now, Come out of her, my people (Isa 48:20; Isa 52:11; Jer 1:8; Jer 51:6; Jer 51:45; 2Co 6:14-17). If we would not share her plagues we must not share her sins. There are those who are in Babylon the great, the slaves of godless gain or godless pleasure. There are those who belong to the new and eternal city, the New Jerusalem, who engrave on the bells of the horses, Holiness to the Lord, and whose daily toil is being sanctified for Him. It may cost something to renounce all fellowship with Babylon. But it is worth infinitely more than it costs. Yea, to be right is so transcendently great, that the question of cost should scarce be deemed worth a thought. Better die with Christ than reign with Caesar. (S. Conway, B. A.)

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

Verse 9. The kings of the earth] Those who copied her superstitions and adopted her idolatries.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

Not all of them, for some of them shall help to burn her, Rev 17:16; but such as God had left to their hardness of heart, that they still live in her fellowship and communion: or, if others also, it must proceed from their humanity, not being able to see so splendid a city, as that of Rome, ruined, and so many ruined as will perish by her fall, without the moving of their bowels by some pity and commiseration.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

9. lived deliciouslyGreek,“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. Contrast the world’s rejoicingover the dead bodies of the two witnesses (Re11:10) who had tormented it by their faithfulness, with itslamentations over the harlot who had made the way to heavensmooth, and had been found a useful tool in keeping subjects inabject tyranny. Men’s carnal mind relishes a religion like that ofthe apostate Church, which gives an opiate to conscience, whileleaving the sinner license to indulge his lusts.

bewail herA, B, C,Syriac, Coptic, and CYPRIANomit “her.”

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication,…. Idolatry, Re 17:2

and lived deliciously with her; Re 18:3 joining with her in her sensual, as well as in her idolatrous practices:

shall bewail her, and lament for her: shall mourn inwardly, and by various gestures outwardly express their sorrow at her desolation; see Eze 27:30 these will not be the ten kings who will burn the whore with fire, and then repent of what they have done, and weep over her, as Titus did at the destruction of Jerusalem, as some Popish writers have fancied, for they will hate the whore, and eat her flesh; but earthly and idolatrous kings, who will be in the communion of the church of Rome:

when they shall see the smoke of her burning: as Abraham saw the smoke of Sodom and Gomorrah go up like the smoke of a furnace; by which they will perceive that her judgment is come, and her ruin begun.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

The Fall of Babylon.

A. D. 95.

9 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, 10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. 11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: 12 The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, 13 And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men. 14 And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all. 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, 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! 17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, 18 And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city! 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. 20 Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her. 21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. 22 And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; 23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. 24 And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

Here we have,

I. A doleful lamentation made by Babylon’s friends for her fall; and here observe,

1. Who are the mourners, namely, those who had been bewitched by her fornication, those who had been sharers in her sensual pleasures, and those who had been gainers by her wealth and trade–the kings and the merchants of the earth: the kings of the earth, whom she had flattered into idolatry by allowing them to be arbitrary and tyrannical over their subjects, while they were obsequious to her; and the merchants, that is, those who trafficked with her for indulgences, pardons, dispensations, and preferments; these will mourn, because by this craft they got their wealth.

2. What was the manner of their mourning. (1.) They stood afar off, they durst not come nigh her. Even Babylon’s friends will stand at a distance from her fall. Though they had been partakers with her in her sins, and in her sinful pleasures and profits, they were not willing to bear a share in her plagues. (2.) They made a grievous outcry: Alas! alas! that great city, Babylon, that mighty city! (3.) They wept, and cast dust upon their heads, v. 19. The pleasures of sin are but for a season, and they will end in dismal sorrow. All those who rejoice in the success of the church’s enemies will share with them in their downfall; and those who have most indulged themselves in pride and pleasure are the least able to bear calamities; their sorrows will be as excessive as their pleasure and jollity were before.

3. What was the cause of their mourning; not their sin, but their punishment. They did not lament their fall into idolatry, and luxury, and persecution, but their fall into ruin–the loss of their traffic and of their wealth and power. The spirit of antichrist is a worldly spirit, and their sorrow is a mere worldly sorrow; they did not lament for the anger of God, that had now fallen upon them, but for the loss of their outward comfort. We have a large schedule and inventory of the wealth and merchandise of this city, all which was suddenly lost (Rev 18:12; Rev 18:13), and lost irrecoverably (v. 14): All things which were dainty and goodly have departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all. The church of God may fall for a time, but she shall rise again; but the fall of Babylon will be an utter overthrow, like that of Sodom and Gomorrah. Godly sorrow is some support under affliction, but mere worldly sorrow adds to the calamity.

II. An account of the joy and triumph there was both in heaven and earth at the irrecoverable fall of Babylon: while her own people were bewailing her, the servants of God were called to rejoice over her, v. 20. Here observe, 1. How universal this joy would be: heaven and earth, angels and saints, would join in it; that which is matter of rejoicing to the servants of God in this world is matter of rejoicing to the angels in heaven. 2. How just and reasonable; and that, (1.) Because the fall of Babylon was an act of God’s vindictive justice. God was then avenging his people’s cause. They had committed their cause to him to whom vengeance belongs, and now the year of recompence had come for the controversies of Zion; and, though they did not take pleasure in the miseries of any, yet they had reason to rejoice in the discoveries of the glorious justice of God. (2.) Because it was an irrecoverable ruin. This enemy should never molest them any more, and of this they were assured by a remarkable token (v. 21): An angel from heaven took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, “Thus shall Babylon be thrown down with violence, and be found no more at all; the place shall be no longer habitable by man, no work shall be done there, no comfort enjoyed, no light seen there, but utter darkness and desolation, as the reward of her great wickedness, first in deceiving the nations with her sorceries, and secondly in destroying and murdering those whom she could not deceive,” v. 24. Such abominable sins deserved so great a ruin.

Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary

Shall weep (). Future active of , middle in Attic, as in Joh 16:20.

And wail over her ( ‘ ). Future direct middle of , old verb, to beat, to cut, middle to beat oneself (Re 1:7). For combination with as here see Lu 8:52. See Rev 17:2; Rev 18:3; Rev 18:7 for ).

When they look upon ( ). Indefinite temporal clause with and the present active subjunctive of .

The smoke of her burning ( ). is an old word (from to burn), in N.T. only 1Pet 4:12; Rev 18:9; Rev 18:18. See verse 8 for other plagues on Rome, but fire seems to be the worst (Rev 17:16; Rev 18:8; Rev 18:9; Rev 18:17; Rev 19:3).

Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament

1) “And the kings of the earth,” (kai hoi basileis tes ges) “And the kings (royal rulers) of the earth,” princes and ten kings who consorted with her, who helped form the unholy union of Church and state in spiritual fornication, Rev 18:3; Eze 26:16-21.

2) “Who have committed fornication,” (hoi met’ autes porneusantes) “Those who have repeatedly consorted in fornication with her,” Rev 17:2; Rev 17:5-6; Rev 18:3.

3) “And lived deliciously with her,” (kai streniasantes) “And exchanged luxury with her,” prostituted with her, the great city of Babylon, center of the harlot-mistress and her fornication fed, as the fall of Tyre, Eze 26:16-17; Rev 17:1-6; Rev 17:15-18; Rev 18:3.

4) “Shall bewail her, and lament for her,” (klausousin kai kopsontai ep’ auten) “Will weep and wail over her,” because of former common ties with her, Jer 50:46.

5) “When they shall see the smoke of her burning,” (hotan bleposin ton kapnon tes puroseos autes) “Whenever they glance (upon) the smoke of her burning,” when she is consumed and the smoke hangs low, a goodbye reminder of her destruction, Rev 18:18; Rev 14:11; Rev 19:3.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

(9) And the kings of the earth. . . .Read, And there shall weep and mourn over her the kings of the earth, who with her committed fornication and luxuriated, when they see the smoke of her burning, standing afar off because of the fear of her torment, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon the strong city; because in one hour is come thy judgment. Kings, merchants (Rev. 18:11-17), shippers (Rev. 18:17-19) join in lamenting the overthrow of the great city; all stand afar off, as though fearing to be involved in her ruin; all cry, Woe (or, Alas!) at the beginning of their lament; and at the close the words, in one hour, telling the suddenness of the great citys overthrow, recur (Rev. 18:10; Rev. 18:17; Rev. 18:19) with the monotony of a passing bell heard at intervals amid the strains of sad music. The parallel passages in Eze. 26:15-16; Eze. 27:35, should be compared. The grief described is the result of fear mingled with selfishness; the mourners remember with a regret, only tempered with terror, the voluptuous life, the quick-growing profits, and the varied commercial advantages which they have lost in her overthrow.

THE LAMENT OF THE MERCHANTS (Rev. 18:11-17).The lament proper, that is, the actual words put in the mouths of the merchants, is contained in Rev. 18:16-17. The immediately preceding verses describe the various kinds of merchandise which were dealt in.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

c. Portraiture (mostly in prophetic form) of her mercantile and commercial desolations, Rev 18:9-20 .

It would, of course, be physically impossible for kings in their foreign capitals, and merchants beyond sea, to behold, with bodily eye, the burning metropolis, and even be obliged to withdraw to a distance (Rev 18:10; Rev 18:15) for fear of being scorched. This close grouping, however, gives us a very vivid conception. Yet under this poetic parable of commercial desolation it is the overthrow of the Babylonic anti-christianity of all ages that is symbolized.

9. Kings bewail the cessation of the alliance of debauchery and luxury, merchants weep for the loss of the great market for their commodities.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

‘And the kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived wantonly with her, will weep and wail over her when they look on the smoke of her burning, standing far off for fear of her torment, saying, “Woe, woe, the great city Babylon, the strong city. For in one hour is your judgment come”.’

The picture is of men who have made use of a prostitute. But when she is in trouble they do not want to know. In mind, however, as subsequent verses also reveal, is what they have gained from her. They have benefited greatly at her hands, but they will not intervene to help her. Their regret is not in what has happened to Babylon but in what they have lost through her demise. They had received much at her hands, but now they stand afar off and watch her burn. They do not want to be involved.

‘Woe, woe’. Here there are the first two woes (Rev 11:14 on), the third woe is the final day of judgment, but this is prior to that. The second woe was directly connected with the Euphrates as Babylon also was.

‘In one hour’. The ten kings were given ‘one hour’ in which to reign (Rev 17:12). This is part of the consequence of their hour. It is again stressed that retribution comes suddenly. It is clear that there is a difference of opinion between the kings of the earth and the ten kings about the destruction of Babylon but they all stand by and let it happen.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

Lamentation over Babylon the Great by the Self-Seekers ( Rev 18:9-19 ).

We have witnessed the fall of Babylon the Great, now we witness the ‘grief’ of her ‘friends’. The kings, the merchants and the ship-owners all weep over her, but their main concern is how it will affect them. The reader is aware of the irony. Did they but know it they are nearer the final day of judgment than they realise.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

The description of the desolation:

v. 9. 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,

v. 10. standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour is thy judgment come.

v. 11. And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more;

v. 12. the merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,

v. 13. and cinnamon, and odors, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.

v. 14. And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.

So the judgment of the Lord, which was spoken of in chap. 17:16-17, has already gone forth, as is here pictured with intense dramatic power: And there will cry and wail over her the kings of the earth that have committed fornication with her and lived a wanton life, when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, Woe and alas, the great city, Babylon the mighty city! For in one hour thy doom has come. So the same rulers and kings that have been the instruments of God in bringing about the punishment of Anti-Christ’s kingdom were also the companions of the great harlot in her sins. They themselves have kindled the fire of Rome’s destruction, but when they see the smoke of her burning, they are terrified and prefer to remain at a safe distance, since their conscience tells them of their guilt. Time and again the lament of the mighty of the earth has arisen in the last four hundred years when the power of Anti-Christ had received a severe setback. The great and mighty city that has bidden defiance to all enemies has been conquered, her real power being broken forever. The doom of one mightier than she has fallen upon her, and she will never regain her original prestige.

But the doom of the papal power strikes another class of men still worse: And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, because their merchandise no one buys any more, the merchandise of gold and silver and precious stones and pearls; and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet goods, and all kinds of citron wood and all manner of ivory vessels and all manner of vessels of most costly wood and of brass and of iron and of marble, and cinnamon and balsam and spices and myrrh and frankincense, and wine and oil and the finest flour and wheat, and cattle and sheep, and some horses and wagons and slaves, and the souls of men; and the fruit of thy soul’s desire has gone away from thee, and all the luxurious and splendid things have been lost from thee, and men shall find them no more. There is a deliberate irony in the long enumeration of things which have delighted the heart of the great Roman harlot, which she has made the object of her desires, which her merchants, her vassals, the men that trafficked in these things to their own enrichment, now bewail as lost forever. For the possession of many of these things is in itself not wrong; it has become a sin only in the case of the Church of Anti-Christ on account of the sinful uses to which these things have been put. The pomp, the lavish display of glory which Rome affects wherever she gains a foothold, requires such costly and luxurious things; whenever, therefore, this power is taken from her, it means a loss to the scheming members of the hierarchy and other sycophants that grow rich and live in luxury under the fostering care of their spiritual mother, the Church of Rome. But the climax is reached in the traffic in souls which is carried on in that Church, in taking away the simple doctrine of faith in Christ’s salvation and supplanting it with man-made doctrines, especially that of salvation by works, and in the delusion which places thousands of young men and women into monasteries and nunneries every year, all in the vain hope that they will thereby merit heaven and its glory.

Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann

Rev 18:9-20. And the kings of the earth, &c. In the very solemn manner described in the verses before us, by an angel, and by a voice from heaven, is declared the fall of Rome, and her destruction by fire; and then are set forth the consequences of her fall, the lamentations of some, and the rejoicings of others. The kings of her communion, who have committed fornication, and lived deliciously with her, bewail and lament her fall, (Rev 18:9-10.) But what kings were they, who lived deliciously with old Rome, and had reason to lament her fall? The merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, (Rev 18:11-17.) for there is an end of all traffic and commerce with her, whether spiritual or temporal; for it is intimated, Rev 18:13 that they make merchandise of the souls as well as of the bodies of men. The ship-masters &c. weep and wail, (Rev 18:17-19.) 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 costliness. These lamentations are similar to the lamentations over Tyre in Ezekiel 26; Ezekiel 27 and are equal to the most mournful strains of the Greek poets over Thebes or Troy. In all, they stand afar off (Rev 18:10; Rev 18:15; Rev 18:17.) as if they were unable or afraid to help and assist her. In all, they cry, alas! alas! (Rev 18:10; Rev 18:16; Rev 18:19.) which is the third woe, or alas, mentioned, ch. Rev 8:13 Rev 11:14.; for as the fall of the Othman empire is the end of the second woe, so the fall of Rome is the completion of the third woe. In all, they lament the suddenness of her fall, (Rev 18:10; Rev 18:17; Rev 18:19.) for in one hour is her destruction come. At the same time her destruction is matter of joy and triumph, Rev 18:20 to the holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged them on her: but what reason had the Christians to rejoice over the calamities brought on Rome by Alaric or Totilas, in which theythemselves were the principal sufferers? And how were these calamities any vindication of their cause, or of the cause of true religion?

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Rev 18:9 sq. The lament of the kings of the earth. [3955] Cf. Rev 14:11 . The of the city, through which they are affected by the judgment, is its actual . [3956] Accordingly the lamenting kings stand at a distance: they dread the conflagration in which the city perishes. [3957]

, . With the , Rev 18:6 , the repetition of the cry of woe, which corresponds only to the extremity of the pain, [3958] has nothing to do. [3959]

, . . . The allusion to the greatness and power of the city [3960] makes still more forcible the impression of its destruction, which is expressly designated as the reason for the lamentation ( , . . .).

[3955] Cf. Rev 17:2 .

[3956] Cf. Rev 1:15 .

[3957] Cf. Rev 18:15 .

[3958] Cf. Rev 18:16 ; Rev 18:19 .

[3959] Against Hengstenb.

[3960] Cf. Rev 18:11 sqq., Rev 19:21 sq.

Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary

Rev 18:9-20 . Now the kings and other inhabitants of the earth lament for the rash pride of the great city, whereby they also are painfully affected. [3954] Yet in Rev 18:11 ; Rev 18:17 , a similar change in form of statement occurs, as in Rev 11:11 compared with Rev 11:7 .

[3954] Cf. Eze 27 .

Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary

(9) 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, (10) Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. (11) And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: (12) The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, (13) And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men. (14) And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all. (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, (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! (17) For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, (18) And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city! (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.

The oftener I read this funeral lamentation of the mourners, that follow the whore to her burying; the more I am struck with astonishment, at the impudence of her deceptions, and the forbearance of the Lord. To think that such a mummery should have gulled the nations so many hundreds of years is wonderful! And indeed it would be hardly possible to reconcile it with the common sense of mankind, were it not that so many profited by the cheat. Let the Reader take notice of some of the many.

First. The kings of the earth, who have committed fornication, and lived deliciously with her. These are those who have profited by the same tricks, as the whore herself hath played off, to keep the lower order in subjection. For when confession, and penance, and the profits of all the trumpery of forms and ceremonies are done away, they as well as she, will find cause to lament that their juggling is over.

Secondly. The Merchants of the earth will mourn also at her downfall. These are not only the common traders at Rome, who take advantage of the religion of the place, to impose upon the foreigners which come to their markets, but chiefly is intended, the whore’s merchants; namely, the dealers in pardons and indulgencies, who sell licences for sin, and pray people out of purgatory for money. It is said, Rev 18:13 , that their merchandize, is the souls of men. And this indeed is the chief traffic. All such must follow the funeral procession, for they will forever shut up shop, when the whore’s plagues come; for as it is here said, no man buyeth her merchandize. anymore.

Thirdly. Every ship-master, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, are involved in the calamity. And well they may. For both at home and abroad, by sea and by land, wherever the whore’s influence extendeth, and her priests and people find the trade profitable, the loss of it in money matters must be ruinous. So that the whore’s downfall brings after it, the total overthrow of the whorish trade.

Fourthly. But one feature deserves to be noticed under all, namely, while they all bewail and lament her, it is said, that they all stood afar off. Here is a striking feature. Though sinners herd together in sin, yet in judgment, they wish to separate. No one helpeth his fellow. Like the first transgressor in the garden, they rather accuse than soften each other’s crime. They stand afar off. Oh! the awful State of the ungodly.

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

9 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,

Ver. 9. Shall bewail her and lament ] , As with the “voice of doves, tabering upon their breasts,” Nah 2:7 . The chief of these mourners shall be the Spaniard likely; who yet hath no such great cause, if he look well about him; for he is yearly excommunicated by the pope, for detaining him from the kingdom of Sicily, as Baronius witnesseth. (In Respon. Apol. ad Card. Colum.) It were to be wished that he would imitate his predecessor Charles V, who upon a displeasure conceived against Pope Clement VIII, abolished the pope’s authority throughout all Spain, Exemplo ab Hispanis ipsis posteritati relicto, posse Ecclesiasticam disciplinam citra nominis Pontificii authoritatem conservari, saith mine author, i.e. The Spaniards themselves setting forth to the world that the Church may be governed without the pope’s authority. (Scultet. Annul. Decad. ii. p. 2.) But this Charles did in a passion only, and not from a settled resolution. For after this, when Pope Clement and his cardinals were imprisoned by the duke of Bourbon’s men in St Angelo, Caesar in Spain forbade all interludes to be played; and pageants prepared for the joy of the birth of his son Prince Philip to be pulled down. In France, by the court of Parliament, the duke of Bourbon was condemned of treason, his name and memorial accursed, his arms pulled down, his lands and goods confiscated. Neither would King Henry of England answer the emperor’s letters, whereby he excused himself from having any hand in the action. (Speed, 1012.)

