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Grammar Analysis: Revelation 17:1-6

Text

Greek (v.1): Καὶ ἦλθεν εἷς ἐκ τῶν ἑπτὰ ἀγγέλων τῶν ἐχόντων τὰς ἑπτὰ φιάλας, καὶ ἐλάλησεν μετ' ἐμοῦ λέγων Δεῦρο, δείξω σοι τὸ κρίμα τῆς πόρνης τῆς μεγάλης τῆς καθημένης ἐπὶ ὑδάτων πολλῶν,

Greek (v.2): μεθ' ἧς ἐπόρνευσαν οἱ βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἐμεθύσθησαν οἱ κατοικοῦντες τὴν γῆν ἐκ τοῦ οἴνου τῆς πορνείας αὐτῆς.

Greek (v.3): καὶ ἀπήνεγκέν με εἰς ἔρημον ἐν Πνεύματι. καὶ εἶδον γυναῖκα καθημένην ἐπὶ θηρίον κόκκινον, γέμοντα ὀνόματα βλασφημίας, ἔχων κεφαλὰς ἑπτὰ καὶ κέρατα δέκα.

Greek (v.4): καὶ ἡ γυνὴ ἦν περιβεβλημένη πορφυροῦν καὶ κόκκινον, καὶ κεχρυσωμένη χρυσίῳ καὶ λίθῳ τιμίῳ καὶ μαργαρίταις, ἔχουσα ποτήριον χρυσοῦν ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτῆς γέμον βδελυγμάτων καὶ τὰ ἀκάθαρτα τῆς πορνείας αὐτῆς,

Greek (v.5): καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ μέτωπον αὐτῆς ὄνομα γεγραμμένον, μυστήριον, ΒΑΒΥΛΩΝ Η ΜΕΓΑΛΗ, Η ΜΗΤΗΡ ΤΩΝ ΠΟΡΝΩΝ ΚΑΙ ΤΩΝ ΒΔΕΛΥΓΜΑΤΩΝ ΤΗΣ ΓΗΣ.

Greek (v.6): καὶ εἶδον τὴν γυναῖκα μεθύουσαν ἐκ τοῦ αἵματος τῶν ἁγίων καὶ ἐκ τοῦ αἵματος τῶν μαρτύρων Ἰησοῦ. Καὶ ἐθαύμασα ἰδὼν αὐτὴν θαῦμα μέγα.

KJV (v.1): And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

KJV (v.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.

KJV (v.3): So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

KJV (v.4): And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:

KJV (v.5): And upon her forehead [was] a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

KJV (v.6): And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

Word-by-Word Parsing

Revelation 17:1

# Word Lemma Strong Parsing Gloss
1 Καὶ καί G2532 CONJ and
2 ἦλθεν ἔρχομαι G2064 V-2AAI-3S came
3 εἷς εἷς G1520 A-NSM one
4 ἐκ ἐκ G1537 PREP of
5 τῶν ὁ G3588 T-GPM the
6 ἑπτὰ ἑπτά G2033 A-NUI seven
7 ἀγγέλων ἄγγελος G32 N-GPM angels
8 τῶν ὁ G3588 T-GPM the (ones)
9 ἐχόντων ἔχω G2192 V-PAP-GPM having
10 τὰς ὁ G3588 T-APF the
11 ἑπτὰ ἑπτά G2033 A-NUI seven
12 φιάλας φιάλη G5357 N-APF bowls
13 καὶ καί G2532 CONJ and
14 ἐλάλησεν λαλέω G2980 V-AAI-3S spoke
15 μετ' μετά G3326 PREP with
16 ἐμοῦ ἐγώ G1473 P-1GS me
17 λέγων λέγω G3004 V-PAP-NSM saying
18 Δεῦρο δεῦρο G1204 V-PAM-2S Come (here)
19 δείξω δείκνυμι G1166 V-FAI-1S I will show
20 σοι σύ G4771 P-2DS to you
21 τὸ ὁ G3588 T-ASN the
22 κρίμα κρίμα G2917 N-ASN judgment
23 τῆς ὁ G3588 T-GSF of the
24 πόρνης πόρνη G4204 N-GSF harlot
25 τῆς ὁ G3588 T-GSF the
26 μεγάλης μέγας G3173 A-GSF great
27 τῆς ὁ G3588 T-GSF the (one)
28 καθημένης κάθημαι G2521 V-PNP-GSF sitting
29 ἐπὶ ἐπί G1909 PREP upon
30 ὑδάτων ὕδωρ G5204 N-GPN waters
31 πολλῶν πολύς G4183 A-GPN many

Revelation 17:2

# Word Lemma Strong Parsing Gloss
1 μεθ' μετά G3326 PREP with
2 ἧς ὅς G3739 R-GSF whom
3 ἐπόρνευσαν πορνεύω G4203 V-AAI-3P committed fornication
4 οἱ ὁ G3588 T-NPM the
5 βασιλεῖς βασιλεύς G935 N-NPM kings
6 τῆς ὁ G3588 T-GSF of the
7 γῆς γῆ G1093 N-GSF earth
8 καὶ καί G2532 CONJ and
9 ἐμεθύσθησαν μεθύσκω G3182 V-API-3P were made drunk
10 οἱ ὁ G3588 T-NPM the (ones)
11 κατοικοῦντες κατοικέω G2730 V-PAP-NPM dwelling
12 τὴν ὁ G3588 T-ASF the
13 γῆν γῆ G1093 N-ASF earth
14 ἐκ ἐκ G1537 PREP from
15 τοῦ ὁ G3588 T-GSM the
16 οἴνου οἶνος G3631 N-GSM wine
17 τῆς ὁ G3588 T-GSF of the
18 πορνείας πορνεία G4202 N-GSF fornication
19 αὐτῆς αὐτός G846 P-GSF her

Revelation 17:3

# Word Lemma Strong Parsing Gloss
1 καὶ καί G2532 CONJ and
2 ἀπήνεγκέν ἀποφέρω G667 V-AAI-3S carried away
3 με ἐγώ G1473 P-1AS me
4 εἰς εἰς G1519 PREP into
5 ἔρημον ἔρημος G2048 A-ASF desert
6 ἐν ἐν G1722 PREP in
7 Πνεύματι πνεῦμα G4151 N-DSN Spirit
8 καὶ καί G2532 CONJ and
9 εἶδον ὁράω G3708 V-2AAI-1S I saw
10 γυναῖκα γυνή G1135 N-ASF a woman
11 καθημένην κάθημαι G2521 V-PNP-ASF sitting
12 ἐπὶ ἐπί G1909 PREP upon
13 θηρίον θηρίον G2342 N-ASN beast
14 κόκκινον κόκκινος G2847 A-ASN scarlet
15 γέμοντα γέμω G1073 V-PAP-APN full of
16 ὀνόματα ὄνομα G3686 N-APN names
17 βλασφημίας βλασφημία G988 N-GSF of blasphemy
18 ἔχων ἔχω G2192 V-PAP-NSM having
19 κεφαλὰς κεφαλή G2776 N-APF heads
20 ἑπτὰ ἑπτά G2033 A-NUI seven
21 καὶ καί G2532 CONJ and
22 κέρατα κέρας G2768 N-APN horns
23 δέκα δέκα G1176 A-NUI ten

Revelation 17:4

# Word Lemma Strong Parsing Gloss
1 καὶ καί G2532 CONJ and
2 ἡ ὁ G3588 T-NSF the
3 γυνὴ γυνή G1135 N-NSF woman
4 ἦν εἰμί G1510 V-IAI-3S was
5 περιβεβλημένη περιβάλλω G4016 V-RPP-NSF arrayed (having been clothed)
6 πορφυροῦν πορφυροῦς G4210 A-ASN purple
7 καὶ καί G2532 CONJ and
8 κόκκινον κόκκινος G2847 A-ASN scarlet
9 καὶ καί G2532 CONJ and
10 κεχρυσωμένη χρυσόω G5558 V-RPP-NSF gilded (having been adorned with gold)
11 χρυσίῳ χρυσίον G5553 N-DSN with gold
12 καὶ καί G2532 CONJ and
13 λίθῳ λίθος G3037 N-DSM with stone
14 τιμίῳ τίμιος G5093 A-DSM precious
15 καὶ καί G2532 CONJ and
16 μαργαρίταις μαργαρίτης G3135 N-DPM with pearls
17 ἔχουσα ἔχω G2192 V-PAP-NSF having
18 ποτήριον ποτήριον G4221 N-ASN a cup
19 χρυσοῦν χρυσοῦς G5552 A-ASN golden
20 ἐν ἐν G1722 PREP in
21 τῇ ὁ G3588 T-DSF the
22 χειρὶ χείρ G5495 N-DSF hand
23 αὐτῆς αὐτός G846 P-GSF her
24 γέμον γέμω G1073 V-PAP-ASN full of
25 βδελυγμάτων βδέλυγμα G946 N-GPN abominations
26 καὶ καί G2532 CONJ and
27 τὰ ὁ G3588 T-APN the
28 ἀκάθαρτα ἀκάθαρτος G169 A-APN unclean things
29 τῆς ὁ G3588 T-GSF of the
30 πορνείας πορνεία G4202 N-GSF fornication
31 αὐτῆς αὐτός G846 P-GSF her

Revelation 17:5

# Word Lemma Strong Parsing Gloss
1 καὶ καί G2532 CONJ and
2 ἐπὶ ἐπί G1909 PREP upon
3 τὸ ὁ G3588 T-ASN the
4 μέτωπον μέτωπον G3359 N-ASN forehead
5 αὐτῆς αὐτός G846 P-GSF her
6 ὄνομα ὄνομα G3686 N-NSN a name
7 γεγραμμένον γράφω G1125 V-RPP-NSN written
8 μυστήριον μυστήριον G3466 N-NSN mystery
9 ΒΑΒΥΛΩΝ Βαβυλών G897 N-NSF BABYLON
10 Η ὁ G3588 T-NSF THE
11 ΜΕΓΑΛΗ μέγας G3173 A-NSF GREAT
12 Η ὁ G3588 T-NSF THE
13 ΜΗΤΗΡ μήτηρ G3384 N-NSF MOTHER
14 ΤΩΝ ὁ G3588 T-GPF OF THE
15 ΠΟΡΝΩΝ πόρνη G4204 N-GPF HARLOTS
16 ΚΑΙ καί G2532 CONJ AND
17 ΤΩΝ ὁ G3588 T-GPN OF THE
18 ΒΔΕΛΥΓΜΑΤΩΝ βδέλυγμα G946 N-GPN ABOMINATIONS
19 ΤΗΣ ὁ G3588 T-GSF OF THE
20 ΓΗΣ γῆ G1093 N-GSF EARTH

Revelation 17:6

# Word Lemma Strong Parsing Gloss
1 καὶ καί G2532 CONJ and
2 εἶδον ὁράω G3708 V-2AAI-1S I saw
3 τὴν ὁ G3588 T-ASF the
4 γυναῖκα γυνή G1135 N-ASF woman
5 μεθύουσαν μεθύω G3184 V-PAP-ASF being drunk
6 ἐκ ἐκ G1537 PREP from
7 τοῦ ὁ G3588 T-GSN the
8 αἵματος αἷμα G129 N-GSN blood
9 τῶν ὁ G3588 T-GPM of the
10 ἁγίων ἅγιος G40 A-GPM saints
11 καὶ καί G2532 CONJ and
12 ἐκ ἐκ G1537 PREP from
13 τοῦ ὁ G3588 T-GSN the
14 αἵματος αἷμα G129 N-GSN blood
15 τῶν ὁ G3588 T-GPM of the
16 μαρτύρων μάρτυς G3144 N-GPM witnesses/martyrs
17 Ἰησοῦ Ἰησοῦς G2424 N-GSM of Jesus
18 Καὶ καί G2532 CONJ and
19 ἐθαύμασα θαυμάζω G2296 V-AAI-1S I marvelled
20 ἰδὼν ὁράω G3708 V-2AAP-NSM seeing
21 αὐτὴν αὐτός G846 P-ASF her
22 θαῦμα θαῦμα G2295 N-ASN a wonder
23 μέγα μέγας G3173 A-ASN great

Key Grammatical Features

1. τῆς καθημένης ἐπὶ ὑδάτων πολλῶν (v.1) — Articular present middle/passive participle

  • Form: κάθημαι, V-PNP-GSF (present middle/passive deponent participle, genitive singular feminine), articular
  • Function: The triple-article stack (τῆς πόρνης / τῆς μεγάλης / τῆς καθημένης) is a chain of attributive modifiers. The articular participle functions as a relative clause — "the one who is sitting." The present tense conveys ongoing, characteristic action. κάθημαι is formally middle/passive (deponent) but active in meaning.
  • Significance: Enthronement imagery. "Sitting upon many waters" is presented as a defining, durative state of the harlot, not a passing posture. It is grammatically parallel to v.3's καθημένην ἐπὶ θηρίον — the same participle reapplied from "waters" to "beast," a deliberate authorial link.
  • Grammar reference: participle-legon-discourse.md (for articular attributive participle function)

2. ἐπόρνευσαν / ἐμεθύσθησαν (v.2) — Parallel aorist verbs, active then passive

  • Form:
  • ἐπόρνευσαν — V-AAI-3P (aorist active indicative, 3rd person plural) of πορνεύω
  • ἐμεθύσθησαν — V-API-3P (aorist passive indicative, 3rd person plural) of μεθύσκω
  • Function: The aorist summarizes action as a completed whole. The voice shift is deliberate: the kings actively commit fornication with her (active agency), but the inhabitants of the earth are made drunk by her wine (passive — they are acted upon). The aorist passive here is consequential and may function as an affected-subject passive.
  • Significance: Two categories of subjects are portrayed — willing partners (kings) and affected consumers (inhabitants). Both encounters trace back to the harlot as source.
  • Grammar reference: aorist-passive-indicative.md

3. περιβεβλημένη / κεχρυσωμένη / γεγραμμένον (vv.4-5) — Perfect passive participles

  • Form: Three perfect passive participles stacked in rapid succession:
  • περιβεβλημένη (περιβάλλω, V-RPP-NSF) — "having been clothed / arrayed"
  • κεχρυσωμένη (χρυσόω, V-RPP-NSF) — "having been gilded"
  • γεγραμμένον (γράφω, V-RPP-NSN) — "having been written"
  • Function: The Greek perfect depicts a completed action whose resulting state persists. ἦν + perfect passive participle (v.4) forms a periphrastic pluperfect-style construction emphasizing the woman's ongoing condition — not merely that she once put on purple, but that she stands continually clothed in it.
  • Significance: Three resultative perfects layer the harlot's settled appearance: clothed, gilded, inscribed. The state is fixed. γεγραμμένον (v.5) presents the name on the forehead as permanently inscribed — a settled identification, not a label she could remove.
  • Grammar reference: participle-perfect-passive-state.md

4. γέμοντα / γέμον (vv.3, 4) — Concord shift in participles

  • Form: γέμω = "be full of," both instances are present active participles of γέμω, accusative:
  • v.3: γέμοντα — V-PAP-APN (accusative plural neuter) modifying θηρίον (N-ASN, accusative singular neuter)
  • v.3: ἔχων — V-PAP-NSM (nominative singular masculine) where the natural antecedent θηρίον is accusative singular neuter
  • v.4: γέμον — V-PAP-ASN (accusative singular neuter) modifying ποτήριον (N-ASN, accusative singular neuter) — regular agreement
  • Function: Revelation is famous for these solecisms. γέμοντα is plural though θηρίον is singular (the form may be understood ad sensum with the heads/horns that follow, or as a constructio ad sensum anticipating ὀνόματα). ἔχων is nominative and masculine though θηρίον is accusative and neuter. These are not errors corrected by scribes — they are Johannine apocalyptic style, possibly Semitic influence, or deliberate concord shift.
  • Significance: The grammatical shift to the masculine ἔχων "personifies" the beast — grammatically treating it as a person rather than a neuter thing. A similar concord shift appears elsewhere in Revelation.
  • Grammar reference: concord-shift-neuter-to-masculine.md

5. ἐν Πνεύματι (v.3) — Prepositional phrase of state

  • Form: ἐν + dative of πνεῦμα (N-DSN)
  • Function: This is the third of four "in the Spirit" transport formulas in Revelation (1:10; 4:2; 17:3; 21:10). Here ἐν Πνεύματι is locative-instrumental, marking the visionary mode — John is not physically relocated but enters a prophetic state in which the angel "carries away" (ἀπήνεγκέν, aorist active) his perception.
  • Significance: Marks a major scene transition; pairs with the wilderness setting (εἰς ἔρημον) to signal a deliberately staged vision — contrasting the wilderness vantage of ch.17 (harlot-Babylon) with the mountain vantage of 21:10 (bride-new Jerusalem).
  • Grammar reference: en-pneumati-visionary-transposition.md

