Revelation 19:2

For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

19:1-10 Praising God for what we have, is praying for what is yet further to be done for us. There is harmony between the angels and the saints in this triumphant song. Christ is the Bridegroom of his ransomed church. This second union will be completed in heaven; but the beginning of the glorious millennium (by which is meant a reign of Christ, or a state of happiness, for a thousand years on earth) may be considered as the celebration of his espousals on earth. Then the church of Christ, being purified from errors, divisions, and corruptions, in doctrine, discipline, worship, and practice, will be made ready to be publicly owned by him as his delight and his beloved. The church appeared; not in the gay, gaudy dress of the mother of harlots, but in fine linen, clean and white. In the robes of Christ's righteousness, imputed for justification, and imparted for sanctification. The promises of the gospel, the true sayings of God, opened, applied, and sealed by the Spirit of God, in holy ordinances, are the marriage-feast. This seems to refer to the abundant grace and consolation Christians will receive in the happy days which are to come. The apostle offered honour to the angel. The angel refused it. He directed the apostle to the true and only object of religious worship; to worship God, and him alone. This plainly condemns the practice of those who worship the elements of bread and wine, and saints, and angels; and of those who do not believe that Christ is truly and by nature God, yet pay him a sort of worship. They stand convicted of idolatry by a messenger from heaven. These are the true sayings of God; of Him who is to be worshipped, as one with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For true and righteous are his judgments - That is, the calamities that come upon the power here referred to are deserved.

For he hath judged the great whore - The power represented by the harlot. See the notes on Revelation 17:1.

Which did corrupt the earth with her fornication - See the notes on Revelation 14:8; Revelation 17:2, Revelation 17:4-5; Revelation 18:3. Compare the notes on Revelation 9:21.

And hath avenged the blood of his servants - See the notes on Revelation 18:20, Revelation 18:24.

At her hand - Shed by her hand,

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

2. which did corrupt the earth—Greek, "used to corrupt" continually. "Instead of opposing and lessening, she promoted the sinful life and decay of the world by her own earthliness, allowing the salt to lose its savor" [Auberlen].

avenged—Greek, "exacted in retribution." A particular application of the principle (Ge 9:5).

blood of his servants—literally shed by the Old Testament adulterous Church, and by the New Testament apostate Church; also virtually, though not literally, by all who, though called Christians, hate their brother, or love not the brethren of Christ, but shrink from the reproach of the cross, and show unkindness towards those who bear it.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

For true and righteous are his judgments: the Lord’s judgments, in holy writ, sometimes signify his precepts, sometimes his dispensations of providence, either more generally, or more specially; in which last sense it signifies (as here) his punishment of sinners: these are just and righteous, and therefore called judgments.

For he hath judged the great whore, for he hath punished the papacy,

which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, which corrupted a great part of the earth with its idolatry.

And hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand; and by these judicial dispensations God hath also taken vengeance on them for the blood of his saints shed by them. It is remarkable, that all along this book idolatry and persecution are made the beast’s provoking sins.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

For true and righteous are his judgments,.... As in See Gill on Revelation 15:3; see Gill on Revelation 16:7, this is to be understood of God's judgments in general, and is a reason of the attribution of praise and glory to him; which may be said to be true, because, being threatened, are now fulfilled; and to be "righteous", because according to the demerit of sin; and particularly God's judgments on antichrist are intended:

for he hath judged the great whore; Jezebel, Babylon, the Romish antichrist, before spoken of, Revelation 17:1 not only by passing a sentence of condemnation on her, but by executing it, putting it into the hearts of the kings to hate and burn her, and utterly destroy her; and which is judging right, since it follows:

which did corrupt the earth with her fornication; drew the kings and inhabitants of the Roman empire into wicked and idolatrous practices, and so corrupted and destroyed them in soul, body, and estate; See Gill on Revelation 11:18 for this vision is contemporary with the seventh trumpet:

and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand; shed by her, Revelation 18:20 and this being done in righteous judgment, is matter of joy and praise to the saints.

Geneva Study Bible

For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Revelation 19:2. ἔφθειρεν, as the first Babylon had been denounced for her depraving influence by Jeremiah (51) Jer 28:25, τὸ ὄρος τὸ διεφθαρμένον τὸ διαφθεῖρον πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν. The impatient cry of Revelation 6:10 has now been answered. God “has avenged the blood (i.e., the murder) of his servants at her hand (i.e., on her),” the LXX rendering (e.g., in 2 Kings 9:7, καὶ ἐκδικήσεις τὰ αἵματα τῶν δούλων Κυρίου ἐκ χειρὸς Ἰεζάβελ) of the Heb. idiom נקם דם מיד = to exact punishment from a murderer. The idea is substantially that of Ps. Sol. 4:9, 8:29–31. As ἀληθ. καὶ δικ. are a characteristically ample expression for “equitable,” it is in the context rather than in the language of the passage (Ritschl, Rechtf. und Versöhn. ii. 118, 119) that we must find the thought of God being shown to be the real and righteous Saviour of the saints by his infliction of punishment on their persecutors.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

2. For the joy of the Saints in sympathy with God’s judgement, see on Revelation 14:10. There is a passage somewhat like this in Enoch xlvii. 4: “Then were the hearts of the saints full of joy, because the number of righteousness was arrived, the supplication of the saints heard, and the blood of the righteous appreciated by the Lord of Spirits.”

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 2. - For true and righteous are his judgments. This reason for the worship of ver. 1 is similar to that in Revelation 16:7 and Revelation 15:3. For he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. A second reason for the worship of ver. 1. Corrupt the earth; as in Revelation 11:18, where a form of the same verb is used (cf. also Jeremiah 51:25). Her fornication; her unfaithfulness and deceit (see on Revelation 14:4, 8). The prayer of Revelation 6:10 has now been heard (cf. also Revelation 18:20). Revelation 19:2

Vincent's Word Studies

True (ἀληθιναὶ)

See on John 1:9.

Did corrupt (ἔφθειρεν)

The imperfect tense denoting habit.

Avenged (ἐξεδίκησεν)

Exacted vengeance from (ἐξ).

At her hand (ἐκ)

Lit., "from her hand." See on Revelation 2:7; see on Revelation 18:20.