American Standard Version
Revelation 18:19
19And 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.
Revelation 18:19 in other versions
- King James Version (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.
- New International Version (NIV)They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out: “ ‘Woe! Woe to you, great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth! In one hour she has been brought to ruin!’
- English Standard Version (ESV)And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out, "Alas, alas, for the great city where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been laid waste.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“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.’
Context of Revelation 18:19
17for 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, 18and cried out as they looked upon the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like the great city? 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. 20Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye saints, and ye apostles, and ye prophets; for God hath judged your judgment on her. 21And a strong angel took up a stone as it were a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with a mighty fall shall Babylon, the great city, be cast down, and shall be found no more at all.
Read all of Revelation 18Revelation 18:19 word by word
καὶ ἔβαλον χοῦν ἐπὶ τὰς κεφαλὰς αὐτῶν καὶ ἔκραζον κλαίοντες καὶ πενθοῦντες λέγοντες· οὐαὶ οὐαὶ ἡ πόλις ἡ μεγάλη, ἐν ᾗ ἐπλούτησαν πάντες οἱ ἔχοντες τὰ πλοῖα ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ ἐκ τῆς τιμιότητος αὐτῆς, ὅτι μιᾷ ὥρᾳ ἠρημώθη.Read the interlinear
- castβάλλωballō · to throw: throwG906
- dustχόοςchoos · dustG5522
- headsκεφαλήkephalē · headG2776
- criedκράζωkrazō · to cryG2896
- weepingκλαίωklaiō · to weepG2799
- mourningπενθέωpentheō · to mournG3996
- sayingλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- Woeοὐαίouai · woe!G3759
- greatμέγαςmegas · greatG3173
- cityπόλιςpolis · cityG4172
- shipsπλοῖονploion · boatG4143
- seaθάλασσαthalassa · seaG2281
- richπλουτέωplouteō · be richG4147
- oneεἷςheis · oneG1520
- hourὥραhōra · hourG5610
Cross-references for Revelation 18:19
- Joshua 7:6And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of Jehovah until the evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust upon their heads.
- 1 Samuel 4:12And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head.
- 2 Samuel 13:19And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of divers colors that was on her; and she laid her hand on her head, and went her way, crying aloud as she went.
- Nehemiah 9:1Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackcloth, and earth upon them.
- Job 2:12And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his robe, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.
- Ezekiel 27:30and shall cause their voice to be heard over thee, and shall cry bitterly, and shall cast up dust upon their heads; they shall wallow themselves in the ashes:
- Revelation 18:10standing 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.
- Revelation 18:8Therefore in one day shall her plagues come, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire; for strong is the Lord God who judged her.
Commentaries on Revelation 18:19
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19They cast dust on their heads - They showed every sign of the sincerest grief. The lamentation over this great ruined city, Revelation 18:9-19, is exceedingly strong and well drawn. Here is no dissembled sorrow; all is real to the mourners, and affecting to the spectators.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19And they cast dust on their heads - A common sign of lamentation and mourning among the Orientals. See the notes on Job 2:12. By reason of her costliness - The word rendered “costliness” - ́ timiotētos- means, properly, “preciousness, costliness”; their magnificence, costly merchandise. The luxury of a great city enriches many individuals, however much it may impoverish itself. For in one hour is she made desolate - So it seemed to them. See the notes on…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-19Verses 9-19 The mourners had shared Babylon's sensual pleasures, and gained by her wealth and trade. The kings of the earth, whom she flattered into idolatry, allowing them to be tyrannical over their subjects, while obedient to her; and the merchants, those who trafficked for her indulgences, pardons, and honours; these mourn. Babylon's friends partook her sinful pleasures and profits, but are not willing to share her plagues. The spirit of antichrist is…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17-19every shipmaster: Seafarers sing the third lament (see study note on Revelation 18:9–19). They mourn the breakdown of communication and transportation. During Julius Caesar's reign, the Mediterranean was cleared of pirates, and trade flourished under Roman law enforcement. The quick loss of Roman authority would disrupt the trade system.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1919. wailing--"mourning." that had ships--A, B, and C read, "that had their ships": literally, "the ships." costliness--her costly treasures: abstract for concrete.Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 18:19
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Revelation 18
- 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
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries