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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Revelation 17:14-18

Here we have some account of the downfall of Babylon, to be more fully described in the following chapter. I. Here is a war begun between the beast and his followers, and the Lamb and his followers. The beast and his army, to an eye of sense, appear much stronger than the Lamb and his army: one would think an army with a lamb at the head of them could not stand before the great red dragon. But, II. Here is a victory gained by the Lamb: The Lamb shall overcome. Christ must reign till all... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 17:1-18

17:1-18 1 One of the seven angels, who had the seven bowls, came and spoke with me. "Come here," he said, "and I will show you the judgment of the great harlot, who sits upon many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication and with the wine of whose adultery those who inhabit the earth have become drunken." 3 He carried me away in the Spirit to a desert place, and I saw a woman, seated upon a scarlet beast, which was full of names which were insults to God, and which had... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 17:15

And he saith unto me ,.... That is, the angel, who proposed to give John the interpretation of the vision, he went on with it as follows: the waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth ; see Gill on Revelation 17:1 , are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues ; denoting the vast multitude of people, of which the several kingdoms, of divers languages, consist, which belong to the jurisdiction of Rome Papal: it is an eastern way of speaking, and is particularly used... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 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 - " 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... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Revelation 17:1-18

"Babylon the great." Our aim in this homily will be to show to what form of evil the name "Babylon the great" specially seems to point. The complexity and difficulty which have gathered round this chapter seem to the writer to arise rather from the enormous incubus of human interpretation which has pressed it down. In this passage we are shown rather a twisted rope than a tangled web. If we untwist the threads and lay them side by side, we shall not have much difficulty, specially if we... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Revelation 17:14-18

The great moral campaign. "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," etc. To our mind these verses seem to adumbrate the greatest of all the campaigns this world has ever witnessed or ever will. In every department of sentient being there seems to be an arena of conflict, and physical wars in human life have been rife in every part of the world, from the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Revelation 17:15

And he saith unto me. As in Revelation 17:7 , these words form the preface to a particular description. Having explained the mystery of the beast, to whom the woman looks for support, the angel now proceeds to unfold the mystery of the harlot herself. The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth; viz. those mentioned in Revelation 17:1 . In Revelation 17:7 we are told that the beast carries the woman. Both statements are correct. The beast is the world power, which is found... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Revelation 17:15

And he saith unto me - The angel, Revelation 17:7. This commences the more “literal” statement of what is meant by these symbols. See the Analysis of the chapter.The waters which thou sawest - See the notes on Revelation 17:1.Are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues - For an explanation of these terms, see the notes on Revelation 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... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Revelation 17:15-18

Revelation 17:15-18. And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest where the whore sitteth are peoples, &c. In the former part of this description, (Revelation 17:1,) the whore is represented like ancient Babylon, sitting upon many waters; and these waters are here, Revelation 17:15, said expressly to signify peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. So many words in the plural number fitly denote the great extensiveness of her power and jurisdiction; and it is a... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Revelation 17:15-18

The beast destroys the prostitute (17:15-18)In their pursuit of power and prosperity, people may develop international cooperation (15), but hatred and jealousy eventually bring disunity and conflict (cf. James 4:1-2). As the prostitute has relied on the beast to carry her, so the human race has relied on the forces of Satan to achieve stability, growth, wealth and power. But as the prostitute is killed by the beast that supported her, so the human race is destroyed by the very forces it has... read more

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