4:9 And whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, 15 and thanks to the one who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever,
11:16 Then 19 the twenty-four elders who are seated on their thrones before God threw themselves down with their faces to the ground 20 and worshiped God
16:15 (Look! I will come like a thief!
Blessed is the one who stays alert and does not lose 21 his clothes so that he will not have to walk around naked and his shameful condition 22 be seen.) 23
17:15 Then 24 the angel 25 said to me, “The waters you saw (where the prostitute is seated) are peoples, multitudes, 26 nations, and languages.
1 tn The word “this” is used to translate the Greek article τῆς (ths), bringing out its demonstrative force.
2 tn The word “aloud” has been supplied to indicate that in the original historical setting reading would usually refer to reading out loud in public rather than silently to oneself.
3 tn The words “blessed are” are repeated from the beginning of this verse for stylistic reasons and for clarity.
4 tn Grk “keep.” L&N 36.19 has “to continue to obey orders or commandments – ‘to obey, to keep commandments, obedience.’”
5 sn The time refers to the time when the things prophesied would happen.
6 tn Or “who is victorious”; traditionally, “who overcomes.”
7 tn Grk “keeps.” In a context that speaks of “holding on to what you have,” the idea here is one of continued faithful behavior (BDAG 1002 s.v. τηρέω 3 has “ὁ τηρῶν τὰ ἔργα μου the one who takes my deeds to heart Rv 2:26”).
8 tn Or “over the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).
11 tn The verb ἔμελλον (emellon) is in the imperfect tense.
12 tn The perfect passive participle has been translated as an intensive (resultative) perfect here.
13 tn Or “in the judgment.” BDAG 342 s.v. ἐνώπιον 3 states, “in the opinion/judgment of…As a rule…of θεός or κύριος; so after…πεπληρωμένος Rv 3:2.”
16 tn Grk “a few names”; here ὄνομα (onoma) is used by figurative extension to mean “person” or “people”; according to L&N 9.19 there is “the possible implication of existence or relevance as individuals.”
17 tn Or “soiled” (so NAB, NRSV, NIV); NCV “have kept their clothes unstained”; CEV “have not dirtied your clothes with sin.”
18 tn The word “dressed” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
21 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
26 tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.
31 tn Or “a third of the living creatures in the sea”; Grk “the third of the creatures which were in the sea, the ones having life.”
32 tn On the term translated “completely destroyed,” L&N 20.40 states, “to cause the complete destruction of someone or something – ‘to destroy utterly.’ τὸ τρίτον τῶν πλοίων διεφθάρησαν ‘a third of the ships were completely destroyed’ Re 8:9.”
36 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
37 tn Grk “they fell down on their faces.” BDAG 815 s.v. πίπτω 1.b.α.ב. has “fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion or humility, before high-ranking persons or divine beings.”
41 tn Grk “and keeps.” BDAG 1002 s.v. τηρέω 2.c states “of holding on to someth. so as not to give it up or lose it…τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ Rv 16:15 (or else he will have to go naked).”
42 tn On the translation of ἀσχημοσύνη (aschmosunh) as “shameful condition” see L&N 25.202. The indefinite third person plural (“and they see”) has been translated as a passive here.
43 sn These lines are parenthetical, forming an aside to the narrative. The speaker here is the Lord Jesus Christ himself rather than the narrator. Many interpreters have seen this verse as so abrupt that it could not be an original part of the work, but the author has used such asides before (1:7; 14:13) and the suddenness here (on the eve of Armageddon) is completely parallel to Jesus’ warning in Mark 13:15-16 and parallels.
46 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
47 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
48 tn Grk “and multitudes,” but καί (kai) has not been translated here and before the following term since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
51 tn Grk “creatures fell down.” BDAG 815 s.v. πίπτω 1.b.α.ב. has “fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion or humility, before high-ranking persons or divine beings.”
56 sn This statement appears to be a parenthetical comment by the author.
61 tn Or “the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).
62 tn Or “splendor”; Grk “glory.”