CHAPTERXVIII.ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTER.This chapter may be regarded as a still furtherexplanatory episode(comp.Anal.toch. xvii.), designed to show theeffectof pouring out the seventh vial (ch. xvi.17–21) on the formidable Antichristian power so often referred to. The description in this chapter is that of a rich merchant-city reduced to desolation, and is but carrying out the general idea under a different form. The chapter comprises the following points:—(1) Another angel is seen descending from heaven, having great power, and making proclamation that Babylon the great is fallen, and is become utterly desolate,ver.1–3.(2) A warning voice is heard from heaven, calling on the people of God to come out of her, and to be partakers neither of her sins nor her plagues. Her torment and sorrow would be proportionate to her pride and luxury; and her plagues would come upon her suddenly;death, and mourning, and famine, and consumption by fire,ver.4–8.(3) Lamentation over her fall—by those especially who had been connected with her; who had been corrupted by her; who had been profited by her,ver.9–19. (a) By kings,ver.9, 10. They had lived deliciously with her, and they would lament her. (b) By merchants,ver.11–17. They had trafficked with her, but now that traffic was to cease, and no man would buy of her. Their business, so far as she was concerned, was at an end. All that she had accumulated was now to be destroyed; all her gathered riches were to be consumed; all the traffic in those things by which she had been enriched was to be ended; and the city that was more than all others enriched by these things, as if clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls, was to be destroyed for ever. (c) By ship-masters and seamen,ver.17–19. They had been made rich by this traffic, but now all was ended; the smoke of her burning is seen to ascend, and they stand afar off and weep.(4) Rejoicing over her fall,ver.20. Heaven is called upon to rejoice, and the holy apostles and prophets, for their blood is avenged, and persecution ceases in the earth.(5) The final destruction of the city,ver.21–24. A mighty angel takes up a stone and casts it into the sea as an emblem of the destruction that is to come upon it. The voice of harpers, and musicians, and pipers would be heard no more in it; and no craftsmen would be there, and the sound of the millstone would be heard no more, and the light of a candle would shine no more there, and the voice of the bridegroom and bride would be heard no more.
This chapter may be regarded as a still furtherexplanatory episode(comp.Anal.toch. xvii.), designed to show theeffectof pouring out the seventh vial (ch. xvi.17–21) on the formidable Antichristian power so often referred to. The description in this chapter is that of a rich merchant-city reduced to desolation, and is but carrying out the general idea under a different form. The chapter comprises the following points:—
(1) Another angel is seen descending from heaven, having great power, and making proclamation that Babylon the great is fallen, and is become utterly desolate,ver.1–3.
(2) A warning voice is heard from heaven, calling on the people of God to come out of her, and to be partakers neither of her sins nor her plagues. Her torment and sorrow would be proportionate to her pride and luxury; and her plagues would come upon her suddenly;death, and mourning, and famine, and consumption by fire,ver.4–8.
(3) Lamentation over her fall—by those especially who had been connected with her; who had been corrupted by her; who had been profited by her,ver.9–19. (a) By kings,ver.9, 10. They had lived deliciously with her, and they would lament her. (b) By merchants,ver.11–17. They had trafficked with her, but now that traffic was to cease, and no man would buy of her. Their business, so far as she was concerned, was at an end. All that she had accumulated was now to be destroyed; all her gathered riches were to be consumed; all the traffic in those things by which she had been enriched was to be ended; and the city that was more than all others enriched by these things, as if clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls, was to be destroyed for ever. (c) By ship-masters and seamen,ver.17–19. They had been made rich by this traffic, but now all was ended; the smoke of her burning is seen to ascend, and they stand afar off and weep.
(4) Rejoicing over her fall,ver.20. Heaven is called upon to rejoice, and the holy apostles and prophets, for their blood is avenged, and persecution ceases in the earth.
(5) The final destruction of the city,ver.21–24. A mighty angel takes up a stone and casts it into the sea as an emblem of the destruction that is to come upon it. The voice of harpers, and musicians, and pipers would be heard no more in it; and no craftsmen would be there, and the sound of the millstone would be heard no more, and the light of a candle would shine no more there, and the voice of the bridegroom and bride would be heard no more.
CHAPTERXVIII.AND after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the543earth was lightened with his glory.1.And after these things.After the vision referred to in the previous chapter. ¶I saw another angel come down from heaven.Different from the one that had last appeared, and therefore coming to make a new communication to him. It is not unusual in this book that different communications should be intrusted to different angels.Comp.ch. xiv.6, 8, 9, 15, 17, 18. ¶Having great power.That is, he was one of the higher rank or order of angels. ¶And the earth was lightened with his glory.The usual representation respecting the heavenly beings.Comp.Ex.xxiv.16;Mat.xvii.2;Lu.ii.9;Ac.ix.3. This would, of course, add greatly to the magnificence of the scene.
CHAPTERXVIII.
AND after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the543earth was lightened with his glory.
1.And after these things.After the vision referred to in the previous chapter. ¶I saw another angel come down from heaven.Different from the one that had last appeared, and therefore coming to make a new communication to him. It is not unusual in this book that different communications should be intrusted to different angels.Comp.ch. xiv.6, 8, 9, 15, 17, 18. ¶Having great power.That is, he was one of the higher rank or order of angels. ¶And the earth was lightened with his glory.The usual representation respecting the heavenly beings.Comp.Ex.xxiv.16;Mat.xvii.2;Lu.ii.9;Ac.ix.3. This would, of course, add greatly to the magnificence of the scene.
