Text -- Revelation 12:1-12 (NET)

The Woman, the Child, and the Dragon

12:1 Then a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and with the moon under her feet, and on her head was a crown of twelve stars. 12:2 She was pregnant and was screaming in labor pains, struggling to give birth. 12:3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: a huge red dragon that had seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadem crowns. 12:4 Now the dragon’s tail swept away a third of the stars in heaven and hurled them to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child as soon as it was born. 12:5 So the woman gave birth to a son, a male child, who is going to rule over all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was suddenly caught up to God and to his throne, 12:6 and she fled into the wilderness where a place had been prepared for her by God, so she could be taken care of for 1,260 days.

War in Heaven

12:7 Then war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 12:8 But the dragon was not strong enough to prevail, so there was no longer any place left in heaven for him and his angels. 12:9 So that huge dragon– the ancient serpent, the one called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world– was thrown down to the earth, and his angels along with him. 12:10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, “The salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the ruling authority of his Christ, have now come, because the accuser of our brothers and sisters, the one who accuses them day and night before our God, has been thrown down. 12:11 But they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die. 12:12 Therefore you heavens rejoice, and all who reside in them! But woe to the earth and the sea because the devil has come down to you! He is filled with terrible anger, for he knows that he only has a little time!”

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Rev 12:1

¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

² sn Sun…moon…stars. This imagery is frequently identified with the nation Israel because of Joseph’s dream in Gen 37.

NET Notes: Rev 12:2

¹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

² tn Grk “and being tortured,” though βασανίζω (basanizw) in this context refers to birth pangs. BDAG 168 s.v. 2.b states, “Of birth-pangs (Anth. Pal. 9, 311 βάσανος has this mng.) Rv 12:2.” The καί (kai) has not been translated.

NET Notes: Rev 12:3

¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

² tn For the translation of διάδημα (diadhma) as “diadem crown” see L&N 6.196.

sn Diadem crowns were a type of crown used as a symbol of the highest ruling authority in a given area, and thus often associated with kingship.

NET Notes: Rev 12:4

¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate that this remark is virtually parenthetical.

² tn Grk “its”; the referent (the dragon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

NET Notes: Rev 12:5

¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the conclusion of the anticipated birth.

² tn On this term BDAG 135 s.v. ἄρσην states: “male…The neut. ἄρσεν Rv 12:5, difft. vs. 13, comes fr. Is 66:7 and is in apposition to υἱόν. On the juxtaposition s. FBoll, ZNW 15, 1914, 253; BOlsson, Glotta 23, ’34, 112.”

³ tn Grk “shepherd.”

⁴ tn Or “all the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).

⁵ tn Or “scepter.” The Greek term ῥάβδος (rJabdo") can mean either “rod” or “scepter.”

sn An allusion to Ps 2:9 (see also Rev 2:27; 19:15).

⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

NET Notes: Rev 12:6

¹ tn Grk “and the woman,” which would be somewhat redundant in English.

² tn Or “desert.”

³ tn Grk “where she has there a place prepared by God.”

⁴ tn Grk “so they can take care of her.”

NET Notes: Rev 12:7

¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

² sn The archangel Michael had a special role in protecting the nation of Israel in the OT (Dan 10:13, 21; 12:1; see also Jude 9).

NET Notes: Rev 12:8

¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the implied contrast.

² tn The words “to prevail” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

³ tn Grk “found.”

⁴ tn Grk “for them”; the referent (the dragon and his angels, v. 7) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

NET Notes: Rev 12:9

¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the result of the war in heaven.

NET Notes: Rev 12:10

¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

² tn Or “the right of his Messiah to rule.” See L&N 37.35.

³ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

⁴ tn Grk “brothers,” but the Greek word may be used for “brothers and sisters” or “fellow Christians” (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 1, where considerable nonbiblical evidence for the plural ἀδελφοί [adelfoi] meaning “brothers and sisters” is cited). The translation “fellow believer” would normally apply (L&N 11.23), but since the speaker(s) are not specified in this context, it is not clear if such a translation would be appropriate here. The more generic “brothers and sisters” was chosen to emphasize the fact of a relationship without specifying its type.

⁵ tn Or “who accuses them continually.”

NET Notes: Rev 12:11

¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast.

² sn They did not love their lives. See Matt 16:25; Luke 17:33; John 12:25.

NET Notes: Rev 12:12

¹ tn The word “But” is not in the Greek text, but the contrast is clearly implied. This is a case of asyndeton (lack of a connective).

² tn Grk “and is filled,” a continuation of the previous sentence. Because English tends to use shorter sentences (especially when exclamations are involved), a new sentence was started here in the translation.