Revelation 18:19

Verse

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.”

American Standard Version (1901)

And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and mourning, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, wherein all that had their ships in the sea were made rich by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

Bible in Basic English

And they put dust on their heads, and were sad, weeping and crying, and saying, Sorrow, sorrow for the great town, in which was increased the wealth of all who had their ships on the sea because of her great stores! for in one hour she is made waste.

Douay-Rheims 1899

And they cast dust upon their heads, and cried, weeping and mourning, saying: Alas! alas! that great city, wherein all were made rich, that had ships at sea, by reason of her prices: for in one hour she is made desolate.

Free Bible Version

They threw dust on their heads, shouting and crying and grieving, ‘Disaster, disaster has struck the great city that made every ship-owner rich because of her extravagance! In just one hour she was destroyed!’

Geneva Bible 1599

And they shall cast dust on their heads, and crie, weeping, and wayling, and say, Alas, alas, that great citie, wherein were made rich all that had ships on the sea by her costlinesse: for in one houre she is made desolate.

King James (Authorized) Version

And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

Translation for Translators

They will throw dust on their heads to show that they are sad, and they will shout, weep, and mourn [DOU]. They will say, ‘Terrible things have happened to the awesome/great cities, the cities that made all people who own ships that sail on the ocean become rich by carrying their costly ◄things for them to sell/merchandise►! God has suddenly and swiftly destroyed [MTY] those cities!’”

Unlocked Literal Bible

They threw dust on their heads, and cried out, weeping and mourning, “Woe, woe to the great city where all who had their ships at sea became rich from her wealth. For in a single hour she has been destroyed.”

Noah Webster Bible

And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, in which were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her opulence! for in one hour is she made desolate.

World English Bible

They cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and mourning, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had their ships in the sea were made rich by reason of her great wealth!’ For she is made desolate in one hour.

Young's Literal Translation

and they did cast dust upon their heads, and were crying out, weeping and sorrowing, saying, Woe, woe, the great city! in which were made rich all having ships in the sea, out of her costliness — for in one hour was she made waste.

Context

Lament over Babylon

¹⁸and 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. ¹⁹Then 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.”

Summary

This verse depicts the reaction of the kings, merchants, and sailors upon witnessing the destruction of Babylon, a symbol of the world's corrupt systems and values. Their mourning and lamentation reveal the suddenness and severity of Babylon's fall, causing them to fear for their own prosperity and security. The downfall of Babylon signifies the ultimate judgment of God on all that opposes His kingdom, emphasizing the temporary nature of worldly power and wealth. It serves as a warning to prioritize eternal values and allegiance to God rather than placing trust in material possessions or human institutions.

Commentary

Adam Clarke
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

They cast dust on their heads - They showed every sign of the sincerest grief. The lamentation over this great ruined city, Rev 18:9-19, is exceedingly strong and well drawn. Here is no dissembled sorrow; all is real to the mourners, and affecting to the spectators.

John Gill Bible Commentary

Rejoice over her, thou heaven,.... This is said by the voice from heaven, Rev 18:4 which having called upon the saints to come out of Babylon, and to take vengeance on her, now calls upon all good men to rejoice at her ruin, while others were weeping and wailing; not at that, simply considered, but as the justice of God is displayed therein: heaven may be literally understood, which sometimes is addressed when anything of very considerable note and moment is done or spoken of, whether it be something exceeding bad, as in Isa 1:2 or something exceeding great and good, as in Psa 96:11 or else the inhabitants of heaven, either the angels, who as they rejoice at the good and happiness of the saints, so at the confusion and destruction of their enemies; and the Syriac version reads, "heavens and angels"; or else the souls of men departed, particularly the souls under the altar, that have been long crying for vengeance on account of the shedding of their blood, Rev 6:9 who may be made acquainted with Rome's destruction; or rather the true church of Christ upon earth, which in this book often goes by the name of heaven, in opposition to the apostate church, called the earth, because its members, doctrines, and ordinances, are from heaven, and its happiness lies there: and ye holy apostles and prophets; the Alexandrian copy and Complutensian edition read, "and the saints, and the apostles, and prophets"; making three distinct sorts of persons, of which heaven, or the church, consists: by "saints" may be meant private members of churches, who are sanctified by the Spirit of God, and live holy lives and conversations; and by "apostles", not the twelve apostles, or persons in such an office as they were, but ordinary ministers of the word, who are sent forth to preach the Gospel, and will be upon the spot at the destruction of Babylon, and will be such as shall have preached and defended the pure apostolic doctrine; and by "prophets" are intended not the prophets of the Old Testament, nor such under the New who had the gift of foretelling things to come, but such who have a gift of interpreting the Scriptures and preaching the Gospel; the same with the two witnesses, who till this time will have prophesied in sackcloth, but shall now put it off, and put on the garments of praise and joy: for God hath avenged you on her; or "judged your judgment on her"; that is, has executed righteous judgment on her, for all the evils done by her to the saints in ages past, the predecessors of the persons here mentioned, as well as to themselves: vengeance belongs to the Lord, and he will avenge his elect sooner or later.