Verse-by-Verse Study Notes
STUDY NOTES — verse by verse. [Brackets] mark English helper words. Hebrew quoted word-for-word from the Tanakh, never invented. “Lord” = kurios (title), never the Name. Greek in pinned comment; apparatus free below.
Rev 18:1 — א A; C lacuna — resumes mid-18:2.
Lit: “After these [things] I saw another angel coming down out of the heaven, having great authority, and the earth was enlightened out of the glory of him.”
Heb: no direct Tanakh verbal parallel; the angel’s descent opens the vision.
Rev 18:2 — א A; C resumes mid-verse at παντὸς ὀρνέου ἀκαθάρτου καὶ μεμισημένου.
Lit: “and he cried out in a strong voice, saying: ‘Fallen, fallen [is] Babylon the great, and she became a dwelling-place of demons, and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean bird, and a prison of every unclean wild beast, and of [a] hated [thing],’”
Heb, Isa 21:9 (“Fallen, fallen is Babylon”): וְהִנֵּה־זֶה בָא רֶכֶב אִישׁ צֶמֶד פָּרָשִׁים וַיַּעַן וַיֹּאמֶר נָפְלָה נָפְלָה בָּבֶל וְכָל־פְּסִילֵי אֱלֹהֶיהָ שִׁבַּר לָאָרֶץ — “and behold — this one comes: a chariot of a man, a pair of horsemen; and he answered and said: ‘Fallen, fallen is Babylon, and all the carved images of her gods He has shattered to the ground’”
Heb, Jer 51:8 (suddenly Babylon has fallen): פִּתְאֹם נָפְלָה בָבֶל וַתִּשָּׁבֵר הֵילִילוּ עָלֶיהָ קְחוּ צֳרִי לְמַכְאוֹבָהּ אוּלַי תֵּרָפֵא — “suddenly Babylon has fallen and is broken; wail over her; take balm for her pain — perhaps she may be healed”
Heb, Isa 13:21-22 (Babylon’s ruins, haunt of wild creatures): וְרָבְצוּ־שָׁם צִיִּים וּמָלְאוּ בָתֵּיהֶם אֹחִים וְשָׁכְנוּ שָׁם בְּנוֹת יַעֲנָה וּשְׂעִירִים יְרַקְּדוּ־שָׁם וְעָנָה אִיִּים בְּאַלְמנוֹתָיו וְתַנִּים בְּהֵיכְלֵי עֹנֶג — “and desert wild-cats shall lie down there, and their houses shall be full of owls, and ostriches shall dwell there, and wild goats shall dance there” “and wolves shall cry out in its palaces, and jackals in the temples of delight”
Heb, Isa 34:11 (Edom’s ruin, haunt of birds): וִירֵשׁוּהָ קָאַת וְקִפּוֹד וְיַנְשׁוֹף וְעֹרֵב יִשְׁכְּנוּ־בָהּ — “and the pelican and the porcupine shall possess her, and the great owl and the raven shall dwell in her”
Rev 18:3 — א A C.
Lit: “because out of the wine of the wrath of the fornication of her have fallen all the nations, and the kings of the earth with her committed fornication, and the merchants of the earth out of the power of the luxury of her became rich.”
Heb, Jer 51:7 (Babylon the golden cup): כּוֹס־זָהָב בָּבֶל בְּיַד־יְהוָה מְשַׁכֶּרֶת כָּל־הָאָרֶץ מִיֵּינָהּ שָׁתוּ גוֹיִם עַל־כֵּן יִתְהֹלְלוּ גוֹיִם — “a golden cup [is] Babylon in the hand of YudHeyVavHey, making drunk all the earth; of her wine the nations drank — therefore the nations are mad”
Rev 18:4 — א A C.
Lit: “And I heard another voice out of the heaven saying: ‘Come out, the people of me, out of her, so that you might not share together in the sins of her, and out of the plagues of her so that you might not receive;’”
Heb, Jer 51:45 (“come out of her, my people”): צְאוּ מִתּוֹכָהּ עַמִּי וּמַלְּטוּ אִישׁ אֶת־נַפְשׁוֹ מֵחֲרוֹן אַף־יְהוָה — “come out from her midst, my people, and deliver each his soul from the burning anger of YudHeyVavHey”
Heb, Jer 51:6 (flee from the midst of Babylon): נֻסוּ מִתּוֹךְ בָּבֶל וּמַלְּטוּ אִישׁ נַפְשׁוֹ — “flee from the midst of Babylon, and deliver each his soul”
Rev 18:5 — א A C.
