Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great (epesen, epesen Babulwn h megalh). The very words of Revelation 14:8: "Did fall, did fall Babylon the great." Prophetic aorists of piptw repeated like a solemn dirge of the damned.
Is become (egeneto). Prophetic aorist middle.
A habitation of devils (katoikhthrion). Late word (from katoikew, to dwell), in N.T. only here and Ephesians 2:22. Devils should be demons, of course. So Isaiah prophesied of Babylon ( 12:21 f.) and also Jeremiah (Jeremiah 50:39) and Zephaniah of Nineveh (Zephaniah 2:14). Both Babylon and Nineveh are ruins.
A hold of every unclean spirit (fulakh pantov pneumatov akaqartou). Fulakh is garrison or watch-tower as in Habakkuk 2:1, rather than a prison (Revelation 20:7).
A hold of every unclean and hateful bird (fulakh pantov orneou akaqartou kai memishmenou). Orneou is old word for bird, in N.T. only Revelation 18:2; Revelation 19:17, Revelation 19:21. "The evil spirits, watching over fallen Rome like night-birds or harpies that wait for their prey, build their eyries in the broken towers which rise from the ashes of the city" (Swete). Long ago true of Babylon and Nineveh, some day to be true of Rome.
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing Revelation 18:2:
Ephesians 2:22
Revelation 5:2
Revelation 11:8
Revelation 14:8
Revelation 18:2
Revelation 19:17
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