κρίμα τῆς "πόρνης τῆς μεγάλης, "τῆς καθηµένης ἐπὶ
ἆ ὑδάτων b Ο/. on xiv: πολλῶν : ὃ
ς From Jer, ie ται 2. μεθ) As ἐπόρνευσαν die” AIRE Es x peoples οἱ βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς, (ver. 15). ‘ i ‘* - ε Visits of καὶ ἐμεθύσθησαν * οἱ 6 κατοικοῦντες τὴν γῆν Herod, - a Bs Tiri- ἐκ τοῦ οἴνου τῆς πορνείας αὐτῆς. dates,
ad gh ed , S12 | 3s a etc. 3. καὶ " ἀπήνεγκέ µε εἰς ἔρημον | ἐν πνεύματι ' καὶ εἶδον γυναῖκα ς Note / Εμ / κ , i . καθηµένην ἐπὶ θηρίον κόκκινον, γέμοντα ὀνόματα βλασφημίας, ο. a
mn ~ ο €xov κεφαλὰς ἑπτὰ καὶ κέρατα δέκα. 4. καὶ ἡ γυνὴ ἦν !περι- λα {δα πι a x / \ πα / 8. βεβλημένη ”'ὶ πορφυροῦν καὶ κόκκινον, καὶ ™ κεχρυσωµένη Χρυσίῳ ς xiv. α: omitting
ue usual ἐπι. ... Kk xviii. 12, 16; cf. Matt. xxvii. 28 (colour of Roman M Xvili. 16, am. Aey. N.T.
h Cf. on xxi. 10,
D ii. 10, iv. 2, xxi. 1Ο. soldier’s mantle). ii
1 xii. 1.
Ίγεμον ονοµατων (min., Hipp., S., And., Areth.) and yepov ονοµατα (ΧΩ), min., Bj.) seem corrections of the unusual (in this book) and harsh constr. ad sensum Ύεμογτα ovopata ΑΕ, Lach., Ti., WH, Sw., Bs. [γεμον τα ovopara, as in ver. 4, Tr., Al., Diist., Ws.]: for the εχον of Q, 1, etc., Syr., And., Areth. (Lach., Al., Bj.,
Ws.), Ti., WH marg., Bs. read εχοντα (QP) and WH εχων (A, min.).
The double object of the oracle is (a), by a re-editing of the tradition of xiii. to represent Kome in her Imperial pride, before describing her downfall, and (6) to define more precisely the final appear- ance of the last foe. The chapter could readily be spared as isolated (Simcox), but this only proves that the author is again working upon disparate materials which he inherited. Theoracle contains (1-6) a vision of the Harlot (py way of foil to xii. 1-6 and especially xxi. g f.) and ‘the Beast, with (7-18) an explanation of the vision.
CuHapTeR XVII.—Ver. 1. Α fresh vision commences (cf. iv. 1), still puni- tive (xvi. 1), but with an exchange of angelic cicerones (as Slav. En. xxi.). The Beast which has already (in xiii.) done duty as the empire is now the sup- port of the capital. Rome, personified (so Sib. Or. ili. 46-92, before 80 Α.Ρ.) as a feminine figure, rides on a beast of the same colour, like a Bacchante on the pan- ther, or like the Syrian Astarte on a lion.
Ver. 2. Tyre’s commercial intercourse with the nations (Isa. xxiii. 17) and Assyria’s political intrigues, by which her statecraft fascinated and seduced other states (Nah. iii. 4) are both de- scribed by the same figure. Local and national cults, as a rule, were left un- disturbed by the Romans; and indeed Oriental superstitions often reacted powerfully on Rome itself. But fresh conquests meant the extension of Rome’s antoxicating and godless suzerainty.
Ver. 3. The wilderness was the tradi- tional site of visions, but there may be an allusion here to Isa. xxi. 1 or even to the Roman Campagna (Erbes). The woman in xii. is in the desert to be de- livered from the dragon; the woman here is in the desert to be destroyed by the Beast. κόκκινον ‘crimson or scar- let,”’=luxurious and haughty splendour (Mart. ii. 39; Juv. Sat. ili. 283 and xiv. 188 for purple). The Beast which in xiii. 1 bore the names of blasphemy upon its head, now wears them spread over all its body. Baldensperger (15-16) conjectures a similar reference to Rome in En. lii. (seven hills ?) ; here at any rate the author is sketching the Roman Empire in its general magnificence and authority under the Czesars, and the inconsistencies in his description (waters and wilderness, seat on waters, seat on the Beast) are natural to this style of fantastic sym- bolism. It is curious that no attack is directed against the polytheism of the Empire. Cf. Cebes’ Tabula: ‘‘Do you see a woman sitting there with an invit- ing look, and in her hand a cup? She is called Deceit; by her power she be- guiles all who enter life and makes them drink. And what is the draught? De- ceit and ignorance.” The mounting of divine figures on corresponding beasts is a Babylonian trait (S. C. 365).