Revelation 17 #catechesis/bible/revelation
[!abstract] The description of the great harlot and of the beast upon which she sits.
Book: Revelation · ← Revelation 16 · Revelation 18 →
1
GR Καὶ ἦλθεν εἷς ἐκ τῶν ἑπτὰ ἀγγέλων τῶν ἐχόντων τὰς ἑπτὰ φιάλας, καὶ ἐλάλησεν μετ’ ἐμοῦ λέγων: δεῦρο, δείξω σοι τὸ κρίμα τῆς πόρνης τῆς μεγάλης τῆς καθημένης ἐπὶ ὑδάτων πολλῶν,
LA Et venit unus de septem angelis, qui habebant septem phialas, et locutus est mecum, dicens: Veni, ostendam tibi damnationem meretricis magnæ, quæ sedet super aquas multas,
EN And there came one of the seven angels who had the seven vials and spoke with me, saying: Come, I will show you the condemnation of the great harlot, who sits upon many waters:
^1
2
GR μεθ’ ἧς ἐπόρνευσαν οἱ βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἐμεθύσθησαν οἱ κατοικοῦντες τὴν γῆν ἐκ τοῦ οἴνου τῆς πορνείας αὐτῆς.
LA cum qua fornicati sunt reges terræ, et inebriati sunt qui inhabitant terram de vino prostitutionis ejus.
EN With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication. And they who inhabit the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her whoredom.
^2
3
GR καὶ ἀπήνεγκέν με εἰς ἔρημον ἐν πνεύματι. καὶ εἶδον γυναῖκα καθημένην ἐπὶ θηρίον κόκκινον, γέμοντα ὀνόματα βλασφημίας, ἔχων κεφαλὰς ἑπτὰ καὶ κέρατα δέκα.
LA Et abstulit me in spiritu in desertum. Et vidi mulierem sedentem super bestiam coccineam, plenam nominibus blasphemiæ, habentem capita septem, et cornua decem.
EN And he took me away in spirit into the desert. And I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
^3
4
GR καὶ ἡ γυνὴ ἦν περιβεβλημένη πορφυροῦν καὶ κόκκινον, καὶ κεχρυσωμένη χρυσίῳ καὶ λίθῳ τιμίῳ καὶ μαργαρίταις, ἔχουσα ποτήριον χρυσοῦν ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτῆς γέμον βδελυγμάτων καὶ τὰ ἀκάθαρτα τῆς πορνείας αὐτῆς,
LA Et mulier erat circumdata purpura, et coccino, et inaurata auro, et lapide pretioso, et margaritis, habens poculum aureum in manu sua, plenum abominatione, et immunditia fornicationis ejus.
EN And the woman was clothed round about with purple and scarlet, and gilt with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand, full of the abomination and filthiness of her fornication.
^4
5
GR καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ μέτωπον αὐτῆς ὄνομα γεγραμμένον, μυστήριον, Βαβυλὼν ἡ μεγάλη, ἡ μήτηρ τῶν πορνῶν καὶ τῶν βδελυγμάτων τῆς γῆς.
LA Et in fronte ejus nomen scriptum: Mysterium: Babylon magna, mater fornicationum, et abominationum terræ.
EN And on her forehead a name was written: A mystery: Babylon the great, the mother of the fornications and the abominations of the earth.
^5
[!note]- Babylon…
Either the city of the devil in general; or, if this place be to be understood of any particular city, pagan Rome, which then and for three hundred years persecuted the church; and was the principal seat both of empire and idolatry.
6
GR καὶ εἶδον τὴν γυναῖκα μεθύουσαν ἐκ τοῦ αἵματος τῶν ἁγίων καὶ ἐκ τοῦ αἵματος τῶν μαρτύρων Ἰησοῦ. καὶ ἐθαύμασα ἰδὼν αὐτὴν θαῦμα μέγα.
LA Et vidi mulierem ebriam de sanguine sanctorum, et de sanguine martyrum Jesu. Et miratus sum cum vidissem illam admiratione magna.
