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Updated Bible Version

Revelation 17:5

and on her forehead a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE PROSTITUTES AND OF THE DETESTABLE THINGS OF THE EARTH.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Horn;   Idolatry;   Thompson Chain Reference - Babylon;   The Topic Concordance - Empires/world Powers;   Judges;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Babylon;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Antichrist;   Babylon;   Mystery;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Babylon;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Mystery;   Peter, First, Theology of;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Church;   Joy;   Order;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Antichrist;   Babylon;   Cutting;   Forehead;   Harlot;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Achan;   Antichrist;   Babylon, Mystical;   Cuttings;   Forehead;   Lucifer;   Mark, John;   Marriage;   Mystery;   Revelation of John, the;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Abomination, Abomination of Desolation;   Babel;   Babylon, History and Religion of;   Forehead;   Mother;   Prostitution;   Revelation, the Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Antichrist;   Babylon;   Forehead;   Mystery;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Abomination ;   Colours;   Family;   Harlot ;   Mystery ;   Peter Epistles of;   Sin (2);   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Babylon the Great ;   Harlot;   Horns;   Mystery;   Prophets, the;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Babel;   Babylon;   Mother;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Babylon;   Rome;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Babylon;   Forehead;   Harlot;   Mother;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Mystery;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Babylon in the New Testament:;   Crime;   Forehead;   Mystery;   Writing;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
On her forehead was written a name, a mystery: Babylon the
King James Version (1611)
And vpon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots, And Abominations Of The Earth.
King James Version
And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth .
New American Standard Bible
and on her forehead a name was written, a mystery: "BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH."
New Century Version
On her forehead a title was written that was secret. This is what was written: the great babylon mother of prostitutes and of the evil things of the earth
English Standard Version
And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: "Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
and on her forehead a name was written, a mystery, "BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH."
Berean Standard Bible
On her forehead a mysterious name was written: Babylon the Great, the mother of prostitutes and of the abominations of the earth.
Contemporary English Version
On her forehead a mysterious name was written: I AM THE GREAT CITY OF BABYLON, THE MOTHER OF EVERY IMMORAL AND FILTHY THING ON EARTH.
Complete Jewish Bible
On her forehead was written a name with a hidden meaning, BAVEL THE GREAT MOTHER OF WHORES AND OF THE EARTH'S OBSCENITIES
Darby Translation
and upon her forehead a name written, Mystery, great Babylon, the mother of the harlots, and of the abominations of the earth.
Easy-to-Read Version
She had a title written on her forehead. This title has a hidden meaning. This is what was written: the great babylon mother of prostitutes and the evil things of the earth
Geneva Bible (1587)
And in her forehead was a name written, A mysterie, that great Babylon, that mother of whoredomes, and abominations of the earth.
George Lamsa Translation
And upon her forehead was a name written, that not all could understand, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
Good News Translation
On her forehead was written a name that has a secret meaning: "Great Babylon, the mother of all prostitutes and perverts in the world."
Lexham English Bible
And on her forehead a name was written, a mystery: "Babylon the great, the mother of prostitutes and of the detestable things of the earth."
Literal Translation
And on her forehead was a name having been written: Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of the Harlots and of the Abominations of the Earth.
Amplified Bible
And on her forehead a name was written, a mystery: "BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES (false religions, heresies) AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH."
American Standard Version
and upon her forehead a name written, Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of the Harlots and of the Abominations of the Earth .
Bible in Basic English
And on her brow was a name, SECRET, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE EVIL WOMEN AND OF THE UNCLEAN THINGS OF THE EARTH.
Hebrew Names Version
and on her forehead a name written, "MYSTERY, BAVEL THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE ERETZ."
International Standard Version
On her forehead was written a secret name:2 Thessalonians 2:7; Revelation 11:8; 14:8; 16:19; 19:2;">[xr] Babylon the Great, the Mother of Prostitutes and Detestable Things of the Earth.
Etheridge Translation
And upon her forehead the name was written, Mystery: Babel the Great, the Mother of Harlots and of the Abominations of the Earth.
Murdock Translation
And upon her forehead was the name written: Mystery: Babylon the great; the Mother of Harlots, and of the contaminations of the Earth.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And in her forehead was a name written, a misterie, great Babylon, the mother of whoredome & abhominations of the earth.
English Revised Version
and upon her forehead a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
World English Bible
and on her forehead a name written, "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH."
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And on her forehead a name written, Mystery; Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots, and abominations of the earth.
Weymouth's New Testament
And on her forehead was a name written: "I am a symbol of great Babylon, the mother of the harlots and of the abominations of the earth."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And a name writun in the forheed of hir, Mysterie, Babiloyn the greet, modir of fornycaciouns, and of abhomynaciouns of erthe.
Webster's Bible Translation
And upon her forehead [was] a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS, AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
New English Translation
On her forehead was written a name, a mystery: "Babylon the Great, the Mother of prostitutes and of the detestable things of the earth."
New King James Version
And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
New Living Translation
A mysterious name was written on her forehead: "Babylon the Great, Mother of All Prostitutes and Obscenities in the World."
New Life Bible
There was a name written on her forehead which had a secret meaning. It said, "The big and powerful Babylon, mother of all women who sell the use of their bodies and mother of everything sinful of the earth."
New Revised Standard
and on her forehead was written a name, a mystery: "Babylon the great, mother of whores and of earth's abominations."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and, upon her forehead, a name written, a secret: Babylon the great, the Mother of the Harlots and of the Abominations of the earth.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And on her forehead a name was written: A mystery: Babylon the great, the mother of the fornications and the abominations of the earth.
Revised Standard Version
and on her forehead was written a name of mystery: "Babylon the great, mother of harlots and of earth's abominations."
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And in her forhed was a name wrytten a mistery gret Babylon the mother of whordome and abominacions of the erth.
Young's Literal Translation
and upon her forehead was a name written: `Secret, Babylon the Great, the Mother of the Whores, and the Abominations of the earth.'
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And in her forhed was a name wrytte, a mistery; greate Babilon the mother of whordome, and abominacios of the earth.
Mace New Testament (1729)
Upon her forehead this mystical title was written, Babylon the great, the mother of harlots, and abominations of the earth.
Simplified Cowboy Version
She had a tattoo on her forehead with a secret meaning, "Babylon the Great, mother of whores and perverts."

