1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” 5 says the Lord God – the one who is, and who was, and who is still to come – the All-Powerful! 6
2:8 “To 7 the angel of the church in Smyrna write the following: 8
“This is the solemn pronouncement of 9 the one who is the first and the last, the one who was dead, but 10 came to life:
4:9 And whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, 11 and thanks to the one who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever,
8:8 Then 12 the second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain of burning fire was thrown into the sea. A 13 third of the sea became blood,
13:11 Then 19 I saw another beast 20 coming up from the earth. He 21 had two horns like a lamb, 22 but 23 was speaking like a dragon.
16:4 Then 24 the third angel 25 poured out his bowl on the rivers and the springs of water, and they turned into blood.
18:20 (Rejoice over her, O heaven,
and you saints and apostles and prophets,
for God has pronounced judgment 32 against her on your behalf!) 33
19:7 Let us rejoice 35 and exult
and give him glory,
because the wedding celebration of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.
21:15 The angel 37 who spoke to me had a golden measuring rod with which to measure the city and its foundation stones and wall.
1 tn The verb ποιέω (poiew) can indicate appointment or assignment rather than simply “make” or “do.” See Mark 3:14 (L&N 37.106).
2 tn See BDAG 168 s.v. βασιλεία 1.a for the idea of “he made us a kingdom,” which was translated as “he appointed us (to be or function) as a kingdom” (see the note on the word “appointed” earlier in the verse).
3 tn Grk “a kingdom, priests.” The term ἱερεῖς (Jiereis) is either in apposition to βασιλείαν (basileian) or as a second complement to the object “us” (ἡμᾶς, Jhmas). The translation retains this ambiguity.
4 tc Both the longer reading τῶν αἰώνων (twn aiwnwn, “to the ages of the ages” or, more idiomatically, “for ever and ever”; found in א C Ï) and the shorter (“for ever”; found in Ì18 A P 2050 pc bo) have good ms support. The author uses the longer expression (εἰς [τοὺς] αἰῶνας [τῶν] αἰώνων, ei" [tou"] aiwna" [twn] aiwnwn) in every other instance of αἰών in Revelation, twelve passages in all (1:18; 4:9, 10; 5:13; 7:12; 10:6; 11:15; 14:11; 15:7; 19:3; 20:10; 22:5). Thus, on the one hand, the style of the author is consistent, while on the other hand, the scribes may have been familiar with such a stylistic feature, causing them to add the words here. The issues are more complex than can be presented here; the longer reading, however, is probably original (the shorter reading arising from accidental omission of the genitive phrase due to similarity with the preceding words).
5 tc The shorter reading “Omega” (ὦ, w) has superior ms evidence ({א1 A C 1611}) to the longer reading which includes “the beginning and the end” (ἀρχὴ καὶ τέλος or ἡ ἀρχὴ καὶ τὸ τέλος, arch kai telo" or Jh arch kai to telo"), found in א*,2 1854 2050 2329 2351 ÏA lat bo. There is little reason why a scribe would have deleted the words, but their clarifying value and the fact that they harmonize with 21:6 indicate that they are a secondary addition to the text.
6 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.”
9 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated due to differences between Greek and English style.
10 tn The phrase “the following” after “write” is supplied to clarify that what follows is the content of what is to be written.
11 tn Grk “These things says [the One]…” See the note on the phrase “this is the solemn pronouncement of” in 2:1.
12 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present between these two phrases.
13 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.
17 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
18 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
21 tn In the Greek text there is a shift to the present tense here; the previous verbs translated “had” are imperfects.
22 tn See BDAG 352 s.v. ἐξουσία 2, “potential or resource to command, control, or govern, capability, might, power.”
25 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
26 tn The Greek word πλατεῖα (plateia) refers to a major (broad) street (L&N 1.103).
27 tn Grk “spiritually.”
29 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
30 sn This second beast is identified in Rev 16:13 as “the false prophet.”
31 tn Grk “and it had,” a continuation of the preceding sentence. On the use of the pronoun “he” to refer to the second beast, see the note on the word “It” in 13:1.
32 tn Or perhaps, “like a ram.” Here L&N 4.25 states, “In the one context in the NT, namely, Re 13:11, in which ἀρνίον refers literally to a sheep, it is used in a phrase referring to the horns of an ἀρνίον. In such a context the reference is undoubtedly to a ‘ram,’ that is to say, the adult male of sheep.” In spite of this most translations render the word “lamb” here to maintain the connection between this false lamb and the true Lamb of the Book of Revelation, Jesus Christ.
33 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
33 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
34 tn Grk “the third”; the referent (the third angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
37 tn Grk “pains” (the same term in Greek [πόνος, ponos] as the last word in v. 11, here translated “sufferings” because it is plural). BDAG 852 s.v. 2 states, “ἐκ τοῦ π. in pain…Rv 16:10; pl. (Gen 41:51; Jos., C. Ap. 2, 146; Test. Jud. 18:4) ἐκ τῶν π. …because of their sufferings vs. 11.”
38 tn Or “ulcerated sores” (see 16:2).
39 tn Grk “and they did not repent.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but nevertheless” to express the contrast here.
40 tn Grk “they did not repent” The addition of “still refused” reflects the hardness of people’s hearts in the context.
41 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
42 sn According to the next verse, these three unclean spirits are spirits of demons.
45 tn On the phrase “pronounced judgment” BDAG 567 s.v. κρίμα 4.b states, “The OT is the source of the expr. κρίνειν τὸ κρ. (cp. Zech 7:9; 8:16; Ezk 44:24) ἔκρινεν ὁ θεὸς τὸ κρίμα ὑμῶν ἐξ αὐτῆς God has pronounced judgment for you against her or God has pronounced on her the judgment she wished to impose on you (HHoltzmann, Hdb. 1893 ad loc.) Rv 18:20.”
46 tn Grk “God has judged a judgment of you of her.” Verse 20 is set in parentheses because in it the saints, etc. are addressed directly in the second person.
49 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.”
53 tn This verb and the next two verbs are hortatory subjunctives (giving exhortations).
57 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
61 tn Grk “the one”; the referent (the angel of v. 9) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
65 tn Grk “must do evil still.”
66 tn For this translation see L&N 88.258; the term refers to living in moral filth.
67 tn Grk “filthy, and the.” This is a continuation of the previous sentence in Greek, but because of the length and complexity of the construction a new sentence was started in the translation.