Revelation 18:21

Revelation 18:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.
• New International Version (NIV)Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: “With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, "So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will be found no more;
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore.

Context of Revelation 18:21

19And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, “Alas, alas, O great city— in her all who had ships at sea grew rich from her wealth! For in a single hour has she been ruined! 20Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you kedoshim, emissaries and prophets! For God has judged her condemnation of you!” Then a mighty angel picked up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying: “So shall Babylon, the great city, be thrown down with violence, never to be found again! 22And the sound of harpists and musicians, flautists and trumpeters, shall never be heard in you again! And the craftsman of any craft shall never be found in you again! And the sound of a mill shall never be heard in you again! 23And the light of a lamp shall never shine in you again! And the voice of the bridegroom and bride shall never be heard in you again! For your businessmen were the tycoons of the world, for all the nations were deceived by your sorcery!

Revelation 18:21 word by word

Καὶ ἦρεν εἷς ἄγγελος ἰσχυρὸς λίθον ὡς μύλινον μέγαν καὶ ἔβαλεν εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν λέγων· οὕτως ὁρμήματι βληθήσεται Βαβυλὼν ἡ μεγάλη πόλις καὶ οὐ μὴ εὑρεθῇ ἔτι.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• aεἷςheis · oneG1520
• mightyἰσχυρόςischuros · strongG2478
• angelἄγγελοςaggelos · angelG32
• took upαἴρωairō · to take upG142
• a stoneλίθοςlithos · stoneG3037
• likeὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• a greatμέγαςmegas · greatG3173
• millstoneμύλοςmulos · millstoneG3458
• castβάλλωballō · to throw: throwG906
• intoεἰςeis · towardG1519
• the seaθάλασσαthalassa · seaG2281
• sayingλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• Thusοὕτωςhoutō · thus(-ly)G3779
• with violenceὅρμημαhormēma · sudden violenceG3731
• cityπόλιςpolis · cityG4172
• BabylonΒαβυλώνBabulōn · BabylonG897
• shall be foundεὑρίσκωheuriskō · to find/meetG2147
• noοὐou · noG3756
• moreἔτιeti · stillG2089
• at allμήmē · notG3361

Cross-references for Revelation 18:21

• Exodus 15:5The deeps cover them. They sank to the depths like a stone.
• Nehemiah 9:11You divided the sea before them, so that they passed through the midst of the sea on dry land! But their pursuers You threw into the depths like a stone into mighty waters.
• Jeremiah 51:63“Now when you have finished reading this scroll, you will tie a stone to it and throw it into the middle of the Euphrates.
• Revelation 18:22And the sound of harpists and musicians, flautists and trumpeters, shall never be heard in you again! And the craftsman of any craft shall never be found in you again! And the sound of a mill shall never be heard in you again!
• Revelation 12:8but they were not strong enough, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.
• Revelation 16:20Every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found.
• Revelation 20:11Then I saw a great white throne, and the One seated on it. The earth and heaven fled from His presence, but no place was found for them.
• Job 20:8Like a dream, he flies away and they cannot find him; like a vision of the night, he is chased away.
• Psalms 37:36But once he passed by, he was no more. Though I looked for him, he could not be found.
• Ezekiel 26:21I will make you a horror, and you will no longer exist. Though you are sought for, you will never be found again.” It is a declaration of Adonai Elohim.
• Daniel 11:19He will then turn his face toward the strongholds of his own land, but he will stumble and fall, not to be found again.

Commentaries on Revelation 18:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down - This action is finely and forcibly expressed by the original words: ̔ ̔ ̔ . The millstone will in falling have not only an accelerated force from the law of gravitation, but that force will be greatly increased by the projectile force impressed upon it by the power of the destroying angel. Shall be found no more at all - In her government, consequence, or influence. This is true of ancient…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21And a mighty angel - See the notes on Revelation 18:1. This seems, however, to have been a different angel from the one mentioned in Revelation 18:1, though, like that, he is described as having great power. Took up a stone like a great millstone - On the structure of mills among the ancients see the notes on Matthew 24:41. And cast it into the sea - As an emblem of the utter ruin of the city; an indication that the city would be as completely destroyed…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 20-24Verses 20-24 That which is matter of rejoicing to the servants of God on earth, is matter of rejoicing to the angels in heaven. The apostles, who are honoured and daily worshipped at Rome in an idolatrous manner, will rejoice in her fall. The fall of Babylon was an act of God's justice. And because it was a final ruin, this enemy should never molest them any more; of this they were assured by a sign. Let us take warning from the things which brought…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21a stone the size of a great millstone: People used heavy millstones, shaped for grinding olives or grain, throughout the ancient world. Jesus also mentioned using such stones for judgment (see Matthew 18:6). The dramatically thrown boulder symbolized that Rome's power was permanently destroyed.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. a--Greek, "one." millstone--Compare the judgment on the Egyptian hosts at the Red Sea, Ex 15:5, 10; Ne 9:11, and the foretold doom of Babylon, the world power, Jr 51:63, 64. with violence--Greek, "with impetus." This verse shows that this prophecy is regarded as still to be fulfilled.Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• Babylon
• Babylon, Babylonia, Babylonian
• the sea, the Great Sea, the western sea
• Fill
• Foul
• Mighty
• Thy
• Ass
• Babylon in the New Testament
• Israel, History of

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