Revelation 18:16

saying: “Woe, woe to the great city, clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls!

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The merchants who profited from the city stand at a distance in fear of her torment and cry out this lament as they witness her sudden destruction.

The words — οὐαί (ouai) translates literally to “woe,” expressing imminent judgment, while μεγάλη πόλις (megalē polis) identifies the target as the “great city.”

The thread — The cry “Woe, woe to the great city” matches the distant lament in Revelation 18:10, while the luxurious garments parallel the purple, scarlet, gold, precious stones, and pearls of Revelation 17:4 and the purple and fine linen of Luke 16:19.

Why it lands — It requires the reader to acknowledge that accumulated wealth and status are fragile and will be stripped away, leaving those who benefited from them to mourn from a distance.

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 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!

Cross-references

Revelation 17:4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls. She held in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality.
Luke 16:19 Now there was a rich man dressed in purple and fine linen, who lived each day in joyous splendor.
Revelation 18:10 In fear of her torment, they will stand at a distance and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, the mighty city of Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.”
Revelation 18:19 Then they will throw dust on their heads as they weep and mourn and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, where all who had ships on the sea were enriched by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been destroyed.”