Revelation 17:5

Revelation 17:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: "Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations."
• New King James Version (NKJV)And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
• New Living Translation (NLT)A mysterious name was written on her forehead: “Babylon the Great, Mother of All Prostitutes and Obscenities in the World.”

Context of Revelation 17:5

3Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. 4The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. The name written on her forehead was a mystery: babylon the great the mother of prostitutes and of the abominations of the earth. 6I 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. 7Then the angel said to me: “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns.

Revelation 17:5 word by word

καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ μέτωπον αὐτῆς ὄνομα γεγραμμένον, μυστήριον, Βαβυλὼν ἡ μεγάλη, ἡ μήτηρ τῶν πορνῶν καὶ τῶν βδελυγμάτων τῆς γῆς.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• uponἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• herαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• foreheadμέτωπονmetopon · foreheadG3359
• a nameὄνομαonoma · nameG3686
• writtenγράφωgraphō · to writeG1125
• MYSTERYμυστήριονmustērion · mysteryG3466
• BABYLONΒαβυλώνBabulōn · BabylonG897
• THE GREATμέγαςmegas · greatG3173
• THE MOTHERμήτηρmētēr · motherG3384
• OF HARLOTSπόρνηpornē · prostituteG4204
• ABOMINATIONSβδέλυγμαbdelugma · abominationG946
• OF THE EARTHγῆgē · earth: planetG1093

Cross-references for Revelation 17:5

• Revelation 7:3“Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”
• Isaiah 3:9The look on their faces testifies against them; they parade their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! They have brought disaster upon themselves.
• Philippians 3:19Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things.
• 2 Thessalonians 2:7For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.
• 2 Timothy 3:1But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.
• Revelation 11:8Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city—which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified.
• Revelation 14:8A second angel followed and said, “ ‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great,’ which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.”
• Revelation 16:19The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath.
• Revelation 18:2With 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.
• Jeremiah 51:47For the time will surely come when I will punish the idols of Babylon; her whole land will be disgraced and her slain will all lie fallen within her.
• Revelation 18:9“When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her.
• Revelation 19:2for true and just are his judgments. He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”

Commentaries on Revelation 17:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots, and Abominations of the Earth - This inscription being written upon her forehead is intended to show that she is not ashamed of her doctrines, but publicly professes and glories in them before the nations: she has indeed a whore's forehead, she has refused to be ashamed. The inscription upon her forehead is exactly the portraiture of the Latin Church. This Church…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5And upon her forehead - In a circlet around her forehead. That is, it was made prominent and public, as if written on the forehead in blazing capitals. In Revelation 13:1 it is said that “the name of blasphemy” was written on the “heads” of the beast. The meaning in both places is substantially the same, that it was prominent, and unmistakable. See the notes on that verse. Compare the note on Revelation 14:1. Was a name written - A title, or something…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5In symbolic language, John likely referred to Rome (see Revelation 17:9) as BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES. Babylon symbolized the world's idolatries and evil acts. As the MOTHER, she produced followers who imitated her behavior. Rome, like Babylon, worshipped false gods and led other nations into unfaithfulness and idol worship.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. upon ... forehead ... name--as harlots usually had. What a contrast to "Holiness to the Lord," inscribed on the miter on the high priest's forehead! mystery--implying a spiritual fact heretofore hidden, and incapable of discovery by mere reason, but now revealed. As the union of Christ and the Church is a "great mystery" (a spiritual truth of momentous interest, once hidden, now revealed, Ep 5:31, 32), so the Church conforming to the world and thereby…Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 17:5

• Horn
• Idolatry

In the dictionaries

• Babylon
• Babylon, Babylonia, Babylonian
• Antichrist
• Carry
• Forehead
• Harlot
• Babylon in the New Testament
• Crime; Crimes
• Eschatology of the New Testament
• Mystery

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