Revelation 21:1--22:21

A New Heaven and a New Earth

21:1 Then ¹  I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had ceased to exist, ²  and the sea existed no more. 21:2 And I saw the holy city – the new Jerusalem – descending out of heaven from God, made ready like a bride adorned for her husband. 21:3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Look! The residence ³  of God is among human beings. ⁴  He ⁵  will live among them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them. ⁶  21:4 He ⁷  will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will not exist any more – or mourning, or crying, or pain, for the former things have ceased to exist.” ⁸ 

21:5 And the one seated on the throne said: “Look! I am making all things new!” Then ⁹  he said to me, “Write it down, ¹⁰  because these words are reliable ¹¹  and true.” 21:6 He also said to me, “It is done! ¹²  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the one who is thirsty I will give water ¹³  free of charge ¹⁴  from the spring of the water of life. 21:7 The one who conquers ¹⁵  will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 21:8 But to the cowards, unbelievers, detestable persons, murderers, the sexually immoral, and those who practice magic spells, ¹⁶  idol worshipers, ¹⁷  and all those who lie, their place ¹⁸  will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. ¹⁹  That ²⁰  is the second death.”

The New Jerusalem Descends

21:9 Then ²¹  one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven final plagues came and spoke to me, ²²  saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb!” 21:10 So ²³  he took me away in the Spirit ²⁴  to a huge, majestic mountain ²⁵  and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. 21:11 The city possesses ²⁶  the glory of God; its brilliance is like a precious jewel, like a stone of crystal-clear jasper. ²⁷  21:12 It has ²⁸  a massive, high wall ²⁹  with twelve gates, ³⁰  with twelve angels at the gates, and the names of the twelve tribes of the nation of Israel ³¹  are written on the gates. ³²  21:13 There are ³³  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. ³⁴  21:14 The ³⁵  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 ³⁶  who spoke to me had a golden measuring rod with which to measure the city and its foundation stones and wall. 21:16 Now ³⁷  the city is laid out as a square, ³⁸  its length and width the same. He ³⁹  measured the city with the measuring rod ⁴⁰  at fourteen hundred miles ⁴¹  (its length and width and height are equal). 21:17 He also measured its wall, one hundred forty-four cubits ⁴²  according to human measurement, which is also the angel’s. ⁴³  21:18 The city’s ⁴⁴  wall is made ⁴⁵  of jasper and the city is pure gold, like transparent glass. ⁴⁶  21:19 The foundations of the city’s wall are decorated ⁴⁷  with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation is jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, ⁴⁸  the fourth emerald, 21:20 the fifth onyx, ⁴⁹  the sixth carnelian, ⁵⁰  the seventh chrysolite, ⁵¹  the eighth beryl, ⁵²  the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, ⁵³  the eleventh jacinth, ⁵⁴  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 ⁵⁵  main street ⁵⁶  of the city is pure gold, like transparent glass.

21:22 Now ⁵⁷  I saw no temple in the city, because the Lord God – the All-Powerful ⁵⁸  – 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 ⁵⁹  will walk by its light and the kings of the earth will bring their grandeur ⁶⁰  into it. 21:25 Its gates will never be closed during the day ⁶¹  (and ⁶²  there will be no night there). ⁶³  21:26 They will bring the grandeur and the wealth ⁶⁴  of the nations ⁶⁵  into it, 21:27 but ⁶⁶  nothing ritually unclean ⁶⁷  will ever enter into it, nor anyone who does what is detestable ⁶⁸  or practices falsehood, ⁶⁹  but only those whose names ⁷⁰  are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

22:1 Then ⁷¹  the angel ⁷²  showed me the river of the water of life – water as clear as crystal – pouring out ⁷³  from the throne of God and of the Lamb, 22:2 flowing down the middle of the city’s ⁷⁴  main street. ⁷⁵  On each side ⁷⁶  of the river is the tree of life producing twelve kinds ⁷⁷  of fruit, yielding its fruit every month of the year. ⁷⁸  Its leaves are for the healing of the nations. 22:3 And there will no longer be any curse, ⁷⁹  and the throne of God and the Lamb will be in the city. ⁸⁰  His ⁸¹  servants ⁸²  will worship ⁸³  him, 22:4 and they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 22:5 Night will be no more, and they will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, because the Lord God will shine on them, and they will reign forever and ever.

A Final Reminder

22:6 Then ⁸⁴  the angel ⁸⁵  said to me, “These words are reliable ⁸⁶  and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants ⁸⁷  what must happen soon.”

22:7 (Look! I am coming soon!

Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy expressed in this book.) ⁸⁸ 

22:8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things, ⁸⁹  and when I heard and saw them, ⁹⁰  I threw myself down ⁹¹  to worship at the feet of the angel who was showing them to me. 22:9 But ⁹²  he said to me, “Do not do this! ⁹³  I am a fellow servant ⁹⁴  with you and with your brothers the prophets, and with those who obey ⁹⁵  the words of this book. Worship God!” 22:10 Then ⁹⁶  he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy contained in this book, because the time is near. 22:11 The evildoer must continue to do evil, ⁹⁷  and the one who is morally filthy ⁹⁸  must continue to be filthy. The ⁹⁹  one who is righteous must continue to act righteously, and the one who is holy must continue to be holy.”

22:12 (Look! I am coming soon,

and my reward is with me to pay ¹⁰⁰  each one according to what he has done!

22:13 I am the Alpha and the Omega,

the first and the last,

the beginning and the end!) ¹⁰¹ 

22:14 Blessed are those who wash their robes so they can have access ¹⁰²  to the tree of life and can enter into the city by the gates. 22:15 Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers ¹⁰³  and the sexually immoral, and the murderers, and the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood! ¹⁰⁴ 

22:16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star!” ¹⁰⁵  22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say: “Come!” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wants it take the water of life free of charge.

22:18 I testify to the one who hears the words of the prophecy contained in this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described ¹⁰⁶  in this book. 22:19 And if anyone takes away from the words of this book of prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life ¹⁰⁷  and in the holy city that are described in this book.

22:20 The one who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! 22:21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. ¹⁰⁸ 

[21:1]  ¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

[21:1]  ² tn For the translation of ἀπέρχομαι (apercomai; here ἀπῆλθαν [aphlqan]) L&N 13.93 has “to go out of existence – ‘to cease to exist, to pass away, to cease.’”

[21:3]  ³ tn Or “dwelling place”; traditionally, “tabernacle”; literally “tent.”

[21:3]  ⁴ tn Or “people”; Grk “men” (ἀνθρώπων, anqrwpwn), a generic use of the term. In the translation “human beings” was used here because “people” occurs later in the verse and translates a different Greek word (λαοί, laoi).

[21:3]  ⁵ tn Grk “men, and he.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[21:3]  ⁶ tc ‡ Most mss (א Ï^K) do not add the words “[as] their God” (αὐτῶν θεός, autwn qeos) after “he will be with them.” The mss with these words include A 2030 2050 2329 al. The Andreas group (Ï^A) also has the words, but in a different arrangement with the preceding (ἔσται μετ᾿ αὐτῶν θεὸς αὐτῶν, estai met’ autwn qeo" autwn). Not only do the words float, but scribes may have been motivated to make a connection here more directly with Isa 7:14; 8:8; Jer 24:7; 31:33; Zech 8:8. In light of sufficient external evidence as well as the possibility that the longer reading is theologically motivated, the shorter reading is preferred. NA²⁷ places the words in brackets, indicating doubts as to their authenticity.

[21:4]  ⁷ tn Grk “God, and he.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation. Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[21:4]  ⁸ tn For the translation of ἀπέρχομαι (apercomai; here ἀπῆλθαν [aphlqan]) L&N 13.93 has “to go out of existence – ‘to cease to exist, to pass away, to cease.’”

[21:5]  ⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[21:5]  ¹⁰ tn The words “it down” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[21:5]  ¹¹ tn Grk “faithful.”

[21:6]  ¹² tn Or “It has happened.”

[21:6]  ¹³ tn The word “water” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[21:6]  ¹⁴ tn Or “as a free gift” (see L&N 57.85).

[21:7]  ¹⁵ tn Or “who is victorious”; traditionally, “who overcomes.”

[21:8]  ¹⁶ tn On the term φαρμακεία (farmakeia, “magic spells”) see L&N 53.100: “the use of magic, often involving drugs and the casting of spells upon people – ‘to practice magic, to cast spells upon, to engage in sorcery, magic, sorcery.’ φαρμακεία: ἐν τῇ φαρμακείᾳ σου ἐπλανήθησαν πάντα τὰ ἔθνη ‘with your magic spells you deceived all the peoples (of the world)’ Re 18:23.”

[21:8]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “idolaters.”

[21:8]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “their share.”

[21:8]  ¹⁹ tn Traditionally, “brimstone.”

