Revelation 18 · Verse 9

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 18:9, King James Version

Revelation 18:9 in other translations

BSBThen the kings of the earth who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her will weep and wail at the sight of the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her.
WEBThe kings of the earth who committed sexual immorality and lived wantonly with her will weep and wail over her, when they look at the smoke of her burning,
ASVAnd the kings of the earth, who committed fornication and lived wantonly with her, shall weep and wail over her, when they look upon the smoke of her burning,
YLTand weep over her, and smite themselves for her, shall the kings of the earth, who with her did commit whoredom and did revel, when they may see the smoke of her burning,
DARBYAnd the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication, and lived luxuriously with her, shall weep and wail over her, when they see the smoke of her burning,
BBEAnd the kings of the earth, who made themselves unclean with her, and in her company gave themselves up to evil, will be weeping and crying over her, when they see the smoke of her burning,
WebsterAnd the kings of the earth, who have committed lewdness and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,

What does Revelation 18:9 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
9. lived deliciously--Greek, "luxuriated." The faithless Church, instead of reproving, connived at the self-indulgent luxury of the great men of this world, and sanctioned it by her own practice. Contrast the world's rejoicing over the dead bodies of the two witnesses (Re 11:10) who had tormented it by their faithfulness, with its lamentations over the harlot who had made the way to heaven smooth, and had been found a useful tool in keeping subjects in abject tyranny. Men's carnal mind relishes a religion like that of the apostate Church, which gives an opiate to conscience, while leaving the sinner license to indulge his lusts. bewail her--A, B, C, Syriac, Coptic, and Cyprian omit "her."

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

Barnes' Notes
Verse 9. And the kings of the earth. This verse commences the description of the lamentation over the fall of the mystical Babylon.

Who have committed fornication. That is, who have been seduced by her from the true God, and have been led into practical idolatry. Rev 14:8. The kings of the earth seem to be represented as among the chief mourners, because they had derived important aid from the power which was now to be reduced to ruin. As a matter of fact, the kings of Europe have owed much of their influence and power to the support which has been derived from the Papacy, and when that power shall fall, there will fall much that has contributed to sustain oppressive and arbitrary governments, and that has prevented the extension of popular liberty. In fact, Europe might have been long since free, if it had not been for the support which despotic governments have derived from the Papacy.

And lived deliciously with her. In the same kind of luxury and dissoluteness of manners. See Rev 18:3,7. The courts of Europe, under the Papacy, have had the same general character for dissoluteness and licentiousness as Rome itself. The same views of religion produce the same effects everywhere.

Shall bewail her, and lament for her. Because their ally is destroyed, and the source of their power is taken away. The fall of the Papacy will be the signal for a general overturning of the thrones of Europe.

When they shall see the smoke of her burning. When they shall see her on fire, and her smoke ascending towards heaven. Rev 14:11.

(a) "kings of the earth" Eze 26:16,17

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 9 The kings of the earth - Those who copied her superstitions and adopted her idolatries.

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. The spirit of antichrist is a worldly spirit, and that sorrow is a mere worldly sorrow; they do not lament for the anger of God, but for the loss of outward comforts. The magnificence and riches of the ungodly will avail them nothing, but will render the vengeance harder to be borne. The spiritual merchandise is here alluded to, when not only slaves, but the souls of men, are mentioned as articles of commerce, to the destroying the souls of millions. Nor has this been peculiar to the Roman antichrist, and only her guilt. But let prosperous traders learn, with all their gains, to get the unsearchable riches of Christ; otherwise; even in this life, they may have to mourn that riches make to themselves wings and fly away, and that all the fruits their souls lusted after, are departed from them. Death, at any rate, will soon end their commerce, and all the riches of the ungodly will be exchanged, not only for the coffin and the worm, but for the fire that cannot be quenched.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Revelation 18:9 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
κλαύσουσινklausousinthey will weepG2799
καὶkaiandG2532
κόψονταιkopsontaithey will wailG2875
ἐπ᾽ep᾽forG1909
αὐτὴνautēnherG846
οἱhoitheG3588
βασιλεῖςbasileiskingsG935
τῆςtēsof theG3588
γῆςgēsearthG1093
οἱhoithe [ones who]G3588
μετ᾽met᾽withG3326
αὐτῆςautēsherG846
πορνεύσαντεςporneusanteshaving committed sexual immoralityG4203
καὶkaiandG2532
στρηνιάσαντες,strēniasanteshaving lived luxuriously,G4763
ὅτανhotanwhenG3752
βλέπωσινblepōsinthey may seeG991
τὸνtontheG3588
καπνὸνkapnonsmokeG2586
τῆςtēsof theG3588
πυρώσεωςpurōseōsburningG4451
αὐτῆςautēsof herG846

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

Cross references for Revelation 18:9

  • 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 19:3

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

  • Revelation 18:18

    And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!

  • 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.

  • Ezekiel 26:16-17

    Then all the princes of the sea shall come down from their thrones, and lay away their robes, and put off their broidered garments: they shall clothe themselves with trembling; they shall sit upon the ground, and shall tremble at every moment, and be astonished at thee. And they shall take up a lamentation for thee, and say to thee, How art thou destroyed, that wast inhabited of seafaring men, the renowned city, which wast strong in the sea, she and her inhabitants, which cause their terror to be on all that haunt it!

  • Revelation 18:20

    Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.

  • Revelation 14:11

    And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

  • Genesis 19:28

    And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.

  • Jeremiah 50:46

    At the noise of the taking of Babylon the earth is moved, and the cry is heard among the nations.

  • Revelation 18:7

    How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

  • Ezekiel 32:9-10

    I will also vex the hearts of many people, when I shall bring thy destruction among the nations, into the countries which thou hast not known. Yea, I will make many people amazed at thee, and their kings shall be horribly afraid for thee, when I shall brandish my sword before them; and they shall tremble at every moment, every man for his own life, in the day of thy fall.

  • Revelation 17:12-13

    And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. 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
the kings.
3,7; 17:2,12,13
shall bewail.
20; Ps 58:10; Jer 50:46; Eze 26:16,17; 32:9,10; Da 4:14; Zec 11:2,3
the smoke.
18; 14:11; 19:3; Ge 19:28; De 29:23; Isa 13:19; 30:33; 34:9,10
Jer 50:40

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

Context

  • Revelation 18:8

    Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

  • 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 18:10

    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.

Read all of Revelation 18

Revelation 18:9 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y llorarán y se lamentarán sobre ella los reyes de la tierra, los cuales han fornicado con ella y han vivido en deleites, cuando ellos vieren el humo de su incendio,
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et les rois de la terre qui ont commis fornication et qui ont vécu dans les délices avec elle, pleureront et se lamenteront sur elle, quand ils verront la fumée de son embrasement,
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und es werden über sie weinen und wehklagen die Könige der Erde, welche Hurerei und Üppigkeit mit ihr getrieben haben, wenn sie den Rauch ihres Brandes sehen;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et flebunt, et plangent se super illam reges terræ, qui cum illa fornicati sunt, et in deliciis vixerunt, cum viderint fumum incendii ejus: