Revelation 21:13-17

21:13 There are ¹  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. ²  21:14 The ³  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 ⁴  who spoke to me had a golden measuring rod with which to measure the city and its foundation stones and wall. 21:16 Now ⁵  the city is laid out as a square, ⁶  its length and width the same. He ⁷  measured the city with the measuring rod ⁸  at fourteen hundred miles ⁹  (its length and width and height are equal). 21:17 He also measured its wall, one hundred forty-four cubits ¹⁰  according to human measurement, which is also the angel’s. ¹¹ 

[21:13]  ¹ 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]  ² tn The word “side” has been supplied four times in this verse for clarity.

[21:14]  ³ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[21:15]  ⁴ tn Grk “the one”; the referent (the angel of v. 9) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:16]  ⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the somewhat parenthetical nature of the description of the city.

[21:16]  ⁶ 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]  ⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[21:16]  ⁸ tn Grk “with the rod”; the word “measuring” is supplied from the description in v. 15.

[21:16]  ⁹ 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]  ¹⁰ 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]  ¹¹ 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.