Amplified Bible
Revelation 17:5
5And on her forehead a name was written, a mystery: “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES (false religions, heresies) AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.”
Revelation 17:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
- New International Version (NIV)The name written on her forehead was a mystery: babylon the great the mother of prostitutes and of the abominations of the earth.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: "Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations."
- New King James Version (NKJV)And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
Context of Revelation 17:5
3And the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was entirely covered with blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns. 4The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold, precious stones and pearls, [and she was] holding in her hand a gold cup full of the abominations and the filth of her [sexual] immorality. And on her forehead a name was written, a mystery: “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES (false religions, heresies) AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” 6I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints (God’s people), and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus [who were martyred]. When I saw her, I wondered in amazement. 7But the angel said to me, “Why do you wonder? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and ten horns.
Read all of Revelation 17Revelation 17:5 word by word
καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ μέτωπον αὐτῆς ὄνομα γεγραμμένον, μυστήριον, Βαβυλὼν ἡ μεγάλη, ἡ μήτηρ τῶν πορνῶν καὶ τῶν βδελυγμάτων τῆς γῆς.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- uponἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
- herαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- foreheadμέτωπονmetopon · foreheadG3359
- a nameὄνομαonoma · nameG3686
- writtenγράφωgraphō · to writeG1125
- MYSTERYμυστήριονmustērion · mysteryG3466
- BABYLONΒαβυλώνBabulōn · BabylonG897
- THE GREATμέγαςmegas · greatG3173
- THE MOTHERμήτηρmētēr · motherG3384
- OF HARLOTSπόρνηpornē · prostituteG4204
- ABOMINATIONSβδέλυγμαbdelugma · abominationG946
- OF THE EARTHγῆgē · earth: planetG1093
Cross-references for Revelation 17:5
- Revelation 7:3saying, “Do not harm the earth nor the sea nor the trees until we seal (mark) the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads.”
- Isaiah 3:9Their partiality testifies against them, They display their sin like Sodom; They do not even hide it. Woe (judgment is coming) to them! For they have brought evil on themselves [as a reward].
- Philippians 3:19whose fate is destruction, whose god is their belly [their worldly appetite, their sensuality, their vanity], and whose glory is in their shame—who focus their mind on earthly and temporal things.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:7For the mystery of lawlessness [rebellion against divine authority and the coming reign of lawlessness] is already at work; [but it is restrained] only until he who now restrains it is taken out of the way.
- 2 Timothy 3:1But understand this, that in the last days dangerous times [of great stress and trouble] will come [difficult days that will be hard to bear].
- Revelation 11:8And their dead bodies will lie exposed in the open street of the great city (Jerusalem), which in a spiritual sense is called [by the symbolic and allegorical names of] Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.
- Revelation 14:8Then another angel, a second one, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her immorality [corrupting them with idolatry].”
- Revelation 16:19The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And God kept in mind Babylon the great, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce and furious wrath.
- Revelation 18:2And he shouted with a mighty voice, saying, “Fallen, fallen [certainly to be destroyed] is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a dungeon haunted by every unclean spirit, and a prison for every unclean and loathsome bird.
- Jeremiah 51:47Therefore behold (listen carefully), the days are coming When I will judge and punish the idols of Babylon; Her whole land will be perplexed and shamed, And all her slain will fall in her midst.
- Revelation 18:9“And the kings and political leaders of the earth, who committed immorality and lived luxuriously with her, will weep and beat their chests [in mourning] over her when they see the smoke of her burning,
- Revelation 19:2because His judgments are true and righteous. He has judged [convicted and pronounced sentence on] the great prostitute (idolatress) who was corrupting and ruining and poisoning the earth with her adultery (idolatry), and He has imposed the penalty for the blood of His bond-servants on her.”
Commentaries on Revelation 17:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots, and Abominations of the Earth - This inscription being written upon her forehead is intended to show that she is not ashamed of her doctrines, but publicly professes and glories in them before the nations: she has indeed a whore's forehead, she has refused to be ashamed. The inscription upon her forehead is exactly the portraiture of the Latin Church. This Church…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5And upon her forehead - In a circlet around her forehead. That is, it was made prominent and public, as if written on the forehead in blazing capitals. In Revelation 13:1 it is said that “the name of blasphemy” was written on the “heads” of the beast. The meaning in both places is substantially the same, that it was prominent, and unmistakable. See the notes on that verse. Compare the note on Revelation 14:1. Was a name written - A title, or something…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5In symbolic language, John likely referred to Rome (see Revelation 17:9) as BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES. Babylon symbolized the world's idolatries and evil acts. As the MOTHER, she produced followers who imitated her behavior. Rome, like Babylon, worshipped false gods and led other nations into unfaithfulness and idol worship.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. upon ... forehead ... name--as harlots usually had. What a contrast to "Holiness to the Lord," inscribed on the miter on the high priest's forehead! mystery--implying a spiritual fact heretofore hidden, and incapable of discovery by mere reason, but now revealed. As the union of Christ and the Church is a "great mystery" (a spiritual truth of momentous interest, once hidden, now revealed, Ep 5:31, 32), so the Church conforming to the world and thereby…Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 17:5
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Revelation 17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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