Isaiah 30:29

30:29 You will sing

as you do in the evening when you are celebrating a festival.

You will be happy like one who plays a flute

as he goes to the mountain of the Lord, the Rock who shelters Israel. ¹ 

Psalms 68:15-16

68:15 The mountain of Bashan ²  is a towering mountain; ³ 

the mountain of Bashan is a mountain with many peaks. ⁴ 

68:16 Why do you look with envy, ⁵  O mountains ⁶  with many peaks,

at the mountain where God has decided to live? ⁷ 

Indeed ⁸  the Lord will live there ⁹  permanently!

Daniel 2:35

2:35 Then the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold were broken in pieces without distinction ¹⁰  and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors that the wind carries away. Not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the statue became a large mountain that filled the entire earth.

Daniel 2:45

2:45 You saw that a stone was cut from a mountain, but not by human hands; it smashed the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold into pieces. The great God has made known to the king what will occur in the future. ¹¹  The dream is certain, and its interpretation is reliable.”

Zechariah 8:3

8:3 The Lord says, ‘I have returned to Zion and will live within Jerusalem. ¹²  Now Jerusalem will be called “truthful city,” “mountain of the Lord who rules over all,” “holy mountain.”’

Revelation 20:4

20:4 Then ¹³  I saw thrones and seated on them were those who had been given authority to judge. ¹⁴  I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. These ¹⁵  had not worshiped the beast or his image and had refused to receive his mark on their forehead or hand. They ¹⁶  came to life ¹⁷  and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

Revelation 21:10-27

21:10 So ¹⁸  he took me away in the Spirit ¹⁹  to a huge, majestic mountain ²⁰  and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. 21:11 The city possesses ²¹  the glory of God; its brilliance is like a precious jewel, like a stone of crystal-clear jasper. ²²  21:12 It has ²³  a massive, high wall ²⁴  with twelve gates, ²⁵  with twelve angels at the gates, and the names of the twelve tribes of the nation of Israel ²⁶  are written on the gates. ²⁷  21:13 There are ²⁸  three gates on the east side, three gates on the north side, three gates on the south side and three gates on the west side. ²⁹  21:14 The ³⁰  wall of the city has twelve foundations, and on them are the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

21:15 The angel ³¹  who spoke to me had a golden measuring rod with which to measure the city and its foundation stones and wall. 21:16 Now ³²  the city is laid out as a square, ³³  its length and width the same. He ³⁴  measured the city with the measuring rod ³⁵  at fourteen hundred miles ³⁶  (its length and width and height are equal). 21:17 He also measured its wall, one hundred forty-four cubits ³⁷  according to human measurement, which is also the angel’s. ³⁸  21:18 The city’s ³⁹  wall is made ⁴⁰  of jasper and the city is pure gold, like transparent glass. ⁴¹  21:19 The foundations of the city’s wall are decorated ⁴²  with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation is jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, ⁴³  the fourth emerald, 21:20 the fifth onyx, ⁴⁴  the sixth carnelian, ⁴⁵  the seventh chrysolite, ⁴⁶  the eighth beryl, ⁴⁷  the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, ⁴⁸  the eleventh jacinth, ⁴⁹  and the twelfth amethyst. 21:21 And the twelve gates are twelve pearls – each one of the gates is made from just one pearl! The ⁵⁰  main street ⁵¹  of the city is pure gold, like transparent glass.

21:22 Now ⁵²  I saw no temple in the city, because the Lord God – the All-Powerful ⁵³  – and the Lamb are its temple. 21:23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God lights it up, and its lamp is the Lamb. 21:24 The nations ⁵⁴  will walk by its light and the kings of the earth will bring their grandeur ⁵⁵  into it. 21:25 Its gates will never be closed during the day ⁵⁶  (and ⁵⁷  there will be no night there). ⁵⁸  21:26 They will bring the grandeur and the wealth ⁵⁹  of the nations ⁶⁰  into it, 21:27 but ⁶¹  nothing ritually unclean ⁶²  will ever enter into it, nor anyone who does what is detestable ⁶³  or practices falsehood, ⁶⁴  but only those whose names ⁶⁵  are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

[30:29]  ¹ tn Heb “[you will have] joy of heart, like the one going with a flute to enter the mountain of the Lord to the Rock of Israel.” The image here is not a foundational rock, but a rocky cliff where people could hide for protection (for example, the fortress of Masada).

[68:15]  ² sn The mountain of Bashan probably refers to Mount Hermon.

[68:15]  ³ tn Heb “a mountain of God.” The divine name is probably used here in a superlative sense to depict a very high mountain (“a mountain fit for God,” as it were). Cf. NIV “are majestic mountains”; NRSV “O mighty mountain.”

[68:15]  ⁴ tn The meaning of the Hebrew term, which appears only here in the OT, is uncertain. HALOT 174 s.v. גַּבְנוֹן suggests “many-peaked,” while BDB 148 s.v. גַּבְנִן suggests “rounded summit.”

