The Meaning of Revelation 19:3 Explained

Revelation 19:3

KJV: And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.

YLT: and a second time they said, 'Alleluia;' and her smoke doth come up -- to the ages of the ages!

Darby: And a second time they said, Hallelujah. And her smoke goes up to the ages of ages.

ASV: And a second time they say, Hallelujah. And her smoke goeth up for ever and ever.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  again  they said,  Alleluia.  And  her  smoke  rose up  for  ever  and ever. 

What does Revelation 19:3 Mean?

Verse Meaning

A second burst of praise from the same group glorified God for judging Babylon finally so its influences will never rise again. This encore heightens the praise in the first song. The divine judgments of Sodom and Gomorrah and Edom were previews of this judgment (cf. Genesis 19:28; Isaiah 34:10). [1] The smoke represents the effects of the fire that will destroy Babylon (cf. Revelation 17:16; Revelation 18:8-9; Revelation 18:18). It will stop rising when the fire dies out, but the destruction that it symbolizes will be permanent. The punishment of God"s enemies will be everlasting (cf. Revelation 19:20-21; Revelation 14:11; Daniel 12:2; Matthew 25:46).

Context Summary

Revelation 19:1-10 - The Fourfold Hallelujah
One day we shall hear those four Alleluias, Revelation 19:1; Revelation 19:3-4; Revelation 19:6. They will reverberate to the farthest limits of the universe. They will not be inspired by vindictiveness or revenge, but will be jubilant with the conviction that God has vindicated Himself and has proved that right can conquer wrong; truth, falsehood; and love, hate. One of our chief anticipations when we think of the future, is that God's character and government of the universe will be amply vindicated.
Contemporaneous with the fall of Babylon will be the marriage of the Lamb. Before He assumes, together with His saints, the task of governing the world, the union of supreme love will have been consummated, and the marriage supper will have been filled with guests. Note from Revelation 19:10 that the angels are our fellow-servants. They hail us as comrades on the condition that we never flinch from maintaining the testimony of Jesus. [source]

Chapter Summary: Revelation 19

1  God is praised in heaven for judging the great harlot, and avenging the blood of his saints
7  The marriage of the Lamb
10  The angel will not be worshipped
17  The birds called to the great slaughter

Greek Commentary for Revelation 19:3

A second time [δευτερον]
Adverbial accusative, a heavenly encore. [source]
They say [ειρηκαν]
Perfect active indicative of ειπον — eipon “They have said,” not an “aoristic” perfect for “they say,” but vivid dramatic perfect as in Revelation 5:7 and the form in αν — ̇an instead of ασιν — ̇asin as in Revelation 18:3; Revelation 21:6.Goeth up (αναβαινει — anabainei). Linear present active indicative of αναβαινω — anabainō “keeps on going up,” “a last touch to the description already given (Revelation 18:21.) of Babylon‘s utter collapse” (Swete). The smoke of the city‘s ruin (Revelation 14:11; Revelation 18:8., and Revelation 18:18) instead of incense (Revelation 8:4). Cf. Isaiah 34:9. [source]
Goeth up [αναβαινει]
Linear present active indicative of αναβαινω — anabainō “keeps on going up,” “a last touch to the description already given (Revelation 18:21.) of Babylon‘s utter collapse” (Swete). The smoke of the city‘s ruin (Revelation 14:11; Revelation 18:8., and Revelation 18:18) instead of incense (Revelation 8:4). Cf. Isaiah 34:9. [source]
Her smoke, etc. []
Compare Isaiah 34:10. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Revelation 19:3

