Revelation 17:15

Revelation 17:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
• New International Version (NIV)Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the angel said to me, "The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then he said to me, “The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.

Context of Revelation 17:15

13They have one purpose—to give their power and authority to the beast. 14They will go to war against the lamb. The lamb will conquer them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings. Those who are called, chosen, and faithful are with him.” The angel also said to me, “The waters you saw, on which the prostitute is sitting, are people, crowds, nations, and languages. 16The ten horns and the beast you saw will hate the prostitute. They will leave her abandoned and naked. They will eat her flesh and burn her up in a fire. 17God has made them do what he wants them to do. So they will give their kingdom to the beast until God’s words are carried out.

Revelation 17:15 word by word

Καὶ λέγει μοι· τὰ ὕδατα ἃ εἶδες, οὗ ἡ πόρνη κάθηται, λαοὶ καὶ ὄχλοι εἰσὶν καὶ ἔθνη καὶ γλῶσσαι.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• he saithλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• unto meἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• The watersὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• The watersὕδωρhudōr hudatos · waterG5204
• whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• thou sawestὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
• whereοὗhou · whitherG3757
• the whoreπόρνηpornē · prostituteG4204
• sittethκάθημαιkathēmai · to sitG2521
• areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• peoplesλαόςlaos · a peopleG2992
• multitudesὄχλοςochlos · crowdG3793
• nationsἔθνοςethnos · GentilesG1484
• tonguesγλῶσσαglōssa · tongueG1100

Cross-references for Revelation 17:15

• Revelation 17:1One of the seven angels who held the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of that notorious prostitute who sits on raging waters.
• Psalms 18:4The ropes of death had become tangled around me. The torrents of destruction had overwhelmed me.
• Psalms 65:7the one who calms the roar of the seas, their crashing waves, and the uproar of the nations.
• Psalms 93:3The ocean rises, O Lord. The ocean rises with a roar. The ocean rises with its pounding waves.
• Isaiah 8:7That is why the Lord is going to bring against them the raging and powerful floodwaters of the Euphrates River— the king of Assyria with all his power. It will overflow all its channels and go over all its banks.
• Jeremiah 51:13Babylon, you live beside many rivers and are rich with treasures, but your end has come. The thread of your life has been cut off.
• Revelation 10:11The seven thunders told me, “Again you must speak what God has revealed in front of many people, nations, languages, and kings.”
• Revelation 11:9For 3½ days some members of the people, tribes, languages, and nations will look at the witnesses’ dead bodies and will not allow anyone to bury them.
• Revelation 13:7It was allowed to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. It was also given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation.

Commentaries on Revelation 17:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues - "So many words," Bishop Newton observes, "in the plural number, fitly denote the great extensiveness of her power and jurisdiction. She herself glories in the title of the Catholic Church, and exults in the number of her votaries as a certain proof of the true religion. Cardinal Bellarmin's first note of the true Church is…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15And he saith unto me - The angel, Revelation 17:7. This commences the more “literal” statement of what is meant by these symbols. See the Analysis of the chapter. The waters which thou sawest - See the notes on Revelation 17:1. Are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues - For an explanation of these terms, see the notes on Revelation 7:9. The meaning here is: (a) that these waters represent a multitude of people. This is a common and an obvious…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-18Verses 15-18 God so ruled the hearts of these kings, by his power over them, and by his providence, that they did those things, without intending it, which he purposed and foretold. They shall see their folly, and how they have been bewitched and enslaved by the harlot, and be made instruments in her destruction. She was that great city which reigned over the kings of the earth, when John had this vision; and every one knows Rome to be that city…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15-16Although the prostitute controls the masses, she does not win. Instead, the beast hates and kills her. Satan harms even those he uses for evil.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. (Re 17:1; Is 8:7.) An impious parody of Jehovah who "sitteth upon the flood" [Alford]. Also, contrast the "many waters" Re 19:6, "Alleluia." peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues--The "peoples," &c., here mark the universality of the spiritual fornication of the Church. The "tongues" remind us of the original Babel, the confusion of tongues, the beginning of Babylon, and the first commencement of idolatrous apostasy after the flood, as the…Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 17:15

• Horn
• Water

In the dictionaries

• Antichrist
• Carry
• Harlot
• Crime; Crimes
• Eschatology of the New Testament
• Images
• Palestine
• People
• Revelation of John

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