The description of the great harlot and of the beast upon which she sits.

¹ And one of the seven Angels, those who hold the seven bowls, approached and spoke with me, saying: “Come, I will show you the condemnation of the great harlot, who sits upon many waters.

² With her, the kings of the earth have fornicated. And those who inhabit the earth have been inebriated by the wine of her prostitution.”

³ And he carried me away in spirit to the desert. And I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet beast, filled with names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

⁴ And the woman was clothed all around with purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, holding a golden cup in her hand, filled with the abomination and with the filth of her fornication.

⁵ And a name was written upon her forehead: Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of the fornications and the abominations of the earth.¹²

1. 17:5A mystery: That is, a secret; because what follows of the name and title of the great harlot is to be taken in a mystical sense.(Challoner)
2. 17:5Babylon: Either the city of the devil in general; or, if this place be to be understood of any particular city, pagan Rome, which then and for three hundred years persecuted the church; and was the principal seat both of empire and idolatry.(Challoner)

⁶ And I saw that the woman was inebriated from the blood of the saints and from the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And I was amazed, when I had seen her, with a great wonder.

⁷ And the Angel said to me: “Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carries her, which has seven heads and ten horns.¹

1. 17:7This woman is the same as the false prophetess, hence the use of the feminine in the earlier verses.(Conte)

⁸ The beast that you saw, was, and is not, and is soon to ascend from the abyss. And he goes forth unto destruction. And the inhabitants upon the earth (those whose names have not been written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world) shall be amazed upon seeing the beast who was and is not.¹

1. 17:8The beast that you saw: This beast which supports Babylon, may signify the power of the devil: which was and is not, being much limited by the coming of Christ, but shall again exert itself under Antichrist. The seven heads of this beast are seven mountains or empires, instruments of his tyranny; of which five were then fallen. (See chap. 13.1, and below, ver. 10.) The beast itself is said to be the eighth, and is of the seven; because they all act under the devil, and by his instigation, so that his power is in them all, yet so as to make up, as it were, an eighth empire, distinct from them all.(Challoner)

⁹ And this is for one who understands, who has wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains, upon which the woman sits, and they are seven kings.

¹⁰ Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet arrived. And when he arrives, he must remain for a brief time.

¹¹ And the beast who was, and is not, the same is also the eighth, and he is of the seven, and he goes forth unto destruction.

¹² And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings; these have not yet received a kingdom, but they shall receive authority, as if they were kings, for one hour, after the beast.¹

1. 17:12Ten kings: Ten lesser kingdoms, enemies also of the church of Christ: which, nevertheless, shall be made instruments of the justice of God for the punishment of Babylon. Some understand this of the Goths, Vandals, Huns, and other barbarous nations, that destroyed the empire of Rome.(Challoner)

¹³ These hold to one plan, and they shall hand over their power and authority to the beast.

¹⁴ These shall fight against the Lamb, and the Lamb shall conquer them. For he is the Lord of lords and the King of kings. And those who are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.”

¹⁵ And he said to me: “The waters that you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples and nations and languages.

¹⁶ And the ten horns that you saw on the beast, these shall hate the woman who fornicates, and they shall make her desolate and naked, and they shall chew her flesh, and they shall burn her completely with fire.¹

1. 17:16They hate her (the false prophetess) at this point in time, after she has lost her power, because she lost her power and the kingdom of the Antichrist lost its power. The ten horns are ten kings, who each take control of one kingdom of the ten kings, after the Antichrist loses power. They attack the false church of the false prophetess and her seat of pretended religious authority, the city of the seven hills (Rome). Then they try to attack Christ and his saints (Jerusalem).(Conte)

¹⁷ For God has granted to their hearts that they may do to her whatever is pleasing, so that they may give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God may be completed.¹

1. 17:17The word ‘illi’ is dative singular, referring to the harlot; what they do is not pleasing to God; rather, they do ‘illi’ (to her) whatever they please.(Conte)

¹⁸ And the woman that you saw is the great City, which holds a kingdom above that of the kings of the earth.”