1.2 KiB
Revelation 18 General Notes
Structure and formatting
Chapter 19 will continue the material contained in this chapter and both should be seen as a single unit.
Some translations set each line of poetry farther to the right than the rest of the text to make it easier to read. The ULB does this with the poetry in 19:1-8.
Special concepts in this chapter
Prophecy
The angel gives a prophecy about the fall of Babylon. It is spoken of as having already happened even though it had not yet happened. This was common in prophecy and emphasizes the inevitability of the coming judgment. It is also prophesied that the people will lament over the fall of Babylon. (See: rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/prophet and rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/judge and rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-apocalypticwriting)
Important figures of speech in this chapter
Metaphors
Metaphors are frequently used in prophecy. This chapter forms a slight break in the apocalyptic style of the book of Revelation overall. (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor)