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Revelation 18:19

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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.

And {G2532} they cast {G906} dust {G5522} on {G1909} their {G846} heads {G2776}, and {G2532} cried {G2896}, weeping {G2799} and {G2532} wailing {G3996}, saying {G3004}, Alas {G3759}, alas {G3759}, that great {G3173} city {G4172}, wherein {G1722}{G3739} were made rich {G4147} all {G3956} that had {G2192} ships {G4143} in {G1722} the sea {G2281} by reason of {G1537} her {G846} costliness {G5094}! for {G3754} in one {G3391} hour {G5610} is she made desolate {G2049}.

And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, saying,

“Oh no! The great city!
The abundance of her wealth
made all the ship owners rich!
In a single hour she is ruined!”

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.”

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.

Commentary

Revelation 18:19 vividly portrays the profound grief and despair of the world's merchants and seafarers reacting to the sudden and devastating fall of "Babylon the Great." Their dramatic actions of casting dust on their heads and crying loudly signify immense sorrow over the loss of their source of wealth and luxury.

Context

This verse follows a series of laments from kings and merchants who had grown rich through their association with the powerful and opulent city, symbolic of a corrupt world system or ultimate anti-God entity. The "great city" in Revelation 18 is often identified as "Babylon the Great," a spiritual harlot and economic powerhouse that seduced the nations with its wealth and idolatry. Verses Revelation 18:9-18 describe similar mourning from kings and shipmasters, emphasizing the global impact of her destruction. The immediate context highlights the suddenness and totality of this judgment, leaving those who profited from her in utter shock and ruin.

Key Themes

  • Profound Lamentation: The act of "casting dust on their heads" along with "weeping and wailing" is an ancient, universal sign of extreme grief, sorrow, and humiliation, often seen in the Old Testament during times of national disaster or personal tragedy. It underscores the overwhelming nature of their loss.
  • Sudden and Complete Judgment: The phrase "in one hour is she made desolate" powerfully conveys the swiftness and finality of Babylon's destruction. This emphasizes that God's judgment, when it comes, is decisive and leaves no room for recovery.
  • Materialism's Ultimate Failure: The mourners are precisely those who benefited most from Babylon's "costliness" – her vast commercial enterprises and luxurious goods. Their lament is not for the city's spiritual wickedness but for the cessation of their lucrative trade, exposing the superficiality and selfishness of their attachment to her.
  • Divine Justice: This catastrophic event is a direct consequence of God's righteous judgment against the city's sins, which are described throughout Revelation as fornication, idolatry, and persecution of the saints. It signifies the end of a system that opposed God and oppressed humanity.

Linguistic Insights

The repeated exclamation "Alas, alas" translates the Greek word ouai, which is a strong interjection of woe, lament, or warning. Its repetition here intensifies the cry of despair and highlights the irreversible nature of the calamity. The phrase "in one hour" (Greek: mia hora) is used multiple times in this chapter (Revelation 18:10, 18:17, and here in 18:19), underscoring the suddenness and unexpected speed of Babylon's downfall, providing no time for escape or mitigation.

Practical Application

Revelation 18:19 serves as a stark warning against placing ultimate trust and security in worldly wealth, commercial prosperity, or any system apart from God. It reminds us that all earthly empires, no matter how powerful or seemingly stable, are temporary and subject to God's sovereign judgment. For believers, it's a call to spiritual discernment, to "come out of her, my people" (Revelation 18:4), and to prioritize eternal values over fleeting material gains. The ultimate destruction of Babylon paves the way for the triumphant reign of Christ and the establishment of God's eternal kingdom, where true and lasting riches are found.

Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash (May 20, 2025) using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Revelation 18:10 (8 votes)

    Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

  • Joshua 7:6 (7 votes)

    ¶ And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.

  • Ezekiel 27:30 (6 votes)

    And shall cause their voice to be heard against thee, and shall cry bitterly, and shall cast up dust upon their heads, they shall wallow themselves in the ashes:

  • Revelation 18:3 (5 votes)

    For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

  • Job 2:12 (5 votes)

    And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.

  • 1 Samuel 4:12 (4 votes)

    ¶ And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head.

  • Revelation 18:8 (4 votes)

    Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong [is] the Lord God who judgeth her.