Revelation 17

Revelation · Chapter 17

Revelation 17:4

1And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:2With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.3So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.4And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:5And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.6And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.7And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.8The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.9And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.10And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.11And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.12And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.13These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.14These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.15And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.16And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.17For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.18And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
4And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls. She held in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality.And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stone and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations, even the unclean things of her fornication,

In context

AI-assisted, sourced

Revelation 17:1-6The woman on the beast

About Revelation 17An angel shows John "the great whore that sitteth upon many waters," a woman on "a scarlet coloured beast... having seven heads and ten horns," with the name "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH," and "drunken with the blood of the saints." The angel explains: "The seven heads are seven mountains," "the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings," the waters "are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues," and "the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth." The kings "shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings." Revelation 17:1Revelation 17:3Revelation 17:5Revelation 17:6Revelation 17:9Revelation 17:12Revelation 17:14Revelation 17:15Revelation 17:18

Who, where and when in this chapter

Original Greek words

EnglishGreekSay itStrong'sMeaning
AndκαὶkaiG2532
and

καί (kai) καί, conj., and I. Copulative. 1. Connecting single words; (a) in general: Mat.2:18, 16:1, Mrk.2:15, Luk.8:15, Heb.1:1, al. mult.; repeated before each of the terms in a series, Mat.23:23, Luk.14:21, Rom.7:12, 9:4, al. (b) connecting numerals (WM, §37, 4): Jhn.2:20, Act.13:20; (with) joining terms which are not mutually exclusive, as the part with the whole: Mat.8:33, 26:59, Mrk.16:17, Act.5:29, al. 2. Connecting clauses and sentences: Mat.3:12, Act.5:21, al. mult.; esp. …

womanγυνὴgunēG1135G
woman

γυνή (gunē) γυνή, -αικός, ἡ, [in LXX for אִשָּׁה ;] 1. a woman, married or unmarried: Mat.11:11 14:21, al.; ὕπανδρος γ., Rom.7:2; γ. χήρα, Luk.4:26; in vocat., γύναι implies neither reproof nor severity, but is used frequently as a term of respect and endearment, Mat.15:28, Jhn.2:4, 4:21 19:26. 2. a wife: Mat.1:20, 1Co.7:3, 4 al.; γ. ἀπολύειν, Mrk.10:2, al.; γ. ἔχειν Mrk.6:18; γ. λαβεῖν, Mrk.12:19; γ. γαμεῖν, Luk.14:20. 3. a deaconess, 1Ti.3:11 (CGT, in l.). (AS)

wasἦνēnG1510
you are

εἶ (ei) εἰμί, with various uses and significations, like the English verb to be. I. As substantive verb. 1. Of persons and things, to be, exist: Act.17:28, Jhn.1:1, 8:58, 17:5, al; ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν (for past ptcp.), Rev.1:4, 8, 4:8, 11:17, 16:5 (see Swete, Ap., 5; M, Pr., 228); τὰ (μὴ) ὄντα, Rom.4:17, 1Co.1:28. 2. Of times, events, etc., to be, happen, take place: Mat.24:3, Mrk.14:2, 15:42, Luk.21:23, Jhn.4:6, 23, 5:10, al. …

clothed inπεριβεβλημένηperibeblēmenēG4016
to clothe

περιβάλλω (periballō) περι-βάλλω [in LXX chiefly for כָּסָה pi., also for לָבַשׁ, עָטָה, etc. ;] to throw around or over, put on or over; (a) of siege or defen­sive works: χάρακά σοι, Luk.19:43 (WH, mg.; παρεμβ-, WH, txt.); …

purpleπορφυροῦνporphurounG4210
purple

πορφύρεος (porphureos) πορφύρεος, -α, -ον contr., -οῦς, -ᾶ, -οῦν (ποπφύρα), [in LXX for אַרְגָּמָן ;] purple: Jhn.19:2, 5; as subst., πορφυροῦν (sc. ἱμάτιον), Rev.17:4 18:6.† (AS)

