Revelation 18:14

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.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(14) Directly addressed to Babylon herself.

And the fruits that thy soul . . .—Rather, And the fruits (or, the harvest) of the desire of thy soul (that, namely, which thy soul lusteth after) departed (not “are departed:” the word expresses the thought that these things “departed once for all”) from thee, and all things that are rich and that are glorious perish from thee, and thou shalt not find them any more. The descriptive passage is interrupted by this verse, in which Babylon herself is addressed. It is in harmony with the fervour of the whole chapter that the descriptive tone should for a moment give place to this apostrophe. The fruits to which the eye of desire had looked so longingly as to a harvest of delight departed. The desire of the wicked has perished.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

18:9-19 The mourners had shared Babylon's sensual pleasures, and gained by her wealth and trade. The kings of the earth, whom she flattered into idolatry, allowing them to be tyrannical over their subjects, while obedient to her; and the merchants, those who trafficked for her indulgences, pardons, and honours; these mourn. Babylon's friends partook her sinful pleasures and profits, but are not willing to share her plagues. The spirit of antichrist is a worldly spirit, and that sorrow is a mere worldly sorrow; they do not lament for the anger of God, but for the loss of outward comforts. The magnificence and riches of the ungodly will avail them nothing, but will render the vengeance harder to be borne. The spiritual merchandise is here alluded to, when not only slaves, but the souls of men, are mentioned as articles of commerce, to the destroying the souls of millions. Nor has this been peculiar to the Roman antichrist, and only her guilt. But let prosperous traders learn, with all their gains, to get the unsearchable riches of Christ; otherwise; even in this life, they may have to mourn that riches make to themselves wings and fly away, and that all the fruits their souls lusted after, are departed from them. Death, at any rate, will soon end their commerce, and all the riches of the ungodly will be exchanged, not only for the coffin and the worm, but for the fire that cannot be quenched.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And the fruits that thy soul lusted after - Literally, "the fruits of the desire of thy soul." The word rendered "fruits" - ὀπώρα opōra - 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 denote fruit. 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" (Prof. 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.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

14. Direct address to Babylon.

the fruits that thy soul lusted after—Greek, "thy autumn-ripe fruits of the lust (eager desire) of the soul."

dainty—Greek, "fat": "sumptuous" in food.

goodly—"splendid," "bright," in dress and equipage.

departed—supported by none of our manuscripts. But A, B, C, Vulgate, Syriac, and Coptic read, "perished."

thou shalt—A, C, Vulgate, and Syriac read, "They (men) shall no more find them at all."

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "Revelation 18:12"

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

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 the time of year when Babylon's destruction will be: but, in the mystical sense, these fruits may intend universal dominion over nations and churches, the obedience of kings and princes, riches, honours, and pleasures of all sorts; things greatly affected by the Papacy, and of which a large harvest was expected, but now all will be at an end:

and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee; all that were palatable to the taste, and pleasant to the sight, that were excellent and desirable; as the triple crown, cardinalships, archbishoprics, bishoprics, deanaries, fat benefices, and good livings:

and thou shalt find them no more at all; for this will be an utter destruction; at the Reformation these desirable things were taken from her in several nations, and in some places she has recovered them again, as in Germany and other places; and the outward court, or the reformed church, sinking into an outward show and form, will be wholly given to the Gentiles, the Papists, and they will have these things in their hands again before Rome's utter destruction, but after that they will no more be regained.

Geneva Study Bible

{10} And the {f} 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.

(10) An apostrophe, or turning of the speech by imitation, used for more vehemence, as if those merchants, as mourners, should in passionate speech speak to Babylon, though now utterly fallen and overthrown; Isa 13:9 and in many other places.

(f) By this is meant that season which is before the fall of the leaf, at which time fruit ripens, and the word signifies such fruits as are longed for.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

14. fruits … lusted after] Lit., the fruit-harvest of the desire of thy soul.

thy … thee … thee … thou] It seems as though the writer had forgotten the construction with which the long sentence, Revelation 18:11-13, began: this verse stands as if the lamentation of the merchants were being quoted. In the next verse, it is described again, and then is quoted more regularly.

goodly] Lit., bright. R. V. “sumptuous.”

thou shalt find] Read, they shall find.

Bengel's Gnomen

Revelation 18:14. Καὶ ἡ ὀπώρα, κ.τ.λ.) ὀπώρα in LXX. answers to the Hebrew קיץ, Jeremiah 48:32, and denotes the fruits of trees. From those things, which were imported into the city by merchants, there is now a transition to those domestic delights, of which this one species only, ἡ ὀπώρα, there held of the greatest value, is expressed. But there afterwards follow two kinds; τὰ λιπαρὰ are the rest of the things in the manner of living, which are sources of delight with respect to herself: τὰ λαμπρὰ, consist in dress and clothing, having an appearance of splendour towards others. Therefore these words have a suitable place here, though some have suspected that they ought to be placed after Revelation 18:23. But as the second person is employed in Revelation 18:10, and also follows the third person in Revelation 18:22, so it is here also.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 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; all things that were dainty and splendid are perished from thee, and [men] shall find, etc. The Textus Receptus reads ἀπῆλθεν, "are gone," as in 1; ἀπώλοντο is found in א, 7, and about twelve other cursives; ἀπώλετο is supported by A, R, C, P, and others, besides many versions and Fathers. This verse, containing a direct address to Babylon. has been thought by Vitringa and others to be misplaced; but this is unnecessary (cf. the similar circumstance in vers. 21-24). Revelation 18:14

Vincent's Word Studies

The fruits (ἡ ὀπώρα)

Originally, the late summer or early autumn; then, generally, used of the ripe fruits of trees. Only here in the New Testament. Compare the compound φθινοπωρινὰ autumn (trees). See on whose fruit withereth, Jde 1:12, and compare Summer-fruits, Jeremiah 40:10.

That thy soul lusted after (τῆς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς ψυχῆς σοῦ)

Lit., of the desire of thy soul.

Dainty (λιπαρὰ)

From λίπος grease. Hence, literally, fat. Only here in the New Testament. Homer uses it once in the sense of oily or shiny with oil, as the skin anointed after a bath. "Their heads and their fair faces shining" ("Odyssey," xv., 332). So Aristophanes ("Plutus," 616), and of oily, unctuous dishes ("Frogs," 163). Of the oily smoothness of a calm sea, as by Theocritus. The phrase λιπαροὶ πόδες shining feet, i.e., smooth, without wrinkle, is frequent in Homer. Thus, of Agamemnon rising from his bed. "Beneath his shining feet he bound the fair sandals" ("Iliad," ii., 44). Also of the condition of life; rich, comfortable: so Homer, of a prosperous old age, "Odyssey," xi., 136. Of things, bright, fresh. Of soil, fruitful. The city of Athens was called λιπαραὶ, a favorite epithet. Aristophanes plays upon the two senses bright and greasy, saying that if any one flatteringly calls Athens bright, he attaches to it the honor of sardines - oiliness ("Acharnians," 638, 9).

Goodly (λαμπρὰ)

A too indefinite rendering. Better, Rev., sumptuous. See on Luke 23:11; see on James 2:2. Mostly in the New Testament of clothing. See on Revelation 15:6.