Revelation 18:11
What does Revelation 18:11 mean?
A plain-English look at Revelation 18:11 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Revelation 18:11 means
The merchants mourn, not because righteousness has prevailed, but because business has stopped. With no one to buy their goods, their profits evaporate. Their weeping reveals the heart of their attachment: commerce over conscience. Babylon’s seduction lay in promising wealth without moral limits; now the market built on her excess collapses. This shows how false worship and unjust gain feed each other. The merchants’ grief is a mirror for any age where profit becomes the measure of value. God’s judgment exposes such economies as unstable and self-serving, incapable of saving those who trust in them when the foundations are shaken.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, for no man buyeth their merchandise any more;
KJV
King James Version · 1611And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, for no man buyeth their merchandise any more;
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And the traders of the earth are weeping and crying over her, because no man has any more desire for their goods,
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862`And the merchants of the earth shall weep and sorrow over her, because their lading no one doth buy any more;
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her: for no man shall buy their merchandise any more.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And the merchants of the earth weep and grieve over her, because no one buys their lading any more;
Context
The spotlight shifts from kings to merchants—the second lament. Their sorrow lines up with verse 3’s statement that they “waxed rich” through Babylon’s wantonness. The next verses detail the luxury goods that once filled this trade, underscoring both the breadth of the economy and its indulgent character. This sets a contrast with the upcoming heavenly call to rejoice, reminding readers that the values of heaven and the values of Babylon stand opposed. The structure moves from general lament to specific inventory to portray the totality of the collapse.
v.10standing 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.
v.11This passage
v.12merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stone, and pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet; and all thyine wood, and every vessel of ivory, and every vessel made of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble;
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Revelation 18:9
And the kings of the earth, who committed fornication and lived wantonly with her, shall weep and wail over her, when they look upon the smoke of her burning,
- Ezekiel 27:27
Thy riches, and thy wares, thy merchandise, thy mariners, and thy pilots, thy calkers, and the dealers in thy merchandise, and all thy men of war, that are in thee, with all thy company which is in the midst of thee, shall fall into the heart of the seas in the day of thy ruin.
- Isaiah 47:15
Thus shall the things be unto thee wherein thou hast labored: they that have trafficked with thee from thy youth shall wander every one to his quarter; there shall be none to save thee.
- Revelation 13:16
And he causeth all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the bond, that there be given them a mark on their right hand, or upon their forehead;
- Ezekiel 26:17
And they shall take up a lamentation over thee, and say to thee, How art thou destroyed, that wast inhabited by seafaring men, the renowned city, that was strong in the sea, she and her inhabitants, that caused their terror to be on all that dwelt there!
- Revelation 18:3
For by the wine of the wrath of her fornication all the nations are fallen; and the kings of the earth committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth waxed rich by the power of her wantonness.
Related questions readers ask
Keep reading
Want to dig deeper? Explore Revelation 18
Hand-picked devotionals, topical studies, and pastoral answers that draw on Revelation 18.
Topics that quote it
Topic
Bible Verses About Adoption as Sons
God’s plan for us includes adoption into his family, bringing us from spiritual orphanhood to beloved children.
Topic
Bible Verses About Authority
Authority in the Bible refers to the divinely instituted right to command and influence, often reflecting God's sovereign rule and delegation to human leaders.
Topic
Bible Verses About Blasphemy
Blasphemy in the Bible refers to irreverence shown toward God, holy things, and even people who represent God.
What the Bible says about…
Verses for this moment
Verses for
Bible Verses for the Fear of Death
When you're afraid to die — what scripture promises about the last enemy.
Verses for
Bible Verses for Grief After Losing Someone You Love
When the room is empty — verses that grieve with you, not around you.
Verses for
Bible Verses for Grief After a Miscarriage
A holy ache the world rarely names — scripture for the weight you're carrying.