3.17.7 - Revelation 17:7

I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast
The angel provides revelation concerning aspects of the woman (Rev. +) and the beast with the seven heads and ten horns (Rev. +, +). The remainder of the chapter is devoted to these two topics.

carries her
Carries is βαστάζοντος [bastazontos] , indicating that the beast supports or bears her, used “[O]f animals used for riding,”¹ but also used figuratively: “Of anything burdensome or difficult bear, endure, put up with (Mtt. ).”² Although the Beast carries her for a season, ultimately he and his ten kings turn upon her and consume her (Rev. +) bringing about God’s judgment upon her. Perhaps her ride upon the Beast is eventually seen to be too burdensome so he throws her off. She may ultimately prove to be a liability and a competition in his eventual bid for all attention and worship (2Th. ).

seven heads and ten horns
See commentary on Revelation 17:3.

Notes

¹ Frederick William Danker, and Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 137.

² Timothy Friberg, Barbara Friberg, and Neva F. Miller, Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2000), 89.