Genesis 3:15

3:15 And I will put hostility ¹  between you and the woman

and between your offspring and her offspring; ² 

her offspring will attack ³  your head,

and ⁴  you ⁵  will attack her offspring’s heel.” ⁶ 

Psalms 2:8-9

2:8 Ask me,

and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, ⁷ 

the ends of the earth as your personal property.

2:9 You will break them ⁸  with an iron scepter; ⁹ 

you will smash them like a potter’s jar!’” ¹⁰ 

Psalms 21:9

21:9 You burn them up like a fiery furnace ¹¹  when you appear; ¹² 

the Lord angrily devours them; ¹³ 

the fire consumes them.

Isaiah 63:1-6

The Victorious Divine Warrior

63:1 Who is this who comes from Edom, ¹⁴ 

dressed in bright red, coming from Bozrah? ¹⁵ 

Who ¹⁶  is this one wearing royal attire, ¹⁷ 

who marches confidently ¹⁸  because of his great strength?

“It is I, the one who announces vindication,

and who is able to deliver!” ¹⁹ 

63:2 Why are your clothes red?

Why do you look like someone who has stomped on grapes in a vat? ²⁰ 

63:3 “I have stomped grapes in the winepress all by myself;

no one from the nations joined me.

I stomped on them ²¹  in my anger;

I trampled them down in my rage.

Their juice splashed on my garments,

and stained ²²  all my clothes.

63:4 For I looked forward to the day of vengeance,

and then payback time arrived. ²³ 

63:5 I looked, but there was no one to help;

I was shocked because there was no one offering support. ²⁴ 

So my right arm accomplished deliverance;

my raging anger drove me on. ²⁵ 

63:6 I trampled nations in my anger,

I made them drunk ²⁶  in my rage,

I splashed their blood on the ground.” ²⁷ 

Luke 19:27

19:27 But as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to be their king, ²⁸  bring them here and slaughter ²⁹  them ³⁰  in front of me!’”

Revelation 19:19--20:3

19:19 Then ³¹  I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to do battle with the one who rode the horse and with his army. 19:20 Now ³²  the beast was seized, and along with him the false prophet who had performed the signs on his behalf ³³  – 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. ³⁴  19:21 The ³⁵  others were killed by the sword that extended from the mouth of the one who rode the horse, and all the birds gorged ³⁶  themselves with their flesh.

The Thousand Year Reign

20:1 Then ³⁷  I saw an angel descending from heaven, holding ³⁸  in his hand the key to the abyss and a huge chain. 20:2 He ³⁹  seized the dragon – the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan – and tied him up for a thousand years. 20:3 The angel ⁴⁰  then ⁴¹  threw him into the abyss and locked ⁴²  and sealed it so that he could not deceive the nations until the one thousand years were finished. (After these things he must be released for a brief period of time.)

Revelation 20:11-15

The Great White Throne

20:11 Then ⁴³  I saw a large ⁴⁴  white throne and the one who was seated on it; the earth and the heaven ⁴⁵  fled ⁴⁶  from his presence, and no place was found for them. 20:12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne. Then ⁴⁷  books were opened, and another book was opened – the book of life. ⁴⁸  So ⁴⁹  the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to their deeds. ⁵⁰  20:13 The ⁵¹  sea gave up the dead that were in it, and Death ⁵²  and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each one was judged according to his deeds. 20:14 Then ⁵³  Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death – the lake of fire. 20:15 If ⁵⁴  anyone’s name ⁵⁵  was not found written in the book of life, that person ⁵⁶  was thrown into the lake of fire.

[3:15]  ¹ tn The Hebrew word translated “hostility” is derived from the root אֵיב (’ev, “to be hostile, to be an adversary [or enemy]”). The curse announces that there will be continuing hostility between the serpent and the woman. The serpent will now live in a “battle zone,” as it were.

[3:15]  ² sn The Hebrew word translated “offspring” is a collective singular. The text anticipates the ongoing struggle between human beings (the woman’s offspring) and deadly poisonous snakes (the serpent’s offspring). An ancient Jewish interpretation of the passage states: “He made the serpent, cause of the deceit, press the earth with belly and flank, having bitterly driven him out. He aroused a dire enmity between them. The one guards his head to save it, the other his heel, for death is at hand in the proximity of men and malignant poisonous snakes.” See Sib. Or. 1:59-64. For a similar interpretation see Josephus, Ant. 1.1.4 (1.50-51).

[3:15]  ³ tn Heb “he will attack [or “bruise”] you [on] the head.” The singular pronoun and verb agree grammatically with the collective singular noun “offspring.” For other examples of singular verb and pronominal forms being used with the collective singular “offspring,” see Gen 16:10; 22:17; 24:60. The word “head” is an adverbial accusative, locating the blow. A crushing blow to the head would be potentially fatal.

[3:15]  ⁴ tn Or “but you will…”; or “as they attack your head, you will attack their heel.” The disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + verb) is understood as contrastive. Both clauses place the subject before the verb, a construction that is sometimes used to indicate synchronic action (see Judg 15:14).

[3:15]  ⁵ sn You will attack her offspring’s heel. Though the conflict will actually involve the serpent’s offspring (snakes) and the woman’s offspring (human beings), v. 15b for rhetorical effect depicts the conflict as being between the serpent and the woman’s offspring, as if the serpent will outlive the woman. The statement is personalized for the sake of the addressee (the serpent) and reflects the ancient Semitic concept of corporate solidarity, which emphasizes the close relationship between a progenitor and his offspring. Note Gen 28:14, where the Lord says to Jacob, “Your offspring will be like the dust of the earth, and you [second masculine singular] will spread out in all directions.” Jacob will “spread out” in all directions through his offspring, but the text states the matter as if this will happen to him personally.

[3:15]  ⁶ tn Heb “you will attack him [on] the heel.” The verb (translated “attack”) is repeated here, a fact that is obscured by some translations (e.g., NIV “crush…strike”). The singular pronoun agrees grammatically with the collective singular noun “offspring.” For other examples of singular verb and pronominal forms being used with the collective singular “offspring,” see Gen 16:10; 22:17; 24:60. The word “heel” is an adverbial accusative, locating the blow. A bite on the heel from a poisonous serpent is potentially fatal.

[2:8]  ⁷ sn I will give you the nations. The Lord promises the Davidic king universal dominion.

[2:9]  ¹³ tc The LXX reads “you will shepherd them.” This reading, quoted in the Greek text of the NT in Rev 2:27; 12:5; 19:15, assumes a different vocalization of the consonantal Hebrew text and understands the verb as רָעָה (ra’ah, “to shepherd”) rather than רָעָע (ra’a’, “to break”). But the presence of נָפַץ (nafats, “to smash”) in the next line strongly favors the MT vocalization.

[2:9]  ¹⁴ tn The Hebrew term שֵׁבֶט (shevet) can refer to a “staff” or “rod,” but here it probably refers to the Davidic king’s royal scepter, symbolizing his sovereignty.

[2:9]  ¹⁵ sn Like a potter’s jar. Before the Davidic king’s awesome power, the rebellious nations are like fragile pottery.

[21:9]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “you make them like a furnace of fire.” Although many modern translations retain the literal Hebrew, the statement is elliptical. The point is not that he makes them like a furnace, but like an object burned in a furnace (cf. NEB, “at your coming you shall plunge them into a fiery furnace”).

[21:9]  ²⁰ tn Heb “at the time of your face.” The “face” of the king here refers to his angry presence. See Lam 4:16.

[21:9]  ²¹ tn Heb “the Lord, in his anger he swallows them, and fire devours them.” Some take “the Lord” as a vocative, in which case he is addressed in vv. 8-9a. But this makes the use of the third person in v. 9b rather awkward, though the king could be the subject (see vv. 1-7).

[63:1]  ²⁵ sn Edom is here an archetype for the Lord’s enemies. See 34:5.

[63:1]  ²⁶ tn Heb “[in] bright red garments, from Bozrah.”

[63:1]  ²⁷ tn The interrogative particle is understood by ellipsis; note the first line of the verse.

[63:1]  ²⁸ tn Heb “honored in his clothing”; KJV, ASV “glorious in his apparel.”

[63:1]  ²⁹ tc The Hebrew text has צָעָה (tsa’ah), which means “stoop, bend” (51:14). The translation assumes an emendation to צָעַד (tsa’ad, “march”; see BDB 858 s.v. צָעָה).

[63:1]  ³⁰ tn Heb “I, [the one] speaking in vindication [or “righteousness”], great to deliver.”

[63:2]  ³¹ tn Heb “and your garments like one who treads in a vat?”

[63:3]  ³⁷ sn Nations, headed by Edom, are the object of the Lord’s anger (see v. 6). He compares military slaughter to stomping on grapes in a vat.

[63:3]  ³⁸ tn Heb “and I stained.” For discussion of the difficult verb form, see HALOT 170 s.v. II גאל. Perhaps the form is mixed, combining the first person forms of the imperfect (note the alef prefix) and perfect (note the תי- ending).

[63:4]  ⁴³ tn Heb “for the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my revenge came.” The term גְּאוּלַי (gÿ’ulai) is sometimes translated here “my redemption,” for the verbal root גאל often means “deliver, buy back.” A גֹּאֵל (go’el, “kinsman-redeemer”) was responsible for protecting the extended family’s interests, often by redeeming property that had been sold outside the family. However, the responsibilities of a גֹּאֵל extended beyond financial concerns. He was also responsible for avenging the shed blood of a family member (see Num 35:19-27; Deut 19:6-12). In Isa 63:4, where vengeance is a prominent theme (note the previous line), it is probably this function of the family protector that is in view. The Lord pictures himself as a blood avenger who waits for the day of vengeance to arrive and then springs into action.

[63:5]  ⁴⁹ sn See Isa 59:16 for similar language.

[63:5]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “and my anger, it supported me”; NIV “my own wrath sustained me.”

[63:6]  ⁵⁵ sn See Isa 49:26 and 51:23 for similar imagery.

[63:6]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “and I brought down to the ground their juice.” “Juice” refers to their blood (see v. 3).

[19:27]  ⁶¹ tn Grk “to rule over them.”

[19:27]  ⁶² tn This term, when used of people rather than animals, has some connotations of violence and mercilessness (L&N 20.72).

[19:27]  ⁶³ sn Slaughter them. To reject the king is to face certain judgment from him.

[19:19]  ⁶⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

[19:20]  ⁷³ 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]  ⁷⁴ 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]  ⁷⁵ tn Traditionally, “brimstone.”

[19:21]  ⁷⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[19:21]  ⁸⁰ tn On the translation of ἐχορτάσθησαν (ecortasqhsan) BDAG 1087 s.v. χορτάζω 1.a states, “of animals, pass. in act. sense πάντα τὰ ὄρνεα ἐχορτάσθησαν ἐκ τῶν σαρκῶν αὐτῶν all the birds gorged themselves with their flesh Rv 19:21 (cp. TestJud. 21:8).”

[20:1]  ⁸⁵ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

[20:1]  ⁸⁶ tn The word “holding” is implied. The two clauses “having the key of the abyss” and “a huge chain in his hand” can be construed in two ways: (1) both are controlled by the participle ἔχοντα (econta) and both are modified by the phrase “in his hand” – “having in his hand the key to the abyss and a huge chain.” (2) The participle ἔχοντα refers only to the key, and the phrase “in his hand” refers only to the chain – “having the key of the abyss and holding a huge chain in his hand.” Because of the stylistic tendency in Rev to use the verb ἔχω (ecw) to mean “hold (something)” and the phrase “in his hand” forming a “bracket” along with the verb ἔχω around both the phrases in question, the first option is preferred.

[20:2]  ⁹¹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[20:3]  ⁹⁷ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the angel introduced in v. 1) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:3]  ⁹⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[20:3]  ⁹⁹ 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.

[20:11]  ¹⁰³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

[20:11]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Traditionally, “great,” but μέγας (megas) here refers to size rather than importance.

[20:11]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Or “and the sky.” The same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky,” and context usually determines which is meant. In this apocalyptic scene, however, it is difficult to be sure what referent to assign the term.

[20:11]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Or “vanished.”

[20:12]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[20:12]  ¹¹⁰ tn Grk “another book was opened, which is of life.”

[20:12]  ¹¹¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the books being opened.

[20:12]  ¹¹² tn Grk “from the things written in the books according to their works.”

[20:13]  ¹¹⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[20:13]  ¹¹⁶ sn Here Death is personified (cf. 1 Cor 15:55).

[20:14]  ¹²¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

[20:15]  ¹²⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[20:15]  ¹²⁸ tn The word “name” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[20:15]  ¹²⁹ tn Grk “he”; the pronoun has been intensified by translating as “that person.”