Bible Strands
Revelation 17:18
And the woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The angel addresses John, explaining the vision of the woman seated on the beast. This declaration occurs after the kings of the earth are united by God to give their kingdom to the beast, just before the final fulfillment of God's words.
The words — γυνὴ (gunē) = "woman" and πόλις (polis) = "city" identify the visionary figure as a specific urban center. ἔστιν (estin) = "is" functions as a direct equation, stating that the woman is the city.
The thread — The ruling city connects to Revelation 16:19, where the great city splits, and Revelation 18:2, which proclaims Babylon's fall. Daniel 2:40 is also noted, describing a fourth kingdom as strong as iron that shatters all things.
Why it lands — The text states that the woman represents a political center exercising authority over earthly kings. It requires the reader to recognize that human power structures are temporary and subject to divine purpose.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
Cross-references
- Revelation 16:19 The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. And God remembered Babylon the great and gave her the cup of the wine of the fury of His wrath.
- Revelation 18:2 And he cried out in a mighty voice: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a lair for demons and a haunt for every unclean spirit, every unclean bird, and every detestable beast.
- Daniel 2:40 Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom as strong as iron; for iron shatters and crushes all things, and like iron that crushes all things, it will shatter and crush all the others.
- Daniel 7:23 This is what he said: ‘The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on the earth, different from all the other kingdoms, and it will devour the whole earth, trample it down, and crush it.
- Revelation 12:4 His tail swept a third of the stars from the sky, hurling them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, ready to devour her child as soon as she gave birth.
- Luke 2:1 Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that a census should be taken of the whole empire.