897. Babulón
Lexical Summary
Babulón: Babylon

Original Word: Βαβυλών
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: Babulón
Pronunciation: bah-boo-LOHN
Phonetic Spelling: (bab-oo-lone')
KJV: Babylon
NASB: Babylon
Word Origin: [of Hebrew origin (H894 (בָּבֶל - Babylon))]

1. Babylon, the capitol of Chaldaea
{literally or figuratively (as a type of tyranny)}

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Babylon.

Of Hebrew origin (Babel); Babylon, the capitol of Chaldaea (literally or figuratively (as a type of tyranny)) -- Babylon.

see HEBREW Babel

HELPS Word-studies

897 BabylṓnBabylon, the wicked, godless city in ancient Mesopotamia, was the most powerful city in the world in OT times (especially from 605 bc to 539 bc). Literal Babylon is referred to in Mt 1:11,12 and Ac 7:19.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
of Akk. origin, cf. Babel
Definition
"gate of god(s)," Babylon, a large city situated astride the Euphrates river
NASB Translation
Babylon (12).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 897: Βαβυλών

Βαβυλών, Βαβυλῶνος, (Hebrew בָּבֶל from בָּלַל to confound, according to Genesis 11:9; cf. Aeschylus Pers. 52 Βαβυλών δ' πολύχρυσος παμμικτον ὄχλον πέμπει σύρδην. But more correctly, as it seems, from בַּל בָּאב the gate i. e. the court or city of Belus (Assyr.Bab-Il the Gate of God; (perhaps of Il, the supreme God); cf. Schrader, Keilinschr. u. d. Alt. Test. 2te Aufl., p. 127f; Oppert in the Zeitsch. d. Deutsch. Morg. Gesellschaft, viii., p. 595)), Babylon, formerly a very celebrated and large city, the residence of the Babylonian kings, situated on both banks of the Euphrates. Cyrus had formerly captured it, but Darius Hystaspis threw down its gates and walls, and Xerxes destroyed (?) the temple of Belus. At length the city was reduced almost to a solitude, the population having been drawn off by the neighboring Seleucia, built on the Tigris by Seleucus Nicanor. (Cf. Prof. Rawlinson in B. D. under the word and his Herodotus, vol. i. Essays vi. and viii., vol. ii. Essay iv.) The name is used in the N. T.

1. of the city itself: Acts 7:43; 1 Peter 5:13 (where some have understood Babylon, a small town in Egypt, to be referred to; but in opposition cf. Mayerhoff, Einl. in die petrin. Schriften, p. 126ff; (cf. 3 at the end below)).

2. of the territory, Babylonia: Matthew 1:11f, 17; (often so in Greek writings).

3. allegorically, of Rome as the most corrupt seat of idolatry and the enemy of Christianity: Revelation 14:8 (here Rec.elz Βαβουλων); (in the opinion of some 1 Peter 5:13 also; (cf. 1 at the end, above)).

Topical Lexicon
Historical Background

Babylon first enters the biblical narrative as the plain of Shinar where human pride expressed itself in the tower of Babel (Genesis 11). In the eighth to sixth centuries BC it became the imperial power that carried Judah into exile, a watershed event through which God disciplined His covenant people while preserving a faithful remnant (Jeremiah 25; 2 Kings 24–25). The prophets repeatedly announced Babylon’s own downfall (Isaiah 13–14; Jeremiah 50–51), establishing the city as the archetype of human rebellion destined for divine judgment. This back-story shapes every New Testament occurrence of Βαβυλών (Babylon).

Occurrences in the New Testament

Matthew 1:11–17 (fivefold): marks the deportation to Babylon as the central hinge of Jesus’ genealogy, dividing Israel’s account into three periods of fourteen generations each.
Acts 7:43: Stephen recalls Israel’s idolatry and quotes Amos, “I will send you into exile beyond Babylon,” underscoring that captivity was the consequence of covenant unfaithfulness.
1 Peter 5:13: “The church in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings.” Whether Peter wrote from literal Mesopotamian Babylon or, as many believe, used “Babylon” as a coded reference to Rome, the term functions as a reminder that believers live as sojourners amid an ungodly empire.
Revelation 14:8; 16:19; 17:5; 18:2, 10, 21: John’s visions repeatedly announce the collapse of “Babylon the great,” a worldwide system opposed to God and characterized by idolatry, immorality, violence and economic oppression.

Babylon and the Genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:11–17)

Matthew highlights the exile “to Babylon” as the darkest moment in Israel’s history, then traces the line forward to the birth of Christ. By doing so he proclaims that the Messiah arrives precisely where human power, exemplified by Babylon, had seemed to triumph. The mention of Babylon, therefore, magnifies God’s faithfulness to His covenant promises in the face of judgment.

Babylon in Stephen’s Speech (Acts 7:43)

Stephen warns the Sanhedrin that persistent idolatry invites exile. Citing Amos, he places Babylon in continuity with Israel’s sin of heart-level rebellion. His argument establishes that physical proximity to the temple is meaningless without repentance and faith, a truth that continues to speak to every generation of believers.

“The Church in Babylon” (1 Peter 5:13)

Peter writes to scattered believers in Asia Minor who suffer hostility for their allegiance to Christ. By identifying his location as “Babylon” he underscores both the reality of their exile and the certainty of God’s triumph. If “Babylon” is Rome, Peter affirms that the very heart of worldly power cannot silence the gospel. If the term is literal, it demonstrates the geographic spread of the church even into historic centers of paganism. In either case the greeting assures Christians that they are part of a global fellowship sustained by grace.

Apocalyptic Babylon (Revelation 14–18)

1. Moral corruption: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, who has made all the nations drink the wine of the passion of her immorality” (Revelation 14:8).
2. Worldwide influence: the harlot sits on “many waters” (Revelation 17:1), interpreted as “peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues” (17:15).
3. Alliance with political power: kings and merchants grow rich through her, showing the entanglement of economic and governmental systems in rebellion against God (18:3).
4. Sudden judgment: “In one hour your judgment has come” (18:10). A mighty angel dramatizes her end by casting a millstone into the sea: “So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will never be found again” (18:21).
5. Call to separation: “Come out of her, My people, so that you will not share in her sins or contract any of her plagues” (18:4), echoing Jeremiah’s plea to the exiles.

Theological Themes

• Sovereignty: Babylon rises and falls by God’s decree, demonstrating that even the most formidable powers serve His redemptive purposes.
• Judgment and Mercy: While Babylon is judged, believers are rescued; exile leads to restoration in Christ.
• Pilgrimage: The church lives as “elect exiles” (1 Peter 1:1) within contemporary Babylons, awaiting the New Jerusalem.
• Worship: True worship contrasts with Babylon’s idolatry; Revelation portrays saints singing while Babylon’s merchants weep, exposing the bankruptcy of materialistic devotion.

Pastoral and Ministry Implications

1. Discernment: Christians must recognize Babylon-like patterns—pride, sensuality, commercial greed—in their own cultures and guard their hearts accordingly.
2. Holiness: Revelation’s call to “come out” urges deliberate moral and spiritual separation without withdrawal from mission.
3. Perseverance: Knowing Babylon’s certain collapse strengthens believers to endure persecution, cultural marginalization or material loss.
4. Evangelism: Even residents of symbolic Babylon may yet repent before final judgment; thus the church proclaims the gospel until the end.
5. Hope: The fall of Babylon clears the stage for the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19), assuring believers that every earthly empire is temporary, but Christ’s kingdom is eternal.

Summary

Across the New Testament Βαβυλών functions as a geographical marker, a historical reminder and an eschatological symbol. It testifies that God disciplines, delivers and ultimately triumphs over every manifestation of human pride. For the church today, the motif of Babylon both warns against compromise and inspires steadfast hope in the coming reign of Jesus Christ.