Lit: “because were heaped together of her the sins as far as the heaven, and remembered Elohim the unrighteous [deeds] of her.”
Heb, Jer 51:9 (her judgment reaches the heavens; quoted from כִּי־נָגַע — the verse head carries ketiv/qere רפאנו [רִפִּינוּ]): כִּי־נָגַע אֶל־הַשָּׁמַיִם מִשְׁפָּטָהּ וְנִשָּׂא עַד־שְׁחָקִים — “for her judgment has reached unto the heavens, and is lifted up unto the clouds”
Rev 18:6 — א A C.
Lit: “Pay back to her as also she paid back, and double the double [things] according to the works of her; in the cup in which she mixed, mix to her double;”
Heb, Jer 50:29 (recompense her according to her work; quoted from שַׁלְּמוּ־לָהּ — the verse head carries ketiv/qere אַל־יְהִי־[לָהּ]): שַׁלְּמוּ־לָהּ כְּפָעֳלָהּ כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר עָשְׂתָה עֲשׂוּ־לָהּ — “recompense to her according to her work; according to all that she has done, do to her”
Heb, Isa 40:2 (double for all her sins): כִּי לָקְחָה מִיַּד יְהוָה כִּפְלַיִם בְּכָל־חַטֹּאתֶיהָ — “for she has received from the hand of YudHeyVavHey double for all her sins”
Rev 18:7 — א A C.
Lit: “as much as she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, so much give to her torment and mourning; because in the heart of her she says: ‘I sit [as] queen, and widow I am not, and mourning I shall never see.’”
Heb, Isa 47:8 (Babylon the luxurious one — “I shall not sit as a widow”): וְעַתָּה שִׁמְעִי־זֹאת עֲדִינָה הַיּוֹשֶׁבֶת לָבֶטַח הָאֹמְרָה בִלְבָבָהּ אֲנִי וְאַפְסִי עוֹד לֹא אֵשֵׁב אַלְמָנָה וְלֹא אֵדַע שְׁכוֹל — “and now hear this, luxurious [one], dwelling securely, saying in her heart: ‘I am, and there is none else besides me; I shall not sit [as] a widow, and I shall not know the loss of children’”
Heb, Isa 47:7 (“forever I shall be a lady”): וַתֹּאמְרִי לְעוֹלָם אֶהְיֶה גְבָרֶת — “and you said: ‘Forever I shall be a lady’”
Rev 18:8 — א A C.
Lit: “On account of this, in one day will come the plagues of her — death and mourning and famine — and in fire she will be burned up; because strong [is] Elohim, the Elohim, the [One] having judged her.”
Heb, Isa 47:9 (in one day — loss of children and widowhood): וְתָבֹאנָה לָּךְ שְׁתֵּי־אֵלֶּה רֶגַע בְּיוֹם אֶחָד שְׁכוֹל וְאַלְמֹן — “and these two shall come to you in a moment, in one day: loss of children and widowhood”
Heb, Jer 51:25 (Babylon made a burnt mountain): וְגִלְגַּלְתִּיךָ מִן־הַסְּלָעִים וּנְתַתִּיךָ לְהַר שְׂרֵפָה — “and I will roll you down from the rocks, and will make you a burnt mountain”
Rev 18:9 — א A C.
Lit: “And will weep and will beat [their breasts] over her the kings of the earth, the [ones] with her having committed fornication and having lived luxuriously, when they see the smoke of the burning of her,”
Heb, Ezek 27:31 (mourning over fallen Tyre): וְהִקְרִיחוּ אֵלַיִךְ קָרְחָה וְחָגְרוּ שַׂקִּים וּבָכוּ אֵלַיִךְ בְּמַר־נֶפֶשׁ מִסְפֵּד מָר — “and they shall make themselves bald for you, and gird themselves with sackcloth, and weep for you in bitterness of soul, with bitter mourning”
Rev 18:10 — א A C.
Lit: “from afar having stood, on account of the fear of the torment of her, saying: ‘Woe, woe, the city the great, Babylon the city the strong — because in one hour came the judgment of you.’”
