Revelation 18:17

But suddenly and swiftly [MTY] God has destroyed these expensive things.’ Every ship captain, all people who travel by ship, all ◄sailors/those who work on ships►, and all others who earn their living by traveling on the ocean will stand far away from those cities.

Translation for Translators

In The King James Version

For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,

In Context

16and they will say, ‘Terrible things [DOU] have happened to the awesome/great [MET] cities! They were like queens who dressed themselves in clothes made of [MTY] fine linen cloth and expensive cloth dyed purple and crimson, and who were adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls.

18When they see the smoke of the fire that is burning those cities, they will shout, ‘No other cities have ever been so awesome!’ [RHQ]

Read all of Revelation 18

Cross References

Isaiah 23:14So wail, you sailors on the ships of Tarshish, because the harbor in Tyre where your ships stop is destroyed!

Jeremiah 51:8But suddenly Babylon will be conquered. You foreigners who live in Babylon, weep for its people. Give them medicine for their wounds; perhaps they can be healed.”

Ezekiel 27:27Everything in the boats ◄was lost/sank to the bottom of the sea►— all the valuable cargo [DOU] and many of [HYP] the sailors and ship pilots, the ship workers and merchants and soldiers. On the day that the ships were wrecked, many of those on the ships sank to the bottom of the sea.

Revelation 17:16The ten horns that you saw represent rulers [SYM]. They and the beast will hate the people in the city [MTY] that the prostitute represents. As a result, they will take away everything that is in the city, as if they were [MET] leaving it naked. They will destroy it as if [MET] devouring flesh/meat, and they will burn it with fire.

Revelation 18:19They will throw dust on their heads to show that they are sad, and they will shout, weep, and mourn [DOU]. They will say, ‘Terrible things have happened to the awesome/great cities, the cities that made all people who own ships that sail on the ocean become rich by carrying their costly ◄things for them to sell/merchandise►! God has suddenly and swiftly destroyed [MTY] those cities!’”

Matthew Henry on Revelation 18:10-24

The Fall of Babylon. ( a. d. 95.) 9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, 10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. 11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: 12 The merchandise of gold, and silver, and… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Revelation 18:17