2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying,544Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is545become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.2.And he cried mightily.Literally, “he cried with a strong great voice.” Seech. x.3. ¶Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen.See Notes onch. xiv.8. The proclamation here is substantially the same as in that place, and no doubt the same thing is referred to. ¶And is become the habitation of devils.Of demons—in allusion to the common opinion that the demons inhabited abandoned cities, old ruins, and deserts. See Notes onMat.xii.43–45. The language here is taken from the description of Babylon inIs.xiii.20–22; and for a full illustration of the meaning, see Notes on that passage. ¶And the hold of every foul spirit—φυλακὴ. A watch-post, station, haunt of such spirits. That is, they, as it were,kept guardthere; were stationed there; haunted the place. ¶And a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.That is, they would resort there, and abide there as in a cage. The word translated “cage” is the same which is rendered “hold”—φυλακὴ. InIs.xiii.21, it is said, “and owls shall dwell there;” and inIs.xiv.23, it is said that it would be a “possession for the bittern.” The idea is that of utter desolation; and the meaning here is, that spiritual Babylon—Papal Rome (ch. xiv.8)—will be reduced to a state of utter desolation resembling that of the real Babylon. It is not necessary to suppose this of thecityof Rome itself—for that is not the object of the representation. It is thePapacy, representedunder the image of the city, and having its seat there.Thatis to be destroyed as utterly as was Babylon of old; that will become as odious, and loathsome, and detestable as the literal Babylon, the abode of monsters is.
2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying,544Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is545become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
2.And he cried mightily.Literally, “he cried with a strong great voice.” Seech. x.3. ¶Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen.See Notes onch. xiv.8. The proclamation here is substantially the same as in that place, and no doubt the same thing is referred to. ¶And is become the habitation of devils.Of demons—in allusion to the common opinion that the demons inhabited abandoned cities, old ruins, and deserts. See Notes onMat.xii.43–45. The language here is taken from the description of Babylon inIs.xiii.20–22; and for a full illustration of the meaning, see Notes on that passage. ¶And the hold of every foul spirit—φυλακὴ. A watch-post, station, haunt of such spirits. That is, they, as it were,kept guardthere; were stationed there; haunted the place. ¶And a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.That is, they would resort there, and abide there as in a cage. The word translated “cage” is the same which is rendered “hold”—φυλακὴ. InIs.xiii.21, it is said, “and owls shall dwell there;” and inIs.xiv.23, it is said that it would be a “possession for the bittern.” The idea is that of utter desolation; and the meaning here is, that spiritual Babylon—Papal Rome (ch. xiv.8)—will be reduced to a state of utter desolation resembling that of the real Babylon. It is not necessary to suppose this of thecityof Rome itself—for that is not the object of the representation. It is thePapacy, representedunder the image of the city, and having its seat there.Thatis to be destroyed as utterly as was Babylon of old; that will become as odious, and loathsome, and detestable as the literal Babylon, the abode of monsters is.
3 For546all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the547merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the548abundance of her delicacies.3.For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.See Notes onch. xiv.8. This is given as areasonwhy 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. See Notes onch. ix.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 rendered “abundance” here, means commonlypower. It might here denoteinfluence, though it may also meannumber,quantity,wealth.Comp.ch. iii.8, where the same word is used. The word rendereddelicacies—στρήνους—occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It properly meansrudeness,insolence,pride; and hencerevel,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 falls, 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 aliteralfulfilment 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.
3 For546all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the547merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the548abundance of her delicacies.
3.For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.See Notes onch. xiv.8. This is given as areasonwhy 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. See Notes onch. ix.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 rendered “abundance” here, means commonlypower. It might here denoteinfluence, though it may also meannumber,quantity,wealth.Comp.ch. iii.8, where the same word is used. The word rendereddelicacies—στρήνους—occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It properly meansrudeness,insolence,pride; and hencerevel,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 falls, 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 aliteralfulfilment 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.
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying,549Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.4.And I heard another voice from heaven.He does not say whether this was the voice of an angel, but the idea seems rather to be that it is the voice of God. ¶Come out of her, my people.The reasons for this, as immediately stated, are two: (a) that they might not participate in her sins; and (b) that they might not be involved in the ruin that would come upon her. Thelanguageseems to be derived from such passages in the Old Testament as the following:—“Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing,”Is.xlviii.20. “Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul; be not cut off in her iniquity,”Je.li.6. “My people, go ye out of the midst of her, and deliver ye every man his soul from the fierce anger of the Lord,”Je.li.45.Comp.Je.l.8. ¶That ye be not partakers of her sins.For the meaning of this expression, see Notes on1 Ti.v.22. It is implied here that by remaining in Babylon they would lend their sanction to its sins by their presence, and would, in all probability, become contaminated by the influence around them. This is an universal truth in regard to iniquity, and hence it is the duty of those who would be pure to come out from the world, and to separate themselves from all the associations of evil. ¶And that ye receive not of her plagues.Of the punishment that was to come upon her—as they must certainly do if they remained in her. The judgment of God that was to come upon the guilty city would make no discrimination among those who were found there; and if they would escape these woes they must make their escape from her. As applicable to Papal Rome, in view of her impending ruin, this means, (a) that there might be found in her some who were the true people of God; (b) that it was their duty to separate wholly from her—a command that will not only justify the Reformation, but which would have made a longer continuance in communionwith the Papacy, when her wickedness was fully seen, an act of guilt before God; (c) that they who remain in such a communion cannot but be regarded as partaking of her sin; and (d) that if they remain, they must expect to be involved in the calamities that will come upon her. There never was any duty plainer than that of withdrawing from Papal Rome; there never has been any act attended with more happy consequences than that by which the Protestant world separated itself for ever from the sins and the plagues of the Papacy.
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying,549Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
4.And I heard another voice from heaven.He does not say whether this was the voice of an angel, but the idea seems rather to be that it is the voice of God. ¶Come out of her, my people.The reasons for this, as immediately stated, are two: (a) that they might not participate in her sins; and (b) that they might not be involved in the ruin that would come upon her. Thelanguageseems to be derived from such passages in the Old Testament as the following:—“Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing,”Is.xlviii.20. “Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul; be not cut off in her iniquity,”Je.li.6. “My people, go ye out of the midst of her, and deliver ye every man his soul from the fierce anger of the Lord,”Je.li.45.Comp.Je.l.8. ¶That ye be not partakers of her sins.For the meaning of this expression, see Notes on1 Ti.v.22. It is implied here that by remaining in Babylon they would lend their sanction to its sins by their presence, and would, in all probability, become contaminated by the influence around them. This is an universal truth in regard to iniquity, and hence it is the duty of those who would be pure to come out from the world, and to separate themselves from all the associations of evil. ¶And that ye receive not of her plagues.Of the punishment that was to come upon her—as they must certainly do if they remained in her. The judgment of God that was to come upon the guilty city would make no discrimination among those who were found there; and if they would escape these woes they must make their escape from her. As applicable to Papal Rome, in view of her impending ruin, this means, (a) that there might be found in her some who were the true people of God; (b) that it was their duty to separate wholly from her—a command that will not only justify the Reformation, but which would have made a longer continuance in communionwith the Papacy, when her wickedness was fully seen, an act of guilt before God; (c) that they who remain in such a communion cannot but be regarded as partaking of her sin; and (d) that if they remain, they must expect to be involved in the calamities that will come upon her. There never was any duty plainer than that of withdrawing from Papal Rome; there never has been any act attended with more happy consequences than that by which the Protestant world separated itself for ever from the sins and the plagues of the Papacy.
5 For her sins have550reached unto heaven, and God hath551remembered her iniquities.5.For her sins have reached unto heaven.So inJe.li.9, speaking of Babylon, it is said, “For her judgment reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies.” The meaning is not that the sins of this mystical Babylon were like a mass or pile so high as to reach to heaven, but that it had become so prominent as to attract the attention of God.Comp.Ge.iv.10, “The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.” See alsoGe.xviii.20. ¶And God hath remembered her iniquities.He hadseemedto forget them, or not to notice them, but now he acted as if they had come to his recollection. See Notes onch. xvi.19.
5 For her sins have550reached unto heaven, and God hath551remembered her iniquities.
5.For her sins have reached unto heaven.So inJe.li.9, speaking of Babylon, it is said, “For her judgment reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies.” The meaning is not that the sins of this mystical Babylon were like a mass or pile so high as to reach to heaven, but that it had become so prominent as to attract the attention of God.Comp.Ge.iv.10, “The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.” See alsoGe.xviii.20. ¶And God hath remembered her iniquities.He hadseemedto forget them, or not to notice them, but now he acted as if they had come to his recollection. See Notes onch. xvi.19.
6 Reward552her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled, fill to her double.6.Reward her even as she rewarded you.It is not said to whom this command is addressed, but it would seem to be to those who had been persecuted and wronged. Applied to mystical Babylon—Papal Rome—it would seem to be a call on the nations that had been so long under her sway, and among whom, from time to time, so much blood had been shed by her, to arise now in their might, and to inflict deserved vengeance. See Notes onch. xvii.16, 17. ¶And double unto her double according to her works.That is, bring upon her double the amount of calamity which she has brought upon others; take ample vengeance upon her.Comp.for similar language,Is.xl.2, “She hath received of the Lord’s handdoublefor all her sins.” “For your shame ye shall have double,”Is.lxi.7. ¶In the cup which she hath filled.To bring wrath on others. Notes,ch. xiv.8. ¶Fill to her double.Let her drink abundantly of the wine of the wrath of God—double that which she has dealt out to others. That is, either let thequantityadministered to her be doubled, or let the ingredients in the cup be doubled in intensity.
6 Reward552her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled, fill to her double.
6.Reward her even as she rewarded you.It is not said to whom this command is addressed, but it would seem to be to those who had been persecuted and wronged. Applied to mystical Babylon—Papal Rome—it would seem to be a call on the nations that had been so long under her sway, and among whom, from time to time, so much blood had been shed by her, to arise now in their might, and to inflict deserved vengeance. See Notes onch. xvii.16, 17. ¶And double unto her double according to her works.That is, bring upon her double the amount of calamity which she has brought upon others; take ample vengeance upon her.Comp.for similar language,Is.xl.2, “She hath received of the Lord’s handdoublefor all her sins.” “For your shame ye shall have double,”Is.lxi.7. ¶In the cup which she hath filled.To bring wrath on others. Notes,ch. xiv.8. ¶Fill to her double.Let her drink abundantly of the wine of the wrath of God—double that which she has dealt out to others. That is, either let thequantityadministered to her be doubled, or let the ingredients in the cup be doubled in intensity.
7 How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her; for she saith in her heart,553I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.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 renderedlived deliciously—ἐστρηνίασε—is derived from the noun—στρῆνος—which is used inver.3, and rendereddelicacies. See Notes on that verse. It means properly, “to live strenuously, rudely,” as in English, “to livehard;” 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, not withstanding all the indications which existed of approaching calamity. Inthis 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.
7 How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her; for she saith in her heart,553I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
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 renderedlived deliciously—ἐστρηνίασε—is derived from the noun—στρῆνος—which is used inver.3, and rendereddelicacies. See Notes on that verse. It means properly, “to live strenuously, rudely,” as in English, “to livehard;” 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, not withstanding all the indications which existed of approaching calamity. Inthis 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.
