Verse Lens · Concise explanation

Revelation 17:15 Explained in Context

Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.

Selected verse

Verse 15. And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions

Quick Meaning

This verse foresees their failed war against the Lamb, Lord and King, alongside called faithful followers.

The angel names mountains, kings, waters, and the ruling city

This verse is one part of that explanation in Revelation 17:7-18. The complete section carries the connected meaning and how it should shape life.

Read It With

  • Revelation 17:7-18

Read Revelation 17:15 with 17:7-18. This verse foresees their failed war against the Lamb, Lord and King, alongside called faithful followers. The complete unit's controlling movement is: The angel identifies waters as peoples, heads as mountains and kings, horns as short-lived allied rulers, the beast as doomed, and the woman as the ruling city; the coalition finally destroys her under divine purpose.

Why This Verse Appears Here

The preceding movement establishes: Revelation 17:1-6 established this prior movement: An angel shows John a richly adorned prostitute riding the beast, named mystery Babylon and drunk with the blood of saints and Jesus' witnesses. This unit then contributes: The angel identifies waters as peoples, heads as mountains and kings, horns as short-lived allied rulers, the beast as doomed, and the woman as the ruling city; the coalition finally destroys her under divine purpose. The following movement develops: Revelation 18:1-8 continues the book through this next movement: A glory-bearing angel announces fallen Babylon as a haunt, names her intoxicating political economy, and a heavenly voice calls God's people out before sudden plagues answer her self-glory. At Revelation 17:15, this verse foresees their failed war against the Lamb, Lord and King, alongside called faithful followers.

What Remains True

Revelation 17:15 shows that foresees their failed war against the Lamb, Lord and King, alongside called faithful followers; its faithful force remains governed by creator worship, the slain Lamb, truthful witness, patient endurance, justice, and new creation.

Continue in Context

Read the complete section for the connected explanation and how it should shape life. This verse is a doorway into that passage, not a saying that stands alone.

Read Revelation 17:7-18 — The Angel Interprets Beast, Kings, Waters, and City
Sources used for this Verse Lens

How certain is this explanation? strong

These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.

Biblical text

King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006

eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society

USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.

Supports: Exact reader-facing KJV wording, paragraph markers, supplied-word markup, and complete coverage.

Exact location: Revelation 17:7-18, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus

Open source ↗

Greek textual evidence

The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition

Michael W. Holmes, editor; Society of Biblical Literature and Logos

Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software, 2010

Supports: Greek wording and sentence relations checked independently of the KJV.

Exact location: Faithlife SBLGNT official repository, data/sblgnt/text/Revelation.txt, 17:7-18

Open the Revelation Greek text file ↗

Translation and textual notes

NET Bible — Revelation with translators' and textual notes

Biblical Studies Press

Biblical Studies Press, 2005–2026 online edition

Supports: Verse-level translation, syntax, textual variants, imagery, cross-references, and stated alternatives.

Exact location: NET Bible Revelation PDF, printed pp. 2408–2447, 17:7-18 and attached translator/textual notes

Open the official NET Revelation PDF ↗
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