Revelation 17:5 - Exposition

And upon her forehead was a name written. Omit "was." ὄνομα , "name," is dependent upon ἔχουσα , "having," in Revelation 17:4 . This practice was customary with harlots (Juv., 'Sat.,' 6:123; Seneca, 'Controv.,' Revelation 1:2 ). In Revelation 14:1 and Revelation 7:3 the faithful members of God's Church have his Name in their foreheads; here the faithless ones, represented by the harlot, exhibit a spurious imitation. As God's Name marked the former as his, so the name Babylon, etc., marks the latter as belonging to the world (see on Revelation 16:19 ; Revelation 17:5 ; Revelation 18:2 ). The name consists of the words following, to the end of the verse. MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. The word " MYSTERY " may be