Revelation 18:15The merchants of these things, who were made rich by her, will stand far away for the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning;
The setting
Patmos Island, Greece, ~95 AD. John sees wealthy merchants who profited from corruption now standing at a distance, too afraid to help...
The emotion here: disturbed by the vision of complete abandonment and cowardice
The original word
makrothen (μακρόθεν) — from a great distance, deliberately staying far away out of fear
Why it matters
Roman merchants formed trade guilds that controlled entire economic sectors across the empire
Read with care
What most readers miss in Revelation 18:15
These aren't just sad merchants - they're accomplices who got rich off the system and now abandon it in terror
Common misconceptionPeople read this as merchants being sad about economic loss, but they're actually accomplices fleeing in terror because they know they're guilty too.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Revelation 18:15
Bible Genome reading
Revelation 18:15 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Revelation 18:15 comes from the book of Revelation, written during the Apostolic period. These words are attributed to John. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the prophecy genre of biblical literature. Key themes include fear, distance. Notable phrases: made rich by her; stand far away for the fear. This verse contains prophecy.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same anxious
“And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.”
— 2 Corinthians 11:14
“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
— 2 Timothy 3:12
“The evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?"”
— Acts 19:15
“I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'”
— Acts 22:7
“When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is har…”
— Acts 26:14
Your reflection
What does Revelation 18:15 mean to you, today?
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