6. τῆς πορνείας αὐτῆς (vv.2, 4) — Genitive of quality / source

  • Form: πορνεία (N-GSF) + αὐτῆς (P-GSF)
  • Function: τοῦ οἴνου τῆς πορνείας αὐτῆς = "the wine of her fornication." The genitive τῆς πορνείας may be read as: (a) genitive of quality / attribute — "her fornication-wine" (characterized by fornication); (b) genitive of source — "wine that comes from her fornication"; or (c) genitive of apposition — "the wine which is her fornication." Similarly τὰ ἀκάθαρτα τῆς πορνείας αὐτῆς (v.4).
  • Significance: Genitive ambiguity compresses multiple relations — her fornication both produces the wine and constitutes it. The cup holds what she is.
  • Grammar reference: genitive-of-quality-apposition.md

7. ὄνομα γεγραμμένον, μυστήριον, ΒΑΒΥΛΩΝ... (v.5) — Nominative apposition chain

  • Form: ὄνομα (N-NSN) followed by γεγραμμένον (V-RPP-NSN) — a nominative absolute with no finite verb ("and upon her forehead [was] a name written"). Then μυστήριον (N-NSN) stands in apposition to ὄνομα, followed by ΒΑΒΥΛΩΝ Η ΜΕΓΑΛΗ as a further apposition.
  • Function: μυστήριον is ambiguous: it may be (a) part of the inscription itself — "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT..."; (b) adverbial — "a name written mysteriously / symbolically"; or (c) appositional heading — "a name, [namely] a mystery: Babylon the Great." The anarthrous μυστήριον favors reading (b) or (c) — the name is coded, requiring interpretation.
  • Significance: The grammar itself flags the name as non-literal. μυστήριον signals a symbolic designation needing spiritual unveiling (cf. 17:7, where the angel promises to tell "the μυστήριον of the woman"). The uppercase block in critical editions reflects the inscription convention, not a grammatical feature.

8. μεθύουσαν ἐκ τοῦ αἵματος (v.6) — Present active participle with ἐκ of cause/source

  • Form: μεθύουσαν (μεθύω, V-PAP-ASF) — present active participle, accusative singular feminine, modifying τὴν γυναῖκα
  • Function: The present tense depicts continuing, characteristic action: "being drunk / in the state of drunkenness." The preposition ἐκ + genitive marks the source/cause of the drunkenness. Contrast with the aorist passive ἐμεθύσθησαν of v.2 (μεθύσκω) — there the inhabitants are brought into drunkenness; here the woman is already in it, ongoing.
  • Significance: The tense-voice contrast between vv.2 and 6 is deliberate. The harlot induces aorist drunkenness in others via wine, but is herself characterized by present-tense drunkenness on blood. The present participle intensifies the horror: her condition is habitual, not momentary.

9. ἰδὼν αὐτήν (v.6) — Circumstantial aorist participle

  • Form: ἰδών (ὁράω, V-2AAP-NSM) — aorist active participle, nominative singular masculine, with direct object αὐτήν
  • Function: Adverbial participle of time/cause: "when I saw her" / "on seeing her." The aorist participle typically denotes action antecedent to the main verb ἐθαύμασα ("I marvelled"). KJV "when I saw her, I wondered" captures this temporal relation.
  • Significance: Grammatically marks the seeing as the trigger of the marveling. John's θαῦμα μέγα (cognate accusative — "marvelled a great marvel") is not at the woman's beauty but at the shock of her condition.

Clause Structure

v.1 macro-clause: Main clause ἦλθεν εἷς ἐκ τῶν ἀγγέλων... καὶ ἐλάλησεν μετ' ἐμοῦ (narrative aorist pair). Within the direct speech: δείξω σοι τὸ κρίμα (main future indicative) + heavy modifier stack on πόρνης.

v.2 relative clause: μεθ' ἧς introduces a relative clause with the harlot as antecedent. Two parallel aorist verbs describe two categories of subjects (kings / inhabitants).

v.3-4 paratactic καὶ-chain: Classic Johannine narrative linkage. Main aorist finite verbs (ἀπήνεγκέν, εἶδον) carry the plot; perfect and present participles describe the visualized state.

v.5 verbless construction: No finite verb — purely nominative apposition. "Upon her forehead [was] a name written..." The inscription is pictured statically.

v.6 bipartite structure: (a) καὶ εἶδον... μεθύουσαν — description of what is seen; (b) καὶ ἐθαύμασα ἰδών... — John's response, with circumstantial participle.

Cross-References

Grammar library

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