Revelation 17 · Verse 2

Revelation 17:2

With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
Revelation 17:2, King James Version

Revelation 17:2 in other translations

BSBThe kings of the earth were immoral with her, and those who dwell on the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her immorality.”
WEBwith whom the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality. Those who dwell on the earth were made drunken with the wine of her sexual immorality.”
ASVwith whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and they that dwell in the earth were made drunken with the wine of her fornication.
YLTwith whom the kings of the earth did commit whoredom; and made drunk from the wine of her whoredom were those inhabiting the earth;'
DARBYwith whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication; and they that dwell on the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
BBEWith whom the kings of the earth made themselves unclean, and those who are on the earth were full of the wine of her evil desires.
WebsterWith whom the kings of the earth have committed lewd deeds, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her lewdness.

What does Revelation 17:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
2. drunk with--Greek, "owing to." It cannot be pagan Rome, but papal Rome, if a particular seat of error be meant, but I incline to think that the judgment (Re 18:2) and the spiritual fornication (Re 18:3), though finding their culmination in Rome, are not restricted to it, but comprise the whole apostate Church, Roman, Greek, and even Protestant, so far as it has been seduced from its "first love" (Re 2:4) to Christ, the heavenly Bridegroom, and given its affections to worldly pomps and idols. The woman (Re 12:1) is the congregation of God in its purity under the Old and New Testament, and appears again as the Bride of the Lamb, the transfigured Church prepared for the marriage feast. The woman, the invisible Church, is latent in the apostate Church, and is the Church militant; the Bride is the Church triumphant.

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

Barnes' Notes
Verse 2. With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication. Spiritual adultery. The meaning is, that Papal Rome, unfaithful to God, and idolatrous and corrupt, had seduced the rulers of the earth, and led them into the same kind of unfaithfulness, idolatry, and corruption. Compare Jer 3:8-9, 5:7, 13:27, 23:14, Eze 16:32, 23:37, Hos 2:2 Hos 4:2. How true this is in history need not be stated. All the princes and kings of Europe in the dark ages and for many centuries were, and not a few of them are now, entirely under the influence of Papal Rome.

And the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. The alluring cup which as an harlot she had to said extended them. See this image explained in Barnes on "Re 14:8". There it is that Babylon--referring to the same thing--had "made them drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication;" that is, of the cup that led to wrath or punishment. Here it is said that the harlot had made them "drunk with the wine of her fornication;" that is, they had been, as it were, intoxicated by the alluring cup held out to them. What could better describe the influence of Rome on the people of the world, in making them, under these delusions, incapable of sober judgment, and in completely fascinating and controlling all their powers?

(c) "whom the kings of the earth" Rev 18:3 (a) "scarlet-coloured beast" Rev 12:3 (b) "having seven heads" Rev 13:1

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication - What an awful picture this is of the state of the religion of the world in subjection to this whore! Kings have committed spiritual fornication with her, and their subjects have drunk deep, dreadfully deep, into the doctrine of her abominable errors.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Revelation 17:1-6

Chapter Outline One of the angels who had the vials, explains the meaning of the former vision of the antichristian beast that was to reign 1260 years, and then to be destroyed. (1-6) And interprets the mystery of the woman, and the beast that had seven heads and ten horns. (7-18) Verses 1-6 Rome clearly appears to be meant in this chapter. Pagan Rome subdued and ruled with military power, not by art and flatteries…

Read the full comment on Revelation 17:1-6 →

Revelation 17:2 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.

μεθ᾽meth᾽withG3326
ἧςhēswhomG3739
ἐπόρνευσανeporneusancommitted sexual immoralityG4203
οἱhoitheG3588
βασιλεῖςbasileiskingsG935
τῆςtēsof theG3588
γῆς,gēsearth,G1093
καὶkaiandG2532
ἐμεθύσθησανemethusthēsanwere made drunkG3182
οἱhoithose thatG3588
κατοικοῦντεςkatoikountesdwellingG2730
τὴνtēnon theG3588
γῆνgēnearthG1093
ἐκekwithG1537
τοῦtoutheG3588
οἴνουoinouwineG3631
τῆςtēsof theG3588
πορνείαςporneiassexual immoralityG4202
αὐτῆς.¶autēsof her.G846

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

Cross references for Revelation 17:2

  • Revelation 14:8

    And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

  • Jeremiah 51:7

    Babylon hath been a golden cup in the Lord’s hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad.

  • Revelation 18:3

    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.

  • Revelation 18:9

    And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,

  • Revelation 18:23

    And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.

  • Revelation 17:17

    For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

  • Revelation 3:10

    Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

  • Revelation 17:13

    These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
13,17; 14:8; 18:3,9,23; Jer 51:7

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

Context

  • 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:

  • Revelation 17:2

    With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

  • Revelation 17:3

    So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

Read all of Revelation 17

Revelation 17:2 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Con la cual han fornicado los reyes de la tierra, y los que moran en la tierra se han embriagado con el vino de su fornicación.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		avec laquelle les rois de la terre ont commis fornication; et ceux qui habitent sur la terre ont été enivrés du vin de sa fornication.
German
Elberfelder 1871		mit welcher die Könige der Erde Hurerei getrieben haben; und die auf der Erde wohnen, sind trunken geworden von dem Weine ihrer Hurerei.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		cum qua fornicati sunt reges terræ, et inebriati sunt qui inhabitant terram de vino prostitutionis ejus.