Revelation 14:11 The smoke of their torment [ο καπνος του βασανισμου αυτων]
See Revelation 9:5 for βασανισμος — basanismos only there it was a limited penalty, here it is “for ever and ever” See also Revelation 18:9; Revelation 19:3; Revelation 20:10. [source]
Revelation 18:9 And wail over her [και κοπσονται επ αυτην]
Future direct middle of κοπτω — koptō old verb, to beat, to cut, middle to beat oneself (Revelation 1:7). For combination with κλαιω — klaiō as here see Luke 8:52. See Revelation 17:2; Revelation 18:3, Revelation 18:7 for οι πορνευσαντες και στρηνιασαντες — hoi porneusantes kai strēniasantes).When they look upon (οταν βλεπωσιν — hotan blepōsin). Indefinite temporal clause with οταν — hotan and the present active subjunctive of βλεπω — blepō smoke of her burning (τον καπνον της πυρωσεως αυτης — ton kapnon tēs purōseōs autēs). Πυρωσις — Purōsis is an old word (from πυροω — puroō to burn), in N.T. only 1 Peter 4:12; Revelation 18:9, Revelation 18:18. See Revelation 18:8 for other plagues on Rome, but fire seems to be the worst (Revelation 17:16; Revelation 18:8, Revelation 18:9, Revelation 18:17; Revelation 19:3). [source]
Revelation 18:9 When they look upon [οταν βλεπωσιν]
Indefinite temporal clause with οταν — hotan and the present active subjunctive of βλεπω — blepō smoke of her burning Πυρωσις — Purōsis is an old word (from πυροω — puroō to burn), in N.T. only 1 Peter 4:12; Revelation 18:9, Revelation 18:18. See Revelation 18:8 for other plagues on Rome, but fire seems to be the worst (Revelation 17:16; Revelation 18:8, Revelation 18:9, Revelation 18:17; Revelation 19:3). [source]
Revelation 19:1 Saying [λεγοντων]
Present active participle of λεγω — legō genitive plural, though οχλου — ochlou is genitive singular (collective substantive, agreement in sense).Hallelujah (Αλληλουια — Allēlouia). Transliteration of the Hebrew seen often in the Psalms (lxx) and in 3 Macc. 7:13, in N.T. only in Revelation 19:1, Revelation 19:3, Revelation 19:4, Revelation 19:6. It means, “Praise ye the Lord.” Fifteen of the Psalms begin or end with this word. The Great Hallel (a title for Psalm 104-109) is sung chiefly at the feasts of the passover and tabernacles. This psalm of praise uses language already in Revelation 12:10. [source]
Revelation 19:1 Hallelujah [Αλληλουια]
Transliteration of the Hebrew seen often in the Psalms (lxx) and in 3 Macc. 7:13, in N.T. only in Revelation 19:1, Revelation 19:3, Revelation 19:4, Revelation 19:6. It means, “Praise ye the Lord.” Fifteen of the Psalms begin or end with this word. The Great Hallel (a title for Psalm 104-109) is sung chiefly at the feasts of the passover and tabernacles. This psalm of praise uses language already in Revelation 12:10. [source]
Revelation 5:8 He had taken [ελαβεν]
Here John drops back to the narrative tense (the second aorist active indicative of λαμβανω — lambanō), not the past perfect as the English rendering might indicate, merely “when he took.” For like vivid variation (not confusion) of tenses with ειληπεν — eilēphen see Revelation 3:3; Revelation 8:5; Revelation 11:17 and with ειρηκα — eirēka in Revelation 7:13.; Revelation 19:3. [source]
Revelation 8:4 The smoke [ο καπνος]
Old word, in N.T. only Acts 2:19; Revelation 8:4; Revelation 9:2., Revelation 9:17.; Revelation 14:11; Revelation 15:8; Revelation 18:9, Revelation 18:18; Revelation 19:3. Here from the incense in the angel‘s hand. [source]

What do the individual words in Revelation 19:3 mean?

And a second time they said Hallelujah the smoke of her goes up to the ages of the ages
Καὶ δεύτερον εἴρηκαν Ἁλληλουϊά καπνὸς αὐτῆς ἀναβαίνει εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων

δεύτερον  a  second  time 
Parse: Adverb
Root: δεύτερον 
Sense: the second, the other of two.
εἴρηκαν  they  said 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to utter, speak, say.
Ἁλληλουϊά  Hallelujah 
Parse: Hebrew Word
Root: ἁλληλουϊά  
Sense: praise ye the Lord, Hallelujah.
καπνὸς  smoke 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: καπνός  
Sense: smoke.
αὐτῆς  of  her 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
ἀναβαίνει  goes  up 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀναβαίνω  
Sense: ascend.
αἰῶνας  ages 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: αἰών  
Sense: for ever, an unbroken age, perpetuity of time, eternity.
τῶν  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
αἰώνων  ages 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: αἰών  
Sense: for ever, an unbroken age, perpetuity of time, eternity.