Forms and Transliterations
ΒΑΒΥΛΩΝ Βαβυλὼν Βαβυλωνι Βαβυλῶνι Βαβυλωνος Βαβυλῶνος βαδδίν βαδιείται βάδιζε βαδίζειν βαδίζετε βαδίζον βάδιζον βαδίζοντες βαδίζων βαδιούνται βαδίσαντες βαδίσας βαδίσατε βαδίσης βάδισον βαθέως BABULoN BABULŌN Babuloni Babulōni Babulonos Babulōnos BABYLoN BABYLŌN Babylṑn Babyloni Babylôni Babylōni Babylō̂ni Babylonos Babylônos Babylōnos Babylō̂nos
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Englishman's Concordance
Matthew 1:11 N-GFS
GRK: τῆς μετοικεσίας Βαβυλῶνος
NAS: of the deportation to Babylon.
KJV: they were carried away to Babylon:
INT: of the deportation to Babylon

Matthew 1:12 N-GFS
GRK: τὴν μετοικεσίαν Βαβυλῶνος Ἰεχονίας ἐγέννησεν
NAS: the deportation to Babylon: Jeconiah
KJV: they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias
INT: the deportation to Babylon Jechoniah was father of

Matthew 1:17 N-GFS
GRK: τῆς μετοικεσίας Βαβυλῶνος γενεαὶ δεκατέσσαρες
NAS: to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen
KJV: the carrying away into Babylon [are] fourteen
INT: the deportation to Babylon generations fourteen

Matthew 1:17 N-GFS
GRK: τῆς μετοικεσίας Βαβυλῶνος ἕως τοῦ
NAS: and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah,
KJV: the carrying away into Babylon unto
INT: the deportation to Babylon to the

Acts 7:43 N-GFS
GRK: ὑμᾶς ἐπέκεινα Βαβυλῶνος
NAS: WILL REMOVE YOU BEYOND BABYLON.'
KJV: away beyond Babylon.
INT: you beyond Babylon

1 Peter 5:13 N-DFS
GRK: ἡ ἐν Βαβυλῶνι συνεκλεκτὴ καὶ
NAS: She who is in Babylon, chosen together
KJV: The [church that is] at Babylon, elected together with
INT: she in Babylon elected with [you] and

Revelation 14:8 N-NFS
GRK: Ἔπεσεν ἔπεσεν Βαβυλὼν ἡ μεγάλη
NAS: fallen is Babylon the great,
KJV: saying, Babylon is fallen,
INT: Is fallen is fallen Babylon the great

Revelation 16:19 N-NFS
GRK: ἔπεσαν καὶ Βαβυλὼν ἡ μεγάλη
NAS: fell. Babylon the great
KJV: great Babylon came in remembrance
INT: fell and Babylon the great

Revelation 17:5 N-NFS
GRK: γεγραμμένον μυστήριον ΒΑΒΥΛΩΝ Η ΜΕΓΑΛΗ
NAS: a mystery, BABYLON THE GREAT,
KJV: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT,
INT: written Mystery Babylon the Great

Revelation 18:2 N-NFS
GRK: Ἔπεσεν ἔπεσεν Βαβυλὼν ἡ μεγάλη
NAS: fallen is Babylon the great!
KJV: saying, Babylon the great
INT: Is fallen is fallen Babylon the great

Revelation 18:10 N-NFS
GRK: ἡ μεγάλη Βαβυλὼν ἡ πόλις
NAS: city, Babylon, the strong
KJV: city Babylon, that mighty
INT: great Babylon the city

Revelation 18:21 N-NFS
GRK: ὁρμήματι βληθήσεται Βαβυλὼν ἡ μεγάλη
NAS: So will Babylon, the great
KJV: city Babylon be thrown down,
INT: with violence will be cast down Babylon the great

Strong's Greek 897
12 Occurrences


Βαβυλὼν — 6 Occ.
Βαβυλῶνι — 1 Occ.
Βαβυλῶνος — 5 Occ.

896
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