2:27 he 9 will rule 10 them with an iron rod 11
and like clay jars he will break them to pieces, 12
2:28 just as I have received the right to rule 13 from my Father – and I will give him the morning star. 14
“The salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God,
and the ruling authority 31 of his Christ, 32 have now come,
because the accuser of our brothers and sisters, 33
the one who accuses them day and night 34 before our God,
has been thrown down.
12:11 But 35 they overcame him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony,
and they did not love their lives 36 so much that they were afraid to die.
15:2 Then 37 I saw something like a sea of glass 38 mixed with fire, and those who had conquered 39 the beast and his image and the number of his name. They were standing 40 by 41 the sea of glass, holding harps given to them by God. 42
16:1 “I have told you all these things so that you will not fall away. 47
1 tn Or “who is victorious”; traditionally, “who overcomes.”
2 tn Or “who is victorious”; traditionally, “who overcomes.” The pendent dative is allowed to stand in the English translation because it is characteristic of the author’s style in Revelation.
3 tn Or “bright.” The Greek term λευκός (leukos) can refer either to the color white (traditional here) or to an object that is bright or shining, either from itself or from an outside source of illumination (L&N 14.50; 79.27).
4 tn On the interpretation of the stone, L&N 2.27 states, “A number of different suggestions have been made as to the reference of ψῆφος in this context. Some scholars believe that the white ψῆφος indicates a vote of acquittal in court. Others contend that it is simply a magical amulet; still others, a token of Roman hospitality; and finally, some have suggested that it may represent a ticket to the gladiatorial games, that is to say, to martyrdom. The context, however, suggests clearly that this is something to be prized and a type of reward for those who have ‘won the victory.’”
5 tn Or “know”; for the meaning “understand” see L&N 32.4.
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”).
9 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
10 tn Grk “will shepherd.”
11 tn Or “scepter.” The Greek term ῥάβδος (rJabdo") can mean either “rod” or “scepter.”
12 sn A quotation from Ps 2:9 (with the line introducing the quotation containing a partial allusion to Ps 2:8). See also Rev 12:5, 19:15.
13 tn What has been received is not specified in the Greek text, but must be supplied from the context. In the light of the two immediately preceding verses about rulership or dominion, it seems that the implied direct object of δώσω (dwsw) is “the right to rule” (i.e., ἔχειν ἐξουσίαν ποιμάνειν, ecein exousian poimanein), although many modern translations supply the word “authority” here (so NAB, NRSV, NLT).
14 tn On this expression BDAG 892 s.v. πρωϊνός states, “early, belonging to the morning ὁ ἀστὴρ ὁ πρ. the morning star, Venus Rv 2:28; 22:16.”
15 tn Or “who overcomes.”
16 tn Grk “thus.”
17 tn Or “white robes.”
18 tn The negation here is with οὐ μή (ou mh), the strongest possible form of negation in Koine Greek.
19 tn Or “will never wipe out.”
20 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
21 tn Grk “will confess.”
22 tn Or “who is victorious”; traditionally, “who overcomes.”
23 tn Grk “I will make him,” but the pronoun (αὐτόν, auton, “him”) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated here.
24 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
25 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.
26 tn Grk “The one who conquers, to him I will grant.”
27 tn Or “who is victorious”; traditionally, “who overcomes.”
28 tn Grk “I will give [grant] to him.”
29 tn Or “have been victorious”; traditionally, “have overcome.”
30 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
31 tn Or “the right of his Messiah to rule.” See L&N 37.35.
32 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
33 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.
34 tn Or “who accuses them continually.”
35 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast.
36 sn They did not love their lives. See Matt 16:25; Luke 17:33; John 12:25.
37 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
38 sn See Rev 4:6 where the sea of glass was mentioned previously.
39 tn Or “had been victorious over”; traditionally, “had overcome.”
40 tn Grk “of his name, standing.” A new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the words “They were.”
41 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.”
42 tn Grk “harps of God.” The phrase τοῦ θεοῦ (tou qeou) has been translated as a genitive of agency.
43 tn Or “who is victorious”; traditionally, “who overcomes.”
44 tn The one Greek term θλῖψις (qliyis) has been translated by an English hendiadys (two terms that combine for one meaning) “trouble and suffering.” For modern English readers “tribulation” is no longer clearly understandable.
45 tn Or “but be courageous.”
46 tn Or “I am victorious over the world,” or “I have overcome the world.”
47 tn Grk “so that you will not be caused to stumble.”
48 tc The majority of later
49 tn Grk “who had had thirty-eight years in his disability.”