Bible Dictionary
DELICACY
Delicacy, in Revelation 18, refers to luxury, wanton living, or extravagant pleasures. Babylon’s merchants became rich through the abundance of such indulgence.
Definition
Delicacy, in the biblical expression, denotes luxury, wanton living, or extravagant pleasure. It describes indulgence rather than a particular food or refined object.
Biblical Usage
Revelation 18:3 says that the merchants of the earth became rich through Babylon’s abundance of delicacies. The Revised Version more precisely renders the word “wantonness,” with “luxury” in the margin.
Historical Background
The underlying term is nearer to wantonness and luxury than to the ordinary modern sense of a delicate item or refined food.
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>del'-i-ka-si (to strenos): Found only in Re 18:3, King James Version: "The merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies." the Revised Version (British and American) has very properly changed delicacies to "wantonness," and "luxury" in the margin, which is much nearer to the original.</p>