Revelation 18:17

THE LAMENT OF THE SHIPMASTERS (Rev_18:17-19).—On the whole passage read Eze_27:32, &c.

(17, 18) And every shipmaster. . . .—Or, better, And every shipmaster, and every one who sails for a place, and sailors, and all who work the sea, stood afar off, and cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, Who is like the great city? With this expression compare the similar one applied to the beast (Rev_13:4). It is the outcry of those who call to mind, with pain, a glory that was great, but now is gone. It is not to be taken as meaning “what city has suffered as she has?” but rather is it the recollection of her former splendour—“how great she was.” This lingering of the mind over delights now vanished is one subtle element of misery. So the hapless Francesca thought—

“There is no greater woe,

Than to remember days of happiness

Amid affliction.” Inf. v. 121-3.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

18:17-19 all the captains: Seafarers sing the third lament (see study note on 18:9-19). Their mourning focuses on the breakdown of communication and transportation. During the reign of Julius Caesar, the Mediterranean was cleared of pirates and trade blossomed under the region’s Roman law enforcement. The swift loss of Roman authority would upset the system of trade.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Rev 18:17. Πᾶς ὁ ἐπὶ τόπον πλέων) I was not right, I think, in disparaging this reading in my Apparatus.[204] It is supported by the best copies, and denotes indeed a class of men differing from pilots, to whom however it is subjoined, and from sailors, and from all, who trade by sea. Therefore ὁ ἐπὶ τόπον πλέων must be he, who repeatedly directs his ship to one place, mart, or country. Others read, Πᾶς Ὁ ἘΠῚ ΤῶΝ ΠΛΟΊΩΝ ΠΛΈΩΝ; others, Πᾶς ἘΠῚ ΤῶΝ ΠΛΟΊΩΝ Ὁ ὍΜΙΛΟς. The former reading arose from haste, as it seems; the latter from a paraphrase of the genuine reading.—ΚΑῚ ὍΣΟΙ ΤῊΝ ΘΆΛΑΣΣΑΝ ἘΡΓΆΖΟΝΤΑΙ) ἘΡΓΆΖΕΣΘΑΙ is not only to effect anything by labour, but also, which is the meaning here, to be engaged upon, to have to do with. Thus LXX., ἐργάζεσθαι γῆν, παράδεισον, ἀμπελῶνα, πόλιν, χρυσίον, κ.τ.λ.

[204] Therefore it is preferred in the margin of Ed. II. and in Vers. Germ.—E. B.

ABCh Vulg. read ὁ ἐπὶ (τὸν, B) τόπον πλέων. Rec. Text, without good authority, ἐπὶ τῶν πλοίων ὁ ὅμιλος.—E.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Rev_18:17-19. The lament of the shipmasters, which likewise contains the three points of Rev_18:9 sq. and Rev_18:11-16 : the standing afar off of those lamenting, the remembrance of the citys former glory, and the cry of woe over its destruction.

On the preterite forms of statement (ἔστησαν, Rev_18:17, ἔκραζον, Rev_18:18-19), from which, however, according to the plan of the entire description, ch. 18. it is not to be inferred that John actually beheld the fall of the city, cf. on Rev_18:11, and the preliminary note on ch. 18.

All classes of mariners are mentioned, just as, Rev_18:11 sqq., all classes of merchants were indicated: pilots, and πᾶς ὁ ἑπὶ τόπον πλέων, i.e., not exactly the coasters,[3990] but those who regularly sailed to a definite harbor;[3991] and ναῦται, i.e., mariners in general; and, as it is finally said, as many as work the sea, i.e., all those for whom the sea is the sphere of their calling and the source of livelihood; fishermen also belong to this category. On the expression common in the classics, τὴν θάλ. ἐργάζεσθαι, to work the sea, cf. many examples in Wetst.

καπνὸν τ. πυρ. Cf. Rev_18:9.

The question of lamentation, τίς ὁμοία τῇ πόλει τῇ μεγάλῃ; is likewise a sarcastic allusion to the former self-deification of the metropolis of the empire.[3992]

ἔβαλον χοῦν, κ.τ.λ. Cf. Eze_27:30. Concerning this sign of grief, cf. Winer, Rwb., on the word.

