Was arrayed in purple and scarlet: these are purple and scarlet clothes, or robes that she was wearing. The cloth used to make such robes was expensive and was a mark of luxury or of royalty. One may also say “The woman wore purple and scarlet (or, red) clothes.”

Bedecked: this little-used English verb means “adorned” (so New Revised Standard Version). The Greek text uses a verb and its related noun “gilded with gold….” Something like “adorned” or “was wearing” makes for a more natural translation. In certain languages it will be necessary to say “her body and clothes were adorned” or “she had adorned (or, bedecked) her body with….”

Gold and jewels and pearls: the gold is gold ornaments, while jewels may be translated “precious stones.” In cultures where pearls are unknown, translators may use expressions such as “expensive beads named ‘pearls.’ ” However, the focus in this context is on bodily adornments in general, not on any particular type of jewelry. Therefore it is recommended that translators in such cultures combine jewels and pearls and say, for example, “expensive stones (or, beads) of many kinds.”

In her hand a golden cup: in 14.10 John speaks of the cup that is filled with the wine of God’s wrath; the prostitute’s gold cup is filled with the wine of her sexual immorality. Like the Old Testament prophets, John speaks of idolatry as sexual immorality and describes nations that try to lead God’s people into idolatry as fornicators and whores. If it is necessary to specify which hand held the cup, it is recommended that “right hand” be said.

Full of abominations and the impurities of her fornication: this may be difficult to translate literally. The word translated abominations is used also in 17.5 and 21.27 (and see Luke 16.15). It means detestable things, odious, revolting, disgusting, obscene (Revised English Bible “obscenities”). If the metaphor will be difficult to understand, a simile can be used: “full of the wine that represents her obscene (or, disgusting) actions and her filthy sexual practices.”

Alternative translation models for this verse are:

• The woman was wearing purple and scarlet clothes. She had adorned her body with gold ornaments, precious stones, and expensive beads named “pearls.” In her right hand she held a golden cup full of the wine that represents her disgusting actions and filthy sexual practices.

Or:

• … She had adorned her body with gold ornaments and expensive stones (or, beads) of all kinds….

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Revelation to John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .