Rev 18:3, 7 | Barnes | STEP | Verse 3. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication . . This is given as a reason why this utter ruin had come upon her. She had beguiled and corrupted the nations of the earth, leading them into estrangement from God, and into pollution and sin. . And the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her . Spiritual adultery; that is, she has been the means of seducing them from God and leading them into sinful practices. And the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies . The word tendered " abundance " here, means commonly power . It might here denote influence , though it may also mean number, vanity, wealth . Compare , where the same word is used. The word rendered delicacies --στρηνους--occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It properly means rudeness , insolence, pride ; and hence revel, riot, luxury . It may be rendered here properly luxury, or proud voluptuousness; and the reference is to such luxuries as are found commonly in a great, a gay, and a splendid city. These, of course, give rise to much traffic, and furnish employment to many merchants and sailors, who thus procure a livelihood, or become wealthy as the result of such traffic. Babylon--or Papal Rome--is here represented under the image of such a luxurious city; and of course, when she fails, they who have thus been dependent on her, and who have been enriched by her, have occasion for mourning and lamentation. It is not necessary to expect to find a literal fulfilment of this, for it is emblematic and symbolical. The image of a great, rich, splendid, proud, and luxurious city having been employed to denote that Antichristian power, all that is said in this chapter follows, of course, on its fall. The general idea is, that she was doomed to utter desolation, and that all who were connected with her, far and near, would be involved in her ruin. (d) "drunk of the wine" (e) "merchants" (1) "abundance" "power"

Revelation of John 18:3

Verse 3. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. Rev 14:8. This is given as a reason why this utter ruin had come upon her. She had beguiled and corrupted the nations of the earth, leading them into estrangement from God, and into pollution and sin. Rev 9:20-21.

And the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her. Spiritual adultery; that is, she has been the means of seducing them from God and leading them into sinful practices.

And the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. The word tendered "abundance" here, means commonly power. It might here denote influence, though it may also mean number, vanity, wealth. Compare Rev 3:8, where the same word is used. The word rendered delicacies--στρηνους--occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It properly means rudeness, insolence, pride; and hence revel, riot, luxury. It may be rendered here properly luxury, or proud voluptuousness; and the reference is to such luxuries as are found commonly in a great, a gay, and a splendid city. These, of course, give rise to much traffic, and furnish employment to many merchants and sailors, who thus procure a livelihood, or become wealthy as the result of such traffic. Babylon--or Papal Rome--is here represented under the image of such a luxurious city; and of course, when she fails, they who have thus been dependent on her, and who have been enriched by her, have occasion for mourning and lamentation. It is not necessary to expect to find a literal fulfilment of this, for it is emblematic and symbolical. The image of a great, rich, splendid, proud, and luxurious city having been employed to denote that Antichristian power, all that is said in this chapter follows, of course, on its fall. The general idea is, that she was doomed to utter desolation, and that all who were connected with her, far and near, would be involved in her ruin.

(d) "drunk of the wine" Isa 47:15 (e) "merchants" Rev 18:11,15 (1) "abundance" "power"

Revelation of John 18:7

Verse 7. How much she hath glorified herself. Been proud, boastful, arrogant. This was true of ancient Babylon that she was proud and haughty; and it has been no less true of mystical Babylon--Papal Rome.

And lived deliciously. By as much as she has lived in luxury and dissoluteness, so let her suffer now. The word used here and rendered lived deliciously--εστρηνιασε is derived from the noun-- στρηνος--which is used in Rev 18:3, and rendered delicacies. Rev 18:3. It means "to live strenuously, rudely," as in English, "to live hard;" and then to revel, to live in luxury, riot, dissoluteness. No one can doubt the propriety of this as descriptive of ancient Babylon, and as little can its propriety be doubted as applied to Papal Rome.

So much torment and sorrow give her. Let her punishment correspond with her sins. This is expressing substantially the same idea which occurs in the previous verse.

For she saith in her heart. This is the estimate which she forms of herself.

I sit a queen. Indicative of pride, and of an asserted claim to rule.

And am no widow. Am not in the condition of a widow--a state of depression, sorrow, and mourning. All this indicates security and self-confidence, a description in every way applicable to Papal Rome.

And shall see no sorrow. This is indicative of a state where there was nothing feared, notwithstanding all the indications which existed of approaching calamity. In this state we may expect to find Papal Rome, even when its last judgments are about to come upon it; in this state it has usually been; in this state it is now, notwithstanding all the indications that are abroad in the world that its power is waning, and that the period of its fall approaches.

(a) "sit a queen" Isa 47:7-11, Zeph 2:15