Revelation 17:1

Revelation 17:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
• New International Version (NIV)One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters,
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters,

Context of Revelation 17:1

Then one of the seven angels holding the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the sentencing of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. 2The earth’s kings committed sexual immorality with her, and those who dwell on the earth got drunk with the wine of her immorality.” 3So he carried me away in the Ruach into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns.

Revelation 17:1 word by word

Καὶ ἦλθεν εἷς ἐκ τῶν ἑπτὰ ἀγγέλων τῶν ἐχόντων τὰς ἑπτὰ φιάλας καὶ ἐλάλησεν μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ λέγων δεῦρο, δείξω σοι τὸ κρίμα τῆς πόρνης τῆς μεγάλης τῆς καθημένης ἐπὶ ὑδάτων πολλῶν,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• there cameἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
• oneεἷςheis · oneG1520
• ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• theὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• theἄγγελοςaggelos · angelG32
• sevenἑπτάhepta · sevenG2033
• angelsἄγγελοςaggelos · angelG32
• which hadἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• theφιάληphialē · bowlG5357
• talkedλαλέωlaleō · to speakG2980
• withμετάmeta · with/afterG3326
• meἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• sayingλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• Come hitherδεῦροdeuro · comeG1204
• I will shewδεικνύωdeiknuō · to showG1166
• unto theeσύsu · youG4771
• the judgmentκρίμαkrima · judgmentG2917
• of the greatμέγαςmegas · greatG3173
• whoreπόρνηpornē · prostituteG4204
• that sittethκάθημαιkathēmai · to sitG2521
• uponἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• manyπολύςpolus polos · muchG4183
• watersὕδωρhudōr hudatos · waterG5204

Cross-references for Revelation 17:1

• Revelation 15:1Then I saw another great and wonderful sign in heaven: seven angels who have seven plagues—the last ones, for with them God’s wrath is finished.
• Revelation 21:9Then came one of the seven angels holding the seven bowls full of the seven final plagues, and he spoke with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”
• Revelation 4:1After these things I looked, and behold, a door was standing open in heaven. And the first voice, which I had heard speaking with me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.”
• Revelation 21:15The angel speaking with me had a gold measuring rod to measure the city and its gates and walls.
• Luke 9:30And behold, two men were talking with Him, Moses and Elijah.
• Luke 24:32They said to one another, “Didn’t our heart burn within us while He was speaking with us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?”
• Revelation 16:19Then the great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. Babylon the great was remembered before God, to force her to drink the cup of the wine of His furious wrath.
• Revelation 18:16saying, “Alas, alas, O great city— clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls!
• Revelation 17:4The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls. She was holding a golden cup in her hand full of detestable things and the filth of her immorality,
• Revelation 19:2For His judgments are true and just. For He has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her whoring, and has avenged the blood of His servants caused by her hand.”
• Isaiah 57:3But as for you, come here, you children of a sorceress, offspring of an adulterer and prostitute.
• Nahum 3:4Because of the many fornications of the elegant prostitute, the mistress of sorceries, who sells nations by her fornications, and clans through her sorceries—
• Revelation 17:15Then he tells me, “The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.
• Jeremiah 51:13You dwelling by many waters, rich in treasures, your end has come, the measure of your covetousness.

Commentaries on Revelation 17:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters - That idolatrous worship is frequently represented in Scripture under the character of a whore or whoredom, is evident from numerous passages which it is unnecessary to quote. See 1 Chronicles 5:25; Ezekiel 16:1-63; 23:1-49, etc. The woman mentioned here is…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials - See the notes on Revelation 15:1, Revelation 15:7. Reference is again made to these angels in the same manner in Revelation 21:9, where one of them says that he would show to John “the bride, the Lamb‘s wife.” No particular one is specified. The general idea seems to be, that to those seven angels was entrusted the execution of the last things, or the winding up of affairs introductory to…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1One of the angels who had the vials, explains the meaning of the former vision of the antichristian beast that was to reign 1260 years, and then to be destroyed. (1-6) And interprets the mystery of the woman, and the beast that had seven heads and ten horns. (7-18) Verses 1-6 Rome clearly appears to be meant in this chapter. Pagan Rome subdued and ruled with military power, not by art and flatteries. She left the nations in general to their ancient usages…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1One of the angels who carry out God’s judgment speaks to John and calls him to a new scene. In this scene, John sees the coming judgment of the great prostitute, who rules over many waters. Rome, which stood on the Tiber River, controlled major centers of power and the water trade routes across the Mediterranean world. Its influence reached from the British Isles to the Euphrates River.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-18As Re 16:12 stated generally the vial judgment about to be poured on the harlot, Babylon's power, as the seventeenth and eighteen chapters give the same in detail, so the nineteenth chapter gives in detail the judgment on the beast and the false prophet, summarily alluded to in Re 16:13-15, in connection with the Lord's coming. 1. unto me--A, B, Vulgate, Syriac, and Coptic omit. many--So A. But B, "the many waters" (Jr 51:13); Re 17:15, below, explains…Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 17:1

• Idolatry
• Water

In the dictionaries

• Antichrist
• Carry
• Harlot
• Damn; Damnation; Damnable
• Danites
• Eschatology of the New Testament
• Palestine
• Revelation
• Revelation of John
• Samson

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