Revelation 18:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Because of the abundance of its unrighteous wealth, this city lived in luxury, pride, and contempt for what was superfluous. It itself became the cause of the enrichment of the merchants of the earth. How did this Babylon make the nations drink the wine of her fornication? By being their leader in every transgression of the law, and by sending rulers and authorities to cities that obeyed her for gifts, enemies of truth and righteousness. Because of the abundance, he says, of its unrighteous wealth, it luxuriated in what was necessary, grew proud, and despised what was superfluous. Thus it became the cause of the enrichment of the merchants of the earth.

"And the kings of the earth committed fornication with her," that is, with one another. For all the kings cannot commit fornication with one harlot. But since those who themselves indulge in luxury, being members of the harlot, seduce one another, they are said to commit fornication with the harlot. This is said because of their luxurious way of life. Then follows: "and the merchants of the earth became rich from the greatness of her luxury." In this place John speaks about those abounding in sins, for excessive luxury creates the poor rather than the rich.

By fornication John means insatiable greed and love of money, for such is the character of fornicators. The inhabitants of the city in question attached themselves to all nations and, after subjecting them, ordered them to bring tribute. It is said: The kings who share in it also shared in its love of money. The merchants who dealt with it became rich from the greatness of her luxury, that is, from the arrogance of this city and from its loose, wasteful, and corrupt way of life, offering everything in it for sale.

Here three kinds of sin are meant, and the same number of people who were seduced by them is also mentioned. These are greed, which according to the Apostle is also called idolatry (Col 3:5), wantonness under the name of fornication, and gluttony under the name of luxury.

The Lord warns against this, saying: "Take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing and drunkenness" (Lk 21:34).

The book says that the kings of the earth committed fornication with her. For the merchants are said to have grown rich through greed, although some prefer to interpret this as meaning that they grew rich in sins rather than materially.

Unrestrained and luxurious life bore the fruits that became the cause of Babylon's fall.