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

9 20 .] The mourning over her : and first, 9, 10 , by the kings of the earth . And there shall weep and mourn over her (when the catalogue of mourners has yet to begin, the fact of mourning is thrown forward by the verbs being placed first: but below, Rev 18:11 , when we come to the second member, the persons, as the new feature, are put forward before the verbs. , as the direction and converging of their lamentation) the kings of the earth, who committed fornication and luxuriated (see above, Rev 18:7 ) with her, when they see the smoke of her burning, standing afar off on account of their fear of her torment (this feature in the prophecy is an objection to the literal understanding of its details. It can hardly be imagined that the kings should bodily stand and look as described, seeing that no combination of events contemplated in the prophecy has brought them together as yet), saying, Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon the strong city, because in one hour has come thy judgment .

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament

Rev 18:9-20 : the wailing on earth, by kings (Rev 18:9-10 ), merchants (at length, 11 16), and seafaring men (Rev 18:17-20 ), imitated from the finer and more elaborate passages in Ezekiel 26-28, where kings (Eze 26:15-18 ), traders (very briefly and indirectly, Eze 27:36 ), and mariners (Eze 27:29-36 ) are all introduced in the lament over Tyre’s downfall. Contrast the joy of the three classes in Rev 18:20 . A triple rhythm pervades (cf. Rev 18:2-3 ; Rev 18:6 ; Rev 18:8 ; Rev 18:14 ; Rev 18:16 ; Rev 18:19 ) but does not dominate this grim doom-song, somewhat after the well-known structure of the Semitic elegy. But the three laments are all characteristic. The kings are saddened by the swift overthrow of power (10), and the reverse of fortune; the merchants (Rev 18:11 ; Rev 18:16 ) by the loss of a profitable market, the mariners by the sudden blow inflicted on the shipping trade (Rev 18:19 ).

Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Rev 18:9-10

9″And the kings of the earth, who committed acts of immorality and lived sensuously with her, will weep and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning, 10standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour your judgment has come.'”

Rev 18:9-10 “the kings of the earth” These must be different from the kings mentioned in Rev 17:12; Rev 17:16, who participated in the destruction and fall of the great whore. These kings were apparently merchant nations who benefitted from commercial trade with the anti-God world system. This is an allusion to the powerful commercial city of Tyre and its prideful king in Ezekiel 26-28. The remainder of chapter 18 deals with the intoxicating commercial power associated with all fallen world systems.

Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley

have. Omit.

for = over. App-104.

shall. Omit.

see. App-133.

burning. Greek. purosis. Only here, Rev 18:18, and 1Pe 4:12.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

9-20.] The mourning over her: and first, 9, 10, by the kings of the earth. And there shall weep and mourn over her (when the catalogue of mourners has yet to begin, the fact of mourning is thrown forward by the verbs being placed first: but below, Rev 18:11, when we come to the second member, the persons, as the new feature, are put forward before the verbs. , as the direction and converging of their lamentation) the kings of the earth, who committed fornication and luxuriated (see above, Rev 18:7) with her, when they see the smoke of her burning, standing afar off on account of their fear of her torment (this feature in the prophecy is an objection to the literal understanding of its details. It can hardly be imagined that the kings should bodily stand and look as described, seeing that no combination of events contemplated in the prophecy has brought them together as yet), saying, Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon the strong city, because in one hour has come thy judgment.

Fuente: The Greek Testament

Rev 18:9-19

(4) EXTENT OF BABYLON’S RUIN

(Rev 18:9-19)

Shall weep and wail.–Those who have been deceived by false doctrines shall weep and wail when in fear they look upon her destruction. They will be amazed at the sudden punishment of a city so great and proud. Those who have made gain trafficking in human practices in religion will mourn because their source of income has been cut off. There will no longer be anyone to be deceived. The articles of merchandise mentioned symbolize every kind of religious device used to deceive those ignorant of God’s word. The things desired by the religious merchants are gone forever. Naturally such characters will cry, “Woe, woe,” when spiritual Babylon falls. The smoke and blaze seen in a burning city are a weak but fitting emblem to indicate what will happen when apostate religion is forced to end its wicked work.

Commentary on Rev 18:9-19 by Foy E. Wallace

(3) The three-fold threnody over the ruined city-Rev 18:9-19.

These verses form the threnody of kings, merchants and seamen–their song of lamentation, as a dirge over Jerusalem, the fallen city. They were represented in Rev 18:9-10 as having thrived on her harlotries, but cut off from the lucrative revenues of her commerce they were envisioned as standing afar off, offering no help but bewailing the plight of besieged Jerusalem: Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

The statement of Rev 18:11, that the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her was parallel with Rev 1:7 : Behold, he cometh with the clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. This coming referred to the destruction of Jerusalem, as in Zec 14:1-21; and the declaration that every eye shall see him referred to the universal knowledge of what was happening to Jerusalem; and all the kindreds (tribes) of the earth shall wail denoted the mourning of all Jewish families in all parts of the world over the destruction that had befallen their beloved city.

The rulers, merchants and mariners of Palestine bewailed the calamity for no man buyeth their merchandise any more. The valuables of the merchandise in which this trade consisted were listed in Rev 18:12-14. The description of gold, purple and spice were symbols of the flow of commerce which characterized Jerusalems prosperity. But with the severance of all trade, deprived of all commerce, the authorities of Judea, the merchants and the shippers, once associated with Jerusalem in all of her luxury and wantonness, then stood aloof as witnesses of the destruction, deploring the devastation; but only to bewail her plight.

The extensive traffic in thirty articles specified by John represented the affiliations of the Jewish capital with allthe 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 Rev 18:15-16.

In continuation of this resplendent description Rev 18:17-19 recorded the lamentations of the merchant–men because the luxuries and revenues in which they had shared had come to nought and were no more at all. In unison they cried: What city is like unto this great city . . . alas, alas, that great city . . . she is made desolate. Thus the traffickers of the heathen world lamented the ignominious end of the once glorious city of Jerusalem.

Commentary on Rev 18:9-19 by Walter Scott

THE DIRGE OVER BABYLON.

