“You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals
because you were killed, 16
and at the cost of your own blood 17 you have purchased 18 for God
persons 19 from every tribe, language, 20 people, and nation.
7:9 After these things I looked, and here was 21 an enormous crowd that no one could count, made up of persons from every nation, tribe, 22 people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb dressed in long white robes, and with palm branches in their hands.
1 tn Grk “is about to throw some of you,” but the force is causative in context.
2 tn Or “tempted.”
3 tn Or “experience persecution,” “will be in distress” (see L&N 22.2).
4 tn Grk “crown of life,” with the genitive “of life” (τῆς ζωῆς, th" zwh") functioning in apposition to “crown” (στέφανον, stefanon): “the crown that consists of life.”
5 tn Grk “behold” (L&N 91.13).
6 sn See the note on synagogue in 2:9.
7 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “yet” to indicate the contrast between what these people claimed and what they were.
8 tn The verb here is ποιέω (poiew), but in this context it has virtually the same meaning as δίδωμι (didwmi) used at the beginning of the verse. Stylistic variation like this is typical of Johannine literature.
9 tn The verb here is προσκυνήσουσιν (proskunhsousin), normally used to refer to worship.
10 tn Or “and know,” “and recognize.”
9 tn Or “who is victorious”; traditionally, “who overcomes.”
10 tn Grk “I will make him,” but the pronoun (αὐτόν, auton, “him”) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated here.
11 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
12 sn This description of the city of my God is parenthetical, explaining further the previous phrase and interrupting the list of “new names” given here.
13 tn The redundant participle λέγοντες (legontes) has not been translated here.
14 tn Or “slaughtered”; traditionally, “slain.”
15 tn The preposition ἐν (en) is taken to indicate price here, like the Hebrew preposition ב (bet) does at times. BDAG 329 s.v. ἐν 5.b states, “The ἐν which takes the place of the gen. of price is also instrumental ἠγόρασας ἐν τῷ αἵματί σου Rv 5:9 (cp. 1 Ch 21:24 ἀγοράζω ἐν ἀργυρίῳ).”
16 tc The Greek text as it stands above (i.e., the reading τῷ θεῷ [tw qew] alone) is found in codex A. א 2050 2344 Ï sy add the term “us” (ἡμᾶς, Jhmas), either before or after τῷ θεῷ, as an attempt to clarify the object of “purchased” (ἠγόρασας, hgorasa"). A few
17 tn The word “persons” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
18 tn Grk “and language,” but 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 The phrase “and here was” expresses the sense of καὶ ἰδού (kai idou).
18 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated before each of the following categories, since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
21 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the previous question.
22 tn Though the expression “the answer” is not in the Greek text, it is clearly implied. Direct objects in Greek were frequently omitted when clear from the context.
23 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
24 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.
25 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the introduction of the description of the horses and riders, which is somewhat parenthetical in the narrative.
26 tn Grk “and those seated on them.”
27 tn Grk “the vision”; the Greek article has been translated as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).
28 tn L&N 79.31 states, “‘fiery red’ (probably with a tinge of yellow or orange).”
29 tn On this term BDAG 1022 s.v. ὑακίνθινος states, “hyacinth-colored, i.e. dark blue (dark red?) w. πύρινος Rv 9:17.”
30 tn On this term BDAG 446 s.v. θειώδης states, “sulphurous Rv 9:17.”
31 sn The colors of the riders’ breastplates parallel the three plagues of fire, smoke, and sulfur in v. 18.
32 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
33 tn Traditionally, “brimstone.”
29 tn The word “made” is not in the Greek text but is implied.
30 tn The Greek conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here or before the following materials in this list, since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
33 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
34 tn The participle λαλοῦσαν (lalousan) has been translated as “began to speak.” The use of πάλιν (palin) indicates an ingressive idea.
35 tn Grk “with me.” The translation “with me” implies that John was engaged in a dialogue with the one speaking to him (e.g., Jesus or an angel) when in reality it was a one-sided conversation, with John doing all the listening. For this reason, μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ (met’ emou, “with me”) was translated as “to me.”
36 tn Grk “again, saying.” The participle λέγουσαν (legousan) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
37 tn The perfect passive participle ἠνεῳγμένον (hnewgmenon) is in second attributive position and has been translated as an attributive adjective.