Revelation 16:19
What does Revelation 16:19 mean?
A plain-English look at Revelation 16:19 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Revelation 16:19 means
The quake’s effects are specific: the great city is split into three parts, the cities of the nations fall, and “Babylon the great” comes before God’s remembrance to receive the cup of His fierce wrath. Urban strongholds, symbols of human pride and culture, crumble. The threefold division of the great city suggests thorough ruin and disarray. Most notably, Babylon—shorthand for the idolatrous, oppressive world system—does not escape in the chaos; she is singled out for measured retribution. God remembers, not in forgetfulness recalled, but in covenantal justice that now gives her the wine she poured for others, only in the undiluted fierceness of His wrath.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and Babylon the great was remembered in the sight of God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
KJV
King James Version · 1611And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and Babylon the great was remembered in the sight of God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And the great town was cut into three parts, and the towns of the nations came to destruction: and Babylon the great came into mind before God, to be given the cup of the wine of his wrath.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862And it came--the great city--into three parts, and the cities of the nations did fall, and Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give to her the cup of the wine of the wrath of His anger,
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And the great city was divided into three parts: and the cities of the Gentiles fell. And great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the indignation of his wrath.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And the great city was [divided] into three parts; and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon was remembered beforeGod to give her the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath.
Context
This outcome advances the narrative toward a focused treatment of Babylon elsewhere, but here the emphasis remains on the seventh bowl’s sweeping judgment. With cities fallen and Babylon targeted, the text next depicts the earth itself transformed: islands vanish and mountains disappear. The final verse will add the plague of massive hail and again highlight humanity’s unyielding blasphemy in the face of God’s manifest power.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Isaiah 49:26
And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I, Jehovah, am thy Saviour, and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
- Revelation 18:21
And a strong angel took up a stone as it were a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with a mighty fall shall Babylon, the great city, be cast down, and shall be found no more at all.
- Revelation 14:8
And another, a second angel, followed, saying, Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, that hath made all the nations to drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
- Revelation 11:8
And their dead bodies lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.
- Revelation 18:10
standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
- Isaiah 51:17
Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, that hast drunk at the hand of Jehovah the cup of his wrath; thou hast drunken the bowl of the cup of staggering, and drained it.
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