[68:16]  ⁵ tn The meaning of the Hebrew verb רָצַד (ratsad), translated here “look with envy,” is uncertain; it occurs only here in the OT. See BDB 952-53. A cognate verb occurs in later Aramaic with the meaning “to lie in wait; to watch” (Jastrow 1492 s.v. רְצַד).

[68:16]  ⁶ tn Perhaps the apparent plural form should be read as a singular with enclitic mem (ם; later misinterpreted as a plural ending). The preceding verse has the singular form.

[68:16]  ⁷ tn Heb “[at] the mountain God desires for his dwelling place.” The reference is to Mount Zion/Jerusalem.

[68:16]  ⁸ tn The Hebrew particle אַף (’af) has an emphasizing function here.

[68:16]  ⁹ tn The word “there” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[2:35]  ¹⁰ tn Aram “as one.” For the meaning “without distinction” see the following: F. Rosenthal, Grammar, 36, §64, and p. 93; E. Vogt, Lexicon linguae aramaicae, 60.

[2:45]  ¹¹ tn Aram “after this.”

[8:3]  ¹² map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[20:4]  ¹³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

[20:4]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “I saw thrones, and those seated on them, and judgment was given to them.” BDAG 567 s.v. κρίμα 3 says, “judging, judgment, the κρίμα ἐδόθη αὐτοῖς authority to judge was given to them Rv 20:4.”

[20:4]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “God, and who.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the pronoun “these” as subject.

[20:4]  ¹⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[20:4]  ¹⁷ tn On the use of the aorist ἔζησαν (ezhsan) BDAG 425 s.v. ζάω 1.a.β says, “of dead persons who return to life become alive again: of humans in general (3 Km 17:23) Mt 9:18; Ac 9:41; 20:12; Rv 20:4, 5.”

[21:10]  ¹⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the angel’s invitation.

[21:10]  ¹⁹ tn Or “in the spirit.” “Spirit” could refer either to the Holy Spirit or the human spirit, but in either case John was in “a state of spiritual exaltation best described as a trance” (R. H. Mounce, Revelation [NICNT], 75).

[21:10]  ²⁰ tn Grk “to a mountain great and high.”

[21:11]  ²¹ tn Grk “from God, having the glory of God.” Here a new sentence was started in the translation by supplying the words “the city” to refer back to the previous clause and translating the participle (“having”) as a finite verb.

[21:11]  ²² tn On the term ἰάσπιδι (iaspidi) BDAG 465 s.v. ἴασπις states, “jasper, a precious stone found in various colors, mostly reddish, somet. green…brown, blue, yellow, and white. In antiquity the name was not limited to the variety of quartz now called jasper, but could designate any opaque precious stone. Rv 21:18f. W. λίθος 4:3 (TestSol C 11:8). λίθος ἴασπις κρυσταλλίζων a stone of crystal-clear jasper 21:11 (cp. Is 54:12); perh. the opal is meant here; acc. to some, the diamond.”

[21:12]  ²³ tn Grk “jasper, having.” Here a new sentence was started in the translation.

[21:12]  ²⁴ tn Grk “a (city) wall great and high.”

[21:12]  ²⁵ tn On this term BDAG 897 s.v. πυλών 1 states, “gate, esp. of the large, impressive gateways at the entrance of temples and palaces…of the entrances of the heavenly Jerusalem…οἱ πυλῶνες αὐτῆς οὐ μὴ κλεισθῶσιν its entrances shall never be shut Rv 21:25; cp. vss. 12ab, 13abcd, 15, 21ab; 22:14.”

[21:12]  ²⁶ tn Grk “of the sons of Israel.” The translation “nation of Israel” is given in L&N 11.58.

[21:12]  ²⁷ tn Grk “on them”; the referent (the gates) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:13]  ²⁸ tn The words “There are” have been supplied to make a complete English sentence. This is a continuation of the previous sentence, a lengthy and complicated one in Greek.

[21:13]  ²⁹ tn The word “side” has been supplied four times in this verse for clarity.

[21:14]  ³⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[21:15]  ³¹ tn Grk “the one”; the referent (the angel of v. 9) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:16]  ³² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the somewhat parenthetical nature of the description of the city.

[21:16]  ³³ tn Or “the city lies square.” On κεῖμαι (keimai) in this context, BDAG 537 s.v. 2 states, “lie, of things…ἡ πόλις τετράγωνος κεῖται is laid out as a square Rv 21:16.”

[21:16]  ³⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[21:16]  ³⁵ tn Grk “with the rod”; the word “measuring” is supplied from the description in v. 15.

[21:16]  ³⁶ tn Or “two thousand two hundred kilometers,” Grk “12,000 stades.” A stade was a measure of length about 607 ft (185 m).

[21:17]  ³⁷ tn Here the measurement was kept in cubits in the translation because of the possible symbolic significance of the number 144 (12 times 12). This is about 216 ft (65 m).

