Discovery BoxRevelation 18:5-10 
Context18:5 because her sins have piled 1 up all the way to heaven 2 and God has remembered 3 her crimes. 4 18:6 Repay her the same way she repaid others; 5 pay her back double 6 corresponding to her deeds. In the cup she mixed, mix double the amount for her. 18:7 As much as 7 she exalted herself and lived in sensual luxury, 8 to this extent give her torment and grief because she said to herself, 9 ‘I rule as queen and am no widow; I will never experience grief!’ 18:8 For this reason, she will experience her plagues 10 in a single day: disease, 11 mourning, 12 and famine, and she will be burned down 13 with fire, because the Lord God who judges her is powerful!”
18:9 Then 14 the kings of the earth who committed immoral acts with her and lived in sensual luxury 15 with her will weep and wail for her when they see the smoke from the fire that burns her up. 16 18:10 They will stand a long way off because they are afraid of her torment, and will say,
“Woe, woe, O great city,
Babylon the powerful city!
For in a single hour your doom 17 has come!”
Revelation 18:16
Context18:16 saying,
“Woe, woe, O great city –
dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet clothing, 18
and adorned with gold, 19 precious stones, and pearls –
1 tn On ἐκολλήθησαν (ekollhqhsan) BDAG 556 s.v. κολλάω 2.a.β states, “fig. cling to = come in close contact with (cp. Ps 21:16; 43:26 ἐκολλήθη εἰς γῆν ἡ γαστὴρ ἡμῶν. The act.=‘bring into contact’ PGM 5, 457 κολλήσας τ. λίθον τῷ ὠτίῳ) ἐκολλήθησαν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι ἄχρι τ. οὐρανοῦ the sins have touched the heaven = reached the sky (two exprs. are telescoped) Rv 18:5.”
2 tn Or “up to the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).
3 tn That is, remembered her sins to execute judgment on them.
4 tn Or “her sins.”
5 tn The word “others” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
6 tn On this term BDAG 252 s.v. διπλόω states, “to double τὰ διπλᾶ pay back double Rv 18:6.”
7 tn “As much as” is the translation of ὅσα (Josa).
8 tn On the term ἐστρηνίασεν (estrhniasen) BDAG 949 s.v. στρηνιάω states, “live in luxury, live sensually Rv 18:7. W. πορνεύειν vs. 9.”
9 tn Grk “said in her heart,” an idiom for saying something to oneself.
10 tn Grk “For this reason, her plagues will come.”
11 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).
12 tn This is the same Greek word (πένθος, penqo") translated “grief” in vv. 7-8.
13 tn Here “burned down” was used to translate κατακαυθήσεται (katakauqhsetai) because a city is in view.
14 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
15 tn On the term ἐστρηνίασεν (estrhniasen) BDAG 949 s.v. στρηνιάω states, “live in luxury, live sensually Rv 18:7. W. πορνεύειν vs. 9.”
16 tn Grk “from the burning of her.” For the translation “the smoke from the fire that burns her up,” see L&N 14.63.
17 tn Or “judgment,” condemnation,” “punishment.” BDAG 569 s.v. κρίσις 1.a.β states, “The word oft. means judgment that goes against a person, condemnation, and the sentence that follows…ἡ κ. σου your judgment Rv 18:10.”
18 tn The word “clothing” is supplied to clarify that the words “purple” and “scarlet” refer to cloth or garments rather than colors.
19 tn Grk “gilded with gold” (an instance of semantic reinforcement, see L&N 49.29).
