Revelation 17:4Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Refinement in clothing and ornaments, and seductive embellishments of the face, belong only to shameless and wanton women. Almost no one has more costly adornment than those whose modesty is cheap. So also in Holy Scripture, where the Lord was pleased to give us instruction and admonition, the adulterous city is described in adornment and finery. It is doomed to destruction with its finery, or rather because of it. Let pure and chaste virgins flee the adornment of harlots, the clothing of shameless women, the ornaments of seductresses, and the embellishments of prostitutes.

The woman is clothed in scarlet and purple, symbols and signs of dominion over all. For this reason she is adorned with precious stones and pearls. The cup points to the sweetness of evil before it is tasted, and the gold to its seductive charm. It is said of Job that he drank mockery like water (Job 34:7). So here it is shown that the woman does evil not for satisfaction, but from an impulse toward destruction. Therefore she is filled with abominations, on which a sin-loving society feeds, becoming drunk on sin and fornicating defilement as on a sweet drink.

“And the woman was clothed in purple and scarlet.” The purple indicates her royal dignity, while the scarlet indicates that she shed the blood of many saints.

“She was adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls.” The narrative fittingly clothes her, as a queen, in royal attire.

“She had a golden cup in her hand, full of abominations.” The cup was golden because of the height of her rule.

Yet at the same time it was full of idolatry and defilements, with which she was intoxicated and with which she poured libations to her own demons.

“And with the uncleanness of the fornication of the earth.” For responsibility for the idolatry of the other nations lies upon her, as the originator of evil and idolatrous madness.

The inscription on the forehead shows shamelessness amid the fullness of vices. Covering itself with mystery and sacred names, this God-opposing society, sunk in sins, has always been and will remain for a time a teacher of abominable iniquities to other people. From this very source many scandals for these little ones have arisen and still arise (cf. Mt 18:6-7).