Revelation 17:4

Translations

Modern

The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls. She held in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality.

Traditional

And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:

Literal

And the woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stone and pearls, holding a golden cup in her hand, being full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality.

Latin

Et mulier erat circumdata purpura, et coccino, et inaurata auro, et lapide pretioso, et margaritis, habens poculum aureum in manu sua, plenum abominatione, et immunditia fornicationis ejus.

Original

Greek

English

The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls. She held in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality.

Notes

Revelation 17:3–4

John is taken in the spirit into the wilderness, which he uses to describe a visionary experience (see Revelation 1:10; 4:2). He sees a representation of Rome's moral decay and extreme luxury (see Revelation 18:12–13, 16). This shows how such wealth can be offensive to God.
The beast here resembles the second figure in the evil trinity (see Revelation 13:1–4).
blasphemous names: See Revelation 13:5–6.
purple and scarlet: Clothing in these colors signified royalty and immorality, respectively.
a golden cup: See Jeremiah 51:7.

Revelation 17:1–19:10

The main drama in this section shows the powers that stand against God and cause the persecution and suffering of God’s people. Rome’s power attracted and impressed many people (Revelation 17:6). John clearly describes Rome's sins and shares God's judgment (Revelation 17:3–18) before he describes Rome’s fall (18:1–24) and heaven’s response to that fall (19:1–10).

Theme notes and profiles

Symbolic Numbers Visions

Related verses

Jeremiah 51:7
Babylon was a gold cup in the hand of the LORD, making the whole earth drunk. The nations drank her wine; therefore the nations have gone mad.
Revelation 18:16
…saying: “Woe, woe to the great city, clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls!
Revelation 19:2
For His judgments are true and just. He has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality. He has avenged the blood of His servants that was poured out by her hand.”
Revelation 18:12
…cargo of gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls; of fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet; of all kinds of citron wood and every article of ivory, precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble;
2 Thessalonians 2:3–10
Let no one deceive you in any way, for it will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness—the son of destruction—is revealed.
Lamentations 1:9
Her uncleanness stains her skirts; she did not consider her end. Her downfall was astounding; there was no one to comfort her. Look, O LORD, on my affliction, for the enemy has triumphed!
Ezekiel 24:13
Because of the indecency of your uncleanness I tried to cleanse you, but you would not be purified from your filthiness. You will not be pure again until My wrath against you has subsided.
Revelation 18:6–7
Give back to her as she has done to others; pay her back double for what she has done; mix her a double portion in her own cup.
Revelation 14:8
Then a second angel followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, who has made all the nations drink the wine of the passion of her immorality.”
Daniel 11:38
And in their place, he will honor a god of fortresses—a god his fathers did not know—with gold, silver, precious stones, and riches.
Ezekiel 24:11
Set the empty pot on its coals until it becomes hot and its copper glows. Then its impurity will melt within; its rust will be consumed.
1 Kings 14:24
There were even male shrine prostitutes in the land. They imitated all the abominations of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.

Glossary

Abomination Babylon as a Symbol Bible, Manuscripts and Text of the (New Testament) Book of Revelation Color Cup Horn Lucifer Minerals and Metals Place of the Dead Prostitute, Prostitution Purple Scarlet Sexual Immorality

Topics

Colors: Crimson, Red, Purple, and Scarlet, Symbols of Various Ideas of Iniquity Horn: Symbolical Idolatry: Wicked Practices of Licentiousness of Pearl: General Scriptures Concerning Pearls Precious Stones: Seductive Splendour and False Glory of the Apostasy The Color Purple Woman: (Lewd) of the Roman Apostasy Women of Backsliding

Revelation 17:4

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