8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly554burned with fire: for555strongisthe Lord God who judgeth her.8.Therefore.In consequence of her pride, arrogance, and luxury, and of the calamities that she has brought upon others. ¶Shall her plagues come in one day.They shall come in a time when she is living in ease and security; and they shall come at the same time—so that all these terrible judgments shall seem to be poured upon her at once. ¶Death.This expression, and those which follow, are designed to denote the same thing under different images. The general meaning is, that there would be utter and final destruction. It would beas ifdeath should come and cut off the inhabitants. ¶And mourning.As there would be where many were cut off by death. ¶And famine.As if famine raged within the walls of a besieged city, or spread over a land. ¶And she shall be utterly burned with fire.As completely destroyedas ifshe were entirely burned up. The certain and complete destruction of that formidable Antichristian power is predicted under a great variety of emphatic images. Seech. xiv.10, 11;xvi.17–21;xvii.9, 16.Perhapsin this so frequent reference to a final destruction of that formidable Antichristian power byfire, there may be more intended than merely a figurative representation of its final ruin. There is some degree of probability, at least, that Rome itself will be literally destroyed in this manner, and that it is in this way that God intends to put an end to the Papal power, by destroying that which has been so long the seat and the centre of this authority. The extended prevalence of this belief, and the grounds for it, may be seen from the following remarks:—(1) It was an early opinion among the Jewish rabbies that Rome would be thus destroyed. Vitringa, on the Apocalypse, cites some opinions of this kind; the Jewish expectation being founded, as he says, on the passage inIs.xxxiv.9, as Edom was supposed to mean Rome. “This chapter,” says Kimchi, “points out the future destruction of Rome, here called Bozra, for Bozra was a great city of the Edomites.” This is, indeed,worthlessas a proof or an interpretation of Scripture, for it is a wholly unfounded interpretation; it is of value only as showing that somehow the Jews entertained this opinion. (2) The same expectation was entertained among the early Christians. ThusMr.Gibbon (vol. i.p.263,ch. xv.), referring to the expectations of the glorious reign of the Messiah on the earth (comp.Notes onch. xiv.8), says, speaking of Rome as the mystic Babylon, and of its anticipated destruction: “A regular series was prepared [in the minds of Christians] of all the moral and physical evils which can afflict a flourishing nation; intestine discord, and the invasion of the fiercest barbarians from the unknown regions of the north; pestilence and famine, comets and eclipses, earthquakes and inundations. All these were only so many preparatory and alarming signs of the great catastrophe of Rome, when the country of the Scipios and Cæsars should be consumed by a flame from heaven, and the city of the seven hills, with her palaces, her temples, and her triumphal arches, should be buried in a vast lake of fire and brimstone.” So even Gregory the Great, one of the most illustrious of the Roman pontiffs, himself says, acknowledging his belief in the truth of the tradition:Roma à Gentilibus non exterminabitur; sed tempestatibus, coruscis turbinibus, ac terræ motu, in se marcescet(Dial.ii.15). (3) Whatever may be thought of these opinions and expectations, there issomefoundation for the opinion in the nature of the case. (a) The region is adapted to this. “It is not Ætna, the Lipari volcanic islands, Vesuvius, that alone offer visible indications of the physical adaptedness of Italy for such a catastrophe. The great Apennine mountain-chain is mainly volcanic in its character, and the country of Rome more especially is as strikingly so almost as that of Sodom itself.” Thus the mineralogist Ferber, in hisTour in Italy, says: “The road from Rome to Ostia is all volcanic ashes till within two miles of Ostia.” “From Rome to Tivoli I went on fields and hills of volcanicashes ortufa.” “A volcanic hill in an amphitheatrical form includes a part of the plain over Albano, and a flat country of volcanic ashes and hills to Rome. The ground about Rome is generally of that nature,”pp.189, 191, 200, 234. (b)Mr.Gibbon, with his usual accuracy,as ifcommenting on the Apocalypse, has referred to the physical adaptedness of the soil of Rome for such an overthrow. Speaking of the anticipation of the end of the world among the early Christians, he says: “In the opinion of a general conflagration, the faith of the Christian very happily coincided with the tradition of the East, the philosophy of the Stoics, and the analogy of nature;and even the country, which, from religious motives, had been chosen for the origin and principal scene of the conflagration, was the best adapted for that purpose by natural and physical causes; by its deep caverns, beds of sulphur, and numerous volcanoes, of which those of Ætna, of Vesuvius, and of Lipari, exhibit a very imperfect representation,”vol. i.p.263,ch. xv.As to thegeneralstate of Italy, in reference to volcanoes, the reader may consult, with advantage, Lyell’sGeology, bookii.ch. ix.–xii.See also Murray’sEncyclopædia of Geography, bookii.ch. ii.Of the country around Rome it is said in that work, among other things: “The country around Rome, and also the hills on which it is built, is composed of tertiary marls, clays, and sandstones, and intermixed with a preponderating quantity of granular and lithoidal volcanic tufas. The many lakes around Rome are formed by craters of ancient volcanoes.” “On the road to Rome is the Lake of Vico, formerly the Lacus Cimini, which has all the appearance of a crater.”The following extract from a recent traveller will still further confirm this representation:—“I behold everywhere—in Rome, near Rome, and through the whole region from Rome to Naples—most astounding proof, not merely of the possibility, but the probability, that the whole region of central Italy will one day be destroyed by such a catastrophe [by earthquakes or volcanoes]. The soil of Rome istufa, with a volcanic subterranean action going on. At Naples the boiling sulphur is to be seen bubbling near the surface of the earth. When I drew a stick along the ground, the sulphurous smoke followed the indentation; and it would never surprise me to hear of the utter destruction of the southern peninsula of Italy. The entire country and district is volcanic. It is saturated with beds of sulphur and the substrata of destruction. It seems as certainly prepared for the flames, as the wood and coal on the hearth are prepared for the taper which shall kindle the fire to consume them. The divine hand alone seems to me to hold the element of fire in check by a miracle as great as that which protected the cities of the plain, till the righteous Lot had made his escape to the mountains” (Townsend’sTour in Italyin 1850). ¶For strongisthe Lord God who judgeth her.That is, God has ample power to bring all these calamities upon her.
8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly554burned with fire: for555strongisthe Lord God who judgeth her.
