complete verse (Revelation 18:17)

Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 18:17:

  • Uma: “But suddenly in just one hour, their great wealth has been lost all-at-once.’ All the people who make their livelihood [lit., search for their life] on the sea, whether those who are in charge of [lit., carry] boats, or those who work on boats and all people who ride on those boats, just stand far off” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “And in just one hour all her riches have disappeared.’ Then all the leaders on the ships and the passengers, those working on the ships, and all who make their livelihood on the sea, stand from far off watching,” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “But within just one hour all of their wealth was completely destroyed,’ they said. The captains of ships, and passengers, and those who work on ships, and all who get wealth by means of the sea, they have to stay far away watching. And when they see the smoke of the burning city,” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “But within only-one hour, all these-things which are their wealth were ruined!’ All the ship captains also and those who work and ride-as-passengers there, and all moreover who get their living from the ocean, they will also stand afar-off” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Really within just one hour, all those things have now disappeared.’ Well also there at a distance, just looking, will be the sailors and their bosses, and the ocean-travellers, as many as have their way-of-life and livelihood there on the ocean.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “But now, in just a short time is ended all that it had gathered,’ they will say. All those who are in ships going on the sea, the bosses, the passengers, along with all who have a work, a long way off their boats will be, looking.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

sea / lake

The various Greek, Aramaic, Ge’ez, and Latin and Hebrew terms that are translated as “sea,” “ocean,” or “lake” in English are all translated in Chichewa with one term: nyanja. Malawi, where Chichewa is spoken, has a lot of lakes but does not share a border with the ocean. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Revelation 18:17 – 18:18

In one hour: as in verse 10.

All this wealth has been laid waste: this translates the Greek verb “to make a desert,” that is, to cause to disappear (see its use in 17.16, “make desolate”). A more natural way of saying this in English is “all this wealth has disappeared.” In certain languages this will be expressed as “Babylon has lost all of her possessions.”

Shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea: this list intends to include all people who make their living in maritime trade. Shipmasters can mean “steersmen, pilots,” or as RSV translates it in Acts 27.11, “captain”; here it means the ships’ captains. The “captain” is the one who commands the ship or gives commands to the sailors. The second phrase, translated seafaring men by Revised Standard Version, is a curious one, and no exact parallel to it has been found. Literally it says “everyone who sails to a place.” Most take it to mean, quite generally, “voyagers,” “seafarers,” “all who travel by ship” (Revised English Bible, New Revised Standard Version, New International Version); the specific sense “passengers” is preferred by Good News Translation, Translator’s New Testament, Bible en français courant, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje. Some take it to mean the merchants who went with their goods aboard the ship (the Greek equivalent of the Latin vectores). Either “those who travel on the sea,” “passengers,” or “people who pay to travel on the ship” seems to be the best option. Sailors may be expressed as “people who make the boat go” or “people who work under the captain (or, boss) of the ship.” In land-bound cultures where only small fishing boats are known, it is important to designate “ships” as “large boats that travel on the sea (or, ocean).” The fourth group are “those who earn their living on the sea.” This does not include fishermen; it means people engaged in maritime commerce.

They saw the smoke of her burning: as in Rev. 18.9.

What city was like the great city?: this is a rhetorical question meaning “There has never been a city as great as this one!” See a similar rhetorical question in 13.4.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Revelation to John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .