Revelation 17:6

Drunken. See on v. 2. Literally, “continuing in a state of intoxication.” In a general sense Babylon may be said to be “drunken” with the blood of the martyrs of all ages (cf. ch. 18:24), but in a more immediate sense with that of martyrs and prospective martyrs in the closing scenes of earth’s history. God holds Babylon accountable for the blood of those whose death she has decreed but whom she is prevented from slaying. Babylon is utterly intoxicated with her past success at persecuting the saints (see on Dan. 7:25; Matt. 24:21; cf. Rev. 6:9–11; 18:24), and with the prospect that soon she will have the satisfaction of completing the gory task (see on chs. 16:6; 17:14).

Blood. See on ch. 16:6.

Saints. Literally, “holy ones” (see on Acts 9:13; Rom. 1:7).

And with the blood. Or, “that is, with the blood.”

Martyrs. Gr. martures, literally, “witnesses” (see on ch. 2:13). Compare Isa. 47:6; Jer. 51:49; see on Rev. 18:24.

Of Jesus. Meaning, probably, “who bore witness concerning Jesus,” first by their words and then by their martyrdom. They had been slain because they persisted in witnessing for Jesus and His truth, and had been loyal to His name at the cost of their lives.

When I saw her. It is not clear whether this refers to all that John had seen in vs. 3–6, or only to her conduct in v. 6, the climax of her criminal career. The angel’s reply to John’s amazement (v. 7) may imply the former.

I wondered with great admiration. Literally, “I was amazed with great amazement,” the Greek being a reflection of a typically Hebrew idiomatic expression. The angel had called John to witness the sentence to be pronounced on Babylon, the religious prostitute (v. 1), and the apostle probably expected to see a picture of complete ruin and degradation. But, instead, he sees a woman garbed in costly and gorgeous attire, in a state of intoxication, and sitting upon a fearsome beast. An angel had already told John something about this evil “woman” (see chs. 14:8; 16:18, 19), but now he is given a more complete and startling account of her crimes. What John sees fills him with utter astonishment, far beyond anything he express elsewhere in the Revelation.

The crimes of mystical Babylon, as set forth in the angel’s indictment, may be enumerated as follows (cf. on ch. 18:4):

1. Seduction. By seducing the kings of the earth into illicit union with her, in order to further her own sinister designs (see on v. 2; ch. 18:3).

2. Oppressive despotism. By sitting upon “many waters”—oppressing the peoples of earth (see on ch. 17:1).

3. Contributing to human delinquency. By making the people of earth—except for the saints—drunk with the wine of her political policy, thus causing them to become her accomplices in her evil plot (see on v. 2). By her “fornication” she “did corrupt the earth” (ch. 19:2).

4. Drunkenness. By being “drunken with the blood of the saints,” who had offended her by refusing to drink of her evil potion of error or to submit to her ambition to rule the earth.

5. Murder and attempted murder. By plotting the murder of Christ’s bride, the “woman” of ch. 12 (see on chs. 17:6, 14; 18:24).