18:22 And the sound of the harpists, musicians,
flute players, and trumpeters
will never be heard in you 5 again.
No 6 craftsman 7 who practices any trade
will ever be found in you again;
the noise of a mill 8 will never be heard in you again.
9:12 The first woe has passed, but 15 two woes are still coming after these things!
21:1 Then 16 I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had ceased to exist, 17 and the sea existed no more.
18:23 Even the light from a lamp
will never shine in you again!
The voices of the bridegroom and his bride
will never be heard in you again.
For your merchants were the tycoons of the world,
because all the nations 23 were deceived by your magic spells! 24
18:21 Then 28 one powerful angel picked up a stone like a huge millstone, threw it into the sea, and said,
“With this kind of sudden violent force 29
Babylon the great city will be thrown down 30
and it will never be found again!
1 tn Grk “must do evil still.”
2 tn For this translation see L&N 88.258; the term refers to living in moral filth.
3 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.
4 tn An allusion to Isa 49:10. The phrase “burning heat” is one word in Greek (καῦμα, kauma) that refers to a burning, intensely-felt heat. See BDAG 536 s.v.
7 tn The shift to a second person pronoun here corresponds to the Greek text.
8 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
9 tn On this term BDAG 1001 s.v. τεχνίτης states, “craftsperson, artisan, designer…Of a silversmith Ac 19:24, 25 v.l., 38….Of a potter 2 Cl 8:2 (metaph., cp. Ath. 15:2). πᾶς τεχνίτης πάσης τέχνης Rv 18:22.”
10 tn This is a different Greek word (μύλος, mulos) from the one for the millstone in v. 21 (μύλινος, mulinos). See L&N 7.68.
10 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the implied contrast.
11 tn The words “to prevail” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
12 tn Grk “found.”
13 tn Grk “for them”; the referent (the dragon and his angels, v. 7) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
13 tn Grk “God, and he.” 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.
14 tn For the translation of ἀπέρχομαι (apercomai; here ἀπῆλθαν [aphlqan]) L&N 13.93 has “to go out of existence – ‘to cease to exist, to pass away, to cease.’”
16 tn Grk “behold.” Here ἰδού (idou) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in the context.
19 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
20 tn For the translation of ἀπέρχομαι (apercomai; here ἀπῆλθαν [aphlqan]) L&N 13.93 has “to go out of existence – ‘to cease to exist, to pass away, to cease.’”
22 tn Or “be anything accursed” (L&N 33.474).
23 tn Grk “in it”; the referent (the city, the new Jerusalem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
24 tn Grk “city, and his.” Although this is a continuation of the previous sentence in Greek, a new sentence was started here in the translation because of the introduction of the Lamb’s followers.
25 tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.
26 tn Or “will serve.”
25 tn Or “all the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).
26 tn On the term φαρμακεία (farmakeia, “magic spells”) see L&N 53.100: “the use of magic, often involving drugs and the casting of spells upon people – ‘to practice magic, to cast spells upon, to engage in sorcery, magic, sorcery.’ φαρμακεία: ἐν τῇ φαρμακείᾳ σου ἐπλανήθησαν πάντα τὰ ἔθνη ‘with your magic spells you deceived all the peoples (of the world)’ Re 18:23.”
28 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
29 tn Grk “until they had been completed.” The idea of a certain “number” of people is implied by the subject of πληρωθῶσιν (plhrwqwsin).
30 tn Though σύνδουλος (sundoulos) has been translated “fellow servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.
31 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
32 tn On ὅρμημα ({ormhma) BDAG 724 s.v. states, “violent rush, onset ὁρμήματι βληθήσεται Βαβυλών Babylon will be thrown down with violence Rv 18:21.” L&N 68.82 refers to the suddenness of the force or violence.
33 sn Thrown down is a play on both the words and the action. The angel’s action with the stone illustrates the kind of sudden violent force with which the city will be overthrown.
34 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the angel introduced in v. 1) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
35 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
36 tn Or “and shut.” While the lexical force of the term is closer to “shut,” it is acceptable to render the verb ἔκλεισεν (ekleisen) as “locked” here in view of the mention of the key in the previous verse.
37 tn Or “who is victorious”; traditionally, “who overcomes.”
38 tn Grk “I will make him,” but the pronoun (αὐτόν, auton, “him”) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated here.
39 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
40 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.