8.Therefore.In consequence of her pride, arrogance, and luxury, and of the calamities that she has brought upon others. ¶Shall her plagues come in one day.They shall come in a time when she is living in ease and security; and they shall come at the same time—so that all these terrible judgments shall seem to be poured upon her at once. ¶Death.This expression, and those which follow, are designed to denote the same thing under different images. The general meaning is, that there would be utter and final destruction. It would beas ifdeath should come and cut off the inhabitants. ¶And mourning.As there would be where many were cut off by death. ¶And famine.As if famine raged within the walls of a besieged city, or spread over a land. ¶And she shall be utterly burned with fire.As completely destroyedas ifshe were entirely burned up. The certain and complete destruction of that formidable Antichristian power is predicted under a great variety of emphatic images. Seech. xiv.10, 11;xvi.17–21;xvii.9, 16.Perhapsin this so frequent reference to a final destruction of that formidable Antichristian power byfire, there may be more intended than merely a figurative representation of its final ruin. There is some degree of probability, at least, that Rome itself will be literally destroyed in this manner, and that it is in this way that God intends to put an end to the Papal power, by destroying that which has been so long the seat and the centre of this authority. The extended prevalence of this belief, and the grounds for it, may be seen from the following remarks:—(1) It was an early opinion among the Jewish rabbies that Rome would be thus destroyed. Vitringa, on the Apocalypse, cites some opinions of this kind; the Jewish expectation being founded, as he says, on the passage inIs.xxxiv.9, as Edom was supposed to mean Rome. “This chapter,” says Kimchi, “points out the future destruction of Rome, here called Bozra, for Bozra was a great city of the Edomites.” This is, indeed,worthlessas a proof or an interpretation of Scripture, for it is a wholly unfounded interpretation; it is of value only as showing that somehow the Jews entertained this opinion. (2) The same expectation was entertained among the early Christians. ThusMr.Gibbon (vol. i.p.263,ch. xv.), referring to the expectations of the glorious reign of the Messiah on the earth (comp.Notes onch. xiv.8), says, speaking of Rome as the mystic Babylon, and of its anticipated destruction: “A regular series was prepared [in the minds of Christians] of all the moral and physical evils which can afflict a flourishing nation; intestine discord, and the invasion of the fiercest barbarians from the unknown regions of the north; pestilence and famine, comets and eclipses, earthquakes and inundations. All these were only so many preparatory and alarming signs of the great catastrophe of Rome, when the country of the Scipios and Cæsars should be consumed by a flame from heaven, and the city of the seven hills, with her palaces, her temples, and her triumphal arches, should be buried in a vast lake of fire and brimstone.” So even Gregory the Great, one of the most illustrious of the Roman pontiffs, himself says, acknowledging his belief in the truth of the tradition:Roma à Gentilibus non exterminabitur; sed tempestatibus, coruscis turbinibus, ac terræ motu, in se marcescet(Dial.ii.15). (3) Whatever may be thought of these opinions and expectations, there issomefoundation for the opinion in the nature of the case. (a) The region is adapted to this. “It is not Ætna, the Lipari volcanic islands, Vesuvius, that alone offer visible indications of the physical adaptedness of Italy for such a catastrophe. The great Apennine mountain-chain is mainly volcanic in its character, and the country of Rome more especially is as strikingly so almost as that of Sodom itself.” Thus the mineralogist Ferber, in hisTour in Italy, says: “The road from Rome to Ostia is all volcanic ashes till within two miles of Ostia.” “From Rome to Tivoli I went on fields and hills of volcanicashes ortufa.” “A volcanic hill in an amphitheatrical form includes a part of the plain over Albano, and a flat country of volcanic ashes and hills to Rome. The ground about Rome is generally of that nature,”pp.189, 191, 200, 234. (b)Mr.Gibbon, with his usual accuracy,as ifcommenting on the Apocalypse, has referred to the physical adaptedness of the soil of Rome for such an overthrow. Speaking of the anticipation of the end of the world among the early Christians, he says: “In the opinion of a general conflagration, the faith of the Christian very happily coincided with the tradition of the East, the philosophy of the Stoics, and the analogy of nature;and even the country, which, from religious motives, had been chosen for the origin and principal scene of the conflagration, was the best adapted for that purpose by natural and physical causes; by its deep caverns, beds of sulphur, and numerous volcanoes, of which those of Ætna, of Vesuvius, and of Lipari, exhibit a very imperfect representation,”vol. i.p.263,ch. xv.As to thegeneralstate of Italy, in reference to volcanoes, the reader may consult, with advantage, Lyell’sGeology, bookii.ch. ix.–xii.See also Murray’sEncyclopædia of Geography, bookii.ch. ii.Of the country around Rome it is said in that work, among other things: “The country around Rome, and also the hills on which it is built, is composed of tertiary marls, clays, and sandstones, and intermixed with a preponderating quantity of granular and lithoidal volcanic tufas. The many lakes around Rome are formed by craters of ancient volcanoes.” “On the road to Rome is the Lake of Vico, formerly the Lacus Cimini, which has all the appearance of a crater.”
The following extract from a recent traveller will still further confirm this representation:—“I behold everywhere—in Rome, near Rome, and through the whole region from Rome to Naples—most astounding proof, not merely of the possibility, but the probability, that the whole region of central Italy will one day be destroyed by such a catastrophe [by earthquakes or volcanoes]. The soil of Rome istufa, with a volcanic subterranean action going on. At Naples the boiling sulphur is to be seen bubbling near the surface of the earth. When I drew a stick along the ground, the sulphurous smoke followed the indentation; and it would never surprise me to hear of the utter destruction of the southern peninsula of Italy. The entire country and district is volcanic. It is saturated with beds of sulphur and the substrata of destruction. It seems as certainly prepared for the flames, as the wood and coal on the hearth are prepared for the taper which shall kindle the fire to consume them. The divine hand alone seems to me to hold the element of fire in check by a miracle as great as that which protected the cities of the plain, till the righteous Lot had made his escape to the mountains” (Townsend’sTour in Italyin 1850). ¶For strongisthe Lord God who judgeth her.That is, God has ample power to bring all these calamities upon her.
9 And the556kings 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,9.And the kings of the earth.This verse commences the description of thelamentationover the fall of the mystical Babylon (see the Analysis of the chapter). ¶Who have committed fornication.That is, who have been seduced by her from the true God, and have been led into practical idolatry. Notes onch. xiv.8. Thekingsof 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 whenthatpower 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. Seever.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, andthe 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. Notes onch. xiv.11.
9 And the556kings 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,
9.And the kings of the earth.This verse commences the description of thelamentationover the fall of the mystical Babylon (see the Analysis of the chapter). ¶Who have committed fornication.That is, who have been seduced by her from the true God, and have been led into practical idolatry. Notes onch. xiv.8. Thekingsof 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 whenthatpower 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. Seever.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, andthe 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. Notes onch. xiv.11.
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for557in one hour is thy judgment come.10.Standing afar off for the fear of her torment.Not daring to approach, to attempt to rescue and save her. They who had so long contributed to the support of the Papal power, and who had, in turn, been upheld by that, would not now even attempt to rescue her, but would stand by and see her destroyed, unable to render relief. ¶Alas, alas, that great city Babylon.The language of lamentation that so great and so mighty a city should fall. ¶For in one hour is thy judgment come.See Notes onver.8. The general sentiment here is, that, in the final ruin of Papal Rome, the kings and governments that had sustained her, and had been sustained by her, would see the source of their power taken away, but that they would not, or could not attempt her rescue. There have been not a few indications already that this will ultimately occur, and that the Papal power will be left to fall, without any attempt, on the part of those governments which have been so long in alliance with it, to sustain or restore it.