andκαὶkaiG2532
and

καί (kai) καί, conj., and I. Copulative. 1. Connecting single words; (a) in general: Mat.2:18, 16:1, Mrk.2:15, Luk.8:15, Heb.1:1, al. mult.; repeated before each of the terms in a series, Mat.23:23, Luk.14:21, Rom.7:12, 9:4, al. (b) connecting numerals (WM, §37, 4): Jhn.2:20, Act.13:20; (with) joining terms which are not mutually exclusive, as the part with the whole: Mat.8:33, 26:59, Mrk.16:17, Act.5:29, al. 2. Connecting clauses and sentences: Mat.3:12, Act.5:21, al. mult.; esp. …

scarletκόκκινονkokkinonG2847
scarlet

κόκκινος (kokkinos) κόκκινος, -η, -ον (κόκκος, as used of the "berry" of the ilex coccifera, see DB, iv, 416), [in LXX for תּוֹלָע, תּוֹלָע, שָׁנִי, Exo.25:4, Gen.38:23, Isa.1:18, al. ;] scarlet: Mat.27:28, Heb.9:19, Rev.17:3; neut., without substantive, of clothing, Rev.17:4 18:12, 16,† (AS)

andκαὶkaiG2532
and

καί (kai) καί, conj., and I. Copulative. 1. Connecting single words; (a) in general: Mat.2:18, 16:1, Mrk.2:15, Luk.8:15, Heb.1:1, al. mult.; repeated before each of the terms in a series, Mat.23:23, Luk.14:21, Rom.7:12, 9:4, al. (b) connecting numerals (WM, §37, 4): Jhn.2:20, Act.13:20; (with) joining terms which are not mutually exclusive, as the part with the whole: Mat.8:33, 26:59, Mrk.16:17, Act.5:29, al. 2. Connecting clauses and sentences: Mat.3:12, Act.5:21, al. mult.; esp. …

adornedκεχρυσωμένηkechrusōmenēG5558
to gild

χρυσόω (chrusoō) χρυσόω, -ῶ (χρυσός) [in LXX chiefly for צָפָה pi. ;] to gild, cover with gold: pass., with dative, χρυσίῳ (pleonast., cf. Exo.26:37), Rev.17:4 18:16.† (AS)

with goldχρυσίῳchrusiōG5553
gold

χρυσίον (chrusion) χρυσίον, -ου, τό (dimin. of χρυσός, which see), [in LXX chiefly for זָהָב ;] a piece of gold, gold: 1Co.3:12, Heb.9:4, 1Pe.1:7, Rev.3:18 21:18, 21; of golden ornaments, 1Ti.2:9 (WH, txt., RV), 1Pe.3:3, Rev.17:4 18:16 (WH, txt., R); of gold coin, money, Act.3:6 20:33, 1Pe.1:18.† (AS)

andκαὶkaiG2532
and

καί (kai) καί, conj., and I. Copulative. 1. Connecting single words; (a) in general: Mat.2:18, 16:1, Mrk.2:15, Luk.8:15, Heb.1:1, al. mult.; repeated before each of the terms in a series, Mat.23:23, Luk.14:21, Rom.7:12, 9:4, al. (b) connecting numerals (WM, §37, 4): Jhn.2:20, Act.13:20; (with) joining terms which are not mutually exclusive, as the part with the whole: Mat.8:33, 26:59, Mrk.16:17, Act.5:29, al. 2. Connecting clauses and sentences: Mat.3:12, Act.5:21, al. mult.; esp. …

with stoneλίθῳlithōG3037
stone

λίθος (lithos) λίθος, -ου, ὁ (and, in Att.., of precious stones, ἡ.) [in LXX for אֶבֶן, Gen.11:3, al.; λ. τίμιος, for פָּז, Psa.19:10 21:3, Pro.8:19, al. ;] a stone: Mat.4:6, al.; pl., Mat.3:9, al.; at the entrance of a tomb, Mat.27:60, 66 28:2, Mrk.15:46 16:3-4, Luk.24:2, Jhn.11:38, 32 11:41 20:1; λ. μυλικός, Luk.17:2, cf. Rev.18:21; of building stones, Mat.21:42, [44], Mat.24:2, Mrk.12:10 13:1-2, Luk.19:44 20:17-18 21:5-6 Act.4:11, 1Pe.2:7; metaphorically, of Christ, λ. ἀκρογωναῖος, ἐκλεκτός, ἔντιμος, 1Pe.2:6 (LXX); λ. ζῶν, 1Pe.2:4; προσκόμματος, 1Pe.2:8, Rom.9:33; of Christians, λ. ζῶντες, 1Pe.2:5; of pr …