Rev 18:9-10. – The lamentation over Babylon is taken up by all classes, for all are affected by it. The general bearing of the whole passage is so simple that detailed exposition is needless. The articles of merchandise specified in which Babylon trafficked are twenty-eight in number. The first in the list is gold, the last is souls. The ruin of Babylon will seriously affect the whole commercial and social life of the world, and it is on this account that her judgment is so deplored by those who shared in her wealth and profited by intercourse with her.

Rev 18:9-10. – The kings of the earth lead in the general mourning. They were the most intimate with her, and hence more than others feel her loss. These kings, or chiefs, must not be confounded with the ten kings who hate the woman. The former mourn over her, and are unable to prevent her ruin, whereas the latter are the prime movers in her political downfall (Rev 17:16). The kings of the earth, or, in other words, the distinguished leaders in Christendom, as apart from the ten kings of the Roman empire, are in fear. Standing afar off they witness the awful conflagration of that mighty system of evil with which they had been so closely identified, and in which they had lived and rioted in luxury. They tremble and fear at the awfulness and suddenness of the judgment, for in one hour is thy judgment come.

Rev 18:11-13. – The merchants of the earth sorrow over Babylon, not because of any love they bear the system, but simply because their trade and wealth are ruined. Babylon, besides her religious character, is here viewed as the center of vast commercial interests. The varied character of the merchandise – the product of all countries – shows the wide influence of Babylon, and how she attracts to herself as to a center the worlds riches. Think of this gigantic combination of the secular and religious trading, amongst other commodities, with the bodies and souls of men (v. 13) – named last, as of least account. In the enumeration of Babylons merchandise she is simply the worlds storehouse, or universal emporium, embracing all that is most esteemed down to that which is regarded as of least value. There are seven departments under which the various articles are classified. (1) Valuables and ornaments, as gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls. (2) Costly array, as fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet. (3) Sumptuous furniture, as vessels manufactured from the most precious woods, ivory, and metals. (4) Rich odors, as cinnamon, frankincense, and ointments. (5) Abundant living, as wine, oil, flour, wheat, beasts, and sheep. (6) Triumphal pageants, as horses and chariots. (7) Infamous traffic in the bodies and souls of men.

The lamentation of the merchants is interrupted by an episode narrated in Rev 18:14, and the mournful strain is resumed in Rev 18:15. The complete ruin of the merchandise of Babylon, that which selfishly bound to her king and peasant, leaves her a wreck. All her resources are gone; she is utterly despoiled of her former means of self-indulgence; her sources of enjoyment are dried up; and, in fact, all that ministered to her pride, and everything essential to her existence, perishes in the unexpected and sudden blow from the divine hand. She is directly addressed by a voice from Heaven (v. 14).

Rev 18:15-17. – Then the strain is resumed, but on a wider basis. Merchants in general, which is explained to mean those who had been enriched through her, take up the lamentation expressed in words similar to that of the kings (Rev 18:10). There is one difference, however, which may be noted. The kings in their lament say In one hour is thy judgment come, whereas the merchants say In one hour so great riches have been made desolate. Uniting the two statements we gather that the judgment of Babylon involves the destruction of her temporal prosperity, and, further, that the stroke of vengeance from the hand of the Almighty is sudden and unlooked for.

Rev 18:17-19. – Shipmasters, sailors, and all seafaring interests suffer equally with those already named. The past greatness and riches of Babylon are remembered and mourned over in the pathetic dirge from the sea (see Eze 27:1-36).

The judgment of Babylon takes effect in full sight of kings, merchants, and sea traders, the various classes enriched through connection with her. Her torment is their fear. (We have the fall of Babylon distinguished, I think, from the destruction of Babylon. Her fall includes moral degradation, and being the dwelling place of unclean spirits. This is judgment on her; and she falls because of her making the nations drink of the wine of her fornication (Rev 14:8). This we find in the ecclesiastical course, so to speak, of closing facts. Her final judgment we find in the close of the filling up the wrath of God (Rev 16:19). The connection of the former seems to be with Rev 18:2; of the latter with Rev 18:21. – Notes on the Book of Revelation, in loco. This little work, by the late J. N. Darby, of 172 pages, is an invaluable aid, not in details, but in masterly unfolding of the great principles and truths contained in the Apocalypse.)

Commentary on Rev 18:9-19 by E.M. Zerr

Rev 18:9. Kings of the earth had been protected in their defrauding of the uninformed people. Committed fornication. Rome has been called a harlot hence those who have been intimate with her are guilty of fornication. It is natural for them to lament seeing her burning (under the fiery judgments of God.)

Rev 18:10. The symbols are changed from a woman to a city. But it means the same thing for the mother of harlots had her seat where she carried on her adulterous practices in the city of Babylon. Of course to see her “red light district” going up in smoke means the end of her trade. One hour is used here to mean the same period as one day in Rev 18:8.

Rev 18:11. The merchants were the prominent leaders in Rome who had been reaping much gain (both political and material) by imposing their false doctrines on them. There will now be no demand for such “wares” for the customers will have learned that they had been defrauded.

Rev 18:12-13. All of the articles named in this paragraph are literal products, and doubtless the leaders in the corrupt institution dealt in such property for their own selfish enjoyment, but the literal articles are used as symbols of the selfish enjoyments they had by being able to extract the services of the dupes under them.

Rev 18:14. This virtually continues the same prediction that is made in the preceding verses, but I will call attention to the words about these gains that thou shalt find them no more at all. That means the advantages once enjoyed by Babylon (church and state) were never again to be enjoyed by her as before because she will never exist again to enjoy them.

Rev 18:15. This is virtually the same lament that is described in Rev 18:9-10, 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.

Rev 18:17. One hour calls for the same comments that are offered at verse 10. The chapter as a whole is a vision in symbolic form, yet the institution of Babylon or Rome was so widespread, that it was logical to include many of the activities of the members of it. Hence the people interested in the traffic of the sea are brought into the picture, among those whose selfish practices were to be cut off by the downfall of the city.

Rev 18:18. What city is like means a general statement of her greatness as of the past, for now she is very low and worthless ince she is being destroyed by fire.

Rev 18:19. There is not much change in the significance of the symbols of this verse. Casting dust on their heads was an ancient custom to give expression to feelings of mourning and dismay (Jos 7:6; Job 2:12; Lam 2:10). One hour is the same figurative phrase that is in Rev 18:10. Made desolate means that Babylon the Great as the union of church and state was to be deserted and cease to be.

Commentary on Rev 18:9-19 by Burton Coffman

Rev 18:9

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,

Here is the great paradox, without the understanding of which there can be no explanation of these passages.