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for557in one hour is thy judgment come.
10.Standing afar off for the fear of her torment.Not daring to approach, to attempt to rescue and save her. They who had so long contributed to the support of the Papal power, and who had, in turn, been upheld by that, would not now even attempt to rescue her, but would stand by and see her destroyed, unable to render relief. ¶Alas, alas, that great city Babylon.The language of lamentation that so great and so mighty a city should fall. ¶For in one hour is thy judgment come.See Notes onver.8. The general sentiment here is, that, in the final ruin of Papal Rome, the kings and governments that had sustained her, and had been sustained by her, would see the source of their power taken away, but that they would not, or could not attempt her rescue. There have been not a few indications already that this will ultimately occur, and that the Papal power will be left to fall, without any attempt, on the part of those governments which have been so long in alliance with it, to sustain or restore it.
11 And the558merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth her merchandise any more;11.And the merchants of the earth.Who have been accustomed to traffic with her, and who have been enriched by the traffic. The image is that of a rich and splendid city. Of course, such a city depends much on its merchandise; and when it declines and falls, many who had been accustomed to deal with it, as merchants or traffickers, are affected by it, and have occasion to lament its fall. ¶Shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more.The merchandise which they were accustomed to take to the city, and by the sale of which they lived. The enumeration of the articles of merchandise which follows, seems to have been inserted for the purpose of filling out the representation of what is usually found in such a city, and to show the desolation which would occur when this traffic was suspended.
11 And the558merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth her merchandise any more;
11.And the merchants of the earth.Who have been accustomed to traffic with her, and who have been enriched by the traffic. The image is that of a rich and splendid city. Of course, such a city depends much on its merchandise; and when it declines and falls, many who had been accustomed to deal with it, as merchants or traffickers, are affected by it, and have occasion to lament its fall. ¶Shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more.The merchandise which they were accustomed to take to the city, and by the sale of which they lived. The enumeration of the articles of merchandise which follows, seems to have been inserted for the purpose of filling out the representation of what is usually found in such a city, and to show the desolation which would occur when this traffic was suspended.
12 The merchandise of559gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all560thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,12.The merchandise of gold, and silver.Of course, these constitute an important article of commerce in a great city. ¶And precious stones.Diamonds, emeralds, rubies,&c.These have always been important articles of traffic in the world, and, of course, most of the traffic in them would find its way to great commercial cities. ¶And pearls.See Notes onMat.vii.6;xiii.46. These, too, have been always, and were, particularly in early times, valuable articles of commerce.Mr.Gibbon mentions them as among the articles that contributed to the luxury of Rome in the age of the Antonines: “precious stones, among which the pearl claimed the first rank after the diamond,”vol. i.p.34. ¶And fine linen.This was also a valuable article of commerce. It was obtained chiefly from Egypt. See Notes onIs.xix.9. Linen, among the ancients, was an article of luxury, for it was worn chiefly by the rich,Ex.xxviii.42;Le.vi.10;Lu.xvi.19. The original word here isβύσσος,byssus, and it is found in the New Testament only in this place, and inLu.xvi.19. It was a “species of fine cotton, highly prized by the ancients.” Various kinds are mentioned—as that of Egypt, the cloth which is still found wrapped around mummies; that of Syria, and that of India, which grew on a tree similar to the poplar; and that of Achaia, which grew in the vicinity of Elis. SeeRob.Lex.¶And purple.See Notes onLu.xvi.19. Cloth of this colour was a valuable article of commerce, as it was worn by rich men and princes. ¶And silk.Silk was a very valuable article of commerce, as it was costly, and could be worn only by therich. It is mentioned byMr.Gibbon as such an article in Rome in the age of the Antonines:—“Silk, a pound of which was esteemed not inferior in value to a pound of gold,”vol. i.p.34. On the cultivation and manufacture of silk by the ancients, see the work entitled,The History of Silk, Cotton, Linen, and Wool,&c., published by Harper Brothers, New York, 1845,pp.1–21. ¶And scarlet.See Notes onch. xvii.3. ¶And all thyine wood.The word here used—θύϊνον—occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It denotes an evergreen African tree, from which statues and costly vessels were made. It is not agreed, however, whether it was a species of cedar, savin, or lignum-vitæ, which latter constitutes the modern genusThuja, orThyia. See Rees’Cyclo.,art.“Thuja.” ¶And all manner vessels of ivory.Everything that is made of ivory. Ivory, or the tusk of the elephant, has always been among the precious articles of commerce. ¶And all manner vessels of most precious wood.Furniture of costly wood—cedar, the citron tree, lignum-vitæ,&c.¶And of brass, and iron, and marble.Brass or copper would, of course, be a valuable article of commerce. The same would be the case with iron; and so marble, for building, for statuary,&c., would likewise be.
12 The merchandise of559gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all560thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
12.The merchandise of gold, and silver.Of course, these constitute an important article of commerce in a great city. ¶And precious stones.Diamonds, emeralds, rubies,&c.These have always been important articles of traffic in the world, and, of course, most of the traffic in them would find its way to great commercial cities. ¶And pearls.See Notes onMat.vii.6;xiii.46. These, too, have been always, and were, particularly in early times, valuable articles of commerce.Mr.Gibbon mentions them as among the articles that contributed to the luxury of Rome in the age of the Antonines: “precious stones, among which the pearl claimed the first rank after the diamond,”vol. i.p.34. ¶And fine linen.This was also a valuable article of commerce. It was obtained chiefly from Egypt. See Notes onIs.xix.9. Linen, among the ancients, was an article of luxury, for it was worn chiefly by the rich,Ex.xxviii.42;Le.vi.10;Lu.xvi.19. The original word here isβύσσος,byssus, and it is found in the New Testament only in this place, and inLu.xvi.19. It was a “species of fine cotton, highly prized by the ancients.” Various kinds are mentioned—as that of Egypt, the cloth which is still found wrapped around mummies; that of Syria, and that of India, which grew on a tree similar to the poplar; and that of Achaia, which grew in the vicinity of Elis. SeeRob.Lex.¶And purple.See Notes onLu.xvi.19. Cloth of this colour was a valuable article of commerce, as it was worn by rich men and princes. ¶And silk.Silk was a very valuable article of commerce, as it was costly, and could be worn only by therich. It is mentioned byMr.Gibbon as such an article in Rome in the age of the Antonines:—“Silk, a pound of which was esteemed not inferior in value to a pound of gold,”vol. i.p.34. On the cultivation and manufacture of silk by the ancients, see the work entitled,The History of Silk, Cotton, Linen, and Wool,&c., published by Harper Brothers, New York, 1845,pp.1–21. ¶And scarlet.See Notes onch. xvii.3. ¶And all thyine wood.The word here used—θύϊνον—occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It denotes an evergreen African tree, from which statues and costly vessels were made. It is not agreed, however, whether it was a species of cedar, savin, or lignum-vitæ, which latter constitutes the modern genusThuja, orThyia. See Rees’Cyclo.,art.“Thuja.” ¶And all manner vessels of ivory.Everything that is made of ivory. Ivory, or the tusk of the elephant, has always been among the precious articles of commerce. ¶And all manner vessels of most precious wood.Furniture of costly wood—cedar, the citron tree, lignum-vitæ,&c.¶And of brass, and iron, and marble.Brass or copper would, of course, be a valuable article of commerce. The same would be the case with iron; and so marble, for building, for statuary,&c., would likewise be.
