Revelation 8:3-5
Context8:3 Another 1 angel holding 2 a golden censer 3 came and was stationed 4 at the altar. A 5 large amount of incense was given to him to offer up, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar that is before the throne. 8:4 The 6 smoke coming from the incense, 7 along with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. 8:5 Then 8 the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it on the earth, and there were crashes of thunder, roaring, 9 flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.
[8:3] 1 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[8:3] 3 sn A golden censer was a bowl in which incense was burned. The imagery suggests the OT role of the priest.
[8:3] 4 tn The verb “to station” was used to translate ἑστάθη (Jestaqh) because it connotes the idea of purposeful arrangement in English, which seems to be the idea in the Greek.
[8:3] 5 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[8:4] 6 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[8:4] 7 tn The expression τῶν θυμιαμάτων (twn qumiamatwn) is taken as a “genitive of producer,” i.e., the noun in the genitive produces the head noun.
[8:5] 8 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
[8:5] 9 tn Or “sounds,” “voices.” It is not entirely clear what this refers to. BDAG 1071 s.v. φωνή 1 states, “In Rv we have ἀστραπαὶ καὶ φωναὶ καὶ βρονταί (cp. Ex 19:16) 4:5; 8:5; 11:19; 16:18 (are certain other sounds in nature thought of here in addition to thunder, as e.g. the roar of the storm?…).”