Christian Standard Bible
Revelation 18:2
2He called out in a mighty voice: It has fallen, Babylon the Great has fallen! She has become a home for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, and a haunt for every unclean and despicable beast.
Revelation 18:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
- New International Version (NIV)With a mighty voice he shouted: “ ‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’ She has become a dwelling for demons and a haunt for every impure spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And he called out with a mighty voice, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!
Context of Revelation 18:2
1After this I saw another angel with great authority coming down from heaven, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. He called out in a mighty voice: It has fallen, Babylon the Great has fallen! She has become a home for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, and a haunt for every unclean and despicable beast. 3For all the nations have drunk the wine of her sexual immorality, which brings wrath. The kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown wealthy from her sensuality and excess. 4Then I heard another voice from heaven: Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins or receive any of her plagues.
Read all of Revelation 18Revelation 18:2 word by word
καὶ ἔκραξεν ἐν ἰσχυρᾷ φωνῇ λέγων· ἔπεσεν ἔπεσεν Βαβυλὼν ἡ μεγάλη καὶ ἐγένετο κατοικητήριον δαιμονίων καὶ φυλακὴ παντὸς πνεύματος ἀκαθάρτου καὶ φυλακὴ παντὸς ὀρνέου ἀκαθάρτου καὶ φυλακὴ παντὸς θηρίου ἀκαθάρτου καὶ μεμισημένου,Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- he criedκράζωkrazō · to cryG2896
- mightilyἰσχύςischus · strengthG2479
- withἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- a strongμέγαςmegas · greatG3173
- voiceφωνήphōnē · voice/sound: voiceG5456
- sayingλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- BabylonΒαβυλώνBabulōn · BabylonG897
- is fallenπίπτωpiptō petō · to collapseG4098
- is becomeγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
- the habitationκατοικητήριονkatoikētērion · dwelling placeG2732
- of devilsδαίμωνdaimōn · demonG1142
- the holdφυλακήphulakē · prison/watch: prisonG5438
- of everyπᾶςpas · allG3956
- foulἀκάθαρτοςakathartos · uncleanG169
- spiritπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
- hatefulμισέωmiseō · to hateG3404
- birdὄρνεονorneon · birdG3732
Cross-references for Revelation 18:2
- Revelation 1:15His feet were like fine bronze as it is fired in a furnace, and his voice like the sound of cascading waters.
- Revelation 5:2I also saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?”
- Revelation 10:3and he called out with a loud voice like a roaring lion. When he cried out, the seven thunders raised their voices.
- Revelation 14:15Another angel came out of the temple, crying out in a loud voice to the one who was seated on the cloud, “Use your sickle and reap, for the time to reap has come, since the harvest of the earth is ripe.”
- Jeremiah 25:30“As for you, you are to prophesy all these things to them, and say to them: The Lord roars from on high; he makes his voice heard from his holy dwelling. He roars loudly over his grazing land; he calls out with a shout, like those who tread grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.
- Joel 3:16The Lord will roar from Zion and make his voice heard from Jerusalem; heaven and earth will shake. But the Lord will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the Israelites.
- Revelation 18:10They will stand far off in fear of her torment, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the mighty city! For in a single hour your judgment has come.
- Revelation 14:8And another, a second angel, followed, saying, “It has fallen, Babylon the Great has fallen. She made all the nations drink the wine of her sexual immorality, which brings wrath.”
- Revelation 16:19The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the Great was remembered in God’s presence; he gave her the cup filled with the wine of his fierce anger.
- Revelation 17:5On her forehead was written a name, a mystery: Babylon the Great, the Mother of Prostitutes and of the Detestable Things of the Earth.
- Isaiah 13:19And Babylon, the jewel of the kingdoms, the glory of the pride of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them.
- Isaiah 21:9Look, riders come — horsemen in pairs.” And he answered, saying, “Babylon has fallen, has fallen. All the images of her gods have been shattered on the ground.”
- Jeremiah 51:8Suddenly Babylon fell and was shattered. Wail for her; get balm for her wound — perhaps she can be healed.
- Leviticus 11:13“You are to abhor these birds. They must not be eaten because they are abhorrent: eagles, bearded vultures, Egyptian vultures,
- Isaiah 13:20It will never be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation; a nomad will not pitch his tent there, and shepherds will not let their flocks rest there.
- Isaiah 14:23“I will make her a swampland and a region for herons, and I will sweep her away with the broom of destruction.” This is the declaration of the Lord of Armies.
Commentaries on Revelation 18:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen - This is a quotation from Isaiah 21:9; : And he said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground. This is applied by some to Rome pagan; by others to Rome papal; and by others to Jerusalem. Is become - the hold of every foul spirit - See the parallel passages in the margin. The figures here point out the most complete destruction. A city utterly sacked and…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2And he cried mightily - Literally, “he cried with a strong great voice.” See Revelation 10:3. Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen - See the notes on Revelation 14:8. The proclamation here is substantially the same as in that place, and no doubt the same thing is referred to. And is become the habitation of devils - Of demons - in allusion to the common opinion that the demons inhabited abandoned cities, old ruins, and deserts. See the notes on Matthew…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2Fallen, fallen is Babylon: See Isaiah 21:9. Once a beautifully dressed woman (see Revelation 17:4), Babylon (Rome) became a deserted place for demons and unclean birds like vultures (compare Isaiah 13:20–22; Jeremiah 4:23–31; 50:39).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. mightily ... strong--not supported by manuscripts. But A, B, Vulgate, Syriac, and Coptic read, "with (literally, 'in') a mighty voice." is fallen, is fallen--so A, Vulgate, Syriac, and Andreas. But B and Coptic omit the second "is fallen" (Is 21:9; Jr 51:8). This phrase is here prophetical of her fall, still future, as Re 18:4 proves. devils--Greek, "demons." the hold--a keep or prison.Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 18:2
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
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