Revelation 18:19
17 For in a single hour such fabulous wealth has been destroyed!” Every shipmaster, passenger, and sailor, and all who make their living from the sea, will stand at a distance
18 and cry out at the sight of the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her. “What city was ever like this great city?” they will exclaim.
Then they will throw dust on their heads as they weep and mourn and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, where all who had ships on the sea were enriched by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been destroyed.”
20 Rejoice over her, O heaven, O saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced for you His judgment against her.
21 Then a mighty angel picked up a stone the size of a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying: “With such violence the great city of Babylon will be cast down, never to be seen again.
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- Then they will throw dust on their heads as they weep and mourn and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, where all who had ships on the sea were enriched by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been destroyed.”
- KJV
- 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.
- WEB
- They cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and mourning, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had their ships in the sea were made rich by reason of her great wealth!’ For she is made desolate in one hour.
- ASV
- 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.
- DARBY
- and cast dust upon their heads, and cried, weeping and grieving, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, in which all that had ships in the sea were enriched through her costliness! for in one hour she has been made desolate.
- BLB
- And they cast dust upon their heads, and they were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying: “Woe, woe, the great city, in which all those having ships in the sea became rich through her wealth! For in one hour she was brought to desolation.”
- ÅB
- Og de kastet støv på sine hoder og ropte med gråt og sorg og sa: Ve, ve den store by, hvor alle som har skip i sjøen, er blitt rike av dens kostbarheter, at den er lagt øde i en time!
- OTB
- De skal kaste støv på hodene sine og rope, gråtende og sørgende, og si:
'Ve, ve, den store byen,
hvor alle som hadde skip på havet ble rike av hennes rikdom!
For på én time er hun lagt øde!' - B1930
- Og de kastet støv på sine hoder og ropte med gråt og sorg og sa: Ve, ve den store by, hvor alle som har skib i sjøen, er blitt rike av dens kostbarheter, at den er lagt øde i en time!
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Revelation 18:10
In fear of her torment, they will stand at a distance and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, the mighty city of Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.”
Read in contextJoshua 7:6
Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown before the ark of the LORD until evening, as did the elders of Israel; and they all sprinkled dust on their heads.
Read in contextEzekiel 27:30
They will raise their voices for you and cry out bitterly. They will throw dust on their heads and roll in ashes.
Read in contextRevelation 18:3
All the nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her immorality. The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown wealthy from the extravagance of her luxury.”
Read in contextJob 2:12
When they lifted up their eyes from afar, they could barely recognize Job. They began to weep aloud, and each man tore his robe and threw dust in the air over his head.
Read in contextRevelation 18:8
Therefore her plagues will come in one day— death and grief and famine— and she will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.”
Read in context1 Samuel 4:12
That same day a Benjamite ran from the battle line all the way to Shiloh, with his clothes torn and dirt on his head.
Read in contextRevelation 18:15–17
The merchants who sold these things and grew their wealth from her will stand at a distance, in fear of her torment. They will weep and mourn,
Read in context