Revelation 17 · Verse 15

Revelation 17:15

And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

Revelation 17:15, King James Version

Revelation 17:15 in other translations

BSB	Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute was seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.
WEB	He said to me, “The waters which you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages.
ASV	And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the harlot sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
YLT	And he saith to me, ‘The waters that thou didst see, where the whore doth sit, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues;'
DARBY	And he says to me, The waters which thou sawest, where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.
BBE	And he said to me, The waters which you saw, where the evil woman is seated, are peoples, and armies, and nations and languages.
Webster	And he saith to me, The waters which thou sawest, where the harlot sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and languages.

What does Revelation 17:15 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

15. (Re 17:1; Is 8:7.) An impious parody of Jehovah who "sitteth upon the flood" [Alford]. Also, contrast the "many waters" Re 19:6, "Alleluia." peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues--The "peoples," &c., here mark the universality of the spiritual fornication of the Church. The "tongues" remind us of the original Babel, the confusion of tongues, the beginning of Babylon, and the first commencement of idolatrous apostasy after the flood, as the tower was doubtless dedicated to the deified heavens. Thus, Babylon is the appropriate name of the harlot. The Pope, as the chief representative of the harlot, claims a double supremacy over all peoples, typified by the "two swords" according to the interpretation of Boniface VIII in the Bull, "Unam Sanctam," and represented by the two keys: spiritual as the universal bishop, whence he is crowned with the miter; and temporal, whence he is also crowned with the tiara in token of his imperial supremacy. Contrast with the Pope's diadems the "many diadems" of Him who alone has claim to, and shall exercise when He shall come, the twofold dominion (Re 19:12).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes

Verse 15. And he saith unto me. The angel, Rev 17:7. This commences the more literal statement of what is meant by these symbols.

The waters which thou sawest. Rev 17:1.

Are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. For an explanation of these terms, Rev 7:9. The meaning here is,

(a) that these waters represent a multitude of people. This is a common and an obvious symbol--for outspread seas or raging floods would naturally represent such a multitude. See Isa 8:7-8, 17:12-13, Jer 47:2. Compare Iliad, v. 394. The sense here is, that vast numbers of people would be subject to the power here represented by the woman.

(b) They would be composed of different nations, and would be of different languages. It is unnecessary to show that this, in both respects, is applicable to the Papacy. Nations have been, and are, subject to its control, and nations speaking a large part of the languages of the world. Perhaps under no one government-not even the Babylonian, the Macedonian, or the ancient Roman--was there so great a diversity of people, speaking so many different languages, and having so different an origin.

(g) "waters" Rev 17:1, Isa 8:7 (h) "peoples" Rev 13:7

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues - "So many words," Bishop Newton observes, "in the plural number, fitly denote the great extensiveness of her power and jurisdiction. She herself glories in the title of the Catholic Church, and exults in the number of her votaries as a certain proof of the true religion. Cardinal Bellarmin's first note of the true Church is, the very name of the Catholic Church; and his fourth note is, amplitude, or multitude, and variety of believers; for the truly Catholic Church, says he, ought not only to comprehend all ages, but likewise all places, all nations, all kinds of men."

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Revelation 17:15-18

God so ruled the hearts of these kings, by his power over them, and by his providence, that they did those things, without intending it, which he purposed and foretold. They shall see their folly, and how they have been bewitched and enslaved by the harlot, and be made instruments in her destruction. She was that great city which reigned over the kings of the earth, when John had this vision; and every one knows Rome to be that city. Believers will be received to the glory of the Lord, when wicked men will be destroyed in a most awful manner; their joining together in sin, will be turned to hatred and rage, and they will eagerly assist in tormenting each other. But the Lord's portion is his people; his counsel shall stand, and he will do all his pleasure, to his glory, and the happiness of all his servants.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Revelation 17:15 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ΚαὶKaiAndG2532

λέγειlegeihe saysG3004

μοι·moito me;G3165

τὰtaTheG3588

ὕδαταhudatawatersG5204

ἃhathatG3739

εἶδες,eidesyou saw,G1492

οὗhouwhereG3757

ἡhētheG3588

πόρνηpornēprostituteG4204

κάθηται,kathētaisits,G2521

λαοὶlaoipeoplesG2992

καὶkaiandG2532

ὄχλοιochloimultitudesG3793

εἰσὶνeisinareG1510

καὶkaiandG2532

ἔθνηethnēnationsG1484

καὶkaiandG2532

γλῶσσαι.glōssaitongues.G1100

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Revelation 17:15

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:
Jeremiah 51:13
O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness.
Jeremiah 51:55
Because the Lord hath spoiled Babylon, and destroyed out of her the great voice; when her waves do roar like great waters, a noise of their voice is uttered:
Isaiah 8:7-8
Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks: And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel.
Psalms 65:7
Which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people.
Psalms 93:3-4
The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves. The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.
Revelation 10:11
And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.
Revelation 11:9
And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.
Jeremiah 51:42
The sea is come up upon Babylon: she is covered with the multitude of the waves thereof.
Psalms 18:4
The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.
Revelation 13:7-8
And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

The waters.
1; Ps 18:4; 65:7; 93:3-4; Isa 8:7,8; Jer 51:13,42,55
are.
10:11; 11:9; 13:7,8

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Revelation 17:14
These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
Revelation 17:15
And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
Revelation 17:16
And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.

Read all of Revelation 17

Revelation 17:15 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y él me dice: Las aguas que has visto donde la ramera se sienta, son pueblos y muchedumbres y naciones y lenguas.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et il me dit: Les eaux que tu as vues, où la prostituée est assise, sont des peuples et des foules et des nations et des langues.
German Elberfelder 1871	Und er spricht zu mir: Die Wasser, die du sahst, wo die Hure sitzt, sind Völker und Völkerscharen und Nationen und Sprachen;
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Et dixit mihi: Aquæ, quas vidisti ubi meretrix sedet, populi sunt, et gentes, et linguæ.