preciousτιμίῳtimiōG5093
precious

τίμιος (timios) τίμιος, -α, -ον (τιμή), [in LXX chiefly for יָקָר ;] valued, hence, (a) precious, costly, highly valued: primarily, of money value, λίθος, Rev.17:4 18:12, 16 21:19; pl., 1Co.3:12; compar., -ώτεφος, 1Pe.1:7, Rec.; superl., -ώτατος, Rev.18:12 21:11; in extended sense, καρπός, Jas.5:7; αἷμα, 1Pe.1:19; ἐπαγγέλματα, 2Pe.1:4; (b) held in honour, honoured, esteemed worthy: with dative, Act.5:34; ὁ γάμος, Heb.13:4; ψυχή, Act.20:24 (where τ. is pleonastic, see Page, in l).† (AS)

andκαὶkaiG2532
and

καί (kai) καί, conj., and I. Copulative. 1. Connecting single words; (a) in general: Mat.2:18, 16:1, Mrk.2:15, Luk.8:15, Heb.1:1, al. mult.; repeated before each of the terms in a series, Mat.23:23, Luk.14:21, Rom.7:12, 9:4, al. (b) connecting numerals (WM, §37, 4): Jhn.2:20, Act.13:20; (with) joining terms which are not mutually exclusive, as the part with the whole: Mat.8:33, 26:59, Mrk.16:17, Act.5:29, al. 2. Connecting clauses and sentences: Mat.3:12, Act.5:21, al. mult.; esp. …

with pearls,μαργαρίταις,margaritaisG3135
pearl

μαργαρίτης (margaritēs) μαργαρίτης, -ου, ὁ a pearl: Mat.13:45-46, 1Ti.2:9, Rev.17:4 18:12, 16 21:21 (-ῖται, WH); proverbially, Mat.7:6.† (AS)

holdingἔχουσαechousaG2192
to have/be

ἔχω (echō) ἔχω, [in LXX for אָצֵל (ἐχόμενος), יֵשׁ,בַּעַל, etc., 59 words in all ;] (on the Aktionsart of the various tenses, see M, Pr., 110, 145, 150, 183), to have, as in cl., in various senses and constructions. I. Trans.; 1. 1. to have, hold, hold fast, etc.; (a) to hold, as, in the hand: Rev.5:8 14:6, al.; ἐν τ. χειρί, Rev.1:16 10:2, al.; (b) of arms and clothing, = φέρω, φορέω, to bear, wear: Mat.3:4 22:12, al.; so frequently present ptcp. (LS, see word, A, I, 6; Bl., 74, 2), Mrk.11:13, Jhn.18:10, Rev.9:17, al.; (with) of a woman, ἐν γαστρὶ ἔ, to be with child: Mrk.13:17, Rom.9:10; …

a cupποτήριονpotērionG4221
cup

ποτήριον (potērion) ποτήριον, -ου, τό dimin. of ποτήρ (πίνω), [in LXX chiefly for כּוֹס:] a wine cup: Mat.23:25-26 26:27, Mrk.7:4 14:23, Luk.11:39 22:17, 20 a (WH, R, mg., cm.), 1Co.11:25, Rev.17:4; πίνειν ἐκ τοῦ π., 1Co.11:28; with genitive of thing(s), Mat.10:42, Mrk.9:41; τ. εὐλογίας, 1Co.10:16; by meton., of the contents of the cup, Luk.22:20 b (WH, R, mg., cm.), 1Co.11:25-26; with genitive of person(s), 1Co.10:21 11:27. Metaphorical, of experience of divine providence; of prosperity (Psa.16:5, al.); of adversity (Psa.11:6, Isa.51:17, al.): of the sufferings of Christ, Mat.20:22-23 26:39 10:38-39 14:36, Luk …

goldenχρυσοῦνchrusounG5552
golden

χρύσεος (chruseos) Χρύσεος, -εα, -εον (-οῦς, -ῆ, -οῦν; on accusative sing. fem., -ᾶν, Rev.1:13 and genitive pl. uncontr., -εων, Rev.2:1, LTr., see M, Pr., 48 and cf. Thackeray, Gr., x, 172 f.) (χρυσός), [in LXX chiefly for זָהָב ;] golden, i.e. made or overlaid with gold: 2Ti.2:20, Heb.9:4, Rev.1:12-13, 20 2:1 4:4 5:8 8:3 9:13, 20 14:14 15:6-7 17:4 21:15.† (AS)

