Revelation 17:2 kjv
With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
Revelation 17:2 nkjv
with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication."
Revelation 17:2 niv
With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries."
Revelation 17:2 esv
with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk."
Revelation 17:2 nlt
The kings of the world have committed adultery with her, and the people who belong to this world have been made drunk by the wine of her immorality."
Revelation 17 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jer 3:9 | She polluted the land with her promiscuous prostitution… | Israel's spiritual unfaithfulness to God. |
| Ezek 16:32 | You adulterous wife, who prefers strangers to her husband! | Jerusalem depicted as a harlot through idolatry. |
| Hos 4:12 | My people consult their wooden idols, and a spirit of prostitution leads them astray. | Israel's pursuit of idolatry and false gods. |
| Jas 4:4 | You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? | Spiritual adultery, compromising with the world. |
| Exod 34:15-16 | Or you will prostitute yourselves by following their gods… marrying their daughters. | Warning against spiritual and physical intermingling with idolaters. |
| Ps 73:27 | For those far from You will perish; You destroy all who are unfaithful to You. | Unfaithfulness described as playing the harlot against God. |
| Ps 2:2 | The kings of the earth take their stand… against the Lord and against His Anointed One. | Earthly rulers in opposition to divine authority. |
| Rev 16:14 | They are demonic spirits that perform signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the war. | Kings aligned for spiritual warfare against God. |
| Rev 19:19 | Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered to wage war against the Rider on the horse and His army. | Kings of the earth battling against Christ. |
| Rev 18:3 | For all the nations have drunk the wine of her adulterous passion, and the kings of the earth have committed adultery with her… | Echoes of the harlot's corrupting influence on kings and nations. |
| Isa 14:12 | How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star… you have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! | Prophecy against a prideful earthly king (often linked to Babylon). |
| Rev 13:8 | All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life… | Earth's inhabitants worshipping the Beast. |
| Rev 13:14 | And through the signs… he deceives the inhabitants of the earth. | Deception of those living on earth. |
| Rev 3:10 | I will keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world, to test the inhabitants of the earth. | Refers to a specific group, the "earth dwellers," facing judgment. |
| Jer 51:7 | Babylon was a golden cup in the Lord’s hand, that made all the earth drunk. | Babylon as an agent of intoxicating deception and judgment. |
| Rev 14:8 | Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great, which made all the nations drink the intoxicating wine of her adulteries. | Direct parallel, emphasizing the wine's power. |
| Isa 29:9-10 | Be stunned and amazed; blind yourselves and be sightless! Be drunk, but not with wine; stagger, but not with beer… For the Lord has poured out on you a spirit of deep sleep. | Spiritual blindness and stupor, not physical intoxication. |
| Eph 5:18 | And do not get drunk with wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. | Contrasts spiritual intoxication with worldly dissipation. |
| Prov 20:1 | Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise. | Warning against literal and metaphorical intoxication. |
| Jer 25:15 | Take this cup of the wine of wrath from My hand, and make all the nations… drink it. | "Wine" also symbolizes divine judgment. |
| Ps 75:8 | Indeed, in the hand of the Lord is a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices. He pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth drink it to the dregs. | The cup as a symbol of God's wrath and judgment. |
Revelation 17 verses
Revelation 17 2 Meaning
The great harlot, symbolic of the corrupt, idolatrous, and anti-God system or power, has ensnared both the world's governing authorities and its general populace. Through her seductive allure of worldly prosperity, illicit practices, and false worship, she has led kings into unfaithfulness against God and caused the earth's inhabitants to become spiritually deluded and morally compromised, much like one intoxicated with wine.
Revelation 17 2 Context
Revelation 17 focuses on the judgment of "Babylon the Great," identified as "the great harlot." This verse describes her extensive influence over two primary groups: the political rulers ("kings of the earth") and the broader population ("inhabitants of the earth"). Within the broader context of Revelation, this harlot often represents a corrupt socio-political and religious system, typically interpreted as a symbolic representation of the Roman Empire at the time of writing, due to its imperial idolatry, economic exploitation, and persecution of Christians. Historically, Roman imperial cults intertwined state power with divine claims for its emperors, demanding worship and allegiance. Economically, trade and prosperity in the Roman world often required participation in pagan rites, creating a system of temptation and compromise for early Christians. This verse establishes the widespread complicity and spiritual corruption fostered by this worldly system before its inevitable destruction, highlighting a stark contrast between faithfulness to God and allegiance to a counterfeit, idolatrous power.
Revelation 17 2 Word analysis
- With her (μεθ᾿ ἧς - meth' hēs): This prepositional phrase immediately connects the actions of both kings and inhabitants directly to the harlot introduced in the preceding verse. It denotes close association, participation, and agency originating from or facilitated by her.
- the kings of the earth (οἱ βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς - hoi basileis tēs gēs): These represent the political, governmental, and military powers of the world. In Revelation, "kings of the earth" are often seen in opposition to God and His Christ, engaging in worldly systems and wielding power contrary to divine principles. Their actions here denote political alliances and subservience to the harlot's corrupting influence.
- committed adultery (ἐπόρνευσαν - eporneusan): From porneuō. While it can refer to literal sexual immorality, in biblical prophecy, particularly in the Old Testament, "fornication" or "adultery" (πορνεία - porneia) is a prevalent metaphor for spiritual unfaithfulness, idolatry, and covenant-breaking with God. It signifies the deviation from true worship and devotion to the Lord, often through engaging in false religions, embracing pagan practices, or compromising divine principles for worldly gain.
- and (καὶ - kai): This simple conjunction serves to link two distinct but related groups (kings and inhabitants) affected by the harlot's influence, and often introduces the subsequent consequence or experience.
- the inhabitants of the earth (οἱ κατοικοῦντες τὴν γῆν - hoi katoikountes tēn gēn): This phrase appears frequently in Revelation (e.g., Rev 3:10, 6:10, 8:13, 11:10, 13:8, 13:12, 13:14). It distinguishes a segment of humanity—those whose lives are primarily earth-focused, often antagonistic to God, worship the Beast, and are subject to divine judgment—from those who are faithful to God and heavenly-minded. Their collective response highlights the pervasive reach of the harlot's influence across all levels of society.
- were intoxicated (ἐμεθύσθησαν - emethysthēsan): From methuō, meaning to become drunk. This is a metaphorical use. It signifies being overwhelmed, deluded, or stupefied to the point of losing moral judgment and spiritual discernment. It suggests a powerful, enthralling, and blinding influence that renders people incapable of rational thought or moral uprightness regarding their relationship with God.
- with the wine (ἐκ τοῦ οἴνου - ek tou oinou): "Wine" is often used biblically as a symbol of joy and celebration, but also frequently of spiritual intoxication, error, pleasure, and even divine wrath. Here, it is the medium through which people are rendered senseless.
- of her adulteries (τῆς πορνείας αὐτῆς - tēs porneias autēs): This identifies the nature or source of the intoxicating "wine." The wine is not just from her, but it is the very essence of her spiritual prostitution. It encapsulates all her seductive falsehoods, idolatries, immoral practices, and enticing promises of wealth or power that lure people away from God.
- "committed adultery... and were intoxicated": These two actions describe both the willing participation (kings actively committing spiritual adultery) and the passive submission or stupefaction (inhabitants being made drunk) under the harlot's pervasive influence. This shows a spectrum of engagement, from willful alliance to mass delusion.
- "kings of the earth... inhabitants of the earth": This pairing demonstrates the harlot's universal corrupting power, affecting both the highest echelons of power and the broad populace. No segment of earthly society is immune to her influence unless divinely protected or morally resolute.
- "wine of her adulteries": This phrase powerfully conveys the deceptive and addictive nature of the harlot's corrupt system. It’s not just plain wine; it's a brew specifically concocted from her spiritual prostitution, designed to seduce, disorient, and enslave its drinkers in idolatry and moral depravity.
Revelation 17 2 Bonus section
The imagery in Revelation 17:2 draws deeply from Old Testament prophetic traditions where "harlotry" frequently describes Israel's unfaithfulness to God through idolatry (e.g., Ezekiel 16, Hosea 1-3). By applying this imagery to a powerful external entity (Babylon/Rome), Revelation demonstrates that the same principles of spiritual fidelity apply universally, condemning not just ancient Israel's sin but any worldly power system that draws people away from God. This passage implies that compromise with corrupt systems—whether through economic entanglement, political allegiance, or moral accommodation—constitutes spiritual disloyalty to Christ. The harlot's intoxicating influence represents the appealing, yet ultimately destructive, promises of worldly wisdom, prosperity, or power when they are sought apart from God's righteous standards.
Revelation 17 2 Commentary
Revelation 17:2 reveals the insidious power and widespread influence of the "great harlot," who personifies a global, anti-God system or ideology. This verse concisely outlines the dual scope of her spiritual corruption: affecting both the authoritative political leaders ("kings of the earth") and the general masses ("inhabitants of the earth"). The "kings" are portrayed as engaging in "adultery" with her, signifying their deliberate unholy alliances, moral compromises, and participation in idolatrous practices, essentially breaking covenant with God for worldly gain and power. Simultaneously, the "inhabitants" are depicted as being "intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries." This imagery points to a spiritual stupor or delusion, where the seductive allure of the harlot's false religion, luxury, or materialistic values blinds and dulls people's spiritual senses, making them unable to discern truth or righteousness. This "wine" is the potent concoction of her idolatry and immoral sway, leading people to embrace earthly allegiances and compromise their faith. The verse underlines that this system, represented by Babylon, does not merely coerce but powerfully seduces the world into spiritual rebellion against the True King, setting the stage for the dramatic unfolding of divine judgment.