[21:8]  ²⁰ tn Grk “sulfur, which is.” The relative pronoun has been translated as “that” to indicate its connection to the previous clause. The nearest logical antecedent is “the lake [that burns with fire and sulfur],” although “lake” (λίμνη, limnh) is feminine gender, while the pronoun “which” (ὅ, Jo) is neuter gender. This means that (1) the proper antecedent could be “their place” (Grk “their share,”) agreeing with the relative pronoun in number and gender, or (2) the neuter pronoun still has as its antecedent the feminine noun “lake,” since agreement in gender between pronoun and antecedent was not always maintained, with an explanatory phrase occurring with a neuter pronoun regardless of the case of the antecedent. In favor of the latter explanation is Rev 20:14, where the phrase “the lake of fire” is in apposition to the phrase “the second death.”

[21:9]  ²¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

[21:9]  ²² tn Grk “with me.” The translation “with me” implies that John was engaged in a dialogue with the one speaking to him (e.g., Jesus or an angel) when in reality it was a one-sided conversation, with John doing all the listening. For this reason, μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ (met’ emou, “with me”) was translated as “to me.” See also v. 15.

[21:10]  ²³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the angel’s invitation.

[21:10]  ²⁴ 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]  ²⁵ tn Grk “to a mountain great and high.”

[21:11]  ²⁶ 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]  ²⁷ 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]  ²⁸ tn Grk “jasper, having.” Here a new sentence was started in the translation.

[21:12]  ²⁹ tn Grk “a (city) wall great and high.”

[21:12]  ³⁰ 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]  ³¹ tn Grk “of the sons of Israel.” The translation “nation of Israel” is given in L&N 11.58.

[21:12]  ³² tn Grk “on them”; the referent (the gates) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:13]  ³³ 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]  ³⁴ tn The word “side” has been supplied four times in this verse for clarity.

[21:14]  ³⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[21:15]  ³⁶ tn Grk “the one”; the referent (the angel of v. 9) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:16]  ³⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the somewhat parenthetical nature of the description of the city.

[21:16]  ³⁸ 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]  ³⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[21:16]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “with the rod”; the word “measuring” is supplied from the description in v. 15.

[21:16]  ⁴¹ 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]  ⁴² 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]  ⁴³ 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]  ⁴⁴ 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]  ⁴⁵ 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]  ⁴⁶ 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]  ⁴⁷ tn The perfect participle here has been translated as an intensive (resultative) perfect.

[21:19]  ⁴⁸ sn Agate (also called chalcedony) is a semiprecious stone usually milky or gray in color (L&N 2.32).

[21:20]  ⁴⁹ sn Onyx (also called sardonyx) is a semiprecious stone that comes in various colors (L&N 2.35).

[21:20]  ⁵⁰ sn Carnelian is a semiprecious gemstone, usually red in color (L&N 2.36).

[21:20]  ⁵¹ sn Chrysolite refers to either quartz or topaz, golden yellow in color (L&N 2.37).

[21:20]  ⁵² sn Beryl is a semiprecious stone, usually blue-green or green in color (L&N 2.38).

[21:20]  ⁵³ sn Chrysoprase is a greenish type of quartz (L&N 2.40).

[21:20]  ⁵⁴ 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]  ⁵⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[21:21]  ⁵⁶ tn The Greek word πλατεῖα (plateia) refers to a major (broad) street (L&N 1.103).

[21:22]  ⁵⁷ 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]  ⁵⁸ 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]  ⁵⁹ tn Or “the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).

[21:24]  ⁶⁰ tn Or “splendor”; Grk “glory.”

[21:25]  ⁶¹ 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]  ⁶² 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]  ⁶³ tn The clause has virtually the force of a parenthetical comment.

[21:26]  ⁶⁴ 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]  ⁶⁵ tn Or “the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).

[21:27]  ⁶⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[21:27]  ⁶⁷ 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]  ⁶⁸ tn Or “what is abhorrent”; Grk “who practices abominations.”

[21:27]  ⁶⁹ 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]  ⁷⁰ tn Grk “those who are written”; the word “names” is implied.

[22:1]  ⁷¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

[22:1]  ⁷² tn Grk “he”; the referent (the angel mentioned in 21:9, 15) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:1]  ⁷³ tn Grk “proceeding.” Water is more naturally thought to pour out or flow out in English idiom.

[22:2]  ⁷⁴ tn Grk “its”; the referent (the city, the new Jerusalem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:2]  ⁷⁵ tn The Greek word πλατεῖα (plateia) refers to a major (broad) street (L&N 1.103).

[22:2]  ⁷⁶ tn Grk “From here and from there.”

[22:2]  ⁷⁷ tn Or “twelve crops” (one for each month of the year).

[22:2]  ⁷⁸ tn The words “of the year” are implied.

[22:3]  ⁷⁹ tn Or “be anything accursed” (L&N 33.474).

[22:3]  ⁸⁰ tn Grk “in it”; the referent (the city, the new Jerusalem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:3]  ⁸¹ tn Grk “city, and his.” Although this is a continuation of the previous sentence in Greek, a new sentence was started here in the translation because of the introduction of the Lamb’s followers.

[22:3]  ⁸² tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.

[22:3]  ⁸³ tn Or “will serve.”

[22:6]  ⁸⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

[22:6]  ⁸⁵ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the angel mentioned in 21:9, 15; 22:1) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:6]  ⁸⁶ tn Grk “faithful.”

[22:6]  ⁸⁷ tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.

[22:7]  ⁸⁸ sn These lines are parenthetical, forming an aside to the narrative. The speaker here is the Lord Jesus Christ himself rather than the narrator.

[22:8]  ⁸⁹ tn Or “I am John, the one who heard and saw these things.”

[22:8]  ⁹⁰ tn The pronoun “them” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[22:8]  ⁹¹ tn Grk “I fell down and worshiped at the feet.” BDAG 815 s.v. πίπτω 1.b.α.ב. has “fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion or humility, before high-ranking persons or divine beings.”

[22:9]  ⁹² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present here.

[22:9]  ⁹³ tn On the elliptical expression ὅρα μή ({ora mh) BDAG 720 s.v. ὁράω B.2 states: “Elliptically…ὅρα μή (sc. ποιήσῃς) watch out! don’t do that! Rv 19:10; 22:9.”

[22:9]  ⁹⁴ tn Grk “fellow slave.” Though σύνδουλος (sundoulos) is here translated “fellow servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.

[22:9]  ⁹⁵ tn Grk “keep” (an idiom for obedience).

[22:10]  ⁹⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[22:11]  ⁹⁷ tn Grk “must do evil still.”

[22:11]  ⁹⁸ tn For this translation see L&N 88.258; the term refers to living in moral filth.

[22:11]  ⁹⁹ tn Grk “filthy, and the.” This is a continuation of the previous sentence in Greek, but because of the length and complexity of the construction a new sentence was started in the translation.

[22:12]  ¹⁰⁰ tn The Greek term may be translated either “pay” or “pay back” and has something of a double meaning here. However, because of the mention of “wages” (“reward,” another wordplay with two meanings) in the previous clause, the translation “pay” for ἀποδοῦναι (apodounai) was used here.

[22:13]  ¹⁰¹ sn These lines are parenthetical, forming an aside to the narrative. The speaker here is the Lord Jesus Christ himself rather than the narrator.

[22:14]  ¹⁰² tn Grk “so that there will be to them authority over the tree of life.”

[22:15]  ¹⁰³ tn On the term φάρμακοι (farmakoi) see L&N 53.101.

[22:15]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Or “lying,” “deceit.”

[22:16]  ¹⁰⁵ tn On this expression BDAG 892 s.v. πρωϊνός states, “early, belonging to the morning ὁ ἀστὴρ ὁ πρ. the morning star, Venus Rv 2:28; 22:16.”

[22:18]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Grk “written.”

[22:19]  ¹⁰⁷ tc The Textus Receptus, on which the KJV rests, reads “the book” of life (ἀπὸ βίβλου, apo biblou) instead of “the tree” of life. When the Dutch humanist Desiderius Erasmus translated the NT he had access to no Greek mss for the last six verses of Revelation. So he translated the Latin Vulgate back into Greek at this point. As a result he created seventeen textual variants which were not in any Greek mss. The most notorious of these is this reading. It is thus decidedly inauthentic, while “the tree” of life, found in the best and virtually all Greek mss, is clearly authentic. The confusion was most likely due to an intra-Latin switch: The form of the word for “tree” in Latin in this passage is ligno; the word for “book” is libro. The two-letter difference accounts for an accidental alteration in some Latin mss; that “book of life” as well as “tree of life” is a common expression in the Apocalypse probably accounts for why this was not noticed by Erasmus or the KJV translators. (This textual problem is not discussed in NA²⁷.)

[22:21]  ¹⁰⁸ tc Most mss (א Ï) read “amen” (ἀμήν, amhn) after “all” (πάντων, pantwn). It is, however, not found in other important mss (A 1006 1841 pc). It is easier to account for its addition than its omission from the text if original. Such a conclusion is routinely added by scribes to NT books because a few of these books originally had such an ending (cf. Rom 16:27; Gal 6:18; Jude 25). A majority of Greek witnesses have the concluding ἀμήν in every NT book except Acts, James, and 3 John (and even in these books, ἀμήν is found in some witnesses). It is thus a predictable variant.