English Standard Version
Revelation 18:10
10They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, "Alas! Alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come."
Revelation 18:10 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
- New International Version (NIV)Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry: “ ‘Woe! Woe to you, great city, you mighty city of Babylon! In one hour your doom has come!’
- New King James Version (NKJV)standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’
- New Living Translation (NLT)They will stand at a distance, terrified by her great torment. They will cry out, “How terrible, how terrible for you, O Babylon, you great city! In a single moment God’s judgment came on you.”
Context of Revelation 18:10
8For this reason her plagues will come in a single day, death and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her." 9And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, "Alas! Alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come." 11And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore, 12cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble,
Read all of Revelation 18Revelation 18:10 word by word
ἀπὸ μακρόθεν ἑστηκότες διὰ τὸν φόβον τοῦ βασανισμοῦ αὐτῆς λέγοντες· οὐαὶ οὐαὶ ἡ πόλις ἡ μεγάλη Βαβυλὼν ἡ πόλις ἡ ἰσχυρά, ὅτι μιᾷ ὥρᾳ ἦλθεν ἡ κρίσις σου.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Standingἵστημιhistēmi · to standG2476
- afarμακρόθενmakrothen · from afarG3113
- offἀπόapo · away fromG575
- forδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
- the fearὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the fearφόβοςphobos · fearG5401
- of herαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- tormentβασανισμόςbasanismos · tormentG929
- sayingλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- Alasοὐαίouai · woe!G3759
- greatμέγαςmegas · greatG3173
- cityπόλιςpolis · cityG4172
- BabylonΒαβυλώνBabulōn · BabylonG897
- that mightyἰσχυρόςischuros · strongG2478
- forὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- oneεἷςheis · oneG1520
- hourὥραhōra · hourG5610
- is thyσύsu · youG4771
- judgmentκρίσιςkrisis · judgmentG2920
- comeἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
Cross-references for Revelation 18:10
- Numbers 16:34And all Israel who were around them fled at their cry, for they said, "Lest the earth swallow us up!"
- Revelation 18:16"Alas, alas, for the great city that was clothed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, with jewels, and with pearls!
- Jeremiah 30:7Alas! That day is so great there is none like it; it is a time of distress for Jacob; yet he shall be saved out of it.
- Joel 1:15Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is near, and as destruction from the Almighty it comes.
- Amos 5:16Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the Lord: "In all the squares there shall be wailing, and in all the streets they shall say, 'Alas! Alas!' They shall call the farmers to mourning and to wailing those who are skilled in lamentation,
- Revelation 14:8Another angel, a second, followed, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality."
- Isaiah 21:9And behold, here come riders, horsemen in pairs!" And he answered, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the carved images of her gods he has shattered to the ground."
- Revelation 18:8For this reason her plagues will come in a single day, death and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her."
- Jeremiah 51:8Suddenly Babylon has fallen and been broken; wail for her! Take balm for her pain; perhaps she may be healed.
Commentaries on Revelation 18:10
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 10Standing afar off - Beholding her desolations with wonder and astonishment, utterly unable to afford her any kind of assistance.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 10Standing afar off for the fear of her torment - Not daring to approach, to attempt to rescue and save her. They who had so long contributed to the support of the papal power, and who had, in turn, been upheld by that, would not now even attempt to rescue her, but would stand by and see her destroyed, unable to render relief. Alas, alas, that great city Babylon - The language of lamentation that so great and so mighty a city should fall. For in one hour is…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. 10The kings, feeling scared and abandoned (see Revelation 18:15, 17), stand far away, trying in vain to escape punishment.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1010. God's judgments inspire fear even in the worldly, but it is of short duration, for the kings and great men soon attach themselves to the beast in its last and worst shape, as open Antichrist, claiming all that the harlot had claimed in blasphemous pretensions and more, and so making up to them for the loss of the harlot. mighty--Rome in Greek means strength; though that derivation is doubtful.Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 18:10
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries