Revelation 19:3

19:3 The smoke from that city: God’s people praise him once again as they see the evil city’s demise (cp. 14:11).

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

Rev_19:3. Further raising of the song of praise on the part of those who have sung in Rev_19:1 sqq., a sort of antistrophe to the preceding strophe.[4031]

ΚΑῚ Ὁ ΚΆΠΝΟς, Κ.Τ.Λ. The point in the ascription of praise, referring to Rev_18:8 (ΚΑΤΑΚΑΥΘ., cf. Rev_18:9; Rev_18:18), may accordingly enter in the form of the connective (ΚΑῚ), because the song, Rev_19:3, is an amplification of the ascription of praise, Rev_19:1 sq.

[4031] De Wette, who is right in rejecting the arbitrary assumption of Ewald, to connect Rev_19:3 to Rev_19:2.

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.

The song of the Antiphony or response, containing an amplification of the praise of God, from the perpetual and most certain testimony of his divine judgment as was done at Sodom and Gomorrah, Gen. 19.

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

again--Greek, "a second time."

rose up--Greek, "goeth up."

for ever and ever--Greek, "to the ages of the ages."

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. Her smoke rose up] There was, and shall be, a continual evidence of God's judgments executed on this great whore or idolatrous city; nor shall it ever be restored.

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

3. And her smoke &c.] Perhaps best taken as a part of the anthem. For the word “rose up” should be “riseth.”

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 again they said, Alleluia,.... Or a "second time" they said it; they began and ended their solemn worship and service with it; so some psalms begin and end with this word, translated in the Old Testament by the words "Praise ye the LORD", as in Psa 106:1 &c. and the repeating of the word shows how hearty, arnest, and constant they were in the work of praise on this account:

and her smoke rose up for ever and ever; they repeated their hallelujah, or gave one spiritual "huzza" more at the burning of Rome, and this followed: or the words may be rendered, "for her smoke rose", &c. and so are a reason for the second "hallelujah": it looks as if Rome, like another Sodom and Gomorrah, would sink into a sulphurous burning lake, and continue so: respect is had to the everlasting punishment of antichrist and his followers in hell, and to the everlasting burnings that will follow Rome's temporal destruction, which was an example and symbol of the vengeance of eternal fire; see Rev 14:11 so the Jews (o) say of the burning of Rome, that its fire shall not be quenched for ever, and that "its smoke shall rise up for".

(o) Yalkut Simeoni, par. 2. fol. 48. 2.

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

3 And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.

Ver. 3. And again they said, Alleluia] As unsatisfiable in performing so divine a duty. Some think that the Hebrew word is retained to import that after Rome is ruined, the Churches of the Gentiles shall by their incessant praises provoke the Jews to join with them, and concelebrate the mercy; like as the Spouse, by praising her Beloved, stirred up those dull daughters of Jerusalem to seek him with her, Son 5:9-10 cf. Rev 6:1.

And her smoke rose up] Like that of Sodom. Yet wretched Romanists will not be warned, whose judgment therefore is here revealed after that of the sitting 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.

And again they said, Alleluia - See the notes on Rev 19:1. The event was so glorious and so important; the final destruction of the great enemy of the church was of so much moment in its bearing on the welfare of the world, as to call forth repeated expressions of praise.

And her smoke rose up forever and ever - See the notes on Rev 14:11. This is an image of final ruin; the image being derived probably from the description in Genesis of the smoke that ascended from the cities of the plain, Gen 19:28. On the joy expressed here in her destruction, compare the notes on Rev 18:20.

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

As the church proceeded in her praises, so God proceeded in his judgments upon the great whore, until she was ruined past recovery.

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

3. Again—A new outburst of praise after a pause.

Rose up… ever—”The original imagery,” says Stuart, “is taken from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. As they had already become a perpetual desolation, so should spiritual Babylon be.” We may note that the past tense, rose, makes it seem as if the for ever and ever had passed. The real meaning seems to be, that the smoke rose up with a for ever and ever, that is, a fixed perpetuity to it.

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

And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up forever and ever; goeth up. The "smoke" is that of the burning of Babylon, mentioned in Rev_18:9, Rev_18:18. The final nature of this judgment is indicated by the closing words.

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

They spoke

Here "They" refers to the crowd of people in heaven.

Hallelujah

This word means "Praise God" or "Let us praise God." See how you translated this in Revelation 19:1.

smoke rises from her

The word "her" refers to the city of Babylon, which is spoken of as if it were a prostitute. The smoke is from the fire that destroys the city. AT: "smoke rises from that city"

twenty-four elders

"24 elders." See how you translated this in Revelation 4:4. (See: Numbers)

the four living creatures

"the four living beings" or "the four living things." See how you translated this in Revelation 4:6

who was seated on the throne

This can be stated in active form. AT: "who sat on the throne" (See: Active or Passive)

translationWords

eternity

elder

creature

prostrate

worship

throne

amen

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

3. εἴρηκαν. C has εἶπαν.

3. καὶ … ἀναβαίνει. Both the tense and the conjunction prove that the clause is part of the anthem.

εἰς … αἰώνων. Hence Tyconius, excerpted by the homilist ap. St Augustine, Tom. III. Hom. xviii., inferred that Babylon was more than any single city, being the world-wide mystical city of pride.

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.

Her smoke, etc. Compare Isa 34:10.

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