New American Standard Bible 1995

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Revelation

16

:

19

The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath.

Lexicon

Verse part Definition: Part of speech: Strong's: Greek: Transliteration:
The great great Adj-NFS H3173 μεγάλη megalē
city a city N-NFP H4172 πόλις polis
was split to come into being, to happen, to become V-AIM-3S H1096 ἐγένετο egeneto
into three three Adj-ANP H5140 τρία tria
Analysis:

Three: Purposes of God in: Testing, revealing, proving, documenting, victory and if applied to God, holiness

The number "three" is one of the most significant numbers in the Scriptures. Its primary purpose is for the sake of revealing or documenting something as fact (testing to validate something). It is also connected to the outcome of the will of God. One of the most famous occurrences for the number three is found in the book of Jonah, where Jonah is in the belly of the fish "three days and three nights."  A major aspect of the book of Jonah is that the prophet was fleeing from the presence of HaShem. Instead of Jonah going to Nineveh as God had commanded, the prophet desired not to obey this commandment, even if it meant that his relationship with God would be destroyed. HaShem decided to test to see if Jonah preferred to end his relationship with God rather than go to Nineveh. By placing Jonah in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights, it would be revealed whether it was true that Jonah wanted to end his relationship with God over this commandment to go to Nineveh. It is most significant that immediately after (in the next verse) the reader is informed that Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights.  What does Jonah do? The text states that Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from within the fish. Hence, the three days and three nights ultimately revealed, proved, or documented that what Jonah said he wanted was not true. One could also say that Jonah was tested for those three days and three nights and the test results showed that he did not want to end his relationship with God and in the end Jonah went to Nineveh.

In a similar manner, Peter rejects Yeshua's statement that he will deny Him. Therefore, Yeshua says to Peter that he will deny Him three times. These three denials prove, document, and reveal to the reader that Yeshua's statement was factual. It is not a coincidence that when Yeshua reinstated Peter after the resurrection, He asked him three times, "do you love Me?” In this context, Yeshua was testing the validity of Peter's statement. 

Yeshua also revealed that He, in a similar manner to Jonah being in the belly of the fish three days and three nights, would be in the belly of the earth three days and three nights and then rise from the dead. In this passage, the number three not only documents the fact that He died, but also the resurrection. It is also very significant that Yeshua rose on the third day.

The number three also relates to victory, as in the completion of God's purposes and plans. In the book of Genesis, one reads about the offering of Isaac. This passage has great theological significance and is one of the first passages which is read in the morning synagogue service each day. This section begins with HaShem commanding Abraham to offer his son as a burnt offering on one of the mountains in the land of Moriah. The climax of this portion of Scripture comes about on the third day. It was on the third day that HaShem provided the ram so that Isaac would live. In this passage, Isaac represents the promise (of God) which would have died (ended) had not HaShem acted. There is not a conflict between the two concepts for the number three of victory (the fulfillment of God’s will) and revelation or documentation. Often, it is the climax of what HaShem wants to do, which is simply being revealed or proved with the use of the number three.

Please note that when the number three is applied to God, then it can relate to holiness; whereas the number seven relates to holiness when this number is about man (see explanation for the number seven).

Loveisrael.org - Baruch Korman, Ph.D. - All Rights Reserved - Used with Permission 2016

parts, a part, share, portion N-ANP H3313 μέρη merē
and the cities a city N-NFP H4172 πόλεις poleis
of the nations a race, a nation, pl. the nations (as distinct from Isr.) N-GNP H1484 ἔθνων ethnōn
fell. to fall V-AIA-3P H4098 ἔπεσαν epesan
Babylon "gate of god(s)," Babylon, a large city situated astride the Euphrates river N-NFS H897 βαβυλὼν babulōn
Analysis:
Read more about: Babylon
the great great Adj-NFS H3173 μεγάλη megalē
was remembered to remind, remember V-AIP-3S H3403    
before in sight of, before Prep H1799 ἐνώπιον enōpion
God, God, a god N-GMS H2316 θεοῦ theou
to give to give (in various senses lit. or fig.) V-ANA H1325 δοῦναι dounai
her the cup a wine cup N-ANS H4221 ποτήριον potērion
of the wine wine N-GMS H3631 οἴνου oinou
of His fierce passion N-GMS H2372 θυμοῦ thumou
wrath. impulse, wrath N-GFS H3709 ὀργῆς orgēs

Locations

Babylon

BABEL, BABYLON (1)ba'-bel, bab'-i-lon (Topographical): Babylon was the Greek name of the city written in the cuneiform script of the Babylonians, bab-ili, which means in Semitic, "the gate of god." The Hebrews called the country, as well as the city, Babhel. This name they considered came from the' root, balal, "to confound" (Genesis 11:9). The name in Sumer... View Details

Parallel Verses

Removed text
Added text
New American Standard Bible 1995 The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath.
King James Bible The And the great city was split divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. fell: and great Babylon the great was remembered came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of His fierce the fierceness of his wrath.
Berean Bible The and the great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. fell, and Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fury of His fierce wrath.
Hebrew Greek English The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath.