Revelation 13:3-4

13:3 One of the beast’s ¹  heads appeared to have been killed, ²  but the lethal wound had been healed. ³  And the whole world followed ⁴  the beast in amazement; 13:4 they worshiped the dragon because he had given ruling authority ⁵  to the beast, and they worshiped the beast too, saying: “Who is like the beast?” and “Who is able to make war against him?” ⁶ 

Revelation 13:11-12

13:11 Then ⁷  I saw another beast ⁸  coming up from the earth. He ⁹  had two horns like a lamb, ¹⁰  but ¹¹  was speaking like a dragon. 13:12 He ¹²  exercised all the ruling authority ¹³  of the first beast on his behalf, ¹⁴  and made the earth and those who inhabit it worship the first beast, the one whose lethal wound had been healed.

Revelation 13:15

13:15 The second beast ¹⁵  was empowered ¹⁶  to give life ¹⁷  to the image of the first beast ¹⁸  so that it could speak, and could cause all those who did not worship the image of the beast to be killed.

[13:3]  ¹ tn Grk “one of its heads”; the referent (the beast) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[13:3]  ² tn Grk “killed to death,” an expression emphatic in its redundancy. The phrase behind this translation is ὡς ἐσφαγμένον (Jw" ejsfagmenon). The particle ὡς is used in Greek generally for comparison, and in Revelation it is used often to describe the appearance of what the author saw. In this instance, the appearance of the beast’s head did not match reality, because the next phrase shows that in fact it did not die. This text does not affirm that the beast died and was resurrected, but some draw this conclusion because of the only other use of the phrase, which refers to Jesus in 5:6.

[13:3]  ³ tn The phrase τοῦ θανάτου (tou qanatou) can be translated as an attributive genitive (“deathly wound”) or an objective genitive (the wound which caused death) and the final αὐτοῦ (autou) is either possessive or reference/respect.

[13:3]  ⁴ tn On the phrase “the whole world followed the beast in amazement,” BDAG 445 s.v. θαυμάζω 2 states, “wonder, be amazed…Rv 17:8. In pregnant constr. ἐθαυμάσθη ὅλη ἡ γῆ ὀπίσω τ. θηρίου the whole world followed the beast, full of wonder 13:3 (here wonder becomes worship: cp. Ael. Aristid. 13 p. 290 D.; 39 p. 747 of Dionysus and Heracles, οἳ ὑφ᾿ ἡμῶν ἐθαυμάσθησαν. Sir 7:29; Jos., Ant. 3, 65. – The act. is also found in this sense: Cebes 2, 3 θ. τινά = ‘admire’ or ‘venerate’ someone; Epict. 1, 17, 19 θ. τὸν θεόν).”

[13:4]  ⁵ tn For the translation “ruling authority” for ἐξουσία (exousia) see L&N 37.35.

[13:4]  ⁶ tn On the use of the masculine pronoun to refer to the beast, see the note on the word “It” in 13:1.

[13:11]  ⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

[13:11]  ⁸ sn This second beast is identified in Rev 16:13 as “the false prophet.”

[13:11]  ⁹ tn Grk “and it had,” a continuation of the preceding sentence. On the use of the pronoun “he” to refer to the second beast, see the note on the word “It” in 13:1.

[13:11]  ¹⁰ tn Or perhaps, “like a ram.” Here L&N 4.25 states, “In the one context in the NT, namely, Re 13:11, in which ἀρνίον refers literally to a sheep, it is used in a phrase referring to the horns of an ἀρνίον. In such a context the reference is undoubtedly to a ‘ram,’ that is to say, the adult male of sheep.” In spite of this most translations render the word “lamb” here to maintain the connection between this false lamb and the true Lamb of the Book of Revelation, Jesus Christ.

[13:11]  ¹¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[13:12]  ¹² tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[13:12]  ¹³ tn For the translation “ruling authority” for ἐξουσία (exousia) see L&N 37.35.

[13:12]  ¹⁴ 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.”

[13:15]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “it”; the referent (the second beast) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:15]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “it was given [permitted] to it [the second beast].”

[13:15]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “breath,” but in context the point is that the image of the first beast is made to come to life and speak.

[13:15]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “of the beast”; the word “first” has been supplied to specify the referent.