Psalms 87:7

87:7 As for the singers, as well as the pipers –

all of them sing within your walls. ¹ 

Psalms 150:3-5

150:3 Praise him with the blast of the horn!

Praise him with the lyre and the harp!

150:4 Praise him with the tambourine and with dancing!

Praise him with stringed instruments and the flute!

150:5 Praise him with loud cymbals!

Praise him with clanging cymbals!

Revelation 14:2-3

14:2 I also heard a sound ²  coming out of heaven like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. Now ³  the sound I heard was like that made by harpists playing their harps, 14:3 and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No ⁴  one was able to learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been redeemed from the earth.

Revelation 15:2-3

15:2 Then ⁵  I saw something like a sea of glass ⁶  mixed with fire, and those who had conquered ⁷  the beast and his image and the number of his name. They were standing ⁸  by ⁹  the sea of glass, holding harps given to them by God. ¹⁰  15:3 They ¹¹  sang the song of Moses the servant ¹²  of God and the song of the Lamb: ¹³ 

“Great and astounding are your deeds,

Lord God, the All-Powerful! ¹⁴ 

Just ¹⁵  and true are your ways,

King over the nations! ¹⁶ 

¹ tc Heb “and singers, like pipers, all my springs [are] in you.” The participial form חֹלְלִים (kholÿlim) appears to be from a denominative verb meaning “play the pipe,” though some derive the form from חוּל (khul, “dance”). In this case the duplicated lamed (ל) requires an emendation to מְחֹלְלִים (mÿkholÿlim, “a Polel form). The words are addressed to Zion. As it stands, the Hebrew text makes little, if any, sense. “Springs” are often taken here as a symbol of divine blessing and life”), but this reading does not relate to the preceding line in any apparent way. The present translation assumes an emendation of כָּל־מַעְיָנַי (kol-ma’yanay, “all my springs”) to כֻּלָּם עָנוּ (kullam ’anu, “all of them sing,” with the form עָנוּ being derived from עָנָה, ’anah, “sing”).

² tn Or “a voice” (cf. Rev 1:15), but since in this context nothing is mentioned as the content of the voice, it is preferable to translate φωνή (fwnh) as “sound” here.

³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the introduction of a new topic.

⁴ tn Grk “elders, and no one.” This is a continuation of the previous sentence in the Greek text, but because of the length and complexity of the sentence a new sentence was started here in the translation.

⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

⁶ sn See Rev 4:6 where the sea of glass was mentioned previously.

⁷ tn Or “had been victorious over”; traditionally, “had overcome.”

⁸ tn Grk “of his name, standing.” A new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the words “They were.”

⁹ tn Or “on.” The preposition ἐπί (epi) with the accusative case could mean “on, at, by, near”; given the nature of this scene appearing in a vision, it is difficult to know precisely which the author of Revelation intended. See BDAG 363 s.v. ἐπί 1.c.γ, “At, by, near someone or someth.”

¹⁰ tn Grk “harps of God.” The phrase τοῦ θεοῦ (tou qeou) has been translated as a genitive of agency.

¹¹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

¹² tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.

¹³ tn Grk “saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

¹⁴ tn On this word BDAG 755 s.v. παντοκράτωρ states, “the Almighty, All-Powerful, Omnipotent (One) only of God…(ὁ) κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ π. …Rv 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7; 21:22.”

¹⁵ tn Or “righteous,” although the context favors justice as the theme.

¹⁶ tc Certain mss (Ì⁴⁷ א*^,2 C 1006 1611 1841 pc) read “ages” (αἰώνων, aiwnwn) instead of “nations” (ἐθνῶν, eqnwn), which itself is supported by several mss (א¹ A 051 Ï). The ms evidence seems to be fairly balanced, though αἰώνων has somewhat better support. The replacement of “ages” with “nations” is possibly a scribal attempt to harmonize this verse with the use of “nations” in the following verse. On the other hand, the idea of “nations” fits well with v. 4 and it may be that “ages” is a scribal attempt to assimilate this text to 1 Tim 1:17: “the king of the ages” (βασιλεὺς τῶν αἰώνων, basileu" twn aiwnwn). The decision is a difficult one since both scenarios deal well with the evidence, though the verbal parallel with 1 Tim 1:17 is exact while the parallel with v. 4 is not. The term “king” occurs 17 other times (most occurrences refer to earthly kings) in Revelation and it is not used with either “ages” or “nations” apart from this verse. Probably the reading “nations” should be considered original due to the influence of 1 Tim 1:17.