And the kings … shall weep and wail … Commentators have really struggled with this, for these are exactly the ones who did the burning and the eating of the harlot’s flesh. How can this be? The best explanation, short of the true one, is by Lenski:

They cooled their vengeance upon the whore and then grieved that they had done so. Let the paradox remain. There is no reason … The lover of a whore strangles her, and then weeps like a fool.[42]

Interesting as that comment is, there is nevertheless a reason, and a very good one. The humanistic kings simply failed to realize that it was the true Christianity, imperfectly taught by the harlot, that actually formed the foundation of their world. The evil, atheistic, humanist kings proudly imagined that they could get along without any religion whatever, having finally rejected even the apostate forms of it; but their stupid action in burning up the whore destroyed everything, for not even the harlot ever went as far away from God and the truth as did those kings, or governments, of the final age. Their philosophy was dogmatically stated by a member of one of the great theological seminaries fifty years ago, by Dr. George Albert Coe, who wrote:

The sovereign for this universe, that is, the sovereign for us, is just ourselves when we cooperatively assist in providing ourselves with what we want.[43]

Coe’s hometown, New York city, is today virtually bankrupt; and the rising tide of violence, corruption, and irresponsibility may yet cause its utter ruin, unless there is a repudiation of the type of humanistic philosophy which has caused the decline. Clearly, it is exactly this type of thinking that will lead to the “ten kings'” destruction of the whore.

Shall weep and wail … when they look upon the smoke of her burning … It is of prime significance that there is prophesied here the “burning” of the harlot.

In Moses’ Law (Lev 21:9), burning appears to have been the form of punishment for fornication only in the case of a priest’s daughter, another indication that Babylon is a wicked religious person.[44]

They look upon the smoke … Smoke is the result of fire; and that is what put the disaster upon them. There were the most diabolical repercussions which ensued when the last visible support of religion crumbled into ashes in the flames of their hatred, repercussions of such a vast and terrible nature that they bankrupted and destroyed civilization. That is the absolute climax of the present dispensation, as prophesied here! Of course, those wailing and weeping kings were not at all concerned about the whore; they made no move to assist her; they were screaming only about their business and their profits (Rev 18:11), and the precious fruits that perished (Rev 18:14), the desolation of so great riches (Rev 18:17), and the loss of jobs (Rev 18:17). Disasters such as these were indeed the sorrow of kings. No wonder they wailed.

When Babylon perishes, the economic chaos is complete. The world of the unbeliever upon which he pinned his hopes and built his trust collapses.[45]

Do we have to point out that such a complete ruin of the whole world could not be conceived of as the result of the total ruin of any single city? Berlin collapsed, but nothing like this occurred, nor did this happen even when pagan Rome fell. Those who attempt to interpret this as the fall of pagan Rome are refuted by every word in this chapter.

[42] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 522.

[43] George Albert Coe, Educating for Citizenship (New York, 1932), p. 143. (Coe was Professor of Education at Columbia University until 1928, and Professor of Religion in Union Theological Seminary for many years thereafter.

[44] Frank L. Cox, Revelation in 26 Lessons (Nashville: Gospel Advocate Company, 1956), p. 107.

[45] William Hendriksen, op. cit., p. 210.

Rev 18:10

standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

Standing afar off … They make no move to help Babylon; they do not wish to be involved; it has not yet dawned upon them that all things rest upon divine authority (even as inadequately taught and delivered by the harlot), and they still do not see that in burning her they have burned down their own kingdoms. They still seem to think that they shall escape the holocaust.

Woe, woe, the great city, the strong city … “The imagery here is from Ezekiel 26-27.”[46] Barclay quoted a number of Old Testament passages called the dirge songs of Tyre, Nineveh, Edom and Babylon;[47] but John’s words here do not come from any of them. The terrible judgments of the Old Testament do, however, have one utility; they show that, “God looks upon worldly wickedness at any time according to the same principles with which he regarded Babylon and Tyre of old.”[48] Regarding the terrible judgments here predicted, Eller commented that, “In spite of the propriety of evil’s collapse, the event itself nevertheless carries overtones of tragedy.”[49]

For in one hour is thy judgment come … “Three times we are told that the desolation is to be accomplished in one hour, and we are reminded of the ten kings’ reign with the monster.”[50] This makes it certain that these events are prior to the actual judgment day; they are the last act, we might say, leading up to it. Of course, the judgment is already done (Rev 18:1-3), and thus this is a playback showing some of the antecedent particulars connected with it. Beasley-Murray thought the kings of this passage were different from the “ten kings” (Rev 17:16-17); but we view them as positively identical.

[46] James D. Strauss, op. cit., p. 222.

[47] William Barclay, op. cit., p. 150.

[48] J. R. Dummelow, Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 1087.

[49] Vernard Eller, The Most Revealing Book of the Bible (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1974), p. 171.

[50] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 225.

Rev 18:11

And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, for no man buyeth their merchandise any more;

And the merchants weep and mourn … Why? “For no man buyeth their merchandise any more.” The economic ruin is total. If they have any goods left, they will be looted or stolen, not bought.

Rev 18:12

merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stone, and pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet; and all thyine wood, and every vessel of ivory, and every vessel made of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble;

There is no point in commenting upon this inventory, which is but a partial catalogue of all the precious goods of the world. The extensive nature of this list prompted the great scholar Alford to say that, “Certainly the details of this far more nearly suit London than Rome of any assignable period of her history.”[51]

ENDNOTE:

[51] Alford as quoted by Wilbur M. Smith, op. cit., p. 1089.

Rev 18:13

and cinnamon, and spice, and incense, and ointment, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and cattle, and sheep; and merchandise of horses and chariots and slaves; and souls of men.

This is more of the same inventory, but there are a couple of items of special interest:

And slaves … The mention of these in connection with “the souls of men” is intriguing. “Slaves” is clear enough, as “There were 60,000,000 slaves in the Roman empire when this was written.”[52] So much for pagan Rome; now what is the spiritual counterpart of this in the apostasy?

And the souls of men … How were these sold? By means of the doctrine of purgatory, in which the souls of the departed are “sold” to their living relatives for money to get them prayed out of purgatory. We are looking for a better explanation of this, but where is it?

ENDNOTE:

[52] William Barclay, op. cit., p. 162.

Rev 18:14

And the fruits which thy soul lusted after are gone from thee, and all things that were dainty and sumptuous are perished from thee, and men shall find them no more at all.

The fruits … all things dainty … men shall find them no more at all … The recurrence of this ominous refrain, “no more at all,” some five times in the final paragraph has prompted some scholars to suppose that this verse belongs there instead of here; but Beasley-Murray skillfully refuted this: “This verse does not suit the final paragraph, but it is related to the paragraph of the merchants,”[53] where it is found. See further word on this in the final paragraph,

ENDNOTE:

[53] G. R. Beasley-Murray, The Book of Revelation (Greenwood, South Carolina: The Attic Press, 1974), p. 268.