Contextual Overview

1 And there came one of the seven angels that had the seven bowls, and spoke with me, saying, Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute that sits on many waters; 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and those that dwell in the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication. 3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness: and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet-colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stone and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of detestable things, even the unclean things of her fornication, 5 and on her forehead a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE PROSTITUTES AND OF THE DETESTABLE THINGS OF THE EARTH. 6 And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I wondered with a great wonder.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

upon: Revelation 7:3, Isaiah 3:9, Philippians 3:19

mystery: 2 Thessalonians 2:7, 2 Timothy 3:1-5

Babylon: Revelation 11:8, Revelation 14:8, Revelation 16:19, Revelation 18:2, Revelation 18:10, Revelation 18:21, Jeremiah 51:47, Jeremiah 51:48

the Mother: Revelation 18:9, Revelation 19:2

harlots: or, fornications

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 7:25 - an abomination Deuteronomy 27:15 - an abomination 1 Kings 11:7 - abomination 2 Kings 9:22 - the whoredoms 1 Chronicles 5:25 - and went 2 Chronicles 15:8 - abominable idols 2 Chronicles 21:11 - compelled Psalms 87:4 - Babylon Psalms 137:8 - happy Song of Solomon 5:7 - they smote Isaiah 24:10 - of confusion Isaiah 41:24 - an abomination Jeremiah 44:4 - this Jeremiah 50:12 - mother Jeremiah 50:14 - for she Jeremiah 50:38 - the land Ezekiel 16:15 - and playedst Ezekiel 16:35 - O harlot Ezekiel 34:4 - but with Daniel 4:30 - great Hosea 1:2 - for Luke 12:45 - to beat Acts 5:36 - boasting Galatians 4:26 - mother 1 Timothy 3:16 - the mystery 1 Peter 4:3 - and 1 Peter 5:13 - at Revelation 9:21 - nor of their fornication Revelation 13:1 - blasphemy Revelation 13:17 - name Revelation 17:1 - the great Revelation 18:23 - for Revelation 21:27 - worketh

Cross-References

Genesis 17:2
And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.
Genesis 17:4
As for me, look, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations.
Genesis 17:15
And God said to Abraham, As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name.
Genesis 17:21
But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time in the next year.
Genesis 17:23
And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the very same day, as God had said to him.
Genesis 32:28
And he said, Your name will not be Jacob anymore, but Israel: for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.
Numbers 13:16
These are the names of the men that Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun Joshua.
2 Samuel 12:25
and he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he named him Jedidiah, for Yahweh's sake.
Nehemiah 9:7
You are Yahweh the God, who chose Abram, and brought him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gave him the name of Abraham,
Isaiah 65:15
And you shall leave your name for a curse to my chosen; and the Lord Yahweh will slay you; and he will call his slaves by another name:

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And upon her forehead was a name written,.... As the high priest had on his mitre upon his forehead written, holiness to the Lord, Exodus 28:36 only a different inscription from that; the allusion is thought to be to harlots, who not only used to put their names over their doors, but some of them upon their foreheads, that all might know who they were; of which Mr. Daubuz has given proofs out of Seneca, Martial, Juvenal, and Petronius; and such might be said to have an whore's forehead indeed: and this is expressive of the openness and impudence of the church of Rome, in her idolatrous worship; she openly declares it, and pleads for it, and invites and ensnares persons to join with her in it: the name follows,

mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth; her name is "mystery"; not the mystery of godliness, that she dislikes and opposes, but the mystery of iniquity; which is the name antichrist went by in the Apostle Paul's time, when he was but in embryo, 2 Thessalonians 2:7. Some reference may be had to the mystery of the Mass, in which the Papists pretend are the very body and blood of Christ; to their seven sacraments, for wherever almost they find the word mystery, they make a sacrament of that to which it is applied; and to their unwritten traditions, and the sense of the Scriptures, which are locked up in the pope's breast: and it is very remarkable what has been observed by some, that the word "mystery" was formerly upon the frontlet of the pope's mitre, and was removed by Pope Julius the Third, when it was observed that the Protestants made use of this passage of Scripture, and applied it to the Romish antichrist. Joseph Scaliger l affirms, that he saw mitres at Rome with this inscription on them. Though others think that this is not any part of the name, but only signifies that this woman was, in a mysterious or mystical sense, called Babylon, c. just as the great city is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, Revelation 11:8 but to me it seems to be a part of the name, as well as what follows, "Babylon the great" that is, the great city, Revelation 14:8 by which name the church of Rome may well be called, because of the signification of it, confusion, Genesis 11:9 its doctrine and worship being a confused mixture of Paganism, Judaism, and Christianity; and because of the pride and haughtiness of it, its tyranny and cruelty, and its sorceries and idolatry; see Isaiah 14:12.

And the mother of harlots, of all antichristian states and kingdoms; and is different from the heavenly Jerusalem, the Gospel church, which is the mother of true believers, Galatians 4:26 or the "mother of fornications": as some copies read, and the Vulgate Latin and eastern versions render it; that is, the author and encourager of them, as the church of Rome has been; of corporeal fornication, by commanding celibacy, and forbidding marriage to priests, and setting up of brothel houses; and of spiritual fornication or idolatry, everywhere required and encouraged by it: and of "the abominations of the earth"; of abominable doctrines and practices; all manner of wickedness that is to be found in the earth, as murder, adultery, sodomy, perjury, &c. these, with everything that is vile and wicked, are practised and connived at by her.

l In Scaligeran.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And upon her forehead - In a circlet around her forehead. That is, it was made prominent and public, as if written on the forehead in blazing capitals. In Revelation 13:1 it is said that “the name of blasphemy” was written on the “heads” of the beast. The meaning in both places is substantially the same, that it was prominent, and unmistakable. See the notes on that verse. Compare the note on Revelation 14:1.

Was a name written - A title, or something that would properly indicate her character.

Mystery - It is proper to remark that there is nothing in the original as written by John, so far as now known, that corresponded with what is implied in placing this inscription in capital letters; and the same remark may be made of the “title” or inscription that was placed over the head of the Saviour on the cross, Matthew 27:37; Mark 15:26; Luke 23:38; John 19:19. Our translators have adopted this form, apparently for the sole purpose of denoting that it was an inscription or title. On the meaning of the word “mystery,” see the notes on 1 Corinthians 2:7. Compare the notes on 1 Timothy 3:16. Here it seems to be used to denote that there was something hidden, obscure, or enigmatical, under the title adopted; that is, the word “Babylon,” and the word “mother,” were symbolical. Our translators have printed and pointed the word “mystery” as if it were part of the inscription. It would probably be better to regard it as referring to the inscription, thus: “a name was written - a mysterious name, to wit, Babylon,” etc. Or, “a name was written mysteriously.” According to this, it would mean, not that there was any wonderful “mystery” about the thing itself, whatever might be true on that point, but that the name was enigmatical or symbolical; or that there was something hidden or concealed under the name. It was not to be literally understood.

Babylon the great - papal Rome, the nominal head of the Christian world, as Babylon had been of the pagan world. See the notes on Revelation 14:8.

The mother of harlots -

  1. Of that spiritual apostasy from God which, in the language of the prophets, might be called adultery. See the notes on Revelation 14:8.
  2. The promoter of lewdness by her institutions. See the notes on Revelation 9:21. In both these senses, there never was a more expressive or appropriate title than the one here employed.

And abominations of the earth - Abominable things that prevail on the earth, Revelation 17:4. Compare the notes on Revelation 9:20-21.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Revelation 17:5. And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots, and Abominations of the Earth.] This inscription being written upon her forehead is intended to show that she is not ashamed of her doctrines, but publicly professes and glories in them before the nations: she has indeed a whore's forehead, she has refused to be ashamed. The inscription upon her forehead is exactly the portraiture of the Latin Church. This Church is, as Bishop Newton well expresses it, A MYSTERY of iniquity. This woman is also called Babylon the Great; she is the exact antitype of the ancient Babylon in her idolatry and cruelty, but the ancient city called Babylon is only a drawing of her in miniature. This is indeed Babylon THE GREAT. "She affects the style and title of our HOLY MOTHER, the CHURCH; but she is, in truth, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth."


 
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