[21:17]  ³⁸ tn Here L&N 81.1 translate the phrase μέτρον ἀνθρώπου, ὅ ἐστιν ἀγγέλου (metron anqrwpou, {o estin angelou) “‘the unit of measurement used by a person, that is, by an angel’ Re 21:17.” It is more likely that μέτρον is an accusative of respect or reference.

[21:18]  ³⁹ tn Grk “and its wall”; the referent of the pronoun (the city) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[21:18]  ⁴⁰ tn The phrase ἡ ἐνδώμησις τοῦ τείχους (Jh endwmhsi" tou teicou") is difficult to translate precisely. BDAG 334 s.v. ἐνδώμησις states, “primary mng. ‘interior structure’; in our lit. prob.=construction, hence material τοῦ τείχους Rv 21:18.” The phrase could then be translated, “the foundation of the city wall was jasper” or “the material used for the wall of the city was jasper.” The latter alternative has been used in the translation because the text goes on to discuss the foundation in 21:19 (using the term θεμέλιος [qemelios]), which is somewhat redundant if the foundation is mentioned here.

[21:18]  ⁴¹ tn Or “transparent crystal.” See L&N 6.222, which notes the emphasis is on transparency here. The same Greek word, καθαρός (kaqaros), means both “pure” (referring to the gold) and “transparent” (referring to the glass).

[21:19]  ⁴² tn The perfect participle here has been translated as an intensive (resultative) perfect.

[21:19]  ⁴³ sn Agate (also called chalcedony) is a semiprecious stone usually milky or gray in color (L&N 2.32).

[21:20]  ⁴⁴ sn Onyx (also called sardonyx) is a semiprecious stone that comes in various colors (L&N 2.35).

[21:20]  ⁴⁵ sn Carnelian is a semiprecious gemstone, usually red in color (L&N 2.36).

[21:20]  ⁴⁶ sn Chrysolite refers to either quartz or topaz, golden yellow in color (L&N 2.37).

[21:20]  ⁴⁷ sn Beryl is a semiprecious stone, usually blue-green or green in color (L&N 2.38).

[21:20]  ⁴⁸ sn Chrysoprase is a greenish type of quartz (L&N 2.40).

[21:20]  ⁴⁹ sn Jacinth is a semiprecious stone, probably blue in color (also called “hyacinth,” but that translation is not used here because of possible confusion with the flower of the same name). See L&N 2.41.

[21:21]  ⁵⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[21:21]  ⁵¹ tn The Greek word πλατεῖα (plateia) refers to a major (broad) street (L&N 1.103).

[21:22]  ⁵² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic. Every verse from here to the end of this chapter begins with καί in Greek, but due to differences between Greek and contemporary English style, these have not been translated.

[21:22]  ⁵³ tn On this word BDAG 755 s.v. παντοκράτωρ states, “the Almighty, All-Powerful, Omnipotent (One) only of God…(ὁ) κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ π. …Rv 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7; 21:22.”

[21:24]  ⁵⁴ tn Or “the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).

[21:24]  ⁵⁵ tn Or “splendor”; Grk “glory.”

[21:25]  ⁵⁶ tn On the translation “during the day” see BDAG 436 s.v. ἡμέρα 1.a, “But also, as in Thu. et al., of time within which someth. occurs, ἡμέρας during the day Rv 21:25.”

[21:25]  ⁵⁷ tn The Greek connective γάρ (gar) most often expresses some sort of causal connection. However, in this context there is no causal force to the second phrase; γάρ simply expresses continuation or connection. Because of this it has been translated as “and.” See BDAG 189-90 s.v. 2.

[21:25]  ⁵⁸ tn The clause has virtually the force of a parenthetical comment.

[21:26]  ⁵⁹ tn Grk “honor,” but BDAG 1005 s.v. τιμή 2.b states, “An outstanding feature of the use of τ., as already shown in several passages, is its combination w. δόξα…of earthly possessions τὴν δόξαν καὶ τὴν τιμὴν τῶν ἐθνῶν Rv 21:26 (τιμή concr.=an object of value: Ezk 22:25).”

[21:26]  ⁶⁰ tn Or “the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).

[21:27]  ⁶¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[21:27]  ⁶² tn Here BDAG 552 s.v. κοινός 2 states, “pert. to being of little value because of being common, common, ordinary, profane…b. specifically, of that which is ceremonially impure: Rv 21:27.”

[21:27]  ⁶³ tn Or “what is abhorrent”; Grk “who practices abominations.”

[21:27]  ⁶⁴ tn Grk “practicing abomination or falsehood.” Because of the way βδέλυγμα (bdelugma) has been translated (“does what is detestable”) it was necessary to repeat the idea from the participle ποιῶν (poiwn, “practices”) before the term “falsehood.” On this term, BDAG 1097 s.v. ψεῦδος states, “ποιεῖν ψεῦδος practice (the things that go with) falsehood Rv 21:27; 22:15.” Cf. Rev 3:9.

[21:27]  ⁶⁵ tn Grk “those who are written”; the word “names” is implied.