Rev 18:15

The merchants of these things, who were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning; saying, Woe, woe, the great city, she that was arrayed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and previous stone and pearl!

The wail of the merchants is like that of the kings, for they too stood “afar off.” The ancient prejudice of businessmen that they are not concerned with religion will at last be confounded when there is none, or so little that it hardly counts on any effective scale.

Woe, woe … They shall cry not for lost faith, but for lost profits. Caird confused the present tense of these supplementary and recapitulatory views of an end that has already occurred, saying, “After it has happened, men are still able to stand afar off and watch the smoke of their burning.”[54] The events here are not after the end; they are before it. See under Rev 18:3. “There is something almost pathetic about these laments. In every case, the lament is not for Rome, but for themselves.”[55]

[54] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 227.

[55] William Barclay, op. cit., p. 164.

Rev 18:17

for in one hour so great riches is made desolate. And every shipmaster, and every one that saileth any whither, and mariners, and as many as gain their living by sea, stood afar off,

For in one hour … The triple mention of this (Rev 18:9; Rev 18:17; Rev 18:19) makes it imperative to relate these events to the brief ascendancy of the final “ten kings” (Rev 17:12-17). See comment there.

“It is the loss of the wealth, not any concern for people, that the merchants express.”[56]

ENDNOTE:

[56] Leon Morris, op. cit., p. 220.

Rev 18:18

and cried out as they looked upon the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like the great city?

And cried as they looked upon the smoke of her burning … The repetition of “smoke of her burning” is of interest. It does not seem that the kings, merchants, etc., were much concerned about the “burning” of the harlot, but the smoke of it, indicating that it was the subsequent consequences of her destruction which confounded them. No! They did not care at all about the harlot being burned, but they certainly got the message from the smoke!

Rev 18:19

And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and mourning, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, wherein all that had their ships in the sea were made rich by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

Note that it is not for the harlot that all of the weeping and wailing and mourning and crying and casting dust on the heads comes about, but for “the great city.” This is the great world-city, the complex of urban civilization, so identified in earlier chapters. Even at this late hour, the mourners cannot see the connection that the harlot had with all this.

Cast dust on their heads and cried, etc. … “The awful woes that are sure to come upon mankind when they turn completely away from God and burn even the apostate version of holy religion, which is all that they know, will issue in the wholesale destruction of all that is worthwhile on earth. In a pale little epitome of what is yet to happen upon a far more vast scale, Hitler and his peers burned the Bibles at Nuremburg; and what followed? The most awful slaughter in nineteen centuries! When the liberal theologians, atheistic humanists and insane Marxists have finally dismantled the last vestiges of religion, even in its apostate forms, the true and final holocaust will suddenly appear. God be merciful and delay that day.

As Morris pointed out, it is the working class, the sailors, who carry their mourning the furthest by casting dust on their heads.[58] And, as in the case of the other mourners, it is not weeping for lost faith, but for lost jobs. There is here the evident truth that laboring humanity will suffer first and longest. The godless labor unions that have led the world in their defiance of true religion as well as every other form of it shall suddenly discover that the society which they helped to kill was their own. It will be too late for dust on the head to do any good.

What all this means is that a working coalition between a watered-down, apostate Christianity and the unbridled forces of the devil will one day be terminated, and the final prejudgment wreck of the whole social order will reach its roaring climax.

THE FINAL JUDGMENT

Again, the Book of Revelation shows us the judgment, particularly as it comes to human civilization: there will be a summary end of it. Before depicting it, as usually throughout the prophecy, the vision will first show us a scene of rejoicing in heaven, for the purpose of showing that the wreck of all things shall not in any manner hurt God’s people.

ENDNOTE:

[58] Leon Morris, op. cit., p. 221.

Commentary on Rev 18:9-19 by Manly Luscombe

9 The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning,The kings (civil governments) lived in luxury. They, the kings, made an alliance with Babylon. They passed laws that allowed immorality to become legal and acceptable. They will see the results. They see the smoke of her torment. They will weep because, if immorality goes out of popularity, they will suffer loss.

10 standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come. These kings now seek to distance themselves from her. They were responsible for her success. Now that she is being punished, they try to say, It is not my fault. Babylon was a mighty city, but now it has been judged.

11 And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore: All the merchants of immorality are in mourning. The source of their income is going up in smoke. The filth shops, the drug dealers, and the porno sales on the Internet are exposed for the filth and corruption they have been selling. But, it is too late.

12 merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; 13 and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men. All the fine gold chains of the pimp, all the fancy cars of the drug dealer, have become the souls and bodies of men. The fine mansion of Hugh Hefner has become the lost souls of all the lives he has corrupted. What was glitter, gold, jewels and material things, now is disease, filth, corruption and death.

14 The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all. There is an old proverb, The chickens have come home to roost. We need to be reminded that sometimes we think the wicked are getting away with their sins. Not true. God will punish them. They will suffer. The entire splendor is gone. All the gold and silver is tarnished. All the material things do not exist.

15 The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, 16 and saying, Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! Just as the kings sought to distance themselves, so do the merchants. The people, who got rich because of the immorality of the world, are now seeking to remove themselves from her. They see the torment. They hear the weeping and wailing. They know that punishment has come upon the mother of harlots.

17 For in one hour such great riches came to nothing. Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance 18 and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What is like this great city? The term merchants includes all who trafficked in this immorality. This would include the movie theaters that showed the films. It includes the truck drivers that distribute the alcohol and the airplane pilots that fly the drugs into the country.

19 They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour she is made desolate. All the profiteers are in mourning. The source of their gain is gone. In one hour all the gain is gone. She is made desolate. All who supported her, promoted her immorality, and all who profited by the evil products she produced are going down with her.

Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary

the kings: Rev 18:3, Rev 18:7, Rev 17:2, Rev 17:12, Rev 17:13

shall bewail: Rev 18:20, Psa 58:10, Jer 50:46, Eze 26:16, Eze 26:17, Eze 32:9, Eze 32:10, Dan 4:14, Zec 11:2, Zec 11:3

the smoke: Rev 18:18, Rev 14:11, Rev 19:3, Gen 19:28, Deu 29:23, Isa 13:19, Isa 30:33, Isa 34:9, Isa 34:10, Jer 50:40

Reciprocal: Jos 8:20 – the smoke Job 6:21 – ye see Job 34:26 – in Pro 1:13 – General Isa 3:24 – burning Isa 13:14 – they shall Isa 23:17 – shall commit Isa 24:21 – the Lord Isa 47:11 – thou shalt not be Jer 48:39 – How is it Jer 51:8 – howl Jer 51:25 – and will Jer 51:44 – the nations Jer 51:57 – I will Eze 16:50 – therefore Eze 27:30 – shall cause Eze 27:35 – their kings Eze 28:19 – they Eze 30:4 – pain Eze 31:15 – I caused a Eze 31:16 – made Dan 11:39 – gain Joe 2:30 – pillars Mic 1:7 – for Mic 7:17 – they shall be Nah 3:4 – the mistress Zec 9:5 – and be Rev 2:22 – and them Rev 6:15 – the kings Rev 17:5 – the Mother Rev 18:8 – and she Rev 18:11 – the merchants Rev 18:23 – for Rev 19:2 – judged Rev 19:19 – I saw

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Comments by Foy E. Wallace

Veses 9-10.

(3) The three-fold threnody over the ruined city– Rev 18:9-19.

These verses form the threnody of kings, merchants and seamen–their song of lamentation, as a dirge over Jerusalem, the fallen city. They were represented in verses nine and ten as having thrived on her harlotries, but cut off from the lucrative revenues of her commerce they were envisioned as standing afar off, offering no help but bewailing the plight of besieged Jerusalem: Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary

Rev 18:9-10. In these verses we have the lamentation of the kings of the earth over the disaster which they have been instrumental in accomplishing. The deeds of the wicked, even when effecting the purposes of God, bring no joy to themselves. It is the righteous only who rejoice (Rev 18:20). Notice the threefold naming of the city, the great city, Babylon, the mighty city.

Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament

The Spirit of God having in the former part of the chapter set forth the certainty and severity of those judgments which should come upon mystical Babylon, he next declares what wailings and bitter lamentations her downfall would occasion to her votaries and admirers, to her friends and followers; more particularly he acquaints us with three sorts of persons that shall bewail Babylon’s destruction, kings, merchants, and seamen; the former we have here before us in these two verses: The kings of the earth, who have adhered to the whore, committed spiritual fornication with her, and delighted themselves in her carnal and pompous idol-worship, when they see the smoke of her burning, and understand the certainty of her destruction, they shall stand afar off, like persons astonished, and like persons afraid, amazed at the dreadfulness of the judgment, and afraid to come near, they be involved in it; and the words of their lamentation are here set down, Alas, alas! that great city Babylon; in one hour is her judgment come! As if they had said, “Notwithstanding all Babylon’s grandeur, which we so admired and magnified, and which she herself put so much trust and confidence in, to our astonishment we behold, in one hour, her judgment come upon her; a great and mighty city destroyed, a gay and splendid church, politically founded, powerfully strengthened, on a sudden broken in pieces, and brought to desolation: Alas, alas! that great city Babylon!

Learn hence, That when God begins to enter into judgment with his church’s enemies, the strongest arm of flesh cannot avail, but kings with their armies will flee and be discomfited, the stoutest hearts will be afraid and terrified, not daring to approach the presence of an angry God: the kings of the earth shall stand afar off for fear of her torment.

Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament

-10 Even though they killed her ( Rev 17:16-17 ), the kings cry loudly and beat the breasts in grief, or bewail and lament. Their sorrow is for their own loss, it would seem, more than the harlots death. They would not dare to go close out of fear and expressed regret over her sudden end.

Fuente: Gary Hampton Commentary on Selected Books

Rev 18:9-11. And the kings of the earth, &c. Even the chief rulers and great powers of the world, who were formerly in league with her, and supported her in her corruptions, practised her idolatries, and lived deliciously with her Shared in the pomp and luxury of her prosperous state; shall bewail her, &c. Shall not be able to afford her any support or defence, or to do any more than fruitlessly condole with her, and lament her sad condition, when they shall behold all these calamities come suddenly upon her. Saying, Alas, alas! Only expressing their astonishment at so great and wonderful a revolution, so little expected, so little thought of; that great city, that mighty city Rome was anciently termed by its inhabitants, Valentia, that is, strong; and the word Rome itself, in Greek, signifies strength. This name was given to it by the Greek strangers. For in one hour is thy judgment come How strange, how awful, that so great and mighty a city should be so suddenly, so utterly destroyed! And the merchants of the earth Her men of business, and those skilled in the affairs of life, who gained so much by her preferments, and by employments under her; the men of riches and credit in the several nations which she had corrupted, and who were supported in their pride and luxury by her means, shall not be able to help in this hour of her distress, any more than the kings of the earth; they can only weep and mourn for her misery, and for their own loss in her destruction. Now all commerce with her shall be utterly cut off; and no man by her means shall obtain wealth, credit, or power, any more.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Verse 9

Shall bewail her. The kings are represented in Revelation 17:16, as conspiring to effect the ruin of the woman, who seems to be the same as Babylon (Revelation 17:5.) We may suppose that some of them had turned against her, while others lamented her downfall,–or we may consider it as a change in the imagery, both representations denoting, in different ways, the certainty of her overthrow.

Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament

18:9 And {8} 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,

(8) The circumstances following the fall of Babylon, or the consequences of it (as I distinguished them in) see Geneva “Rev 18:4” are two. Namely the lamentation of the wicked to Rev 18:5-19 and the rejoicing of the godly in Rev 18:20 . This sorrowful lamentation, according to those that lament, has three parts: the first of which is the mourning of the kings and mighty men of the earth, Rev 18:9-10 : The second is, the lamentation of the merchants that trade by land, to the sixteenth verse: Rev 18:11-16 . The third is, the wailing of those that trade by sea, in Rev 18:16-18 . In each of those the cause and manner of their mourning is described in order, according to the condition of those that mourn, with observation of that which best agrees to them.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes

Laments over this judgment by those affected 18:9-19

Three groups of people mourn Babylon’s destruction in these verses: kings (Rev 18:9-10; cf. Eze 26:15-18), merchants (Rev 18:11-13; Rev 18:15-17 a; cf. Eze 27:36), and sea people (Rev 18:17-19; cf. Eze 27:29-36).

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

World government leaders will mourn when they see the collapse of the system that has sustained them and enabled them to live luxuriously. Committing fornication with her is a way of expressing sharing in Babylon’s luxury (cf. Eze 26:16; Eze 27:30-35). [Note: Johnson, p. 567.] Evidently fire will be the main cause of the city’s destruction (cf. Rev 18:8; Rev 18:18; Rev 14:11; Rev 17:16; Rev 19:3). The smoke of her burning, the evidence of her fall, is what caused these rulers misery (cf. Gen 19:28; Isa 34:10; Eze 28:18).