inἐνenG1722
in/on/among

ἐν (en) ἐν, prep, (the most frequently of all in NT), with dative (= Heb. בְּ, Lat. in, with abl.). I. Of place, with dative of thing(s), of person(s), in, within, on, at, by, among: ἐν τ. πόλει, Luk.7:37; τ. οφθαλμῷ, Mat.7:3; τ. κοιλίᾳ, Mat.12:40; τ. ὄρει, 2Pe.1:18; τ. θρόνῳ, Rev.3:21; τ. δεξιᾷ τ. θεοῦ, Rom.8:34; ἐν ἡμῖν Abbott-Smith has ὑμῖν., Luk.1:1; of books, ἐν τ. βιβλίῳ, Gal.3:10; τ. νόμῳ, Mat.12:5, al.; ἐν τοῖς τ. Πατρός, in my Father's house (RV; cf. M, Pr., 103), Luk.2:49; trop., of the region of thought or feeling, ἐν τ. καρδίᾳ (-αις), Mat.5:28, 2Co.4:6, al.; τ. συνειδήσεσιν, 2Co.5:11; af …

handχειρὶcheiriG5495
hand

χείρ (cheir) χείρ, genitive, χειρος (accusative, χεῖραν, 1Pe.5:6 T), ἡ, [in LXX chiefly for יָד ;] the hand: Mat.3:12, Mrk.3:1, Luk.6:6, al. mult.; ἡ χ., acting subject, Luk.22:21; pl., Act.17:25 20:34, 1Jn.1:1; τ. ἔργα τῶν χ., Act.7:41, Rev.9:20; ὁ ἀσπασμὸς τ. ἐμῇ χ., 1Co.16:21, Col.4:18, 2Th.3:17; prepositional phrases, esp. those without art., similar to Heb. constructions (Bl., §32, 4; 40, 9; 46, 9), ἐν χ.; with genitive (Lft., in l.), Gal.3:19; σὺν χ. ἀγγέλου, Act.7:35; διὰ (τῶν) χειρῶν (διὰ χειρός), Mrk.6:2, Act.5:12 7:25, al.; ἐπὶ χειρῶν, Mat.4:6, Luk.4:11; ellipse of χ. (ἡ δεξία, ἀριστερα; Bl., § …

of herαὐτῆςautēsG0846
it/s/he

αὐτός (autos) αὐτός, -ή, -ό, determinative pron., in late Gk. much more frequently than in cl. (WM, 178f.; Jannaris, HGG, §1399). 1. Emphatic (so always in nom. exc. when preceded by the art., see infr., iii); (1) self (ipse), expressing opposition, distinction, exclusion, etc., αὐ. ἐκχυθήσεται, Luk.5:37; αὐ. ἐγινώσκεν, Jhn.2:25; αὐ.ὑμεῖς, Jhn.3:28; καὶ αὐ. ἐγώ, Rom.15:14; αὐ. Ἰησοῦς, Jhn.2:24; αὐ. καὶ οἱ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ, Mrk.2:25; ὑμεῖς αὐ., Mrk.6:31; esp. (as freq in cl.) αὐ. ὁ, Mat.3:4, Mrk.6:17, Jhn.16:27, 1Th.3:11, al.; in late Gk., sometimes weakened, ἐν αὐτῇ τ. ὥρᾳ, in that hour, Luk.10:21 (M, Pr., 91; …

being fullγέμονgemonG1073
be full

γέμω (gemō) γέμω (used only in present and impf.), [in LXX for מלא, נשׂא ;] to be full; 1. properly, of a ship (Xen.). 2. Generally (Plat., al.), (a) with genitive of thing(s): Mat.23:27, Luk.11:39, Rom.3:14" (LXX), Rev.4:6, 8 5:8 15:7 17:3 (Rec.) 4 21:9 (b) before ἐκ: Mat.23:25; (with) with accusative of thing(s) (called a solecism in WM, 251; Bl., §36, 4), as in later Gk. from Byz. to Mod. times (Jannaris, Gr., 1319): Rev.17:3. † (AS)

