Revelation 18:18 When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, 'Was there ever a city like this great city?'

◄ Revelation 18:18 ►

Parallel Verses

New International Version
When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, 'Was there ever a city like this great city?'

English Standard Version
and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning, “What city was like the great city?”

New American Standard Bible
and were crying out as they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, 'What city is like the great city?'

King James Bible
And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!

Holman Christian Standard Bible
as they watched the smoke from her burning and kept crying out: "Who is like the great city?"

International Standard Version
When they saw the smoke rising from the fire that consumed her, they began to cry out, "What city was like that great city?"

American Standard Version
and cried out as they looked upon the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like the great city?

Douay-Rheims Bible
And cried, seeing the place of her burning, saying: What city is like to this great city?

Darby Bible Translation
and cried, seeing the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like to the great city?

Young's Literal Translation
and were crying, seeing the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like to the great city?

Cross References

Ezekiel 27:30
And shall cause their voice to be heard against you, and shall cry bitterly, and shall cast up dust on their heads, they shall wallow themselves in the ashes:

Ezekiel 27:32
And in their wailing they shall take up a lamentation for you, and lament over you, saying, What city is like Tyrus, like the destroyed in the middle of the sea?

Revelation 13:4
And they worshipped the dragon which gave power to the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like to the beast? who is able to make war with him?

Revelation 14:11
And the smoke of their torment ascends up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.

Revelation 16:19
And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give to her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.

Revelation 18:9
And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall mourn her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,

Revelation 18:10
Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is your judgment come.

Revelation 18:16
And saying, Alas, alas that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!

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Commentaries

Matthew Henry's 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.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

18. when they saw—Greek, "horontes." But A, B, C, and Andreas read, Greek, "blepontes," "looking at." Greek, "blepo," is to use the eyes, to look: the act of seeing without thought of the object seen. Greek, "horao," refers to the thing seen or presented to the eyes [Tittmann].

smoke—so B, C. But A reads "place."

What city is like—Compare the similar beast as to the beast, Re 13:4: so closely do the harlot and beast approximate one another. Contrast the attribution of this praise to God, to whom alone it is due, by His servants (Ex 15:11). Martial says of Rome, "Nothing is equal to her;" and Athenæus, "She is the epitome of the world."