· Translation: KJV

Revelation 17:18The woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth."

The setting

Patmos Island, Greece, ~95 AD. John sees the final world empire that will dominate before Christ returns...

The emotion here: isolated exile recording terrifying visions of world powers he cannot fully understand

The original word

basileuō (βασιλεύει) — actively reigns, exercises royal power over

Why it matters

Rome controlled trade routes from Britain to India, the first truly global empire

Read with care

What most readers miss in Revelation 17:18

This 'woman' represents not just Rome but the final form of human civilization opposed to God

Common misconceptionMany try to identify this with specific modern cities. John was showing the pattern: every human empire eventually opposes God and falls.

Bible Genome reading

Revelation 17:18 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerAngel
EraApostolic
Primary emotiondeciding
Literary typevision
MarkProphecy

Emotional genome

Comfort power10%
Quotability30%
Memorability60%
Crisis relevance60%
Standalone40%
Themes:powerworldly dominion

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open Revelation 17

Revelation 17:18 comes from the book of Revelation, written during the Apostolic period. These words are attributed to Angel. The dominant emotion in this verse is deciding, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is prophetic. It belongs to the vision genre of biblical literature. Key themes include power, worldly dominion. Notable phrases: woman; great city; reigns over kings. This verse contains prophecy.

Your reflection

What does Revelation 17:18 mean to you, today?

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