2 Corinthians 4:2

4:2 But we have rejected ¹  shameful hidden deeds, ²  not behaving ³  with deceptiveness ⁴  or distorting the word of God, but by open proclamation of the truth we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience before God.

2 Corinthians 11:13-15

11:13 For such people are false apostles, deceitful ⁵  workers, disguising themselves ⁶  as apostles of Christ. 11:14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself ⁷  as an angel of light. 11:15 Therefore it is not surprising his servants also disguise themselves ⁸  as servants of righteousness, whose end will correspond to their actions. ⁹ 

Jeremiah 5:31

5:31 The prophets prophesy lies.

The priests exercise power by their own authority. ¹⁰ 

And my people love to have it this way.

But they will not be able to help you when the time of judgment comes! ¹¹ 

Jeremiah 23:27-32

23:27 How long will they go on plotting ¹²  to make my people forget who I am ¹³  through the dreams they tell one another? That is just as bad as what their ancestors ¹⁴  did when they forgot who I am by worshiping the god Baal. ¹⁵  23:28 Let the prophet who has had a dream go ahead and tell his dream. Let the person who has received my message report that message faithfully. What is like straw cannot compare to what is like grain! ¹⁶  I, the Lord, affirm it! ¹⁷  23:29 My message is like a fire that purges dross! ¹⁸  It is like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces! ¹⁹  I, the Lord, so affirm it! ²⁰  23:30 So I, the Lord, affirm ²¹  that I am opposed to those prophets who steal messages from one another that they claim are from me. ²²  23:31 I, the Lord, affirm ²³  that I am opposed to those prophets who are using their own tongues to declare, ‘The Lord declares….’ ²⁴  23:32 I, the Lord, affirm ²⁵  that I am opposed to those prophets who dream up lies and report them. They are misleading my people with their reckless lies. ²⁶  I did not send them. I did not commission them. They are not helping these people at all. ²⁷  I, the Lord, affirm it!” ²⁸ 

Matthew 24:24

24:24 For false messiahs ²⁹  and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

Matthew 24:1

The Destruction of the Temple

24:1 Now ³⁰  as Jesus was going out of the temple courts and walking away, his disciples came to show him the temple buildings. ³¹ 

Matthew 1:19-20

1:19 Because Joseph, her husband to be, ³²  was a righteous man, and because he did not want to disgrace her, he intended to divorce her ³³  privately. 1:20 When he had contemplated this, an ³⁴  angel of the Lord ³⁵  appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 4:1-3

The Temptation of Jesus

4:1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness ³⁶  to be tempted by the devil. 4:2 After he fasted forty days and forty nights he was famished. ³⁷  4:3 The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread.” ³⁸ 

Matthew 4:2

4:2 After he fasted forty days and forty nights he was famished. ³⁹ 

Matthew 2:6-18

2:6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are in no way least among the rulers of Judah,

for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” ⁴⁰ 

2:7 Then Herod ⁴¹  privately summoned the wise men and determined from them when the star had appeared. 2:8 He ⁴²  sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and look carefully for the child. When you find him, inform me so that I can go and worship him as well.” 2:9 After listening to the king they left, and once again ⁴³  the star they saw when it rose ⁴⁴  led them until it stopped above the place where the child was. 2:10 When they saw the star they shouted joyfully. ⁴⁵  2:11 As they came into the house and saw the child with Mary his mother, they bowed down ⁴⁶  and worshiped him. They opened their treasure boxes and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, ⁴⁷  and myrrh. ⁴⁸  2:12 After being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, ⁴⁹  they went back by another route to their own country.

The Escape to Egypt

2:13 After they had gone, an ⁵⁰  angel of the Lord ⁵¹  appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod ⁵²  is going to look for the child to kill him.” 2:14 Then he got up, took the child and his mother during ⁵³  the night, and went to Egypt. 2:15 He stayed there until Herod ⁵⁴  died. In this way what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet was fulfilled: “I called my Son out of Egypt.” ⁵⁵ 

2:16 When Herod ⁵⁶  saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he became enraged. He sent men ⁵⁷  to kill all the children in Bethlehem ⁵⁸  and throughout the surrounding region from the age of two and under, according to the time he had learned from the wise men. 2:17 Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:

2:18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,

weeping and loud wailing, ⁵⁹ 

Rachel weeping for her children,

and she did not want to be comforted, because they were ⁶⁰  gone.” ⁶¹ 

Matthew 4:3-4

4:3 The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread.” ⁶²  4:4 But he answered, ⁶³  “It is written, ‘Man ⁶⁴  does not live ⁶⁵  by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” ⁶⁶ 

Titus 1:11

1:11 who must be silenced because they mislead whole families by teaching for dishonest gain what ought not to be taught.

Titus 1:2

1:2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the ages began. ⁶⁷ 

Titus 2:1-3

Conduct Consistent with Sound Teaching

2:1 But as for you, communicate the behavior that goes with ⁶⁸  sound teaching. 2:2 Older men are to be temperate, dignified, self-controlled, ⁶⁹  sound in faith, in love, and in endurance. ⁷⁰  2:3 Older women likewise are to exhibit behavior fitting for those who are holy, not slandering, not slaves to excessive drinking, but teaching what is good.

Titus 2:1

Conduct Consistent with Sound Teaching

2:1 But as for you, communicate the behavior that goes with ⁷¹  sound teaching.

Titus 1:1-2

Salutation

1:1 From Paul, ⁷²  a slave ⁷³  of God and apostle of Jesus Christ, to further the faith ⁷⁴  of God’s chosen ones and the knowledge of the truth that is in keeping with godliness, 1:2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the ages began. ⁷⁵ 

Titus 1:7-11

1:7 For the overseer ⁷⁶  must be blameless as one entrusted with God’s work, ⁷⁷  not arrogant, not prone to anger, not a drunkard, not violent, not greedy for gain. 1:8 Instead he must be hospitable, devoted to what is good, sensible, upright, devout, and self-controlled. 1:9 He must hold firmly to the faithful message as it has been taught, ⁷⁸  so that he will be able to give exhortation in such healthy teaching ⁷⁹  and correct those who speak against it.

1:10 For there are many ⁸⁰  rebellious people, idle talkers, and deceivers, especially those with Jewish connections, ⁸¹  1:11 who must be silenced because they mislead whole families by teaching for dishonest gain what ought not to be taught.

Jude 1:4

1:4 For certain men ⁸²  have secretly slipped in among you ⁸³  – men who long ago ⁸⁴  were marked out ⁸⁵  for the condemnation I am about to describe ⁸⁶  – ungodly men who have turned the grace of our God into a license for evil ⁸⁷  and who deny our only Master ⁸⁸  and Lord, ⁸⁹  Jesus Christ.

Revelation 2:14-15

2:14 But I have a few things against you: You have some people there who follow the teaching of Balaam, ⁹⁰  who instructed Balak to put a stumbling block ⁹¹  before the people ⁹²  of Israel so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality. ⁹³  2:15 In the same way, there are also some among you who follow the teaching of the Nicolaitans. ⁹⁴ 

Revelation 2:20

2:20 But I have this against you: You tolerate that ⁹⁵  woman ⁹⁶  Jezebel, ⁹⁷  who calls herself a prophetess, and by her teaching deceives ⁹⁸  my servants ⁹⁹  to commit sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. ¹⁰⁰ 

Revelation 12:9

12:9 So ¹⁰¹  that huge dragon – the ancient serpent, the one called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world – was thrown down to the earth, and his angels along with him.

Revelation 19:20

19:20 Now ¹⁰²  the beast was seized, and along with him the false prophet who had performed the signs on his behalf ¹⁰³  – signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire burning with sulfur. ¹⁰⁴ 

[4:2]  ¹ tn L&N 13.156; the word can also mean “to assert opposition to,” thus here “we have denounced” (L&N 33.220).

[4:2]  ² tn Grk “the hidden things [deeds] of shame”; here αἰσχύνης (aiscunh") has been translated as an attributive genitive.