Heb: no new verbatim parallel; the lament setting is the Ezekiel 27 lament over Tyre — see 18:9, 18:18-19.
Rev 18:11 — א A C.
Lit: “And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, because the cargo of them no one buys any longer,”
Heb, Ezek 27:12 (Tarshish traded for Tyre’s wares): תַּרְשִׁישׁ סֹחַרְתֵּךְ מֵרֹב כָּל־הוֹן בְּכֶסֶף בַּרְזֶל בְּדִיל וְעוֹפֶרֶת נָתְנוּ עִזְבוֹנָיִךְ — “Tarshish [was] your merchant by reason of the multitude of all riches; with silver, iron, tin, and lead they traded for your wares”
Rev 18:12 — א A C.
Lit: “cargo of gold and of silver and of precious stone and of pearls, and of fine linen and of purple and of silk and of scarlet, and every citron-wood and every vessel of ivory and every vessel of most precious wood, and of copper and of iron and of marble,”
Heb: the cargo list follows the Ezekiel 27 merchandise list — see 18:11, 18:13.
Rev 18:13 — א A C.
Lit: “and cinnamon and amomum and incenses and myrrh and frankincense and wine and oil and fine flour and wheat and cattle and sheep, and of horses and of chariots and of bodies — even souls of men.”
Heb, Ezek 27:13 (traders in “the soul of man”): יָוָן תֻּבַל וָמֶשֶׁךְ הֵמָּה רֹכְלָיִךְ בְּנֶפֶשׁ אָדָם וּכְלֵי נְחֹשֶׁת נָתְנוּ מַעֲרָבֵךְ — “Javan, Tubal, and Meshech — they [were] your traffickers; with the soul of man and vessels of copper they traded your merchandise”
Rev 18:14 — א A C.
Lit: “And the ripe fruit of you — of the desire of the soul — departed from you, and all the rich [things] and the splendid [things] perished from you, and no longer shall they find them — never.”
Heb: no direct Tanakh verbal parallel.
Rev 18:15 — א A C.
Lit: “The merchants of these [things], the [ones] having become rich from her, from afar will stand on account of the fear of the torment of her, weeping and mourning,”
Heb: the merchants’ lament continues the Ezekiel 27 setting — see 18:9, 18:11.
Rev 18:16 — א A C.
Lit: “saying: ‘Woe, woe, the city the great, the [one] having been clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and having been gilded with gold and precious stone and pearl,’”
Heb, Ezek 27:7 (Tyre’s fine-linen and purple covering): תְּכֵלֶת וְאַרְגָּמָן מֵאִיֵּי אֱלִישָׁה הָיָה מְכַסֵּךְ — “blue and purple from the isles of Elishah was your covering”
Rev 18:17 — א A C.
Lit: “because in one hour was desolated such great wealth.”
Heb, Ezek 26:19 (Tyre made a ruined city): בְּתִתִּי אֹתָךְ עִיר נֶחֱרֶבֶת כֶּעָרִים אֲשֶׁר לֹא־נוֹשָׁבוּ (נֶחֱרֶבֶת — “ruined, laid waste” — answers to ἠρημώθη, “was desolated”) — “when I make you a ruined city, like the cities that are not inhabited”
Rev 18:18 — א A C.
Lit: “and they cried out, seeing the smoke of the burning of her, saying: ‘Who [is] like the city the great?’”
Heb, Ezek 27:32 (the lament over Tyre — “who is like Tyre?”): מִי כְצוֹר כְּדֻמָה בְּתוֹךְ הַיָּם — “who [is] as Tyre, as she who is brought to silence in the midst of the sea?”
Rev 18:19 — א A C.
Lit: “and they threw dust upon the heads of them, and cried out weeping and mourning, saying: ‘Woe, woe, the city the great, in which became rich all the [ones] having the ships in the sea out of the preciousness of her — because in one hour she was desolated.’”
Heb, Ezek 27:30 (dust on their heads over fallen Tyre): וְהִשְׁמִיעוּ עָלַיִךְ בְּקוֹלָם וְיִזְעֲקוּ מָרָה וְיַעֲלוּ עָפָר עַל־רָאשֵׁיהֶם בָּאֵפֶר יִתְפַּלָּשׁוּ — “and they shall cause their voice to be heard over you, and shall cry bitterly, and shall cast up dust upon their heads; in the ashes they shall wallow”
Rev 18:20 — א A C.
Lit: “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and [you] the holy [ones] and the apostles and the prophets, because judged Elohim the judgment of you out of her.”
Heb, Jer 51:48 (heaven and earth sing over fallen Babylon): וְרִנְּנוּ עַל־בָּבֶל שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר בָּהֶם כִּי מִצָּפוֹן יָבוֹא־לָהּ הַשּׁוֹדְדִים נְאֻם־יְהוָה — “and heaven and earth, and all that [is] in them, shall sing for Babylon; for from the north the spoilers shall come to her — declares YudHeyVavHey”
Rev 18:21 — א A C.
Lit: “And lifted up one strong angel a stone like a mill[-stone], great, and threw [it] into the sea, saying: ‘Thus with violence will be thrown Babylon the great city, and she shall never be found again.’”
Heb, Jer 51:63-64 (the stone bound and cast into the Euphrates — “thus shall Babylon sink”): וְהָיָה כְּכַלֹּתְךָ לִקְרֹא אֶת־הַסֵּפֶר הַזֶּה תִּקְשֹׁר עָלָיו אֶבֶן וְהִשְׁלַכְתּוֹ אֶל־תּוֹךְ פְּרָת וְאָמַרְתָּ כָּכָה תִּשְׁקַע בָּבֶל וְלֹא־תָקוּם מִפְּנֵי הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר אֲנֹכִי מֵבִיא עָלֶיהָ — “and it shall be, when you have finished reading this book, you shall bind a stone to it and cast it into the midst of the Euphrates” “and you shall say: ‘Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise, because of the evil that I am bringing upon her’”
Rev 18:22 — א A C.
Lit: “and the sound of harpists and musicians and flutists and trumpeters shall never be heard in you again, and every craftsman of every craft shall never be found in you again, and the sound of a millstone shall never be heard in you again,”
Heb, Jer 25:10 (the silencing — voice of bridegroom and bride, sound of millstones, light of the lamp): וְהַאֲבַדְתִּי מֵהֶם קוֹל שָׂשׂוֹן וְקוֹל שִׂמְחָה קוֹל חָתָן וְקוֹל כַּלָּה קוֹל רֵחַיִם וְאוֹר נֵר — “and I will take from them the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp”
Rev 18:23 — א A C.
Lit: “and the light of a lamp shall never shine in you again, and the voice of bridegroom and of bride shall never be heard in you again; because the merchants of you were the great [ones] of the earth, because by the sorcery of you were deceived all the nations,”
Heb, Jer 25:10 (the silencing continued — see 18:22) Isa 23:8 (Tyre, whose merchants are the honoured of the earth): מִי יָעַץ זֹאת עַל־צֹר הַמַּעֲטִירָה אֲשֶׁר סֹחֲרֶיה שָׂרִים כִּנְעָנֶיהָ נִכְבַּדֵּי־אָרֶץ (נִכְבַּדֵּי־אָרֶץ — “the honoured ones of the earth” — answers to οἱ μεγιστᾶνες τῆς γῆς) — “who has taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning [city], whose merchants [are] princes, whose traffickers [are] the honoured of the earth?”
Heb, Isa 47:12 (Babylon’s sorceries): עִמְדִי־נָא בַחֲבָרַיִךְ וּבְרֹב כְּשָׁפַיִךְ (כְּשָׁפַיִךְ — “your sorceries” — answers to τῇ φαρμακείᾳ σου) — “stand now with your enchantments and with the multitude of your sorceries”
Rev 18:24 — א A C.
Lit: “and in her the blood of prophets and of holy [ones] was found — even of all the [ones] having been slain upon the earth.”
Heb, Jer 51:49 (“the slain of all the earth” at Babylon): גַּם־בָּבֶל לִנְפֹּל חַלְלֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל גַּם־לְבָבֶל נָפְלוּ חַלְלֵי כָל־הָאָרֶץ (חַלְלֵי כָל־הָאָרֶץ — — “even Babylon [is] to fall, O slain of Israel; even at Babylon have fallen the slain of all the earth” “the slain of all the earth” — answers to πάντων τῶν ἐσφαγμένων ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς)