Revelation 17 3

Revelation 17:3 kjv

So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

Revelation 17:3 nkjv

So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

Revelation 17:3 niv

Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns.

Revelation 17:3 esv

And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns.

Revelation 17:3 nlt

So the angel took me in the Spirit into the wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that had seven heads and ten horns, and blasphemies against God were written all over it.

Revelation 17 verses

Revelation 17 3 Meaning

The verse describes John being transported by divine influence into a barren spiritual landscape where he witnesses a powerful, symbolic vision. He sees a harlot, representing a corrupt, anti-God system or city, seated upon a vibrant red beast. This beast embodies oppressive political power, covered with blasphemous declarations, and characterized by seven heads and ten horns, indicating its multifaceted dominion and final alliances against God.

Revelation 17 3 Context

Revelation 17 focuses on the dramatic judgment of "Babylon the Great," symbolically depicted as a harlot. Verse 3 initiates John's vision by physically transporting him to the scene where he is to witness this entity. This chapter stands in contrast to the divine city, the New Jerusalem, that will be presented in Revelation 21-22. Historically, the original audience, undergoing Roman persecution in Asia Minor, would have understood "Babylon" as a code word for the tyrannical Roman Empire, known for its idolatry, luxury, immorality, and persecution of Christians. The vision vividly portrays Rome's blasphemous claims (emperor worship), its widespread influence, and its eventual downfall.

Revelation 17 3 Word analysis

• And he carried me away (καὶ ἀπενήνεγκέν με, kai apenēnenken me):

  • ἀπενήνεγκέν (apenenken): Aorist active indicative of ἀποφέρω (apopherō), meaning "to carry away," "bear away." This indicates a divine act, an immediate, spiritual transportation of John beyond his physical location.
  • Significance: Like Ezekiel (Ezek 3:12-14), John is supernaturally moved by a prophetic guide (one of the seven angels, Rev 17:1), demonstrating the divine source and control over the vision. It emphasizes the profound spiritual nature of what he is about to witness, distinguishing it from an ordinary dream or physical journey.

• in the Spirit (ἐν πνεύματι, en pneumati):

  • πνεύματι (pneumati): Dative singular of πνεῦμα (pneuma), meaning "spirit," referring to the Holy Spirit or a state of divine inspiration/ecstasy.
  • Significance: This is a recurring phrase in Revelation (1:10, 4:2, 21:10), indicating John's state of heightened spiritual receptivity and inspiration. He is seeing not with physical eyes, but through the enabling power of God's Spirit, which grants him access to divine revelations beyond human comprehension. It implies that the vision is spiritual truth, not mere physical reality.

• into the wilderness (εἰς ἔρημον, eis erēmon):

  • ἔρημον (erēmon): Accusative singular of ἔρημος (erēmos), meaning "desert," "solitary place," "wilderness."
  • Significance: The wilderness in biblical context is often a place of isolation, desolation, testing (e.g., Israel in the wilderness, Jesus in the wilderness), but also a place of divine encounter and judgment. Here, it could symbolize the desolation of the system John is about to see judged, or a place isolated from normal human society to reveal profound spiritual truths about the harlot and beast. It contrasts sharply with the "many waters" upon which the harlot sits (Rev 17:1), suggesting perhaps the harlot's removal from her base of power for judgment.

• and I saw (καὶ εἶδον, kai eidon):

  • εἶδον (eidon): Aorist active indicative of ὁράω (horaō), meaning "to see," "perceive," "experience."
  • Significance: This introduces the core subject of the vision, emphasizing John's direct perception of what is divinely revealed to him.

• a woman (γυναῖκα, gynaika):

  • γυναῖκα (gynaika): Accusative singular of γυνή (gynē), meaning "woman," but in prophecy often symbolizing a people, city, or spiritual entity (e.g., God's people in Rev 12, New Jerusalem in Rev 21).
  • Significance: Here, it represents "the great harlot" (Rev 17:1), embodying the corrupt spiritual and political system "Babylon the Great." The imagery of a woman being an unfaithful "harlot" has roots in Old Testament prophets condemning idolatrous or corrupt cities/nations (e.g., Jerusalem in Ezek 16, Tyre in Isa 23).

• sit upon (καθήμενον ἐπὶ, kathēmenon epi):

  • καθήμενον (kathēmenon): Present active participle, accusative singular of κάθημαι (kathēmai), meaning "to sit," "be seated."
  • ἐπὶ (epi): Preposition, here with the genitive, indicating "upon," "on."
  • Significance: Her posture "sitting upon" the beast implies control, mastery, reliance, and even dominion over the beast. The harlot appears to be in control, but later chapters will reveal the beast's ultimate betrayal of her. It suggests a close, intertwined relationship between the religious/economic system she represents and the political power of the beast.

