complete verse (Revelation 18:2)

Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 18:2:

  • Uma: “He shouted loudly, he said: ‘Destroyed! Destroyed is Babel, that big village! From now on it is occupied by demons, occupied by many kinds of evil things, occupied by every kind of disgusting and hated bird.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “He called out loudly, he said, ‘Destroyed, really destroyed is the famous city of Babilon. Now the hibilis and the demons make it their place. And it is also the place of whatever birds are dirty and ritually-unclean.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And he spoke loudly saying, ‘It is destroyed! The large city of Babylon is thoroughly destroyed. It has become now a dwelling place for demons and bad spirits. That city will become the dwelling place of every kind of bad and filthy bird.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “He said shouting, ‘Destroyed! The famous (lit. newsed) city of Babilonia is destroyed. She has become a haunt (lit. staying-place) of demons, rock-river-and-tree-spirits, and any-kind-of evil-spirits. All kinds of birds also that are considered to be filthy and evil, they are now nesting there.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “He called out at full volume, saying, ‘Defeated now! That famous city of Babilonia is now defeated. Today all kinds of evil-ones/spirits will go to live there and it will be a nesting-place of dirty and disgusting birds.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Very loudly he shouted and said: ‘It is ended. Ended is the city of Babylon. Now it has become the home of evil spirits. It is where nests have been made for the birds who are filthy.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

demon

The Greek that is typically translated/transliterated in English as “demon” is translated by other languages in the following ways:

  • Central Mazahua: “the evil spirit(s) of the devil” (source: Ellis Deibler in Notes on Translation July, 1967, p. 5ff.)
  • Kupsabiny: “bad spirit(s)” (source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “bad bush-spirit(s)” (source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Hausa: “unclean spirit” (see note below) (source: Hausa Common Language Back Translation)
  • Mandarin Chinese: “dirty spirit” (污灵 / wūlíng) (Protestant); “evil spirit/demon” （邪鬼 / xiéguǐ) (Catholic) (source: Zetzsche)
  • Sissala: kaŋtɔŋ, which traditionally referred to “either a spirit of natural phenomena such as trees, rivers, stones, etc., or the spirit of a deceased person that has not been taken into the realm of the dead. Kaŋtɔŋ can be good or evil. Evil kaŋtɔŋ can bring much harm to people and are feared accordingly. A kaŋtɔŋ can also dwell in a person living on this earth. A person possessed by kaŋtɔŋ does not behave normally.” (Source: Regina Blass in Holzhausen 1991, p. 48f.)
  • Umiray Dumaget Agta: hayup or “creature, animal, general term for any non-human creature, whether natural or supernatural.” Thomas Headland (in: Notes on Translation, September 1971, p. 17ff.) explains some more: “There are several types of supernatural creatures, or spirit beings which are designated by the generic term hayup. Just as we have several terms in English for various spirit beings (elves, fairies, goblins, demons, imps, pixies) so have the Dumagats. And just as you will find vast disagreement and vagueness among English informants as to the differences between pixies and imps, etc., so you will find that no two Dumagats will agree as to the form and function of their different spirit beings.” This term can also be used in a verb form: hayupen: “creatured” or “to be killed, made sick, or crazy by a spirit.”
  • Yala: yapri̍ija ɔdwɔ̄bi̍ or “bad Yaprija.” Yaprijas are traditional spirits that have a range presumed activities including giving or withholding gifts, giving and protecting children, causing death and disease and rewarding good behavior. (Source: Eugene Bunkowske in Notes on Translation 78/1980, p. 36ff.)
  • Lamnso’: aànyùyi jívirì: “lesser gods who disturb, bother, pester, or confuse a person.” (Source: Fanwong 2013, p. 93)
  • Paasaal: gyɩŋbɔmɔ, “beings that are in the wild and can only be seen when they choose to reveal themselves to certain people. They can ‘capture’ humans and keep them in hiding while they train the person in herbalism and divination. After the training period, which can range from a week to many years, the ‘captured’ individual is released to go back into society as a healer and a diviner. The gyɩŋbɔmɔ can also be evil, striking humans with mental diseases and causing individuals to get lost in the wild. The Pasaale worldview about demons is like that of others of the language groups in the area, including the Northern Dagara [who use kɔ̃tɔmɛ with a similar meaning].” (Source: Fabian N. Dapila in The Bible Translator 2024, p. 415ff.)

In the still widely-used 1908 Tswana (also: Setswana) translation (by Robert Moffat, revised by Alfred Wookey), the term badino or “ancestor spirit” is used for “demon,” even though in the traditional understanding there is nothing inherently negative associated with that term. Musa Dube (in: Journal of Society of New Testament 73, 1999, p. 33ff. ) describes this as an example of “engaging in the colonization of the minds of natives and for advancing European imperial spaces. The death and burial of Setswana culture here was primarily championed through the colonization of their language such that it no longer served the interests of the original speakers. Instead the written form of language had equated their cultural beliefs with evil spirits, demons and wizardry. This colonization of Setswana was in itself the planting of a colonial cultural bomb, meant to clear the ground for the implantation of a worldwide Christian commonwealth and European consciousness. It was a minefield that marked Setswana cultural spaces as dangerous death zones, to be avoided by every intelligent Motswana reader or hearer of the translated text.”

In Kachin, the term Nat (or nat) us used for “demon” (as well as “devil” and “unclean/evil spirit“). Like in Tswana, the meaning of Nat is not inherently negative but can be positive in the traditional Nat worship as well. Naw Din Dumdaw (in The Bible Translator 2024, p. 94ff.) argues that “the demonization of Nat created a social conflict between Kachin Christians and Kachin non-Christians. Kachin converts began to perceive their fellow Kachins who were still worshipping Nats as demonic and they wanted to distance themselves from them. Likewise, the Nat-worshiping Kachin community perceived the Kachin converts as betrayers and enemies of their own cultural heritage. (…) The demonization of the word Nat was not only the demonization of the pre-Christian religion but also the demonization of the cultural heritage of the Kachin people. When the word Nat is perceived as demonic, it creates an existential dilemma for Kachin Christians. It distances them from their cultural traditions.”

Note that often the words for “demon” and “unclean spirit / evil spirit” are being used interchangeably.

See also devil and formal pronoun: demons or Satan addressing Jesus.

Translation commentary on Revelation 18:2

He called out with a mighty voice: as in 5.2; 10.3.

The announcements that follow (verses 2-3 and 4-8) may be rendered in poetic forms (see Section F of the introduction, “Translating the Revelation to John,” pages 6 and following).

Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great: as in 14.8. This is what is called a “prophetic” past tense, announcing a future event as something that has already taken place.

In this verse Good News Translation begins to use a feminine pronoun when referring to Babylon. Revised Standard Version waits until the following verses to follow this pattern. Many languages cannot do this.

A dwelling place … a haunt: the Greek noun translated dwelling place appears also in Eph 2.22 and nowhere else in the New Testament. It is related to the verb “to dwell,” used frequently in this book (see 2.13; 3.10). The word translated haunt usually means a guarded place, a “prison” (see 2.10; 20.7). Here it seems to mean a place where unclean spirits and disgusting birds live undisturbed; it is a refuge, a guarded sanctuary for them. Haunt may also be translated in English as “lair,” a place where wild animals hide. Translators should attempt to find synonyms in their languages and say something like the English “It has become a refuge for … and the lair of…,” or combine the two and say “Demons and unclean (or, evil) spirits use it is as their lair.”

Demons … every foul spirit … every foul and hateful bird: this is a vivid picture of a city that has been destroyed and has no one living in it. See the similar pictures drawn of Babylon (Isa 13.19-23; Jer 50.39), Edom (Isa 34.11-15), and Nineveh (Zeph 2.13-15). For foul spirit (that is, “unclean spirit”) see 16.13; demons are the same as evil spirits. The foul and hateful birds are those birds that, according to the Law of Moses, Israelites could not eat; they were unclean (see Deut 14.12-18). The added epithet hateful describes these birds as disgusting, loathsome, repulsive. Perhaps the writer had bats in mind (which were classified in those days as birds).

TEXTUAL NOTE: instead of Revised Standard Version (and Good News Translation) a haunt of every foul and hateful bird, the UBS Greek New Testament has (following the order of words in the Greek text) “a haunt of every bird unclean (and a haunt of every beast unclean) and hateful.” Revised Standard Version and Good News Bible (and most other modern translations) do not include the material within parentheses. New Revised Standard Version, however, has “a haunt of every foul and hateful bird, a haunt of every foul and hateful beast,” which goes beyond the UBS Greek text by adding “and hateful” to “every bird.”