[4:2]  ³ tn Or “not conducting ourselves”; Grk “not walking” (a common NT idiom for conduct, way of life, or behavior).

[4:2]  ⁴ tn Or “craftiness.”

[11:13]  ⁵ tn Or “dishonest.”

[11:13]  ⁶ tn Or “workers, masquerading.”

[11:14]  ⁷ tn Or “Satan himself masquerades.”

[11:15]  ⁸ tn Or “also masquerade.”

[11:15]  ⁹ tn Or “their works.”

[5:31]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “they shall rule at their hands.” Since the word “hand” can be used figuratively for authority or mean “side” and the pronoun “them” can refer to the priests themselves or the prophets, the following translations have also been suggested: “the priests rule under their [the prophets’] directions,” or “the priests rule in league with them [the prophets].” From the rest of the book it would appear that the prophets did not exercise authority over the priests nor did they exercise the same authority over the people that the priests did. Hence it probably mean “by their own hand/power/authority.”

[5:31]  ¹¹ tn Heb “But what will you do at its end?” The rhetorical question implies a negative answer: “Nothing!”

[23:27]  ¹² tn The relation of the words to one another in v. 26 and the beginning of v. 27 has created difficulties for translators and commentators. The proper solution is reflected in the NJPS. Verses 26-27 read somewhat literally, “How long is there in the hearts of the prophets who are prophesying the lie and [in the hearts of] the prophets of the delusions of their [own] heart the plotting to cause my people to forget my name…” Most commentaries complain that the text is corrupt, that there is no subject for “is there.” However, the long construct qualification “in the hearts of” has led to the lack of observation that the proper subject is “the plotting to make my people forget.” There are no exact parallels but Jer 14:22; Neh 5:5 follow the same structure. The “How long” precedes the other means of asking a question for the purpose of emphasis (cf. BDB 210 s.v. הֲ 1.b and compare for example the usage in 2 Sam 7:7). There has also been a failure to see that “the prophets of the delusion of…” is a parallel construct noun after “heart of.” Stripping the syntax down to its barest minimum and translating literally, the sentence would read “How long will the plotting…continue in the hearts of the prophets who…and [in hearts of] the prophets of…” The sentence has been restructured in the translation to conform to contemporary English style but attempt has been made to maintain the same subordinations.

[23:27]  ¹³ tn Heb “my name.”

[23:27]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 39).

[23:27]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “through Baal.” This is an elliptical expression for the worship of Baal. See 11:17; 12:16; 19:5 for other references to their relation to Baal. There is a deliberate paralleling in the syntax here between “through their dreams” and “through Baal.”

[23:28]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “What to the straw with [in comparison with] the grain?” This idiom represents an emphatic repudiation or denial of relationship. See, for example, the usage in 2 Sam 16:10 and note BDB 553 s.v. מָה 1.d(c).

[23:28]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[23:29]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “Is not my message like a fire?” The rhetorical question expects a positive answer that is made explicit in the translation. The words “that purges dross” are not in the text but are implicit to the metaphor. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[23:29]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “Is it not like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?” See preceding note.

[23:29]  ²⁰ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[23:30]  ²¹ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[23:30]  ²² tn Heb “who are stealing my words from one another.” However, context shows that it is their own word which they claim is from the Lord (cf. next verse).

[23:31]  ²³ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[23:31]  ²⁴ tn The word “The Lord” is not actually in the text but is implicit in the idiom. It is generally supplied in all the English versions.

[23:32]  ²⁵ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[23:32]  ²⁶ tn Heb “with their lies and their recklessness.” This is an example of hendiadys where two nouns (in this case a concrete and an abstract one) are joined by “and” but one is intended to be the adjectival modifier of the other.

[23:32]  ²⁷ sn In the light of what has been said this is a rhetorical understatement; they are not only “not helping,” they are leading them to their doom (cf. vv. 19-22). This figure of speech is known as litotes.

[23:32]  ²⁸ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[24:24]  ²⁹ tn Or “false christs”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[24:1]  ³⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[24:1]  ³¹ sn The Jerusalem temple was widely admired around the world. See Josephus, Ant. 15.11 [15.380-425]; J. W. 5.5 [5.184-227] and Tacitus, History 5.8, who called it “immensely opulent.” Josephus compared it to a beautiful snowcapped mountain.

[1:19]  ³² tn Grk “husband.” See following note for discussion.

[1:19]  ³³ tn Or “send her away.”

[1:20]  ³⁴ tn Grk “behold, an angel.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).

[1:20]  ³⁵ tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” Linguistically, “angel of the Lord” is the same in both testaments (and thus, he is either “an angel of the Lord” or “the angel of the Lord” in both testaments). For arguments and implications, see ExSyn 252; M. J. Davidson, “Angels,” DJG, 9; W. G. MacDonald argues for “an angel” in both testaments: “Christology and ‘The Angel of the Lord’,” Current Issues in Biblical and Patristic Interpretation, 324-35.

[4:1]  ³⁶ tn Or “desert.”

[4:2]  ³⁷ tn Grk “and having fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward he was hungry.”

[4:3]  ³⁸ tn Grk “say that these stones should become bread.”

[4:2]  ³⁹ tn Grk “and having fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward he was hungry.”

[2:6]  ⁴⁰ sn A quotation from Mic 5:2.

[2:7]  ⁴¹ sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1.

[2:8]  ⁴² tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[2:9]  ⁴³ tn Grk “and behold the star.”

[2:9]  ⁴⁴ tn See the note on the word “rose” in 2:2.

[2:10]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “they rejoiced with very great joy.”

[2:11]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “they fell down.” BDAG 815 s.v. πίπτω 1.b.α.ב has “fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion, before high-ranking persons or divine beings.”

[2:11]  ⁴⁷ sn Frankincense refers to the aromatic resin of certain trees, used as a sweet-smelling incense (L&N 6.212).

[2:11]  ⁴⁸ sn Myrrh consisted of the aromatic resin of certain shrubs (L&N 6.208). It was used in preparing a corpse for burial.

[2:12]  ⁴⁹ sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1.

[2:13]  ⁵⁰ tn Grk “behold, an angel.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).

[2:13]  ⁵¹ tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” See the note on the word “Lord” in 1:20.

[2:13]  ⁵² sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1. Herod the Great was particularly ruthless regarding the succession to his throne.

[2:14]  ⁵³ tn The feminine singular genitive noun νυκτός (nuktos, “night”) indicates the time during which the action of the main verb takes place (ExSyn 124).

[2:15]  ⁵⁴ sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1.

[2:15]  ⁵⁵ sn A quotation from Hos 11:1.

[2:16]  ⁵⁶ sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1. Note the fulfillment of the prophecy given by the angel in 2:13.

[2:16]  ⁵⁷ tn Or “soldiers.”

[2:16]  ⁵⁸ map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.

[2:18]  ⁵⁹ tc The LXX of Jer 38:15 (31:15 ET) has “lamentation, weeping, and loud wailing”; most later mss (C D L W 0233 ˹³ 33 Ï) have a quotation in Matthew which conforms to that of the LXX (θρῆνος καὶ κλαυθμός καὶ ὀδυρμός; qrhno" kai klauqmo" kai odurmo"). But such assimilations were routine among the scribes; as such, they typically should be discounted because they are both predictable and motivated. The shorter reading, without “lamentation and,” is thus to be preferred, especially since it cannot easily be accounted for unless it is the original wording here. Further, it is found in the better mss along with a good cross-section of other witnesses (א B Z 0250 ˹ pc lat co).

[2:18]  ⁶⁰ tn Grk “are”; the Greek text uses a present tense verb.

[2:18]  ⁶¹ sn A quotation from Jer 31:15.

[4:3]  ⁶² tn Grk “say that these stones should become bread.”

[4:4]  ⁶³ tn Grk “answering, he said.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokriqeis) is redundant, but the syntax of the phrase has been changed for clarity.

[4:4]  ⁶⁴ tn Or “a person.” Greek ὁ ἄνθρωπος (Jo anqrwpo") is used generically for humanity. The translation “man” is used because the emphasis in Jesus’ response seems to be on his dependence on God as a man.

[4:4]  ⁶⁵ tn Grk “will not live.” The verb in Greek is a future tense, but it is unclear whether it is meant to be taken as a command (also known as an imperatival future) or as a statement of reality (predictive future).

[4:4]  ⁶⁶ sn A quotation from Deut 8:3.

[1:2]  ⁶⁷ tn Grk “before eternal ages.”

[2:1]  ⁶⁸ tn Grk “say what is fitting for sound teaching” (introducing the behavior called for in this chapter.).

[2:2]  ⁶⁹ tn Or “sensible.”

[2:2]  ⁷⁰ sn Temperate…in endurance. See the same cluster of virtues in 1 Thess 1:3 and 1 Cor 13:13.

[2:1]  ⁷¹ tn Grk “say what is fitting for sound teaching” (introducing the behavior called for in this chapter.).

[1:1]  ⁷² tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[1:1]  ⁷³ tn Traditionally, “servant” or “bondservant.” Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.

[1:1]  ⁷⁴ tn Grk “for the faith,” possibly, “in accordance with the faith.”

[1:2]  ⁷⁵ tn Grk “before eternal ages.”

[1:7]  ⁷⁶ sn The overseer is another term for the same official position of leadership as the “elder.” This is seen in the interchange of the two terms in this passage and in Acts 20:17, 28, as well as in the parallels between these verses and 1 Tim 3:1-7.

[1:7]  ⁷⁷ tn Grk “as God’s steward.”

[1:9]  ⁷⁸ tn Grk “the faithful message in accordance with the teaching” (referring to apostolic teaching).

[1:9]  ⁷⁹ tn Grk “the healthy teaching” (referring to what was just mentioned).

[1:10]  ⁸⁰ tc ‡ The earliest and best mss lack καί (kai) after πολλοί (polloi; so א A C P 088 81 104 365 614 629 630 al sy co), though the conjunction is found in several significant witnesses, chiefly of the Western and Byzantine texts (D F G I Ψ 33 1739 1881 Ï lat). Although it is possible that some scribes omitted the word, thinking it was superfluous, it is also possible that others added the conjunction for clarification. Judging by the pedigree of the witnesses and the inconclusiveness of the internal evidence, the shorter reading is considered to be most likely original. NA²⁷ puts the conjunction in brackets, indicating some doubts as to its authenticity.

[1:10]  ⁸¹ tn Grk “those of the circumcision.” Some translations take this to refer to Jewish converts to Christianity (cf. NAB “Jewish Christians”; TEV “converts from Judaism”; CEV “Jewish followers”) while others are less clear (cf. NLT “those who insist on circumcision for salvation”).

[1:4]  ⁸² tn Grk “people.” However, if Jude is indeed arguing that Peter’s prophecy about false teachers has come true, these are most likely men in the original historical and cultural setting. See discussion of this point in the note on the phrase “these men” in 2 Pet 2:12.

[1:4]  ⁸³ tn “Among you” is not in the Greek text, but is obviously implied.

[1:4]  ⁸⁴ tn Or “in the past.” The adverb πάλαι (palai) can refer to either, though the meaning “long ago” is more common.

[1:4]  ⁸⁵ tn Grk “written about.”

[1:4]  ⁸⁶ tn Grk “for this condemnation.” τοῦτο (touto) is almost surely a kataphoric demonstrative pronoun, pointing to what follows in vv. 5-18. Otherwise, the condemnation is only implied (in v. 3b) or is merely a statement of their sinfulness (“ungodly” in v. 4b), not a judgment of it.

[1:4]  ⁸⁷ tn Grk “debauchery.” This is the same word Peter uses to predict what the false teachers will be like (2 Pet 2:2, 7, 18).

[1:4]  ⁸⁸ tc Most later witnesses (P Ψ Ï sy) have θεόν (qeon, “God”) after δεσπότην (despothn, “master”), which appears to be a motivated reading in that it explicitly links “Master” to “God” in keeping with the normal NT pattern (see Luke 2:29; Acts 4:24; 2 Tim 2:21; Rev 6:10). In patristic Greek, δεσπότης (despoth") was used especially of God (cf. BDAG 220 s.v. 1.b.). The earlier and better witnesses (Ì^72,78 א A B C 0251 33 81 323 1241 1739 al co) lack θεόν; the shorter reading is thus preferred on both internal and external grounds.

[1:4]  ⁸⁹ tn The terms “Master and Lord” both refer to the same person. The construction in Greek is known as the Granville Sharp rule, named after the English philanthropist-linguist who first clearly articulated the rule in 1798. Sharp pointed out that in the construction article-noun-καί-noun (where καί [kai] = “and”), when two nouns are singular, personal, and common (i.e., not proper names), they always had the same referent. Illustrations such as “the friend and brother,” “the God and Father,” etc. abound in the NT to prove Sharp’s point. For more discussion see ExSyn 270-78. See also Titus 2:13 and 2 Pet 1:1

[2:14]  ⁹⁰ sn See Num 22-24; 31:16.

[2:14]  ⁹¹ tn That is, a cause for sinning. An alternate translation is “who instructed Balak to cause the people of Israel to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols…”

[2:14]  ⁹² tn Grk “sons,” but the expression υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραήλ (Juioi Israhl) is an idiom for the people of Israel as an ethnic entity (see L&N 11.58).

[2:14]  ⁹³ tn Due to the actual events in the OT (Num 22-24; 31:16), πορνεῦσαι (porneusai) is taken to mean “sexual immorality.” BDAG 854 s.v. πορνεύω 1 states, “engage in illicit sex, to fornicate, to whore…W. φαγεῖν εἰδωλόθυτα ‘eat meat offered to idols’ Rv 2:14, 20.”

[2:15]  ⁹⁴ tn The term ὁμοίως (Jomoiws, “likewise”) is left untranslated because it is quite redundant.

[2:20]  ⁹⁵ tn The Greek article has been translated here with demonstrative force.

[2:20]  ⁹⁶ tc The ms evidence for γυναῖκα (gunaika, “woman”) alone includes {א C P 1611 2053 pc lat}. The ms evidence for the addition of “your” (σου, sou) includes A 1006 2351 Ï^K pc sy. With the pronoun, the text reads “your wife, Jezebel” instead of “that woman, Jezebel.” In Revelation, A C are the most important mss, along with א Ì⁴⁷ (which only reads in portions of chapters 9-17) 1006 1611 2053; in this instance, the external evidence slightly favors the shorter reading. But internally, it gains strength. The longer reading implies the idea that the angel in 2:18 is the bishop or leader of the church in Thyatira. The pronoun “your” (σου) is used four times in vv. 19-20 and may have been the cause for the scribe copying it again. Further, once the monarchical episcopate was in vogue (beginning in the 2nd century) scribes might have been prone to add “your” here.

[2:20]  ⁹⁷ sn Jezebel was the name of King Ahab’s idolatrous and wicked queen in 1 Kgs 16:31; 18:1-5; 19:1-3; 21:5-24. It is probable that the individual named here was analogous to her prototype in idolatry and immoral behavior, since those are the items singled out for mention.

[2:20]  ⁹⁸ tn Grk “teaches and deceives” (διδάσκει καὶ πλανᾷ, didaskei kai plana), a construction in which the first verb appears to specify the means by which the second is accomplished: “by her teaching, deceives…”

[2:20]  ⁹⁹ tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.

[2:20]  ¹⁰⁰ sn To commit sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. Note the conclusions of the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15:29, which specifically prohibits Gentile Christians from engaging in these activities.

[12:9]  ¹⁰¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the result of the war in heaven.

[19:20]  ¹⁰² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the introduction of an unexpected development in the account: The opposing armies do not come together in battle; rather the leader of one side is captured.

[19:20]  ¹⁰³ tn For this meaning see BDAG 342 s.v. ἐνώπιον 4.b, “by the authority of, on behalf of Rv 13:12, 14; 19:20.”

[19:20]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Traditionally, “brimstone.”