• a scarlet colored beast (θηρίον κόκκινον, thērion kokkinon):

  • θηρίον (thērion): Accusative singular of θηρίον (thērion), meaning "wild animal," "beast."
  • κόκκινον (kokkinon): Accusative singular adjective, meaning "scarlet," "crimson."
  • Significance: This is the same beast seen in Revelation 13, representing a powerful, demonic, political empire. Its "scarlet" color signifies luxury, extravagance, the blood of martyrs (Rev 17:6), and deep sin (Isa 1:18). It vividly portrays the Beast's nature of bloodshed and its connection to the opulence of the harlot system it supports.

• full of names of blasphemy (γέμοντα ὀνόματα βλασφημίας, gemonta onomata blasphemias):

  • γέμοντα (gemonta): Accusative masculine singular present active participle of γέμω (gemō), meaning "to be full of," "laden with."
  • ὀνόματα (onomata): Accusative plural of ὄνομα (onoma), "name."
  • βλασφημίας (blasphemias): Genitive singular of βλασφημία (blasphemia), meaning "slander," "reproach," "blasphemy" against God.
  • Significance: This characteristic echoes the beast of Rev 13:1, 5-6. In the Roman context, this clearly refers to the emperor cult, where Roman emperors (e.g., Domitian) demanded to be worshipped as divine, adopting titles like "Dominus et Deus noster" (Our Lord and God). Such claims directly blasphemed the one true God, a clear affront to early Christians. The "fullness" suggests its pervasive and defining trait.

• having seven heads (ἔχον κεφαλὰς ἑπτά, echon kephalas hepta):

  • ἔχον (echon): Accusative masculine singular present active participle of ἔχω (echō), "to have."
  • κεφαλὰς (kephalas): Accusative plural of κεφαλή (kephalē), "head."
  • ἑπτά (hepta): Cardinal number "seven."
  • Significance: This feature links the beast directly to the dragon (Satan, Rev 12:3) and the beast of Revelation 13, suggesting continuity and demonic influence. Revelation 17:9-10 explains that the "seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits" (a clear allusion to Rome's seven hills) and "seven kings." This double symbolism shows both a geographic location (Rome) and a succession of powerful empires or rulers. The "seven" often represents completeness or totality, suggesting the beast's full historical range or ultimate power.

• and ten horns (καὶ κέρατα δέκα, kai kerata deka):

  • κέρατα (kerata): Accusative plural of κέρας (keras), "horn."
  • δέκα (deka): Cardinal number "ten."
  • Significance: Horns in prophetic imagery, especially in Daniel (7:7, 24), symbolize power, strength, or kings/kingdoms. In Revelation 17:12, they are identified as "ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast." This indicates a final, confederated political power structure, possibly a temporary alliance, that emerges from or in association with the beast's overarching power, playing a key role in the eschatological events and ultimately turning against the harlot (Rev 17:16).

Revelation 17 3 Bonus section

The "wilderness" context for a prophetic vision, especially regarding judgment, could also draw parallels to where Israel was purged or where John the Baptist prepared the way for the Lord (Matt 3:1). It hints at a stripping away of comfort and illusions, forcing a stark confrontation with reality, both for John and for the understanding of the vision. The vision itself in Rev 17:3 lays the groundwork for understanding the Beast's relationship with the Harlot: despite the harlot's apparent dominion over the beast ("sitting upon"), later verses (17:16-17) will reveal the Beast's true independent and destructive nature towards her, highlighting God's ultimate sovereignty even over wicked entities, using one to destroy another as part of His divine plan.

Revelation 17 3 Commentary

Revelation 17:3 serves as the dramatic portal through which John enters the vision of judgment upon "Babylon the Great." John is supernaturally transported, indicating divine authority behind the unfolding revelation. The "wilderness" setting may emphasize the desolation awaiting the system represented by the harlot, or it may symbolize the isolation and pure vision granted away from the world's distractions. The "woman" who sits upon the "scarlet colored beast" represents the symbiotic, corrupt relationship between a powerful global religious/economic/political system (the harlot) and the tyrannical governmental power it exploits (the beast). The beast's "scarlet color" conveys its opulence, bloodshed, and deep depravity, while its "names of blasphemy" clearly identify its anti-God nature, manifest historically in emperor worship and any system that elevates itself above God. The "seven heads" point to both the seven hills of Rome and successive empires or rulers throughout history, demonstrating the beast's broad reach and historical endurance of oppressive power. The "ten horns" represent future or contemporaneous confederations of power, distinct from but allied with the beast, indicating the Beast's influence and manipulation in the final geopolitical landscape. Together, these symbols vividly paint a picture of global idolatry, economic exploitation, and persecution of God's people, all destined for divine judgment.