Revelation 18:17
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,
Revelation 18:17 in other translations
| BSB | For in a single hour such fabulous wealth has been destroyed!” Every shipmaster, passenger, and sailor, and all who make their living from the sea, will stand at a distance |
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| WEB | For in an hour such great riches are made desolate.’ Every ship master, and everyone who sails anywhere, and mariners, and as many as gain their living by sea, stood far away, |
| ASV | for in one hour so great riches is made desolate. And every shipmaster, and every one that saileth any whither, and mariners, and as many as gain their living by sea, stood afar off, |
| YLT | ‘And every shipmaster, and all the company upon the ships, and sailors, and as many as work the sea, far off stood, |
| DARBY | for in one hour so great riches has been made desolate. And every steersman, and every one who sailed to any place, and sailors, and all who exercise their calling on the sea, stood afar off, |
| BBE | For in one hour such great wealth has come to nothing. And every shipmaster, and all who are sailing on the sea, and sailors and all who get their living by the sea, were watching from far away, |
| Webster | For in one hour so great riches is come to naught. And every ship-master, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, |
What does Revelation 18:17 mean?
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain
Barnes' Notes
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-- κυβερνητης--means, properly, a governor; then a governor of a ship--the steersman, or pilot, Acts 27:11.
And all the company in ships. Prof. Stuart renders this coasters. There is here, however, an important difference in the reading in the text. The commonly received text is, παςεπιτωνπλοιωνοομιλος --"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 Tittman, is οετιτοπονπλεων "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, (comp. Wetstein, in loc.,) 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. Barnes on "Re 18:10".
(b) "ships" Isa 23:14
Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain
Adam Clarke's Commentary
Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Revelation 18:9-19
The mourners had shared Babylon's sensual pleasures, and gained by her wealth and trade. The kings of the earth, whom she flattered into idolatry, allowing them to be tyrannical over their subjects, while obedient to her; and the merchants, those who trafficked for her indulgences, pardons, and honours; these mourn. Babylon's friends partook her sinful pleasures and profits, but are not willing to share her plagues…
Revelation 18:17 in the original Greek
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Cross references for Revelation 18:17
- Ezekiel 27:27-36
Thy riches, and thy fairs, thy merchandise, thy mariners, and thy pilots, thy calkers, and the occupiers of thy merchandise, and all thy men of war, that are in thee, and in all thy company which is in the midst of thee, shall fall into the midst of the seas in the day of thy ruin. The suburbs shall shake at the sound of the cry of thy pilots. And all that handle the oar, the mariners, and all the pilots of the sea, shall come down from their ships, they shall stand upon the land; And shall cause their voice to be heard against thee, and shall cry bitterly, and shall cast up dust upon their heads, they shall wallow themselves in the ashes: …
- 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.
- Isaiah 23:14
Howl, ye ships of Tarshish: for your strength is laid waste.
- Jeremiah 51:8
Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed.
- Jonah 1:6
So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.
- Revelation 18:19
And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
- Revelation 18:10-11
Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:
- Isaiah 47:9
But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood: they shall come upon thee in their perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the great abundance of thine enchantments.
- Lamentations 4:6
For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her.
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Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Context
- Revelation 18:16
And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
- Revelation 18:17
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,
- Revelation 18:18
And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!
Revelation 18:17 in other languages
| Spanish Reina-Valera 1909 | Porque en una hora han sido desoladas tantas riquezas. Y todo patrón, y todos los que viajan en naves, y marineros, y todos los que trabajan en el mar, se estuvieron lejos; |
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| French Bible J.N. Darby 1885 | car, en une seule heure, tant de richesses ont été changées en désolation! Et tout pilote, et quiconque navigue vers quelque lieu, et les matelots, et ceux qui sont occupés sur mer, se tenaient loin; |
| German Elberfelder 1871 | Und jeder Steuermann und jeder, der nach irgend einem Orte segelt, und Schiffsleute und so viele auf dem Meere beschäftigt sind, standen von ferne |
| Latin Clementine Vulgate | quoniam una hora destitutæ sunt tantæ divitiæ, et omnis gubernator, et omnis qui in lacum navigat, et nautæ, et qui in mari operantur, longe steterunt, |