New King James Version
Revelation 18:2
2And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!
Revelation 18:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
- New International Version (NIV)With 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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And he called out with a mighty voice, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast.
- New Living Translation (NLT)He gave a mighty shout: “Babylon is fallen—that great city is fallen! She has become a home for demons. She is a hideout for every foul spirit, a hideout for every foul vulture and every foul and dreadful animal.
Context of Revelation 18:2
1After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! 3For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.” 4And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.
Read all of Revelation 18Revelation 18:2 word by word
καὶ ἔκραξεν ἐν ἰσχυρᾷ φωνῇ λέγων· ἔπεσεν ἔπεσεν Βαβυλὼν ἡ μεγάλη καὶ ἐγένετο κατοικητήριον δαιμονίων καὶ φυλακὴ παντὸς πνεύματος ἀκαθάρτου καὶ φυλακὴ παντὸς ὀρνέου ἀκαθάρτου καὶ φυλακὴ παντὸς θηρίου ἀκαθάρτου καὶ μεμισημένου,Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- he criedκράζωkrazō · to cryG2896
- mightilyἰσχύςischus · strengthG2479
- withἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- a strongμέγαςmegas · greatG3173
- voiceφωνήphōnē · voice/sound: voiceG5456
- sayingλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- BabylonΒαβυλώνBabulōn · BabylonG897
- is fallenπίπτωpiptō petō · to collapseG4098
- is becomeγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
- the habitationκατοικητήριονkatoikētērion · dwelling placeG2732
- of devilsδαίμωνdaimōn · demonG1142
- the holdφυλακήphulakē · prison/watch: prisonG5438
- of everyπᾶςpas · allG3956
- foulἀκάθαρτοςakathartos · uncleanG169
- spiritπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
- hatefulμισέωmiseō · to hateG3404
- birdὄρνεονorneon · birdG3732
Cross-references for Revelation 18:2
- Revelation 1:15His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters;
- Revelation 5:2Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?”
- Revelation 10:3and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. When he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices.
- Revelation 14:15And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.”
- Jeremiah 25:30“Therefore prophesy against them all these words, and say to them: ‘The Lord will roar from on high, And utter His voice from His holy habitation; He will roar mightily against His fold. He will give a shout, as those who tread the grapes, Against all the inhabitants of the earth.
- Joel 3:16The Lord also will roar from Zion, And utter His voice from Jerusalem; The heavens and earth will shake; But the Lord will be a shelter for His people, And the strength of the children of Israel.
- Revelation 18:10standing 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.’
- Revelation 14:8And another angel followed, saying, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.”
- Revelation 16:19Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath.
- Revelation 17:5And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
- Isaiah 13:19And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, The beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
- Isaiah 21:9And look, here comes a chariot of men with a pair of horsemen!” Then he answered and said, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen! And all the carved images of her gods He has broken to the ground.”
- Jeremiah 51:8Babylon has suddenly fallen and been destroyed. Wail for her! Take balm for her pain; Perhaps she may be healed.
- Leviticus 11:13‘And these you shall regard as an abomination among the birds; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, the vulture, the buzzard,
- Isaiah 13:20It will never be inhabited, Nor will it be settled from generation to generation; Nor will the Arabian pitch tents there, Nor will the shepherds make their sheepfolds there.
- Isaiah 14:23“I will also make it a possession for the porcupine, And marshes of muddy water; I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” says the Lord of hosts.
Commentaries on Revelation 18:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen - This is a quotation from Isaiah 21:9; : And he said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground. This is applied by some to Rome pagan; by others to Rome papal; and by others to Jerusalem. Is become - the hold of every foul spirit - See the parallel passages in the margin. The figures here point out the most complete destruction. A city utterly sacked and…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2And he cried mightily - Literally, “he cried with a strong great voice.” See Revelation 10:3. Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen - See the notes on Revelation 14:8. The proclamation here is substantially the same as in that place, and no doubt the same thing is referred to. And is become the habitation of devils - Of demons - in allusion to the common opinion that the demons inhabited abandoned cities, old ruins, and deserts. See the notes on Matthew…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2Fallen, fallen is Babylon: See Isaiah 21:9. Once a beautifully dressed woman (see Revelation 17:4), Babylon (Rome) became a deserted place for demons and unclean birds like vultures (compare Isaiah 13:20–22; Jeremiah 4:23–31; 50:39).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. mightily ... strong--not supported by manuscripts. But A, B, Vulgate, Syriac, and Coptic read, "with (literally, 'in') a mighty voice." is fallen, is fallen--so A, Vulgate, Syriac, and Andreas. But B and Coptic omit the second "is fallen" (Is 21:9; Jr 51:8). This phrase is here prophetical of her fall, still future, as Re 18:4 proves. devils--Greek, "demons." the hold--a keep or prison.Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 18:2
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries