Revelation 18:3

18:3 extravagant luxury: Rome plundered conquered nations of their wealth before God’s justice fell on her.

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

drunk-- Rev 14:8, from which perhaps "the wine" may have been interpolated. They have drunk of her fornication, the consequence of which will be wrath to themselves. But A, B, and C read, "(owing to the wrath of her fornication all nations) have fallen." Vulgate and most versions read as English Version, which may be the right reading though not supported by the oldest manuscripts. Babylon, the whore, is destroyed before the beast slays the two witnesses (Rev 11:7), and then the beast himself is destroyed.

the wine--so B, Syriac, and Coptic. But A, C, and Vulgate omit.

abundance--literally, "power."

delicacies--Greek, "luxury." See on Ti1 5:11, where the Greek verb "wax wanton" is akin to the noun here. Translate, "wanton luxury." The reference is not to earthly merchandise, but to spiritual wares, indulgences, idolatries, superstitions, worldly compromises, wherewith the harlot, that is, the apostate Church, has made merchandise of men. This applies especially to Rome; but the Greek, and even in a less degree Protestant churches, are not guiltless. However, the principle of evangelical Protestantism is pure, but the principle of Rome and the Greek church is not so.

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 3. The wine of the wrath] The punishment due to her transgressions, because they have partaken with her in her sins. See Clarke on Re 14:8.

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

(3) For all nations have drunk . . .—Better, Because by the wrath of her fornication (comp. Rev_14:8, and Note there) all the nations have drunk (or, according to another reading, have fallen; the readings are akin: the drinking of it leads to their degradation and fall), and the kings of the earth committed (not “have committed”) fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth waxed rich out of the strength of her luxury. She has been an enemy to mankind viewed in three great aspects: nations, kings, and merchants. She has brought delirium upon nations; she has reduced kings; she has bribed merchants: her sins are strong sins; with both hands earnestly has she sinned.

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

3. the wine of] Should perhaps be omitted: it may have come in from the parallel passage, Rev_14:8.

the kings of the earth &c.] Rev_17:2.

the merchants of the earth] Merchants are alluded to as frequenting the literal Babylon in Isa_47:15; but the prominence given to them suggests the analogy, not of Babylon but of Tyre: see on Rev_17:1. Rome was in St John’s day a wealthy and luxurious city, not a commercial city primarily, in the same sense as ancient Tyre and modern London, but a city with an immense commerce, the commerce really belonging to the city, though the port of Ostia was considerably further from the Capitol than the Docks are from Westminster. What Rome was then it may, and probably will, be again: and there is thus no need to look elsewhere than at Rome for the literal fulfilment of St John’s description, though some have thought it inappropriate to the geographical position of the city.

abundance of her delicacies] More literally, power of her luxury.

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.

For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication,.... That is, all the nations of the Roman empire, the European nations, otherwise the Pagan and Mahometan nations have not; but these have, being made to drink by her, and made drunk therewith, that is, with her idolatries; See Gill on Rev 14:8.

And the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her; joined with her in her idolatrous worship and practices, and encouraged the same, and obliged their subjects to them in their dominions; See Gill on Rev 17:2.

And the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies; or "luxury"; which is not to be understood in a literal sense; though it is true that many merchants, in all ages, have enriched themselves by sending their commodities to Rome, where, through the vast consumption and luxuriousness of the place, they have bore a good price; but this is to be interpreted of spiritual merchants; these are such who do not merchandise by sea, but are land merchants, the merchants of the earth, and are said to be the great men of the earth, Rev 18:23 such as are equal to princes, lords, and nobles; such are the cardinals, archbishops, and bishops; though the inferior clergy of the Romish church, who are under these, may be included: to which may be added, that one part of their wares is said to be the souls of men, Rev 18:13 which plainly shows what sort of merchants these are; they are such who make merchandise of men, and pretend to sell them heaven, and the salvation of their souls; these are they that deal in pardons and indulgences, which they sell to ignorant people, and for a sum of money say Mass to fetch souls out of purgatory: all things have been saleable at Rome, crucifixes, priests, altars, temples, prayers, heaven, Christ, yea, God himself, as the poet Mantuan expresses it; and because of these idolatries, and wicked practices, Rome will be at last destroyed.

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

3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

Ver. 3. For all nations] All Roman Catholics.

The merchants of the earth] καπηλευειν. The Popish emissaries that huckster the word and make merchandise of men’s souls, 2Pe 2:3, after they have taken them prisoners, and made prizes of them, 2Ti 3:6, αιχμαλωτιζοντες.

Through the abundance of her delicacies] στρηνους, or, of her insolencies. Proh pudor! haec res est tote notissima caelo, sang Petrarch 200 years since, speaking of the luxury and insolency of the court of Rome.

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 all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication - See the notes on Rev 14:8. This is given as a reason why this utter ruin had come upon her. She had beguiled and corrupted the nations of the earth, leading them into estrangement from God, and into pollution and sin. See the notes on Rev 9:20-21.

And the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her - Spiritual adultery; that is, she has been the means of seducing them from God and leading them into sinful practices.

And the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies - The word rendered “abundance” here, means commonly “power.” It might here denote influence, though it may also mean number, quantity, wealth. Compare Rev 3:8, where the same word is used. The word rendered “delicacies” - στρῆνους strēnous - occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It properly means rudeness, insolence, pride; and hence “revel, riot, luxury.” It may be rendered here properly as “luxury,” or “proud voluptuousness”; and the reference is to such luxuries as are found commonly in a great, a frivolous, and a splendid city. These, of course, give rise to much traffic, and furnish employment to many merchants and sailors, who thus procure a livelihood, or become wealthy as the result of such traffic. Babylon - or papal Rome - is here represented under the image of such a luxurious city; and of course, when she falls, they who have thus been dependent on her, and who have been enriched by her, have occasion for mourning and lamentation. It is not necessary to expect to find a literal fulfillment of this, for it is emblematic and symbolical. The image of a great, rich, splendid, proud and luxurious city having been employed to denote that anti-Christian power, all that is said in this chapter follows, of course, on its fall. The general idea is, that she was doomed to utter desolation, and that all who were connected with her, far and near, would be involved in her ruin.

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

For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication; that is, her fornications which have brought this wrath upon her.

And the kings of the earth have committed, &c.; she hath not only herself committed idolatry, but allured others to it, teaching them to break the commandments of God, and hath influenced princes to establish, and propagate, and to uphold, and maintain it; and all sorts of men have been bewitched by her, growing rich by her abundance, and being drenched in her luxury.

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

For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. "The wine" is omitted in A, C, but it is inserted in a, B, and retained in the Revised Version. "The wrath" is omitted. (cf. the expression in Rev_14:8 and Rev_17:2) And the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her. (On the figure employed, as well as the identical language, see Rev_17:2) And the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. The "abundance" (Greek, dunamiv , which Vitringa renders by copia, referring to Job_31:25 Eze_28:4) "Delicacies." (Greek, strhnov , occurs in the New Testament only here, and as a verb in vers. 7, 9, and (compounded) in 1Ti_5:11. It signifies overweening pride and insolence and wantonness, arising from superfluity of wealth and gifts. Cf. the warning to the Church of Laodicea. (Rev_3:17)

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

The Spirit of God is placed here to assign the reason and cause of Babylon’s fatal ruin and final desolation; namely,

1. Because all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornications.

All nations, that is, very many; the generality of the Roman empire have been allured to, and intoxicated by, her idolatries, which have brought all this wrath upon her and them.

Where note, 1. How idolatry is compared to wine, because very pleasing to corrupt nature, and also very enticing and ensnaring, overtaking, like wine, a person unawares; and it is called wine of wrath, because it exciteth and provoketh God’s wrath against a person or people guilty of it.

2. Because the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, that is, joined with her in her idolatrous worship.

Where note, The policy of Babylon in drawing kings and princes to the bed of her fornications, well knowing how fast their example would be followed by inferiors. The example of superiors in doing evil is strangely powerful; Jeroboam made Israel to sin, not by commanding them to worship the golden calves, but commending that idolatrous worship to them in his own person.

3. Because the merchants of the earth were waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. By the merchants, understand all such as trade in Babylon’s wares, her pleasing and costly wares of pardons, as masses and indulgences, by which so many were enriched. All things are vendible at Rome, any sin may be forgiven for silver, and a license for any thing that is unlawful for money. These are the reasons here assigned for Babylon’s ruin. The nations were made drunk by her, kings committed fornication with her, and the merchants enriched through the abundance of her delicacies.

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

3. For all the nations have drunk. Partaken with her in her sins. Fornication. See note on 17:5. Merchants of the earth are waxed rich. Her luxurious living had made great markets.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

3. τοῦ οἴνου τ. θ. τ. π. AC omit τοῦ οἴνου. C has τοῦ θυμοῦ after τῆς πορνείας. Primas[633] omits τοῦ θυμοῦ.

[633] Primasius, edited by Haussleiter.

πέπωκαν. AC have πέπτωκαν, אB2 πεπτώκασιν by a common clerical error which here makes sense. P1 have πέποκεν, Text. Rec[634] πέπωκε. The Versions preserve the true text.

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

3. τοῦ οἴνου. See crit. note.

οἱ βασιλεῖς, Rev 17:2.

οἱ ἔμποροι τῆς γῆς. Merchants are alluded to as frequenting the literal Babylon in Isa 47:15; but the prominence given to them suggests the analogy not of Babylon but of Tyre: see on Rev 17:1. Rome was in St John’s day a wealthy and luxurious city, not a commercial city primarily, in the same sense as ancient Tyre and modern London, but a city with an immense commerce, the commerce really belonging to the city, though the port of Ostia was considerably further from the Capitol than the Docks are from Westminster. What Rome was then it may, and probably will, be again: and there is no need to look elsewhere than at Rome for the literal fulfilment of St John’s description, though some have thought it inappropriate to the geographical position of the city.

τοῦ στρήνους. This word is used 2Ki 19:28 to translate the Hebrew word translated πικρία in the parallel passage of Isaiah (Isa 37:29); A. V[687] translates “tumult,” R. V[688] text “arrogancy” and margin “careless ease” in both places. The compound verb 1Ti 5:11 throws no further light on the meaning, which probably includes wanton pride.

[687] Authorised Version.

[688] Revised Version.

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.

Have drunk [πεπωκεν ορ πεπωκαν] . Some, however, read peptwkan have fallen. So Rev.

Of the wine [εκ του οινου] . Thus if we read have drunk. If we adopt have fallen, ejk is instrumental, by. So Rev.

Of the wrath. The wine of fornication has turned to wrath against herself. Merchants [εμποροι] . The word originally means one on a journey by sea or land, especially for traffic. Hence a merchant as distinguished from kaphlov a retailer or huckster.

The abundance of her delicacies [της δυναμεως του στρηνους αυτης] . Lit., as Rev., the power of her luxury. Strhnov is akin to stereov firm, hard, stubborn (see on steadfast, 1Pe 5:9). Hence over - strength, luxury, wantonness. Only here in the New Testament. The kindred verb strhniaw to live deliciously occurs ch. 18 7, 9.

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