Revelation 18:9

Then the kings of the earth who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her will weep and wail at the sight of the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her.

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — The narrator describes the kings of the earth at the moment Babylon is consumed by fire and her smoke rises. These rulers, who previously lived in luxury with her, witness her sudden destruction.

The words — The Greek verbs κλαύσουσιν (klausousin) and κόψονται (kopsontai) literally mean they will weep and they will wail. These terms describe the kings' vocal response to witnessing the smoke of her consumption.

The thread — This imagery of smoke rising from a consumed city connects to Revelation 18:3 where nations drink the wine of her immorality, Revelation 18:10 where observers stand at a distance crying woe, and Revelation 19:3 where the smoke is noted to rise forever.

Why it lands — The text demands recognition that earthly alliances built on immorality and luxury collapse under divine judgment. It requires the reader to acknowledge that worldly power offers no protection when God executes his verdict.

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 kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,

Cross-references

Revelation 18:3 All the nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her immorality. The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown wealthy from the extravagance of her luxury.”
Revelation 19:3 And a second time they called out: “Hallelujah! Her smoke rises forever and ever.”
Revelation 17:2 The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and those who dwell on the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her immorality.”
Revelation 18:18 and cry out at the sight of the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her. “What city was ever like this great city?” they will exclaim.
Ezekiel 26:16 All the princes of the sea will descend from their thrones, remove their robes, and strip off their embroidered garments. Clothed with terror, they will sit on the ground, trembling every moment, appalled over you.
Revelation 14:11 And the smoke of their torment rises forever and ever. Day and night there is no rest for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.”
Revelation 18:20 Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced for you His judgment against her.
Genesis 19:28 He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and all the land of the plain, and he saw the smoke rising from the land like smoke from a furnace.
Jeremiah 50:46 At the sound of Babylon’s capture the earth will quake; a cry will be heard among the nations.
Revelation 18:7 As much as she has glorified herself and lived in luxury, give her the same measure of torment and grief. In her heart she says, ‘I sit as queen; I am not a widow and will never see grief.’