Revelation 17:2
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This verse highlights a chilling partnership: not only have kings been "spiritually unfaithful" by aligning with this corrupt power, but their people have become utterly intoxicated by its deceptive allurements. The "wine" here isn't literal; it represents the intoxicating lies and false promises that blind people to truth, making them incapable of clear judgment.
with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse describes a powerful, corrupt entity, often understood as a symbolic representation of a false religious system or empire, that has deeply influenced the leaders and people of the world. It follows John's vision of this seductive entity, depicted as a great prostitute, who has enticed worldly powers, causing them and their populations to become spiritually intoxicated and led astray from truth.
The Bible uses strong imagery to describe unfaithfulness to God. What does 'spiritual fornication' really mean in this context?
In Revelation 17:2, the 'whore' represents a deeply corrupt religious system that has abandoned its true covenant with God.
Why would earthly rulers be drawn to a corrupt religious system? What's the allure?
Revelation 17:2 highlights a dangerous partnership between corrupted religious authority and the powers of this world. The 'kings of the earth' are depicted as engaging in 'fornication' with the harlot.
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Understand the original words
basileus · Greek Noun
A term for world leaders who align themselves with hostile powers against the reign of God, symbolizing worldly authority that rejects divine sovereignty.
porneia · Greek Noun
A general term for spiritual infidelity, signifying the abandonment of covenant loyalty to God in exchange for idolatrous or worldly alliances.
methyskō · Greek Verb
The state of being under the deceptive or overpowering influence of sin, idolatry, or demonic systems, leading to a loss of discernment and spiritual clarity.
c. 8th century BC
Prophets denounce spiritual adultery
Old Testament prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel frequently used the metaphor of spiritual adultery to condemn Israel's straying from God to worship other deities or to align with foreign powers.
c. 1st century BC - 1st century AD
Tyre's economic and religious influence
The ancient Phoenician city of Tyre, known for its wealth and religious practices, is depicted in scripture as engaging in enticements similar to spiritual fornication with surrounding nations.
c. 1st century AD
Rome's imperial dominance
The Roman Empire, with its vast political and military power, exerted significant influence over the known world, impacting the religious and cultural practices of conquered peoples.
c. 1st-2nd centuries AD
Early Church faces persecution and doctrinal challenges
The nascent Christian church endured persecution from the Roman Empire while also grappling with internal doctrinal disputes and the temptation to compromise its faith for worldly acceptance.
c. 4th century AD
Christianity becomes state religion
Emperor Constantine's conversion and the subsequent rise of Christianity as the favored religion of the Roman Empire led to increased Church wealth, political involvement, and new forms of spiritual compromise.
c. 6th-7th centuries AD
Rise of Papal authority
Following the decline of the Western Roman Empire, the Bishop of Rome (the Pope) gradually consolidated significant religious and, at times, political authority over Western Europe.
c. Revelation 17— this verse
Vision of the Great Harlot
The Apostle John receives a vision depicting a great harlot who has committed spiritual fornication with the kings of the earth, becoming drunk on her seductive influence and idolatry.
This passage uses the same metaphor of spiritual adultery to describe Israel's unfaithfulness to God with other nations, echoing the unfaithfulness described in Revelation.
Ezekiel 16:15-16Ezekiel vividly portrays Jerusalem's spiritual prostitution by using her own adornments to make idols and worship them, directly paralleling the seduction and idolatry depicted in Revelation 17.
Isaiah 23:17This prophecy against Tyre, described as a harlot, speaks of her engaging in 'promiscuous intercourse' with the kingdoms of the world, mirroring the kings of the earth committing fornication with the woman in Revelation.
2 Thessalonians 2:7While not using the same imagery, this verse speaks of a 'mystery of lawlessness' already at work, which aligns with the deceptive and corrupting spiritual 'intoxication' described in Revelation 17 that leads people away from truth.
clarkeRevelation 17:2: "With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication."
With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication - What an awful picture this is of the state of the religion of the world in subjection to this whore! Kings have committed spiritual fornication with her, and their subjects have dru…
vincentRevelation 17:2: "With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication."
Have committed fornicationThe figure of a harlot committing fornication with kings and peoples occurs frequently in the prophets, representing the defection of God's Church and its attachment to others. See Isaiah 1:21; Jeremiah 2:20; Jeremiah 3:1, Jeremiah 3:6, Jeremiah 3:8; Ezekiel 16:15, Ezekiel 16:16, Ezekiel 16:28, Ezekiel 1…
This verse highlights a chilling partnership: not only have kings been "spiritually unfaithful" by aligning with this corrupt power, but their people have become utterly intoxicated by its deceptive allurements. The "wine" here isn't literal; it represents the intoxicating lies and false promises that blind people to truth, making them incapable of clear judgment.
This verse describes a powerful, corrupt entity, often understood as a symbolic representation of a false religious system or empire, that has deeply influenced the leaders and people of the world. It follows John's vision of this seductive entity, depicted as a great prostitute, who has enticed worldly powers, causing them and their populations to become spiritually intoxicated and led astray from truth.
This verse describes a powerful, corrupt entity, often understood as a symbolic representation of a false religious system or empire, that has deeply influenced the leaders and people of the world. It follows John's vision of this seductive entity, depicted as a great prostitute, who has enticed worldly powers, causing them and their populations to become spiritually intoxicated and led astray from truth.
"with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk.”" — This verse highlights a chilling partnership: not only have kings been "spiritually unfaithful" by aligning with this corrupt power, but their people have become utterly intoxicated by its deceptive…
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Last reviewed October 2026