of abominationsβδελυγμάτωνbdelugmatōnG0946
abomination

βδέλυγμα (bdelugma) βδέλυγμα, -τος, τό (βδελύσσω), [in LXX chiefly for שֶׁקֶץ ,תּוֹעֵבָה ;] an abomination, a detestable thing: Luk.16:15, Rev.17:4, 5 21:27; τὸ β. τ. ἐρημώσεως (Dan LXX 12:11, cf . 1Ma.1:54; DB, i, 12f.; DCG, i, 6f.), Mrk.13:14, Mat.24:15 (Cremer, 138).† (AS)

andκαὶkaiG2532
and

καί (kai) καί, conj., and I. Copulative. 1. Connecting single words; (a) in general: Mat.2:18, 16:1, Mrk.2:15, Luk.8:15, Heb.1:1, al. mult.; repeated before each of the terms in a series, Mat.23:23, Luk.14:21, Rom.7:12, 9:4, al. (b) connecting numerals (WM, §37, 4): Jhn.2:20, Act.13:20; (with) joining terms which are not mutually exclusive, as the part with the whole: Mat.8:33, 26:59, Mrk.16:17, Act.5:29, al. 2. Connecting clauses and sentences: Mat.3:12, Act.5:21, al. mult.; esp. …

unclean [things]ἀκάθαρταakathartaG0169
unclean

ἀκάθαρτος (akathartos) ἀκάθαρτος, -ον (ἀ- neg., καθαίρω), [in LXX chiefly for טָמֵא ;] unclean, impure; (a) physically (LS, MM, VGT, see word); (b) ceremonially: Act.10:14,28 11:8, 1Co.7:14, 2Co.6:17, Rev.18:2; (with) morally: Eph.5:5, Rev.17:4; with πνεῦμα, as always in Gosp., Mat.10:1 12:43, Mrk.1:23,26,27 3:11,30 5:2,8,13 6:7 7:25 9:25, Luk.4:33,36 6:18 8:29 9:42 11:24, Act.5:16 8:7, Rev.16:13 (cf. Cremer, 320). † (AS)

sexual immoralityπορνείαςporneiasG4202
sexual sin

πορνεία (porneia) πορνεία, -ας, ἡ (πορνεύω), [in LXX for תַּזְנוּת and cogn. forms ;] fornication: Act.15:20, 29 21:25, 1Co.5:1 6:13 6:18, 2Co.12:21, Gal.5:19, Eph.5:3, Col.3:5, 1Th.4:3 (Lft., Notes, 53), Rev.9:21; pl. (see WM, 220; Bl., § 32, 6), 1Co.7:2; disting. from μοιχεία, Mat.15:19, Mrk.7:21; = μοιχεία (Amos 8:17 Sir.23:23, al.), Mat.5:32 19:9. Metaphorical (of idolatry: Deu.23:2, Hos.1:2): Jhn.8:41 (Westc., in l), and so perh. (Thayer-Grimm, see word; but see Swete, in 11.), Rev.2:21 14:18 17:2, 4 18:3 19:2.† (AS)

of her.αὐτῆς.autēsG0846
it/s/he

αὐτός (autos) αὐτός, -ή, -ό, determinative pron., in late Gk. much more frequently than in cl. (WM, 178f.; Jannaris, HGG, §1399). 1. Emphatic (so always in nom. exc. when preceded by the art., see infr., iii); (1) self (ipse), expressing opposition, distinction, exclusion, etc., αὐ. ἐκχυθήσεται, Luk.5:37; αὐ. ἐγινώσκεν, Jhn.2:25; αὐ.ὑμεῖς, Jhn.3:28; καὶ αὐ. ἐγώ, Rom.15:14; αὐ. Ἰησοῦς, Jhn.2:24; αὐ. καὶ οἱ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ, Mrk.2:25; ὑμεῖς αὐ., Mrk.6:31; esp. (as freq in cl.) αὐ. ὁ, Mat.3:4, Mrk.6:17, Jhn.16:27, 1Th.3:11, al.; in late Gk., sometimes weakened, ἐν αὐτῇ τ. ὥρᾳ, in that hour, Luk.10:21 (M, Pr., 91; …

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.