Revelation 18:11–17

18:11 Then28 the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn for her because no one buys their cargo29 any longer—18:12 cargo such as gold, silver,30 precious stones, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk,31 scarlet cloth,32 all sorts of things made of citron wood,33 all sorts of objects made of ivory, all sorts of things made of expensive wood, bronze, iron and marble, 18:13 cinnamon, spice,34 incense, perfumed ointment,35 frankincense,36 wine, olive oil and costly flour,37 wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and four-wheeled carriages,38 slaves and human lives.39

18:14 (The ripe fruit40 you greatly desired41

has gone from you,

and all your luxury42 and splendor43

have gone from you—

they will never ever be found again!)44

18:15 The merchants who sold45 these things, who got rich from her, will stand a long way off because they are afraid of her torment. They will weep46 and mourn, 18:16 saying,

“Woe, woe, O great city—

dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet clothing,47

and adorned with gold,48 precious stones, and pearls—

18:17 because in a single hour such great wealth has been destroyed!”49

And every ship’s captain,50 and all who sail along the coast51—seamen, and all who52 make their living from the sea, stood a long way off

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28	tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
29	tn On γόμος (gomos) BDAG 205 s.v. states, “load, freight … cargo of a ship … Ac 21:3. W. gen. of the owner Rv 18:11. W. gen. of content … γ. χρυσοῦ a cargo of gold vs. 12.”
30	tn Grk “and silver,” but καί (kai) has not been translated before most of these terms since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more
31	tn On this term BDAG 924–25 s.v. σιρικός states, “per. to silk from Ser, subst. τὸ σιρικόν silk cloth or garments w. other costly materials Rv 18:12.”
32	tn On the translation of κόκκινον (kokkinon) as “scarlet cloth” see L&N 6.170.
33	tn On the phrase πᾶν ξύλον θύϊνον (pan xulon thuinon) L&N 3.63 states, “pertaining to being made or consisting of citron wood (that is, from a citron tree)—‘of citron wood.’ καὶ πᾶν ξύλον θύϊνον καὶ πᾶν σκεῦος ἐλεφάντινον ‘and all kinds of things made of citron wood and all kinds of objects made of ivory’ Re 18:12. The citron tree belongs to the citrus family of plants, and it produces a pale yellow fruit somewhat larger than a lemon, the rind of which is often candied. In Re 18:12, however, the focus is upon the fine quality of the wood.”
34	tn On the term ἄμωμον (amōmon) L&N 5.23 states, “a generic term for any kind of spice, though often a specific reference to amomum, an Indian type of spice—‘spice, amomum.’ κιννάμωμον καὶ ἄμωμον καὶ θυμιάματα ‘cinnamon and spice and incense’ Re 18:13. In most translations ἄμωμον is interpreted as spice in general.”
35	tn Or “myrrh,” a strong aromatic ointment often used to prepare a body for burial (L&N 6.205).
36	tn The Greek term λίβανος (libanos) refers to the aromatic resin of a certain type of tree (L&N 6.212).
37	tn On σεμίδαλις (semidalis) L&N 5.10 states, “a fine grade of wheat flour—‘fine flour.’ οἶνον καὶ ἔλαιον καὶ σεμίδαλιν καὶ σῖτον ‘wine and oil and fine flour and wheat’ Re 18:13. In some languages ‘fine flour’ may be best expressed as ‘expensive flour.’ Such a rendering fits well the context of Re 18:13.”
38	tn Or “and wagons.” On the term ἡέδη (rhedē) see L&N 6.53: “a four-wheeled carriage or wagon used for travel or the transportation of loads—‘carriage, wagon.’ The term ἡέδη occurs only in Re 18:13 in a list of products bought and sold by merchants.”
39	tn Grk “and bodies and souls of men.” This could be understood (1) as a hendiadys (two things mentioned = one thing meant), referring only to slave trade; (2) it could be referring to two somewhat different concepts: slavery (bodies) and the cheapness of human life—some of the items earlier in the list of merchandise were to be obtained only at great cost of human life; or (3) a somewhat related idea, that the trade is in not just physical bodies (slavery) but human souls (people whose lives are destroyed through this trade).
40	tn On ὀπώρα (opōra) L&N 3.34 states, “ἡ ὀπώρα σου τῆς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς ψυχῆς ‘the ripe fruit for which you longed’ Re 18:14. In this one occurrence of ὀπώρα in the NT, ‘ripe fruit’ is to be understood in a figurative sense of ‘good things.’ ”
41	tn Grk “you desired in your soul.”
42	tn On λιπαρός (liparos) BDAG 597 s.v. states, “luxury Rv 18:14.”
43	tn On τὰ λαμπρά (ta lampra) BDAG 585 s.v. λαμπρός 4 states, “splendor … in which a rich man takes delight (cp. Jos., Ant. 12, 220 δωρεὰς δοὺς λαμπράς) Rv 18:14.”
44	tn Verse 14 is set in parentheses because in it the city, Babylon, is addressed directly in second person. sn This verse forms a parenthetical aside in the narrative.
45	tn Grk “the merchants [sellers] of these things.”
46	tn Grk “her torment, weeping.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started in the translation by supplying the words “They will” here.
47	tn The word “clothing” is supplied to clarify that the words “purple” and “scarlet” refer to cloth or garments rather than colors.
48	tn Grk “gilded with gold” (an instance of semantic reinforcement, see L&N 49.29).
49	tn On ἠρημώθη (ērēmōthē) L&N 20.41 states, “to suffer destruction, with the implication of being deserted and abandoned—‘to be destroyed, to suffer destruction, to suffer desolation.’ ἐρημόομαι: μιᾷ ὥρᾳ ἠρημώθη ὁ τοσοῦτος πλοῦτος ‘such great wealth has been destroyed within a single hour’ Re 18:17.”
50	tn On κυβερνήτης (kubernētēs) BDAG 574 s.v. 1 states, “one who is responsible for the management of a ship, shipmaster, lit. Rv 18:17.”
51	tn Or perhaps, “everyone who sails as a passenger.” On πλέων (pleōn) BDAG 825 s.v. πλέω states, “πᾶς ὁ ἐπὶ τόπον πλέων everyone who sails to a place = seafarer, sea traveler … Rv 18:17. The vv.ll.… have led to various interpretations. Some render: everyone who sails along the coast … See EbNestle, Einführung in das Griech. NT 1909, 182; AFridrichsen, K. Hum. Vetensk.-Samf. i Upps. Årsb. ’43, 31 note ὁ ἐπίτοπον πλέων=one who sails occasionally, a passenger.—S. also IHeikel, StKr 106, ’34/’35, 317).”
52	tn Grk “and as many as.”

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