Revelation 18 14

Revelation 18:14 kjv

And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.

Revelation 18:14 nkjv

The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all.

Revelation 18:14 niv

"They will say, 'The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.'

Revelation 18:14 esv

"The fruit for which your soul longed has gone from you, and all your delicacies and your splendors are lost to you, never to be found again!"

Revelation 18:14 nlt

"The fancy things you loved so much
are gone," they cry.
"All your luxuries and splendor
are gone forever,
never to be yours again."

Revelation 18 verses

Revelation 18 14 meaning

Revelation 18:14 pronounces a definitive judgment upon "Babylon the Great," signifying the irrevocable loss of her highly coveted luxuries, desires, and splendor. It declares that all her self-indulgent delights, gained through materialistic lust and pride, are stripped away from her completely and forever. This verse marks the ultimate and final desolation, asserting that her former state of lavish abundance and opulence will never return.

Revelation 18 14 Context

Revelation chapter 18 details the definitive fall and judgment of "Babylon the Great," described as a magnificent and powerful city representing a global system of economic, political, and cultural oppression opposed to God and His people. The chapter portrays Babylon's destruction as sudden and total, provoking laments from the kings and merchants who prospered through her luxurious trade and exploitation. Verse 14 is presented either as an ironic lament from a celestial voice, mirroring the material concerns of those lamenting Babylon's fall, or as a direct divine pronouncement affirming the irreversibility of her desolation. It follows the explicit enumeration of Babylon's vast commercial goods (Rev 18:11-13) and underscores the emptiness and ultimate futility of her self-glorifying accumulation of worldly riches. Historically, this vision resonates with the fate of actual powerful empires and cities that fell due to pride and injustice, offering a warning against idolatry of wealth and power, especially for the original audience facing persecution from Rome.

Revelation 18 14 Word analysis

• The fruit (ἡ ὀπώρα - hē opōra): Refers specifically to late summer or autumn fruit, a harvest ripe for consumption. Metaphorically, it represents the full ripeness, the culmination of desires and indulgences. In this context, it signifies all the pleasures, gains, and satisfactions Babylon sought and achieved through its materialistic pursuits. The term points to desired, perishable earthly enjoyments.
• for which your soul lusted (ἧς ἐπεθύμει ἡ ψυχή σου - hēs epethymei hē psychē sou):
  • lusted (ἐπεθύμει - epethymei): From epithymia, denoting strong, often inappropriate desire or covetousness. It implies a greedy, intense longing, extending beyond legitimate need to unrestrained appetite. This desire is the driving force of Babylon's system.
  • your soul (ἡ ψυχή σου - hē psychē sou): Not just a casual want, but a desire originating from the very core of one's being, the seat of life, emotion, and will. It highlights that Babylon's materialism was deeply ingrained and central to her identity and motivations, an internal orientation toward earthly gratification.
• has gone from you (ἀπῆλθον ἀπὸ σοῦ - apēlthon apo sou): Signifies a complete departure or removal, an irreversible severance. It implies that these desires and their objects are not merely misplaced but are entirely separated, beyond reach, never to return.
• and all your delicacies (καὶ πάντα τὰ λιπαρά σου - kai panta ta lipara sou):
  • delicacies (λιπαρά - lipara): Literally "fat things" or "rich things." It refers to luxurious, choice, often expensive foods, associated with pleasure, feasting, and excessive self-indulgence. It highlights the material opulence and sensual gratification enjoyed by Babylon.
• and your splendors (καὶ τὰ λαμπρά σου - kai ta lampra sou):
  • splendors (λαμπρά - lampra): From lampros, meaning "bright," "shining," "magnificent." This refers to outward display, pomp, luxury goods, beautiful clothes, and all visible manifestations of wealth and high status. It encompasses the glamor and show associated with Babylon's power and influence.
• are lost to you (ἀπώλοντο ἀπὸ σοῦ - apōlonto apo sou): Stronger than merely "gone." Apollumi (root of apōlonto) means "to destroy," "to perish," "to be ruined." Here, it signifies complete and utter destruction or cessation of existence for her. These things are not simply removed; they are gone as a viable part of Babylon's existence.
• never to be found again (καὶ οὐκέτι οὐ μὴ εὕρῃς αὐτά - kai ouketi ou mē heurēis auta):
  • οὐκέτι (ouketi): "no longer," "no more."
  • οὐ μὴ (ou mē): A powerful double negative construction in Greek, emphatically stating absolute impossibility. It signifies that these items and their associated enjoyments are not just currently absent but are forever, absolutely, irrevocably gone. There is no hope of their retrieval or restoration.

Revelation 18 14 Bonus section

The structure of this verse, moving from "fruit...lusted" to "delicacies and splendors...lost," reflects an intentional reversal of Babylon's former prosperity and self-aggrandizement. The repeated phrase "from you" emphasizes the personal nature of her loss and the divine separation from all she valued. This divine declaration serves not only as a judgment but also as an assurance to the persecuted believers that their oppressors' apparent success and invincibility are ephemeral, a critical message for the first-century church. The use of the double negative "οὐκέτι οὐ μὴ εὕρῃς αὐτά" provides one of the strongest grammatical emphases on finality found in the Greek New Testament, ensuring there is no lingering hope for Babylon's restoration or her recovery of former glory.

Revelation 18 14 Commentary

Revelation 18:14 serves as a climactic pronouncement on the fate of Babylon, revealing the utter futility of worldly obsession and covetousness. It targets the very core of her existence – her deep-seated lust (ἐπιθυμία) for the tangible "fruit" and her dependence on outward "delicacies" (λιπαρά) and "splendors" (λαμπρά). These are not merely economic assets but represent her spiritual emptiness, her pursuit of self-satisfaction rather than God. The declaration is absolute and final; what she coveted and prided herself in is utterly "lost" and will "never be found again." This underscores the transient nature of all earthly treasures and the irrevocable judgment that awaits those who place their trust in them, offering a stark contrast to the eternal and indestructible riches of God's kingdom.