EN And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And I wondered, when I had seen her, with great admiration.
^6
7
GR Καὶ εἶπέν μοι ὁ ἄγγελος, διὰ τί ἐθαύμασας; ἐγὼ ἐρῶ σοι τὸ μυστήριον τῆς γυναικὸς καὶ τοῦ θηρίου τοῦ βαστάζοντος αὐτήν, τοῦ ἔχοντος τὰς ἑπτὰ κεφαλὰς καὶ τὰ δέκα κέρατα:
LA Et dixit mihi angelus: Quare miraris? ego dicam tibi sacramentum mulieris, et bestiæ, quæ portat eam, quæ habet capita septem, et cornua decem.
EN And the angel said to me: Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast which carries her, which has the seven heads and ten horns.
^7
8
GR τὸ θηρίον ὃ εἶδες ἦν καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν, καὶ μέλλει ἀναβαίνειν ἐκ τῆς ἀβύσσου καὶ εἰς ἀπώλειαν ὑπάγει: καὶ θαυμασθήσονται οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ὧν οὐ γέγραπται τὸ ὄνομα ἐπὶ τὸ βιβλίον τῆς ζωῆς ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου, βλεπόντων τὸ θηρίον ὅτι ἦν καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν καὶ παρέσται.
LA Bestia, quam vidisti, fuit, et non est, et ascensura est de abysso, et in interitum ibit: et mirabuntur inhabitantes terram (quorum non sunt scripta nomina in libro vitæ a constitutione mundi) videntes bestiam, quæ erat, et non est.
EN The beast which you saw, was, and is not, and shall come up out of the bottomless pit and go into destruction. And the inhabitants on the earth (whose names are not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world) shall wonder, seeing the beast that was and is not.
^8
[!note]- The beast which you saw…
This beast which supports Babylon, may signify the power of the devil: which was and is not, being much limited by the coming of Christ, but shall again exert itself under Antichrist. The seven heads of this beast are seven mountains or empires, instruments of his tyranny; of which five were then fallen. (See 13:1, and 17:10.) The beast itself is said to be the eighth, and is of the seven; because they all act under the devil, and by his instigation, so that his power is in them all, yet so as to make up, as it were, an eighth empire, distinct from them all.
9
GR ὧδε ὁ νοῦς ὁ ἔχων σοφίαν. αἱ ἑπτὰ κεφαλαὶ ἑπτὰ ὄρη εἰσίν, ὅπου ἡ γυνὴ κάθηται ἐπ’ αὐτῶν. καὶ βασιλεῖς ἑπτά εἰσιν:
LA Et hic est sensus, qui habet sapientiam. Septem capita, septem montes sunt, super quos mulier sedet, et reges septem sunt.
EN And here is the understanding that has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, upon which the woman sits: and they are seven kings.
^9
10
GR οἱ πέντε ἔπεσαν, ὁ εἷς ἔστιν, ὁ ἄλλος οὔπω ἦλθεν, καὶ ὅταν ἔλθῃ ὀλίγον αὐτὸν δεῖ μεῖναι.
LA Quinque ceciderunt, unus est, et alius nondum venit: et cum venerit, oportet illum breve tempus manere.
EN Five are fallen, one is, and the other is not yet come: and when he has come, he must remain a short time.
^10
11
GR καὶ τὸ θηρίον ὃ ἦν καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν, καὶ αὐτὸς ὄγδοός ἐστιν καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἑπτά ἐστιν, καὶ εἰς ἀπώλειαν ὑπάγει.
LA Et bestia, quæ erat, et non est: et ipsa octava est: et de septem est, et in interitum vadit.
EN And the beast which was and is not: the same also is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goes into destruction.
^11
12
GR καὶ τὰ δέκα κέρατα ἃ εἶδες δέκα βασιλεῖς εἰσιν, οἵτινες βασιλείαν οὔπω ἔλαβον, ἀλλὰ ἐξουσίαν ὡς βασιλεῖς μίαν ὥραν λαμβάνουσιν μετὰ τοῦ θηρίου.
LA Et decem cornua, quæ vidisti, decem reges sunt: qui regnum nondum acceperunt, sed potestatem tamquam reges una hora accipient post bestiam.
EN And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom: but shall receive power as kings, one hour after the beast.
^12
[!note]- Ten kings…
Ten lesser kingdoms, enemies also of the church of Christ: which, nevertheless, shall be made instruments of the justice of God for the punishment of Babylon. Some understand this of the Goths, Vandals, Huns, and other barbarous nations, that destroyed the empire of Rome.
13
GR οὗτοι μίαν γνώμην ἔχουσιν, καὶ τὴν δύναμιν καὶ ἐξουσίαν αὐτῶν τῷ θηρίῳ διδόασιν.
LA Hi unum consilium habent, et virtutem, et potestatem suam bestiæ tradent.
EN These have one design: and their strength and power they shall deliver to the beast.
^13
14
GR οὗτοι μετὰ τοῦ ἀρνίου πολεμήσουσιν, καὶ τὸ ἀρνίον νικήσει αὐτούς, ὅτι κύριος κυρίων ἐστὶν καὶ βασιλεὺς βασιλέων, καὶ οἱ μετ’ αὐτοῦ κλητοὶ καὶ ἐκλεκτοὶ καὶ πιστοί.
LA Hi cum Agno pugnabunt, et Agnus vincet illos: quoniam Dominus dominorum est, et Rex regum, et qui cum illo sunt, vocati, electi, et fideles.
EN These shall fight with the Lamb. And the Lamb shall overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings: and they that are with him are called and elect and faithful.
^14
15
GR καὶ λέγει μοι, τὰ ὕδατα ἃ εἶδες, οὗ ἡ πόρνη κάθηται, λαοὶ καὶ ὄχλοι εἰσὶν καὶ ἔθνη καὶ γλῶσσαι.
LA Et dixit mihi: Aquæ, quas vidisti ubi meretrix sedet, populi sunt, et gentes, et linguæ.
EN And he said to me: The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples and nations and tongues.
^15
16
GR καὶ τὰ δέκα κέρατα ἃ εἶδες καὶ τὸ θηρίον, οὗτοι μισήσουσιν τὴν πόρνην, καὶ ἠρημωμένην ποιήσουσιν αὐτὴν καὶ γυμνήν, καὶ τὰς σάρκας αὐτῆς φάγονται, καὶ αὐτὴν κατακαύσουσιν [ἐν] πυρί:
LA Et decem cornua, quæ vidisti in bestia: hi odient fornicariam, et desolatam facient illam, et nudam, et carnes ejus manducabunt, et ipsam igni concremabunt.
EN And the ten horns which you saw in the beast: These shall hate the harlot and shall make her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and shall burn her with fire.
^16
17
GR ὁ γὰρ θεὸς ἔδωκεν εἰς τὰς καρδίας αὐτῶν ποιῆσαι τὴν γνώμην αὐτοῦ, καὶ ποιῆσαι μίαν γνώμην καὶ δοῦναι τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτῶν τῷ θηρίῳ, ἄχρι τελεσθήσονται οἱ λόγοι τοῦ θεοῦ.
LA Deus enim dedit in corda eorum ut faciant quod placitum est illi: ut dent regnum suum bestiæ donec consummentur verba Dei.
EN For God has given into their hearts to do that which pleases him: that they give their kingdom to the beast, till the words of God be fulfilled.
^17
18
GR καὶ ἡ γυνὴ ἣν εἶδες ἔστιν ἡ πόλις ἡ μεγάλη ἡ ἔχουσα βασιλείαν ἐπὶ τῶν βασιλέων τῆς γῆς.
LA Et mulier, quam vidisti, est civitas magna, quæ habet regnum super reges terræ.
EN And the woman which you saw is the great city which has kingdom over the kings of the earth.
^18
[!note]- A mystery…
That is, a secret; because what follows of the name and title of the great harlot is to be taken in a mystical sense.