13 And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and561slaves, and562souls of men.13.And cinnamon.Cinnamon is the aromatic bark of theLaurus Cinnamomam, which grows in Arabia, India, and especially in the island of Ceylon. It was formerly, as it is now, a valuable article in the Oriental trade. ¶And odours.Aromatics employed in religious worship, and for making perfumes.Mr.Gibbon (vol. i.p.34) mentions, among the articles of commerce and luxury, in the age of the Antonines, “a variety of aromatics that were consumed in religious worship and the pomp of funerals.” It is unnecessary to say that the use of such odours has been always common at Rome. ¶And ointments.Unguents—as spikenard,&c.These were in common use among the ancients. See Notes onMat.xiv.7;Mar.xiv.3. ¶And frankincense.See Notes onMat.ii.11. It is unnecessary to say thatincensehas been always much used in public worship in Rome, and that it has been, therefore, a valuable article of commerce there. ¶And wine.An article of commerce and luxury in all ages. ¶And oil.That is, olive oil. This, in ancient times, and in Oriental countries particularly, was an important article of commerce. ¶And fine flour.The word here means the best and finest kind of flour. ¶And beasts, and sheep, and horses.Also important articles of merchandise. ¶And chariots.The word here used—ῥεδῶν—means, properly a carriage with four wheels, or a carriage drawn by mules (Prof.Stuart). It was properly a travelling carriage. The word is of Gallic origin (Quinctil.i.9;Cic.Mil.10;Att.v.17;vi.1. See Adam’sRom. Ant.p.525). It was an article of luxury. ¶And slaves.The Greek here isσωμάτων—“of bodies.”Prof.Stuart renders itgrooms, and supposes that it refers to a particular kind of slaves who were employed in taking care of horses and carriages. The word properly denotesbody—an animal body—whether of the human body, living or dead, or the body of a beast; and then the external man—the person, the individual. In later usage, it comes to denote a slave (seeRob.Lex.), and in this sense it is used here. The traffic in slaves was common in ancient times, as it is now. We know that this traffic was carried on to a large extent in ancient Rome, the city which John probably had in his eye in this description. See Gibbon,Dec. and Fall,vol. i.pp.25, 26. Athenæus, as quoted byMr.Gibbon (p.26), says that “he knew very many Romans who possessed, not for use, but for ostentation, ten, and even twenty thousand slaves.” It should be said here, however, that although this refers evidently to traffic in slaves, it is not necessary to suppose that it would be literally characteristic of Papal Rome. All this is symbolical, designed to exhibit the Papacy under the image of a great city, with what was customary in such a city, or with what most naturally presented itself to the imagination of John as found in such a city; and it is no more necessary to suppose that the Papacy would be engaged in the traffic of slaves, than in the traffic of cinnamon, or fine flour, or sheep and horses.¶And souls of men.The word used, and renderedsouls—ψυχὰς—though commonly denoting the soul (properly the breath, or vital principle), is also employed to denote the living thing—the animal—in which the soul or vital principle resides; and hence may denote a person or a man. Under this form it is used to denote aservantorslave. SeeRob.Lex.Professor Robinson supposes that the word here meansfemale slaves, in distinction from those designated by the previous word. Professor Stuart (in loco) supposes that the previous word denotes a particular kind of slaves—those who had the care of horses—and that the word here is used in a generic sense, denoting slaves in general. This kind of traffic in the “persons” orsoulsof men is mentioned as characterizing ancient Tyre, inEze.xxvii.13: “Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were thy merchants; they traded in the persons of men.” It is not quite clear why, in the passage before us, this traffic is mentioned in two forms, as that of thebodiesand thesoulsof men; but it would seem most probable that the writer meant to designateallthat would properly come under this traffic, whether male or female slaves were bought and sold; whether they were for servitude, or for the gladiatorial sports (see Wetstein,in loco); whatever might be thekindof servitude that they might be employed in, and whatever might be their condition in life. The use of thetwowords would include all that is implied in the traffic, for, in most important senses, it extends to the body and the soul. In slavery both are purchased; both are supposed, so far as he can avail himself of them, to become the property of the master.