ἐν ᾖ ἐπλούτησαν, κ.τ.λ. The city was the place where all mariners with their manifold wares had found a rich and productive market; for, because of its precious treasures,[3993] the city was able to become the source of wealth to all dealers. (ἐπλούτ.

ἐκ τῆς τιμιότητος αὐτ. Cf. Rev_18:3.

ἠρημώθη.) Cf. Rev_17:3. [See Note LXXXIII., p. 449.]

[3990] De Wette.

[3991] Beng., Hengstenb., etc. Cf. Act_27:2.

[3992] Cf. Rev_13:4.

[3993] Cf. Rev_18:16.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Rev 18:17 . ἐργάζονται κ . τ . λ . = “whose business is on the sea”. The passage reflects the importance of Rome especially for the trade of the Levant. Pliny ( H. N. vi. 101, xii. 84) gives the large figures of Oriental imports and their cost, adding sarcastically tanti nobis deliciae et feminae constant (Friedländer, iii. 48 51). The regret of the mariners for the grandeur that was Rome passes rapidly into a sense of commercial loss.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The manner of mourning used by them that trade by sea.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

is come to naught--Greek, "is desolated."

shipmaster--Greek, "steersman," or "pilot."

all the company in ships--A, C, Vulgate, and Syriac read, "Every one who saileth to a place" (B has ". . . to the place"), every voyager. Vessels were freighted with pilgrims to various shrines, so that in one month (A.D. 1300) two hundred thousand pilgrims were counted in Rome [D'AAUBIGNE, Histoire de la Reformation]: a source of gain, not only to the Papal see, but to shipmasters, merchants, pilots, &c. These latter, however, are not restricted to those literally "shipmasters," &c., but mainly refer, in the mystical sense, to all who share in the spiritual traffic of apostate Christendom.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 17. Every shipmaster] Captains of vessels; some think pilots are meant, and this is most likely to be the meaning of the original word κυβερνητης. This description appears to be at least partly taken from Eze 27:26-28.

And all the company in ships] Και πας επι των πλοιων ὁ ὁμιλος· The crowd or passengers aboard. But the best MSS, and versions have και πας ὁ επι τοπον πλεων, those who sail from place to place, or such as stop at particular places on the coast, without performing the whole voyage. This sufficiently marks the traffic on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Some might debark (in sailing from Rome) at the island of Sicily, others at different ports in Greece; some at Corinth, others at Crete, or the various islands of the AEgean Sea; some at Rhodes, Pamphylia, c., &c. as in those times in which the compass was unknown, every voyage was performed coastwise, always keeping, if possible, within sight of the land.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

17. is come to nought] Lit., is made desolate.

all the company in ships] Read with R. V., and everyone that saileth any whither. The words will probably stand for the merchants travelling in ships with their own goods, which they intend to sell on arriving at their destination—Lat. vectores.

sailors] Cf. Eze_27:29 sqq.

trade by sea] Lit., work the sea. The sense is more general than the A. V.: it will include all three classes, shipmasters, sailing merchants, and sailors.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning,.... See Gill on Rev 18:9.

saying, what city is like unto this great city? as before for magnificence and grandeur, so now for sorrow, desolation, and ruin; nor was any city like it for power and authority, for pride and luxury, for idolatry and superstition, blasphemy and impenitence; the like the sailors say of Tyre, Eze 27:30 from whence this and other expressions are borrowed in this lamentation.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

17 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,

Ver. 17. So great riches come to nought] Gr. ηρημωθη, is desolated, or become a wilderness. Petrarch writeth, that in the treasury of Pope John XXII were found by his heirs two hundred and fifty tons of gold. And of Boniface VIII it is recorded that he was able to show more money than all the kings in Christendom.

And every ship master] i.e. Cardinal, patriarch, archbishop, though but titular and imaginary, without jurisdiction, as are the patriarchs of Constantinople, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Alexandria, which the pope successively consecrates, ever since the Holy Land and the provinces about it were in the hands of Christian princes, A.D. 1100, so loth is the pope to lose the remembrance of any superiority or title that he hath once compassed. (Spec. Europ.)

And all the company] The cardinals and archbishops’ train and retinue, those in office especially. What a pompous family kept Wolsey, consisting of one earl, nine barons, very many knights and esquires, and others, to the number of four hundred. (Rex Platen., p. 26.)

And sailors] Bishops, abbots, priors, &c. In a parliament holden here at Leicester, A.D. 1413, in the reign of Henry V, a complaint was exhibited against the Popish clergy’s excess. This bill (saith E. Hall the chronicler) made the fat abbots to sweat, the proud priors to frown, the poor friars to curse, the silly nuns to weep, and all her merchants to fear that Babel would then down. But God’s time was not yet.

And as many as trade by the sea] All the clergy, the Jesuits especially, without whose lusty help (saith Mr Brightman) St Peter’s fishing boat had stuck in the sand, and had rushed against the rocks long since.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For in one hour - In a very brief period - so short, that it seemed to them to be but one hour. In the prediction Rev 18:8, it is said that it would be “in one day” (see the notes on that place); here it is said that, to the on-lookers, it seemed to be but an hour. There is no inconsistency, therefore, between the two statements.

So great riches is come to nought - All the accumulated wealth of so great and rich a city. This should have been united with Rev 18:16, as it is a part of the lamentation of the merchants, and as the lamentation of the mariners commences in the other part of the verse. It is so divided in the Greek Testaments.

And every ship-master - This introduces the lamentation of the mariners, who would, of course, be deeply interested in the destruction of a city with which they had been accustomed to trade, and by carrying merchandise to which they had been enriched. The word “ship-master” - κυβερνήτης kubernētēs - means, properly, a “governor”; then a governor of a ship - the “steersman” or “pilot,” Act 27:11.

And all the company in ships - Prof. Stuart renders this “coasters.” There is here, however, an important difference in the reading of the text. The commonly received text is, πᾶς ἐπὶ τῶν πλοίων ὁ ὅμιλος pas epi tōn ploiōn ho homilos - “the whole company in ships,” as in our common version; the reading which is now commonly adopted, and which is found in Griesbach, Hahn, and Tittmann, is ὁ ἐπὶ τόπον πλέων ho epi topon pleōn - “he who sails to a place”; that is, he who sails from one place to another along the coast, or who does not venture out far to sea; and thus the phrase would denote a secondary class of sea-captains or officers - those less venturesome, or experienced, or bold than others. There can be little doubt that this is the correct reading (compare Wetatein, in loco); and hence the class of seamen here referred to is “coasters.” Such seamen would naturally be employed where there was a great and luxurious maritime city, and would have a deep interest in its fall.

And sailors - Common seamen.

And as many as trade by sea - In any kind of craft, whether employed in a near or a remote trade.

Stood afar off - notes on Rev 18:10.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

In one hour; that is, suddenly. The term denotes rather the surprisal of this judgment, than the short space of time within which it should be effected.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

17. Enumeration of the various marine mourners.

Shipmaster—The helmsman who steered, and was, generally, also the ship captain.

Company in ships—Literal Greek, every one sailing to a place; rendered by Alford, “Who saileth any whither.” Stuart renders the phrase, “Every coaster,” understanding those who do not put out to broad sea, but ply from place to place on the coast. They gathered, perhaps, the commodities to be shipped in larger craft to the metropolitan market.

Trade by sea— Literal Greek, whoever work the sea; as if taking care, comprehensively, that all should be included.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For in one hour so great riches is come to nought; because (oti) in one hour was made desolate that so great wealth. This is given as the reason of the "Woe, woe!" of ver. 16, and is to be connected with the preceding clauses. (On "one hour," see ver. 10, where the same reason is given as in this verse) And every shipmaster; pilot; found only here and in Act_27:11. And all the company in ships; and every one who saileth to a place. Such is probably the correct text, though there are several small variations. The Authorized Version has little support. The Revised Version renders, And every one that saileth anywhither. And sailors, and as many as trade by sea; as many as work the sea; i.e. gain their living by means of the sea. Thus are enumerated all who are connected with the sea in any capacity. (cf. Eze_27:27) Stood afar off. Like the kings (ver. 10) and the merchants (ver. 15), and doubtless for the same reason; viz. to avoid being overwhelmed in the destruction of the city.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The last sort of mourners for Babylon’s ruin are sailors and seamen; all spiritual seamen that have an oar in St. Peter’s boat shall lament greatly, whose life and livelihood did depend upon the merchant trade of that great city; these, though they stuck close to her, and trafficked with her in the day of her prosperity, yet now with the rest they stand afar off from her, lamenting her ruin, and their own loss, in the day when her desolation cometh.

