Discovery BoxRevelation 18:15-19 
Context18:15 The merchants who sold 1 these things, who got rich from her, will stand a long way off because they are afraid of her torment. They will weep 2 and mourn, 18:16 saying,
“Woe, woe, O great city –
dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet clothing, 3
and adorned with gold, 4 precious stones, and pearls –
18:17 because in a single hour such great wealth has been destroyed!” 5
And every ship’s captain, 6 and all who sail along the coast 7 – seamen, and all who 8 make their living from the sea, stood a long way off 18:18 and began to shout 9 when they saw the smoke from the fire that burned her up, 10 “Who is like the great city?” 18:19 And they threw dust on their heads and were shouting with weeping and mourning, 11
“Woe, Woe, O great city –
in which all those who had ships on the sea got rich from her wealth –
because in a single hour she has been destroyed!” 12
1 tn Grk “the merchants [sellers] of these things.”
2 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.
3 tn The word “clothing” is supplied to clarify that the words “purple” and “scarlet” refer to cloth or garments rather than colors.
4 tn Grk “gilded with gold” (an instance of semantic reinforcement, see L&N 49.29).
5 tn On ἠρημώθη (hrhmwqh) L&N 20.41 states, “to suffer destruction, with the implication of being deserted and abandoned – ‘to be destroyed, to suffer destruction, to suffer desolation.’ ἐρημόομαι: μιᾷ ὥρᾳ ἠρημώθη ὁ τοσοῦτος πλοῦτος ‘such great wealth has been destroyed within a single hour’ Re 18:17.”
6 tn On κυβερνήτης (kubernhth") BDAG 574 s.v. 1 states, “one who is responsible for the management of a ship, shipmaster, lit. Rv 18:17.”
7 tn Or perhaps, “everyone who sails as a passenger.” On πλέων (plewn) BDAG 825 s.v. πλέω states, “πᾶς ὁ ἐπὶ τόπον πλέων everyone who sails to a place = seafarer, sea traveler…Rv 18:17. The vv.ll.…have led to various interpretations. Some render: everyone who sails along the coast…See EbNestle, Einführung in das Griech. NT 1909, 182; AFridrichsen, K. Hum. Vetensk.-Samf. i Upps. Årsb. ’43, 31 note ὁ ἐπίτοπον πλέων=one who sails occasionally, a passenger. – S. also IHeikel, StKr 106, ’34/’35, 317).”
8 tn Grk “and as many as.”
9 tn Here the imperfect ἔκραζον (ekrazon) has been translated ingressively.
10 tn Grk “from the burning of her, saying.” For the translation “the smoke from the fire that burned her up,” see L&N 14.63. Here the participle λέγοντες (legontes, “saying”) has not been translated because it is redundant in contemporary English.
11 tn Grk “with weeping and mourning, saying.” Here the participle λέγοντες (legontes) has not been translated because it is redundant in contemporary English.
12 tn On ἡρημώθη (Jhrhmwqh) L&N 20.41 states, “to suffer destruction, with the implication of being deserted and abandoned – ‘to be destroyed, to suffer destruction, to suffer desolation.’ ἐρημόομαι: μιᾷ ὥρᾳ ἠρημώθη ὁ τοσοῦτος πλοῦτος ‘such great wealth has been destroyed within a single hour’ Re 18:17.”