13 And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and561slaves, and562souls of men.
13.And cinnamon.Cinnamon is the aromatic bark of theLaurus Cinnamomam, which grows in Arabia, India, and especially in the island of Ceylon. It was formerly, as it is now, a valuable article in the Oriental trade. ¶And odours.Aromatics employed in religious worship, and for making perfumes.Mr.Gibbon (vol. i.p.34) mentions, among the articles of commerce and luxury, in the age of the Antonines, “a variety of aromatics that were consumed in religious worship and the pomp of funerals.” It is unnecessary to say that the use of such odours has been always common at Rome. ¶And ointments.Unguents—as spikenard,&c.These were in common use among the ancients. See Notes onMat.xiv.7;Mar.xiv.3. ¶And frankincense.See Notes onMat.ii.11. It is unnecessary to say thatincensehas been always much used in public worship in Rome, and that it has been, therefore, a valuable article of commerce there. ¶And wine.An article of commerce and luxury in all ages. ¶And oil.That is, olive oil. This, in ancient times, and in Oriental countries particularly, was an important article of commerce. ¶And fine flour.The word here means the best and finest kind of flour. ¶And beasts, and sheep, and horses.Also important articles of merchandise. ¶And chariots.The word here used—ῥεδῶν—means, properly a carriage with four wheels, or a carriage drawn by mules (Prof.Stuart). It was properly a travelling carriage. The word is of Gallic origin (Quinctil.i.9;Cic.Mil.10;Att.v.17;vi.1. See Adam’sRom. Ant.p.525). It was an article of luxury. ¶And slaves.The Greek here isσωμάτων—“of bodies.”Prof.Stuart renders itgrooms, and supposes that it refers to a particular kind of slaves who were employed in taking care of horses and carriages. The word properly denotesbody—an animal body—whether of the human body, living or dead, or the body of a beast; and then the external man—the person, the individual. In later usage, it comes to denote a slave (seeRob.Lex.), and in this sense it is used here. The traffic in slaves was common in ancient times, as it is now. We know that this traffic was carried on to a large extent in ancient Rome, the city which John probably had in his eye in this description. See Gibbon,Dec. and Fall,vol. i.pp.25, 26. Athenæus, as quoted byMr.Gibbon (p.26), says that “he knew very many Romans who possessed, not for use, but for ostentation, ten, and even twenty thousand slaves.” It should be said here, however, that although this refers evidently to traffic in slaves, it is not necessary to suppose that it would be literally characteristic of Papal Rome. All this is symbolical, designed to exhibit the Papacy under the image of a great city, with what was customary in such a city, or with what most naturally presented itself to the imagination of John as found in such a city; and it is no more necessary to suppose that the Papacy would be engaged in the traffic of slaves, than in the traffic of cinnamon, or fine flour, or sheep and horses.¶And souls of men.The word used, and renderedsouls—ψυχὰς—though commonly denoting the soul (properly the breath, or vital principle), is also employed to denote the living thing—the animal—in which the soul or vital principle resides; and hence may denote a person or a man. Under this form it is used to denote aservantorslave. SeeRob.Lex.Professor Robinson supposes that the word here meansfemale slaves, in distinction from those designated by the previous word. Professor Stuart (in loco) supposes that the previous word denotes a particular kind of slaves—those who had the care of horses—and that the word here is used in a generic sense, denoting slaves in general. This kind of traffic in the “persons” orsoulsof men is mentioned as characterizing ancient Tyre, inEze.xxvii.13: “Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were thy merchants; they traded in the persons of men.” It is not quite clear why, in the passage before us, this traffic is mentioned in two forms, as that of thebodiesand thesoulsof men; but it would seem most probable that the writer meant to designateallthat would properly come under this traffic, whether male or female slaves were bought and sold; whether they were for servitude, or for the gladiatorial sports (see Wetstein,in loco); whatever might be thekindof servitude that they might be employed in, and whatever might be their condition in life. The use of thetwowords would include all that is implied in the traffic, for, in most important senses, it extends to the body and the soul. In slavery both are purchased; both are supposed, so far as he can avail himself of them, to become the property of the master.
14 And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.14.And the fruits that thy soul lusted after.Literally, “the fruits of the desire of thy soul.” The word rendered fruits—ὀπώρα—properly means,late summer;dog-days, the time when Sirius, or the Dog-star, is predominant. In the East this is the season when the fruits ripen, and hence the word comes to denotefruit. The reference is to any kind of fruit that would be brought for traffic into a great city, and that would be regarded as an article of luxury. ¶Are departed from thee.That is, they are no more brought for sale into the city. ¶And all things which were dainty and goodly.These words “characterize all kinds of furniture and clothing which were gilt, or plated, or embroidered, and therefore were bright or splendid” (Professor Stuart). ¶And thou shalt find them no more at all.The address here is decidedly to the city itself. The meaning is, that they would no more be found there.
14 And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.
14.And the fruits that thy soul lusted after.Literally, “the fruits of the desire of thy soul.” The word rendered fruits—ὀπώρα—properly means,late summer;dog-days, the time when Sirius, or the Dog-star, is predominant. In the East this is the season when the fruits ripen, and hence the word comes to denotefruit. The reference is to any kind of fruit that would be brought for traffic into a great city, and that would be regarded as an article of luxury. ¶Are departed from thee.That is, they are no more brought for sale into the city. ¶And all things which were dainty and goodly.These words “characterize all kinds of furniture and clothing which were gilt, or plated, or embroidered, and therefore were bright or splendid” (Professor Stuart). ¶And thou shalt find them no more at all.The address here is decidedly to the city itself. The meaning is, that they would no more be found there.
15 The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,15.The merchants of these things.Who trafficked in these things, and who supplied the city with them,ver.11. ¶Which were made rich by her.By traffic with her. ¶Shall stand afar off.Ver.10. ¶For fear of her torment.Struck with terror by her torment, so that they did not dare to approach her,ver.10.
15 The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
15.The merchants of these things.Who trafficked in these things, and who supplied the city with them,ver.11. ¶Which were made rich by her.By traffic with her. ¶Shall stand afar off.Ver.10. ¶For fear of her torment.Struck with terror by her torment, so that they did not dare to approach her,ver.10.
16 And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was563clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!16.And saying, Alas, alas,&c.Notes onver.10.¶That was clothed in fine linen.In the previous description (ver.12, 13), these are mentioned as articles of traffic; here the city, under the image of a female, is represented as clothed in the most rich and gay of these articles. ¶And purple, and scarlet.See Notes onch. xvii.3, 4.Comp.ver.12 of this chapter. ¶And decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls.Notes onch. xvii.4.
16 And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was563clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
16.And saying, Alas, alas,&c.Notes onver.10.¶That was clothed in fine linen.In the previous description (ver.12, 13), these are mentioned as articles of traffic; here the city, under the image of a female, is represented as clothed in the most rich and gay of these articles. ¶And purple, and scarlet.See Notes onch. xvii.3, 4.Comp.ver.12 of this chapter. ¶And decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls.Notes onch. xvii.4.