“Alas, alas, for the great city that was clothed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, with jewels, and with pearls!
Here we have, I. A doleful lamentation made by Babylon's friends for her fall; and here observe, 1. Who are the mourners, namely, those who had been bewitched by her fornication, those who had been sharers in her sensual pleasures, and those who had been gainers by her wealth and trade - the kings and the merchants of the earth: the kings of the earth...
Commenting on Revelation 18:9-24
For in one hour so great riches is come to nought,.... That is, in a very short time, expressing the suddenness and speediness of Rome's destruction, the quick dispatch and expedition that will be made in it, by the instruments of it, as in Rev 18:10.
Verse 16. And saying, Alas, alas, etc. . That was clothed in fine linen. In the previous description, (,) these are mentioned as articles of traffic; here the city, under the image of a female is represented as clothed in the most rich and gay of these articles. And purple, and scarlet. . Compare . And decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls. . (a) "clothed in fine linen"