· Translation: KJV

Revelation 17:15He said to me, "The waters which you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages.

The setting

Island of Patmos, Aegean Sea (modern Turkey), ~95 AD. An angel explains John's vision...

The emotion here: carefully explaining divine mysteries with reverence

The original word

hudōr (ὕδωρ) — waters, symbolically representing chaotic, unstable masses of humanity

Why it matters

Ancient writers often used water metaphors for political instability and mob rule

Read with care

What most readers miss in Revelation 17:15

This isn't about geography but about the unstable, chaotic nature of human governments

Common misconceptionPeople think this is literal water or specific geographic locations, but it's symbolic language for the unstable, ever-changing nature of human political systems.

Bible Genome reading

Revelation 17:15 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerAngel
EraApostolic
Primary emotionseeking
Literary typeteaching
MarkProphecy

Emotional genome

Comfort power30%
Quotability40%
Memorability60%
Crisis relevance40%
Standalone50%
Themes:interpretationuniversalitysymbolism

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open Revelation 17

Revelation 17:15 comes from the book of Revelation, written during the Apostolic period. These words are attributed to Angel. The dominant emotion in this verse is seeking, with a comfort power of 30% and a tone that is reverent. It belongs to the teaching genre of biblical literature. Key themes include interpretation, universality, symbolism. Notable phrases: waters; peoples, multitudes, nations. This verse contains prophecy.

Your reflection

What does Revelation 17:15 mean to you, today?

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