English Standard Version
Revelation 17:6
6And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her, I marveled greatly.
Revelation 17:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And 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.
- New International Version (NIV)I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished.
- New King James Version (NKJV)I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.
- New Living Translation (NLT)I could see that she was drunk—drunk with the blood of God’s holy people who were witnesses for Jesus. I stared at her in complete amazement.
Context of Revelation 17:6
4The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. 5And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: "Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations." And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her, I marveled greatly. 7But the angel said to me, "Why do you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her. 8The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come.
Read all of Revelation 17Revelation 17:6 word by word
καὶ εἶδον τὴν γυναῖκα μεθύουσαν ἐκ τοῦ αἵματος τῶν ἁγίων καὶ ἐκ τοῦ αἵματος τῶν μαρτύρων Ἰησοῦ, καὶ ἐθαύμασα ἰδὼν αὐτὴν θαῦμα μέγα.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- I sawὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
- the womanγυνήgunē · womanG1135
- drunkenμεθύωmethuō · to get drunkG3184
- withἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- the bloodαἷμαaima · bloodG129
- of the saintsἅγιοςhagios · holy: saintG40
- of the martyrsμάρτυςmartus · witnessG3144
- of JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
- herαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- I wonderedθαυμάζωthaumazō · to marvelG2296
- with greatμέγαςmegas · greatG3173
- admirationθαῦμαthauma · marvelG2295
Cross-references for Revelation 17:6
- Revelation 13:7Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation,
- Revelation 16:6For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve!"
- Revelation 18:20Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her!"
- Daniel 7:21As I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them,
- Revelation 2:13"'I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
- Revelation 6:9When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne.
- Revelation 12:11And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.
- Acts 22:20And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him.'
- Habakkuk 1:13You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?
Commentaries on Revelation 17:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 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 - How exactly the cruelties exercised by the Latin Church against all it has denominated heretics correspond with this description, the reader need not be informed.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints - A reeling, intoxicated harlot, for that is the image which is kept up all along. In regard to the phrase “drunken with blood,” compare Jeremiah 46:10. “The phraseology is derived from the barbarous custom (still extant among many pagan nations) of drinking the blood of the enemies slain in the way of revenge. The effect of drinking blood is said to be to exasperate, and to intoxicate with passion…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6God’s holy people were witnesses for Jesus, even shedding their blood (see Revelation 16:6; Hebrews 12:4). During John's time, Rome caused this persecution.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. martyrs--witnesses. I wondered with great admiration--As the Greek is the same in the verb and the noun, translate the latter "wonder." John certainly did not admire her in the modern English sense. Elsewhere (Re 17:8; 13:3), all the earthly-minded ("they that dwell on the earth") wonder in admiration of the beast. Here only is John's wonder called forth; not the beast, but the woman sunken into the harlot, the Church become a world-loving apostate…Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 17:6
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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