[B-Greek] Revelation 16:19 - the great city

George F Somsel gfsomsel at juno.com
Mon Dec 26 19:47:51 EST 2005


On Mon, 26 Dec 2005 16:24:11 -0500 "Robert Dee" <rdee at coastalnow.net>
writes:
> My question is concerning Revelation 16:19. (I am not enrolled 
> anywhere as a student of Greek, by the way.)
> 
> Grammatically speaking, are "the great city," in this verse, and 
> "Babylon the Great" two seperate entities?
> That is, would someone reading this in Greek get the idea that John 
> was referring to two different entites
> before he did any additional research? Or, is there something here 
> in Rev 16:19 itself that gives an indication
> that both of these are the same?
> 
> I know many commentaries say these are the same, often pointing to 
> Rev. 17:18. But Rev 11:8 also 
> refers to a "great city." (Unless, of course, one views Rev 11:8 and 
> 17:18 as the same city.) Incidentally,
> a footnote to this verse in the Ronald Knox translation reads: " 
> 'The Great City' may be Jerusalem (11:8); but
> many commentators understand a double reference in this verse to 
> Babylon, that is, Rome."
> 
> By the way, a similar question was posted in Jul, 1996, but no 
> response was given in the BGreek forum.
> 
> I have tried to phrase this to stay within the parameters of this 
> list. My apologies if I went to far.
> Thank you very much in advance for your kind expertise.
> Robert
____________

KAI EGENETO hH POLIS hH MEGALH EIS TRIA MERH KAI hAI POLEIS TWN EQNWN
EPESAN.  KAI BABULWN hH MEGALH EMNHSQH ENWPION TOU QEOU DOUNAI AUTHi TO
POTHRION TOU OINOU TOU QUMOU THS ORGHS AUTOU.

Given the repeated and pointed use of the adjective MEGAS with respect to
both BABULWN and with respect to POLIS seems specifically designed to
unite the two expressions.  I would see no alternative to identifying the
two as referencing the same subject.  Moreover, the use of the article
with POLIS would seem to indicate that the author of the Apocalypse is
referencing a known quantity.  I see no other alternative  to this being
a reference to Babylon.  The only other "city" specifically mentioned in
the Apocalypse is the "New Jerusalem"  (Excluding the cities of the seven
churches themselves which are mentioned in identifying the churches). 
The adjective MEGAS seems never to be used with regard to the New
Jerusalem but is used repeated in reference to Babylon.  

george
gfsomsel
___________


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