Revelation 12:1

The Woman, the Child, and the Dragon

12:1 Then ¹  a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and with the moon under her feet, and on her head was a crown of twelve stars. ² 

Revelation 17:4

17:4 Now ³  the woman was dressed in purple and scarlet clothing, ⁴  and adorned with gold, ⁵  precious stones, and pearls. She held ⁶  in her hand a golden cup filled with detestable things and unclean things from her sexual immorality. ⁷ 

Revelation 18:8

18:8 For this reason, she will experience her plagues ⁸  in a single day: disease, ⁹  mourning, ¹⁰  and famine, and she will be burned down ¹¹  with fire, because the Lord God who judges her is powerful!”

Revelation 18:15

18:15 The merchants who sold ¹²  these things, who got rich from her, will stand a long way off because they are afraid of her torment. They will weep ¹³  and mourn,

Revelation 19:2

19:2 because his judgments are true and just. ¹⁴ 

For he has judged ¹⁵  the great prostitute

who corrupted the earth with her sexual immorality,

and has avenged the blood of his servants ¹⁶  poured out by her own hands!” ¹⁷ 

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¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

² sn Sun…moon…stars. This imagery is frequently identified with the nation Israel because of Joseph’s dream in Gen 37.

³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the detailed description of the woman, which is somewhat parenthetical in nature.

⁴ tn The word “clothing” is supplied to clarify that the words “purple” and “scarlet” refer to cloth or garments rather than colors.

⁵ tn Grk “gilded with gold” (an instance of semantic reinforcement, see L&N 49.29).

⁶ tn Grk “pearls, having in her hand.” Due to the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

⁷ tc Several mss (including 1611 1854 2053 Ï^K pc) read “sexual immorality on/of the earth” (πορνείας τῆς γῆς, porneia" th" gh") instead of “her sexual immorality.” Other mss (א sy^h** [co]) read “her sexual immorality and the earth’s” (πορνείας αὐτῆς καὶ τῆς γῆς, porneia" aujth" kai th" gh"). The translation is a rendering of πορνείας αὐτῆς, found in {A 1006 2344 al}. It seems that the first reading “sexuality immorality on/of the earth” was a scribal mistake in which letters may have been confused (auths would have been read as thsghs), or was perhaps influenced by the presence of “of the world” (τῆς γῆς) at the end of v. 5. The original wording seems to be “her sexual immorality”; codex א has conflated the two readings.

⁸ tn Grk “For this reason, her plagues will come.”

⁹ tn Grk “death.” θάνατος (qanatos) can in particular contexts refer to a manner of death, specifically a contagious disease (see BDAG 443 s.v. 3; L&N 23.158).

¹⁰ tn This is the same Greek word (πένθος, penqo") translated “grief” in vv. 7-8.

¹¹ tn Here “burned down” was used to translate κατακαυθήσεται (katakauqhsetai) because a city is in view.

¹² tn Grk “the merchants [sellers] of these things.”

¹³ tn Grk “her torment, weeping.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started in the translation by supplying the words “They will” here.

¹⁴ tn Compare the similar phrase in Rev 16:7.

¹⁵ tn Or “has punished.” See BDAG 568 s.v. κρίνω 5.b.α, describing the OT background which involves both the vindication of the innocent and the punishment of the guilty.

¹⁶ tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.

¹⁷ tn Grk “from her hand” (referring to her responsibility in causing the blood of God’s followers to be shed).