An alternative translation model for the quotation in this verse is:

• “The great city of Babylon is finished (or, collapsed). It is completely deserted (or, no people left in it). Demons and filthy spirits are now living in it (or, have made it their lair), all kinds of unclean (or, filthy) birds live there.

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 .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Revelation 18:2

18:2a

And he cried out in a mighty voice: The phrase in a mighty voice is not emphasized in the Greek. So you do not need to emphasize this phrase in your translation. For example:

He shouted with a powerful voice (NET Bible)

cried out: The Greek word refers to speaking loudly so that many people can hear the message.

18:2b

Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great: The Greek words are literally “The great Babylon fell fell.” The verb “fell” is repeated in order to emphasize it. The Berean Standard Bible emphasizes the verb by repeating it and by placing it first, in poetic style common in English. The Good News Translation emphasizes the verb by using two complete sentences:

She has fallen! Great Babylon has fallen!

See how you translated these words in 14:8.

Fallen: Here the word Fallen refers to the result of the beast (and others) destroying the city (17:16).

In some languages a literal translation would wrongly indicate or imply that the city fell because of some accident. If that is true in your language, you may want to:

• Explain the implied meaning in your translation. For example:

⌊has been destroyed and so⌋ has fallen

• Translate the meaning without the figure of speech. For example:

has been destroyed
-or-
is finished/gone

• Explain the implied meaning in a footnote. For example:

This refers to the beast and others destroying the city (17:16) as God planned (17:17).

Babylon: Babylon had once been a very powerful city. The city was well known for idol worship. It controlled a vast empire at that time. One of its kings conquered Jerusalem. But at the time of Jesus and John, it was only ruins. So the name Babylon is a symbol here. It refers to a city, country, or empire that opposes God. This could include Rome or a future powerful city. Use the name Babylon here.

the great: The city of Babylon is called the great because it had once been an important and famous city. It had controlled a vast empire and held great influence in that region. See how you translated this phrase in 17:5.

18:2c

She: This pronoun refers to the city of Babylon. 18:2c–d describes it. 18:3a–c continues to use the metaphor of a woman for the city.

a lair for demons: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as lair refers to a location where someone or something lives. The demons live in the ruins of Babylon. People are no longer living there. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

a dwelling place of demons (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
a lair for demons (NET Bible)

demons: This word refers to evil spirit beings. The word demons does not refer to the spirits of dead people.

18:2d

haunt: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as haunt refers to a place where an evil spiritual being lives. It probably includes the sense of guarding something. The demons probably watch over the ruins of Babylon and resent anyone trying to enter. Other ways to translate this word are:

refuge
-or-
place of watching/guarding

unclean spirit: The Berean Standard Bible literally represents the Greek of this phrase. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

foul spirit (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
filthy spirit (Contemporary English Version)

The phrase unclean spirit is a Hebrew idiom that refers to the spirit being sinful. A sinful spirit is religiously unclean and, therefore, unable to stand before God. An unclean spirit has rebelled against God.

In some languages translating unclean spirit literally would not have the meaning above. If that is true in your language, you may want to explain it in a footnote. An example footnote is:

Literally: “unclean spirit.” The phrase “unclean spirit” is a Hebrew idiom that refers to the spirit being sinful. A sinful spirit is religiously unclean and, therefore, unable to stand before God.

spirit: The word spirit refers to a being that is usually not seen. Angels and demons are spirits.

every unclean bird, and every detestable beast: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as every here probably means “many different kinds.” For example:

all kinds of filthy and hateful birds (Good News Translation)

unclean bird: In the Old Testament, writers referred to these kinds of birds as living in desolate or deserted places (Isaiah 34:11, Jeremiah 50:39). In Jewish culture, these birds were symbolic of demons. You may want to explain that implied meaning in a footnote. For example:

In the Old Testament, writers referred to these kinds of birds as living in desolate or deserted places (Isaiah 13:20–21, 34:10–11, Jeremiah 50:39). In Jewish culture, these birds were symbolic of demons.

unclean: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as unclean means “defiled” or “desecrated.” It can also have the figurative meaning of “unfit before God” here. For example:

foul (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
filthy (Good News Translation)
-or-
vile/nasty
-or-
disgusting

and every detestable beast: There is a textual issue here:

(1) Some versions include these words. For example:

a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast (English Standard Version)

(2) Some versions do not include these words.

It is recommended that you follow option (1), because the Greek NT 4 includes them.

detestable: This word refers to things that people hate or avoid. Other ways to translate this word are:

loathsome (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
hated

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