Revelation 18:9-10
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The "kings of the earth" aren't just weeping out of sympathy, but out of selfish loss; they mourn the destruction of the indulgent lifestyle and the lucrative trade that Babylon provided them. Their grief is for the end of their own comfort and profit, not for any divine offense.
And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, “Alas! Alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage describes kings who have been deeply entangled with Babylon, sharing in its luxurious lifestyle and spiritual adultery. They will watch from a distance as the city is destroyed by fire, lamenting their loss of wealth and influence. This contrasts with their previous rejoicing when the two witnesses were killed, highlighting their selfish sorrow over their own losses rather than genuine grief for God's justice.
Why do earthly kings weep over Babylon's destruction? It wasn't godly sorrow, but a selfish grief born from a shared life of indulgence.
Revelation paints a stark picture of the relationship between the kings of the earth and the fallen city, identified as 'Babylon.' They aren't mourning out of genuine repentance or love for God. Instead, their 'sexual immorality' (often interpreted as spiritual adultery with God through idolatry or unfaithfulness) and 'lived deliciously' (luxuriating) reveal a deep entanglement.
This wasn't just a political alliance; it was a mutual embrace of a lifestyle. The kings benefited from Babylon's corrupt system, likely finding it easier to rule and maintain their power through its false comforts and justifications. Their grief at its fall is the grief of losing a partner in sin and a source of selfish gain, not a sorrow for displeasing God.
The 'smoke of her burning' is a horrifying spectacle. What does this imagery reveal about God's justice and the kings' reactions?
The powerful visual of 'seeing the smoke of her burning' is crucial. It’s not a gentle fading away, but a fiery, catastrophic judgment. This smoke is a sign of God's wrath being poured out.
For the kings, this sight evokes 'weeping and wailing.' However, this is characterized as 'worldly sorrow.' It's a lament over loss – the loss of power, influence, wealth, and the comfortable, sinful lifestyle they shared with Babylon. They stand 'afar off,' showing fear and a desire to distance themselves from her judgment, unwilling to share in her plagues even as they mourn her fall.
This contrasts sharply with godly sorrow, which leads to repentance and salvation. Their tears are for themselves, for what they have lost, not for the sin itself or for God's offended holiness.
Ask a follow-up
Understand the original words
porneuō · Greek Verb
An act of disloyalty to God, often used metaphorically for idolatry or the illicit alignment of political and economic power with worldly systems that oppose the Kingdom of God.
krisis · Greek Noun
The official pronouncement of a verdict by a judge. In the biblical context, it refers to the decisive, righteous, and often final action of God in response to the wickedness of individuals or nations.
The kings lamenting Babylon's fall aren't crying for God's justice, but for their lost earthly comforts and power. This highlights how earthly alliances and luxury often mask a deep spiritual unfaithfulness, making the ultimate judgment a loss of what they cherished most.
c. 1400 BC
Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
God's judgment rained down fire and sulfur on these wicked cities, leaving behind smoke that served as a stark warning. This event is explicitly referenced in Revelation as a parallel to Babylon's destruction.
Late 8th century BC
Fall of Samaria
The capital of the northern Kingdom of Israel was destroyed by the Assyrians. This event, like many prophetic judgments, involved widespread weeping and lamentation for the lost city and its people.
587/586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem
The Babylonians conquered Jerusalem, destroyed the Temple, and deported much of the population. Prophets like Jeremiah recorded the profound sorrow and devastation accompanying this national catastrophe.
c. AD 60-62
Paul's Imprisonment in Rome
During Paul's house arrest, he wrote letters to churches like the Ephesians and Colossians. These letters addressed themes of spiritual warfare and the corrupting influences of the world, relevant to understanding 'mystical Babylon'.
c. AD 95— this verse
John writes the Book of Revelation
The Apostle John, likely exiled on the island of Patmos, receives and records the visions that make up the Book of Revelation, including the powerful imagery of Babylon's impending judgment.
This passage describes kings lamenting the fall of the prosperous city of Tyre, drawing a parallel to the kings mourning Babylon's destruction due to lost wealth and influence.
Genesis 19:28It directly compares the smoke of Babylon's burning to the smoke rising from Sodom and Gomorrah, highlighting the divine judgment and destruction of wicked cities.
Luke 16:19-31The parable of the rich man and Lazarus illustrates the ultimate sorrow and regret that comes from a life lived in luxury and self-indulgence, mirroring the kings' fate.
Revelation 17:16This verse shows that some of the kings will actually participate in Babylon's destruction, providing a contrasting perspective to their later lamentation.
ellicottRevelation 18:9: "And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,"
(9) And the kings of the earth. . . . —Read, And there shall weep and mourn over her the kings of the earth, who with her committed fornication and luxuriated, when they see the smoke of her burning, standing afar off because of the fear of her torment, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon the stron…
clarkeRevelation 18:9: "And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,"
The kings of the earth - Those who copied her superstitions and adopted her idolatries.
The "kings of the earth" aren't just weeping out of sympathy, but out of selfish loss; they mourn the destruction of the indulgent lifestyle and the lucrative trade that Babylon provided them. Their grief is for the end of their own comfort and profit, not for any divine offense.
This passage describes kings who have been deeply entangled with Babylon, sharing in its luxurious lifestyle and spiritual adultery. They will watch from a distance as the city is destroyed by fire, lamenting their loss of wealth and influence. This contrasts with their previous rejoicing when the two witnesses were killed, highlighting their selfish sorrow over their own losses rather than genuine grief for God's justice.
This passage describes kings who have been deeply entangled with Babylon, sharing in its luxurious lifestyle and spiritual adultery. They will watch from a distance as the city is destroyed by fire, lamenting their loss of wealth and influence. This contrasts with their previous rejoicing when the two witnesses were killed, highlighting their selfish sorrow over their own losses rather than genuine grief for God's justice.
"And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say,
“Alas! Alas! You g…" — The "kings of the earth" aren't just weeping out of sympathy, but out of selfish loss; they mourn the destruction of the indulgent lifestyle and the lucrative trade that Babylon provided them. Their…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026