The Meaning of Revelation 18:4 Explained

Revelation 18:4

KJV: And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

YLT: And I heard another voice out of the heaven, saying, 'Come forth out of her, My people, that ye may not partake with her sins, and that ye may not receive of her plagues,

Darby: And I heard another voice out of the heaven saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye have not fellowship in her sins, and that ye do not receive of her plagues:

ASV: And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come forth, my people, out of her, that ye have no fellowship with her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  I heard  another  voice  from  heaven,  saying,  Come  out of  her,  my  people,  that  ye be  not  partakers  of her  sins,  and  that  ye receive  not  of  her  plagues. 

What does Revelation 18:4 Mean?

Study Notes

sins
Sin.
sinned
Sin, Summary: The literal meanings of the Heb. and (Greek - ἀλεκτοροφωνία sin," "sinner," etc)., disclose the true nature of sin in its manifold manifestations. Sin is transgression, an overstepping of the law, the divine boundary between good and evil Psalms 51:1 ; Luke 15:29 , iniquity, an act inherently wrong, whether expressly forbidden or not; error, a departure from right; Psalms 51:9 ; Romans 3:23 , missing the mark, a failure to meet the divine standard; trespass, the intrusion of self-will into the sphere of divine authority Ephesians 2:1 , lawlessness, or spiritual anarchy 1 Timothy 1:9 , unbelief, or an insult to the divine veracity John 16:9 .
Sin originated with Satan Isaiah 14:12-14 , entered the world through Adam Romans 5:12 , was, and is, universal, Christ alone excepted; Romans 3:23 ; 1 Peter 2:22 , incurs the penalties of spiritual and physical death; Genesis 2:17 ; Genesis 3:19 ; Ezekiel 18:4 ; Ezekiel 18:20 ; Romans 6:23 and has no remedy but in the sacrificial death of Christ; Hebrews 9:26 ; Acts 4:12 availed of by faith Acts 13:38 ; Acts 13:39 . Sin may be summarized as threefold: An act, the violation of, or want of obedience to the revealed will of God; a state, absence of righteousness; a nature, enmity toward God.

Verse Meaning

Another voice from heaven instructed God"s people to separate from the system that the city symbolizes so they would avoid getting caught in her judgment. The being speaking is evidently an angel who speaks for God ( Revelation 18:4-5; cf. Revelation 11:3; Revelation 22:7-8). He called God"s people to leave a city (cf. Genesis 12:1; Genesis 19:12; Exodus 8:1; Jeremiah 51:6-99; Isaiah 48:20; Isaiah 52:11; Jeremiah 50:8; 1714203618_67; Jeremiah 51:45), but beyond that to forsake the enticements of the idolatry, self-sufficiency, love of luxury, and violence that the city symbolizes. The people addressed are faithful believers living in the Tribulation. Unless they separate from her sins, they will be hurt by the judgment coming on her, but if they do separate, they will enjoy protection (cf. Revelation 12:14; Matthew 24:16). They should not have the attitude of Lot"s wife who hankered after another worldly city that God destroyed (cf. Genesis 19:26; Luke 17:32).

Context Summary

Revelation 18:1-13 - "her Sins Have Reached Unto Heaven"
We have seen that the scarlet woman represents the false religion of human wit and fashion. It is found in every age. There is not a city, town, or village where it does not seek to allure men from Christ. The mischief is that so many really godly people are misled by it. In this they resemble Obadiah, who hid the prophets in a cave and fed them but was hand and glove with Ahab. To all such, who are endeavoring to keep in touch with the true Bride and with the apostate Church, the summons of Revelation 18:4 has a very profound significance.
It was the unanimous verdict of the reformers that the great city here described, Revelation 18:10, was intended to represent Rome, as the seat of the great apostasy. If that be the case, the merchandise described here does not refer to literal commerce, but to the carnal delights which are often permitted and fostered by false religious systems to win the adhesion of the worldly and unclean. [source]

Chapter Summary: Revelation 18

1  Babylon is fallen
4  People commanded to depart out of her
9  The kings of the earth, with the merchants and mariners, lament over her
20  The saints rejoice for the judgments of God upon her

Greek Commentary for Revelation 18:4

Come forth, my people, out of her [εχελτατε ο λαος μου εχ αυτης]
Second aorist (urgency) active imperative See also the call of Abram (Genesis 12:1). the rescue of Lot (Genesis 19:12.). In the N.T. see Mark 13:4; 2 Corinthians 6:14; Ephesians 5:11; 1 Timothy 5:11. ινα μη — Hosea laos is vocative with the form of the nominative. [source]
That ye have no fellowship with her sins [συνκοινωνεω]
Purpose clause with συν — hina mē and the first aorist active subjunctive of κοινωνος — sunkoinōneō old compound Another purpose clause dependent on the preceding, with εκ των πληγων αυτης — hina mē and the second aorist active subjunctive of ινα μη — lambanō and with proleptic emphatic position of ek tōn plēgōn autēs before hina mē f0). [source]
Come out of her []
Compare Jeremiah 51:6, Jeremiah 51:45; Isaiah 48:20; Isaiah 52:11; Numbers 16:26. [source]
Have fellowship with [συγκοινωνήσητε]
This compound verb is not of frequent occurrence in the New Testament. It is found only in Ephesians 5:11, Philemon 4:14, and here. On the kindred noun συγκοινωνὸς companionsee on Revelation 1:9. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Revelation 18:4

