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Revelation 18:11

And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, because there is no one left to buy their cargo—
Revelation 18:11 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB The merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise any more;
  • KJV And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:
  • NKJV “And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore:
  • NASB “And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargo any more—
  • NLT The merchants of the world will weep and mourn for her, for there is no one left to buy their goods.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

The merchants weep because no one buys their goods anymore. Babylon's fall destroys the markets that depended on her.

Overview

The second group of mourners, the merchants, grieve the collapse of their trade rather than any moral loss. Their sorrow is self-interested, lamenting profit rather than sin. The passage exposes how an economy built on godless luxury crumbles when its idol falls, leaving its servants bereft.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 16

  • Rev 18:3All the nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her immorality. The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown wealthy from the extravagance of her luxury.”
  • Ezek 27:27–36Your wealth, wares, and merchandise, your sailors, captains, and shipwrights, your merchants and all the warriors within you, with all the other people on board, will sink into the heart of the sea on the day of your downfall.
  • Rev 18:23The light of a lamp will never shine in you again, and the voices of a bride and bridegroom will never call out in you again. For your merchants were the great ones of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery.”
  • Rev 13:16–17And the second beast required all people small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead,
  • Rev 18:20Rejoice over her, O heaven, O saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced for you His judgment against her.
  • Ezek 26:17–21Then they will lament for you, saying, “How you have perished, O city of renown inhabited by seafaring men—she who was powerful on the sea, along with her people, who imposed terror on all peoples!
  • Zeph 1:11Wail, O dwellers of the Hollow, for all your merchants will be silenced; all who weigh out silver will be cut off.
  • Rev 18:15The merchants who sold these things and grew their wealth from her will stand at a distance, in fear of her torment. They will weep and mourn,
  • Isa 47:15This is what they are to you—those with whom you have labored and traded from youth—each one strays in his own direction; not one of them can save you.
  • Zeph 1:18Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them on the Day of the LORD’s wrath. The whole earth will be consumed by the fire of His jealousy.” For indeed, He will make a sudden end of all who dwell on the earth.
  • Rev 18:9Then the kings of the earth who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her will weep and wail at the sight of the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her.
  • Isa 23:1–15This is the burden against Tyre: Wail, O ships of Tarshish, for Tyre is laid waste, without house or harbor. Word has reached them from the land of Cyprus.
  • 2 Pet 2:3In their greed, these false teachers will exploit you with deceptive words. The longstanding verdict against them remains in force, and their destruction does not sleep.
  • Matt 22:5But they paid no attention and went away, one to his field, another to his business.
  • John 2:16To those selling doves He said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn My Father’s house into a marketplace!”
  • Prov 3:14for she is more profitable than silver, and her gain is better than fine gold.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Revelation videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Revelation 18:11YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on RevelationMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Revelation ends the story with the slain-yet-standing Lamb who is worthy, the Lion of Judah, the Alpha and Omega, the returning King who makes all things new and dwells with his people forever.

How Revelation 18:11 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.