Who committed fornication … with her: see Rev. 18.3; for were wanton with her see Rev. 18.7. One may also say “who committed evil sexual practices with her and indulged their lust (or, sexual passion).”

Will weep and wail over her: for these two verbs see 5.4, 5 and 1.7. It may be better to restructure the verse and translate “When the kings … see the city being consumed by flames, they will cry and weep over her.” The phrase the smoke of her burning indicates that Babylon is being destroyed by fire, and the smoke that rises from the burning city is visible a long way off. Another way of expressing this phrase is “the smoke from the fire that is burning Babylon up.”

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 .