2 Corinthians 6:17 Saith the Lord [λεγει Κυριος]
Isaiah 52:5; Ezekiel 20:33. Cf. Revelation 18:4. [source]
Ephesians 5:11 Have - fellowship [συγκοινωνεῖτε]
See on Revelation 18:4; see on Revelation 1:9. [source]
1 John 2:19 They went out from us [ἐξ ἡμῶν ἐξῆλθαν]
The phrase went out from, may mean either removal (Revelation 18:4; John 8:59) or origin (Revelation 9:3; Revelation 14:13, Revelation 14:15, Revelation 14:17; Revelation 19:5, Revelation 19:21). Here the latter, as appears from the following clause. Compare Acts 20:30. [source]
Revelation 12:10 A great voice saying [πωνην μεγαλην λεγουσαν]
Accusative after ηκουσα — ēkousa in this phrase as in Revelation 5:11; Revelation 10:4; Revelation 14:2; Revelation 18:4, but the genitive πωνης λεγουσης — phōnēs legousēs in Revelation 11:12; Revelation 14:13. We are not told whence this voice or song comes, possibly from one of the twenty-four elders (Swete) or some other heavenly beings (Revelation 11:15) who can sympathize with human beings (Revelation 19:10), the martyrs in heaven (Charles). [source]
Revelation 14:2 Of a great thunder [βροντης μεγαλης]
For which see Revelation 6:1; Revelation 19:6. For this voice out of heaven see Revelation 10:4; Revelation 14:15; Revelation 18:4 and note accusative with ηκουσα — ēkousa the voice of harpers harping with their harps Triple use of κιταρα — kithara (Revelation 5:8), κιταρωιδων — kitharōidōn (Revelation 18:22), κιταριζοντων — kitharizontōn (old verb κιταριζω — kitharizō in N.T. only here and 1 Corinthians 14:7). Wonderful melody in this chorus by the angels, not by the 144,000. [source]
Revelation 9:18 By these three plagues [απο των τριων πληγων τουτων]
Our “plague” or stroke from πλησσω — plēssō as in Luke 10:30 and often in Rev (Revelation 9:20; Revelation 11:6; Revelation 15:1, Revelation 15:6, Revelation 15:8; Revelation 16:9; Revelation 18:4, Revelation 18:8; Revelation 22:18). It is used in Exodus 11:1. for the plagues in Egypt. The three plagues here are the fire, smoke, and brimstone which proceed from the mouths of the horses. [source]

What do the individual words in Revelation 18:4 mean?

And I heard another voice from - heaven saying Come the people of me out of her so that not you may have fellowship in the sins of her of the plagues you may receive
Καὶ ἤκουσα ἄλλην φωνὴν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ λέγουσαν Ἐξέλθατε λαός μου ἐξ αὐτῆς ἵνα μὴ συνκοινωνήσητε ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις αὐτῆς ἐκ τῶν πληγῶν λάβητε

ἤκουσα  I  heard 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: ἀκουστός 
Sense: to be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf.
ἄλλην  another 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: ἄλλος  
Sense: another, other.
φωνὴν  voice 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: φωνή  
Sense: a sound, a tone.
τοῦ  - 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
οὐρανοῦ  heaven 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: οὐρανός  
Sense: the vaulted expanse of the sky with all things visible in it.
λέγουσαν  saying 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
Ἐξέλθατε  Come 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: ἐξέρχομαι 
Sense: to go or come forth of.
λαός  people 
Parse: Noun, Vocative Masculine Singular
Root: λαός  
Sense: a people, people group, tribe, nation, all those who are of the same stock and language.
μου  of  me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
ἐξ  out  of 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐκ 
Sense: out of, from, by, away from.
αὐτῆς  her 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
ἵνα  so  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ἵνα  
Sense: that, in order that, so that.
συνκοινωνήσητε  you  may  have  fellowship 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: συγκοινωνέω  
Sense: to become a partaker together with others, or to have fellowship with a thing.
ταῖς  in  the 
Parse: Article, Dative Feminine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἁμαρτίαις  sins 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Plural
Root: ἁμαρτία  
Sense: equivalent to 264.
αὐτῆς  of  her 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
πληγῶν  plagues 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Plural
Root: πληγή  
Sense: a blow, stripe, a wound.
λάβητε  you  may  receive 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: λαμβάνω  
Sense: to take.