Revelation 17:1
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:
Study Note
Study Note
The vision of Babylon as the 'great whore' seated on many waters opens one of the most sustained and contested symbolic sequences in the Apocalypse (chapters 17–18), drawing heavily on Ezekiel's oracles against Tyre (Ezekiel 26–28) and Jeremiah's against historical Babylon (Jeremiah 50–51). The 'many waters' imagery echoes Jeremiah 51:13, where Babylon 'dwellest upon many waters,' locating John's vision within a recognizable prophetic tradition of imperial critique. Most first-century readers would have decoded 'Babylon' as Rome, whose imperial commerce, military power, and demand for divine honors are systematically indicted throughout the chapter. The figure has generated centuries of interpretive controversy, from patristic readings identifying Rome to Reformation polemics and modern political hermeneutics.
Other Translations
And there came one of the seven angels that had the seven bowls, and spake with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the judgment of the great harlot that sitteth upon many waters;
And there came one of the seven messengers, who were having the seven vials, and he spake with me, saying to me, `Come, I will shew to thee the judgment of the great whore, who is sitting upon the many waters,
And one of the seven angels who had the seven vessels came and said to me, Come here, so that you may see the judging of the evil woman who is seated on the great waters;
Cross References
But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore.
How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.
O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness.
For of old time I have broken thy yoke, and burst thy bands; and thou saidst, I will not transgress; …
And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the …
And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last …
For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with …
And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were …
And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with …
For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the …