God’s Word Translation
Revelation 17:6
6I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people and of those who testify about Jesus. I was very surprised when I saw her.
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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)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.
- 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.
Context of Revelation 17:6
4The woman wore purple clothes, bright red clothes, gold jewelry, gems, and pearls. In her hand she was holding a gold cup filled with detestable and evil things from her sexual sins. 5A name was written on her forehead. The name was Mystery: Babylon the Great, the Mother of Prostitutes and Detestable Things of the Earth. I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people and of those who testify about Jesus. I was very surprised when I saw her. 7The angel asked me, “Why are you surprised? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and the beast with the seven heads and the ten horns that carries her. 8“You saw the beast which once was, is no longer, and will come from the bottomless pit and go to its destruction. Those living on earth, whose names were not written in the Book of Life when the world was created, will be surprised when they see the beast because it was, is no longer, and will come again.
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 13:7It 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.
- Revelation 16:6You have given them blood to drink because they have poured out the blood of God’s people and prophets. This is what they deserve.”
- Revelation 18:20“Gloat over it, heaven, God’s people, apostles, and prophets. God has condemned it for you.”
- Daniel 7:21I saw that horn making war against the holy people and defeating them.
- Revelation 2:13I know where you live. Satan’s throne is there. You hold on to my name and have not denied your belief in me, even in the days of Antipas. He was my faithful witness who was killed in your presence, where Satan lives.
- Revelation 6:9When the lamb opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slaughtered because of God’s word and the testimony they had given about him.
- Revelation 12:11They won the victory over him because of the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony. They didn’t love their life so much that they refused to give it up.
- Acts 22:20When Stephen, who witnessed about you, was being killed, I was standing there. I approved of his death and guarded the coats of those who were murdering him.’
- Habakkuk 1:13Your eyes are too pure to look at evil. You can’t watch wickedness. Why do you keep watching treacherous people? Why are you silent when wicked people swallow those who are more righteous than they are?
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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