And, as an evidence of the greatness of their sorrow and mourning, they are here said to cast dust on their heads; which amongst the ancients was used as a special token of extraordinary grief and sorrow, Job 2:13. In a time of deep affliction we may express our outward sorrows by our outward gestures: those mourners for Babylon express their sorrow for her and themselves, by casting dust upon their heads.

William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

17. ἐπὶ τόπον πλέων. B2 has ἐπὶ τὸν τ. πλ.; P ἐπὶ τῶν πλοίων πλέων. Text. Rec[670] ἐπὶ τῶν πλοίων ὁ ὄμιλος with 1 Hipp[671] An[672][673].

[670] Rec. Textus Receptus as printed by Scrivener.

[671] St Hippolytus. The readings not given by Tischendorf are from the newly published 4th book of his commentary on Daniel.

[672] Andreas’ Augsburg MS. 12th century.

[673] Andreas’ Augsburg MS. 12th century.

17. πᾶς ὁ ἐπὶ τόπον πλέων. Vulg. renders ac omnes qui in locum navigant, which would mean “every one who saileth to the place,” a more natural sense than that of R. V[690], “who saileth any whither.” There is no known parallel in Biblical or other Greek for the curious phrase ἐπὶ τόπον: the nearest is σεισμοὶ κατὰ τόπους, St Mat 24:7. The Old Latin, and most probably the Coptic, read πόντον in some form. If the text be right the words probably stand for the merchants travelling in ships with their own goods, which they intend to sell on arriving at their destination—Lat. vectores.

[690] Revised Version.

ναῦται. Cf. Eze 27:29 sqq.

ὅσοι τὴν θάλασσαν ἐργάζονται. The sense is general and includes all the three classes named, shipmasters, sailing merchants, and sailors. “Trade” in A. V[691] is defensible, as neither noun nor verb had any exclusive reference to commerce in the seventeenth century.

[691] Authorised Version.

ἀπὸ μακρόθεν ἔστησαν. At this point, as in Rev 11:11, vision may be supposed to take the place of prediction, and so the seer narrates what has been shewn him. The pleonasm ἀπὸ μακρόθεν is characteristic of St Mark who has it five times, St Matthew has it twice (Mat 26:58 = Mar 14:54, Mat 27:58 = Mar 15:40), St Luke twice (Luk 16:23; Luk 23:49 = Mar 15:40) with an added reminiscence of Psa 37:12 LXX. Kings, merchants, and shipmen when they land would all naturally go up to the great city, but they see the smoke of her torment and stand afar off.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

17-19.] The lamentation of the shipmasters, &c. And every pilot and every one who saileth any whither (the same expression, without the preposition, is found in Act 27:2. The words here import, all sailors from place to place), and sailors and as many as make traffic of the sea (τ. θάλασσαν ἐργάζεσθαι, ‘mare exercere,’ to live by seafaring, is abundantly illustrated by Wetst, from the classics and later writers), stood afar off, and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, Who is like to the great city? And they cast [on] earth upon their heads (see besides ref. Eze 27:30: also 1Sa 4:12; 2Sa 1:2, 2Sa 1:13:19, 2Sa 1:15:32; Job 2:12; Lam 2:10; and the numerous references in Winer, art. Trauer), and cried out weeping and mourning, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, in (ἐν is ambiguous at first appearance: but from what follows it cannot be merely local, as E. V. “wherein,” but must be of the conditional element in which: “whereby” would more nearly give it in our idiom) which all who have their ships in the sea became rich out of her costliness (her costly treasures: concrete meaning for the abstract term): for in one hour she hath been laid waste.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Shipmaster [κυβερνητης] . From kubernaw to govern. Strictly, steersman. Only here and Act 27:11.

All the company in ships [πας επι των πλοιων ο ομιλος] . The best texts substitute oJ ejpi topon plewn, that saileth anywhere, lit., saileth to a place. So Rev.

Trade by sea [την θαλασσαν εργαζονται] . Lit., work the sea, like the Latin mare exercent, live by seafaring. Rev., gain their living by sea.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.