Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Revelation 17:3

γέμοντα ὀνόματα. אcB2 read γέμον ὀνὸματα; Text. Rec[583] γέμον ὀνομάτων with 1 Hipp[584] And[585]

[583] Rec. Textus Receptus as printed by Scrivener.

[584] St Hippolytus. The readings not given by Tischendorf are from the newly published 4th book of his commentary on Daniel.
[585] Andreas Archbishop of Caesarea.

ἔχον. With B2 1 And[586]: Tisch[587] W. H[588] marg. read ἔχοντα with אP; W. H[589] text ἔχων with A.

[586] Andreas Archbishop of Caesarea.
[587] Tischendorf: eighth edition; where the text aud notes differ the latter are cited.
[588] H. Westcott aud Hort.
[589] H. Westcott aud Hort.

κεφ. ἑπτὰ καί. 1 omits. P adds Revelation 17:18 here and after Revelation 17:17.

3. εἰς ἔρημον. Probably a reminiscence of Isaiah 21:1, τὸ ὄραμα τῆς ἐρήμου, LXX., who omit the puzzling words “of the sea.” If, as good critics still maintain, that prophecy belongs to the age of Isaiah, the original reference is to the Arabian desert across which the prophet hears in spirit the first tidings of one of the failures of Babylon to assert her independence. Babylonia, though naturally very fertile, is now a wilderness, but we do not know how far the desolation had gone in St John’s day. It may be relevant to compare the present desolation of the once populous Campagna of Rome, if we suppose, which is uncertain, that the seer is carried into the wilderness because he is to see a vision of desolation.

ἐν πνεύματι. Cf. Revelation 1:10; Revelation 4:2; Revelation 21:10.

θηρίον κόκκινον. Undoubtedly the same as the Beast of Revelation 13:1-8, though there his colour was not mentioned. It is symbolic (compare that of the dragon, Revelation 12:3), as being the colour of blood: perhaps also suggestive of the imperial purple.

γέμοντα ὀνόματα βλασφημίας. No reason has ever been given why a writer, who elsewhere constructs γέμω regularly with a genitive, should construct it here with an accusative, except that he possibly does the same in the next verse. There is of course a reference to Revelation 13:1. The blasphemous names of the heads of the beast, i.e. the imperial titles, make the whole body full of names of blasphemy.

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Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Revelation 17:3

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