426 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
How much she hath glorified herself,.... And acted the proud and haughty part in exalting herself above all emperors, kings, and princes, above all kingdoms and states, and also above all churches, assuming arrogant titles, and even blasphemous names; see Revelation 13:1 and lived deliciously: in a very luxuriant manner, as the popes, cardinals,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Therefore shall her plagues come in one day,.... The seven last plagues, which will be in a very little time executed upon her, very speedily and very quickly, one after another, if not all together; and particularly the fifth vial may be respected, as well as the plagues that follow; see Isaiah 47:9 death; not the second death, which will not be...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication,.... Idolatry, Revelation 17:2 and lived deliciously with her; Revelation 18:3 joining with her in her sensual, as well as in her idolatrous practices: shall bewail her, and lament for her: shall mourn inwardly, and by various gestures outwardly express their sorrow at her desolation; see...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Standing afar off for the fear of her torment,.... Lest they themselves should share in it, who have partook of her sins; either they will not be in a capacity to help her, or they will be dispirited, and will be in awe and dread of God's righteous judgments: saying, alas! alas! that great city Babylon! that mighty city! it will aggravate their...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over over her,.... Who these are, [See comments on Revelation 18:3] and, what their lamentation, Revelation 18:16 the reason of their weeping and mourning follows: for no man buyeth their merchandise any more; what their merchandise is, is expressed in the two next verses; and this shows that it...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
The merchandise of gold and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls,.... Things for treasure and ornament, and with which the great whore is said to be decked, Revelation 17:4 and, literally understood, may denote the vast riches which these spiritual merchants, or factors for Rome, cardinals, archbishops, bishops, priests, monks, and friars,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense,.... Things for delight and pleasure, for the gratifying of the senses; cinnamon, and odours were used for perfuming, Proverbs 7:17 anointing with oil was used at feasts, Psalms 23:5 and "frankincense", or censings, at banquets, and for the regaling of persons after food (k): these customs...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee,.... Or "the autumn of the desire of thy soul"; the desirable fruits which are then in season; the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions render it "apples", which are ripe in autumn; and may design all such fruit as Italy abounds with, which will now be destroyed; and seems to point at...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
The merchants of these things,.... Before mentioned, who have traded in them for themselves and for Rome: which were made rich by her, see Revelation 18:3 shall stand afar off for fear of her torment; as the kings of the earth before, Revelation 18:10 being conscious to themselves of their being partners in her crimes, and so might justly fear...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And saying, alas, alas! that great city,..... Using the same words the kings of the earth do, Revelation 18:10 only adding, suitable to their characters as merchants, and the things they traded in with her, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls; [See comments on Revelation...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
For in one hour so great riches is come to nought,.... That is, in a very short time, expressing the suddenness and speediness of Rome's destruction, the quick dispatch and expedition that will be made in it, by the instruments of it, as in Revelation 18:10. Rome was always famous for its great wealth and riches; the Jews have a saying (l), that...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning,.... [See comments on Revelation 18:9] saying, what city is like unto this great city? as before for magnificence and grandeur, so now for sorrow, desolation, and ruin; nor was any city like it for power and authority, for pride and luxury, for idolatry and superstition, blasphemy and impenitence;...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And they cast dust on their heads,.... As the seafaring men on account of Tyre, Ezekiel 27:30 this was a gesture used in mourning when persons were in afflicted and distressed circumstances, denoting disorder, confusion, and debasement; see Joshua 7:6 and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, alas, alas! that great city; as in Revelation 18:10 so it...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Rejoice over her, thou heaven,.... This is said by the voice from heaven, Revelation 18:4 which having called upon the saints to come out of Babylon, and to take vengeance on her, now calls upon all good men to rejoice at her ruin, while others were weeping and wailing; not at that, simply considered, but as the justice of God is displayed...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And a mighty angel,.... Not Christ, nor one of the ministering spirits, but some man or set of men, perhaps the same with him in Revelation 18:1 took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea; just as Jeremiah took a stone and bound it to his book after he had read it, and cast it into the river Euphrates, as a sign and token of...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers and trumpeters,.... Which were for mirth, delight, and pleasure: shall be heard no more at all in thee: the words seem to be taken from Isaiah 24:8 and may not only regard the loss of every thing that was delightful and pleasant to the ear in private houses, at festivals, and nuptials, and the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee,.... Either for common use, or at feasts, or at marriages, which being kept at night, required candies, lamps, or torches; this shows that Babylon, or Rome, shall be deprived of everything, even of the least thing that is comfortable in life; see Jeremiah 25:10 this will be a just...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints,.... Such as before mentioned, in Revelation 18:20 this is another reason of her destruction, besides her luxury and idolatry, namely, her shedding the blood of the saints, with which she is said to be drunk, and therefore blood is now given her to drink, Revelation 17:6 for she will now be...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
INTRODUCTION TO Revelation 19 This chapter contains the triumph of the saints over Babylon, and their thanksgiving to God because of his judgments on her; the marriage of Christ and his church, and a battle between him and his and her enemies, with the success of it. The congratulations are first of a promiscuous multitude in the church, ascribing...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And after these things,.... After the angel had declared the fall of Babylon, a voice from heaven had called the people of God out of her, and had ordered them to take vengeance on her; after the mournful lamentation of the kings, merchants, and seafaring men; after another voice had called upon the saints to rejoice at her overthrow, and a mighty...