Revelation 4:11

4:11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God,

to receive glory and honor and power,

since you created all things,

and because of your will they existed and were created!” ¹ 

Revelation 5:12

5:12 all of whom ²  were singing ³  in a loud voice:

“Worthy is the lamb who was killed ⁴ 

to receive power and wealth

and wisdom and might

and honor and glory and praise!”

Revelation 6:4

6:4 And another horse, fiery red, ⁵  came out, and the one who rode it ⁶  was granted permission ⁷  to take peace from the earth, so that people would butcher ⁸  one another, and he was given a huge sword.

Revelation 5:9

5:9 They were singing a new song: ⁹ 

“You are worthy to take the scroll

and to open its seals

because you were killed, ¹⁰ 

and at the cost of your own blood ¹¹  you have purchased ¹²  for God

persons ¹³  from every tribe, language, ¹⁴  people, and nation.

[4:11]  ¹ tc The past tense of “they existed” (ἦσαν, hsan) and the order of the expression “they existed and were created” seems backwards both logically and chronologically. The text as it stands is the more difficult reading and seems to have given rise to codex A omitting the final “they were created,” 2329 replacing “they existed” (ἦσαν) with “have come into being” (ἐγένοντο, egeneto), and 046 adding οὐκ (ouk, “not”) before ἦσαν (“they did not exist, [but were created]”). Several mss (1854 2050 Ï^A sa) also attempt to alleviate the problem by replacing ἦσαν with “they are” (εἰσιν, eisin).

[5:12]  ² tn The words “all of whom” are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied to indicate the resumption of the phrase “the voice of many angels” at the beginning of the verse.

[5:12]  ³ tn Grk “saying.”

[5:12]  ⁴ tn Or “slaughtered”; traditionally, “slain.”

[6:4]  ³ tn L&N 79.31 states, “‘fiery red’ (probably with a tinge of yellow or orange).”

[6:4]  ⁴ tn Grk “the one sitting on it.”

[6:4]  ⁵ tn The word “permission” is implied; Grk “it was given to him to take peace from the earth.”

[6:4]  ⁶ tn BDAG 979 s.v. σφάζω states, “Of the killing of a person by violence…σφάζειν τινά butcher or murder someone (4 Km 10:7; Jer 52:10; Manetho: 609 fgm. 8, 76 Jac. [in Jos., C. Ap. 1, 76]; Demetr.[?]: 722 fgm. 7; Ar. 10, 9) 1J 3:12; Rv 6:4. Pass. (Hdt. 5, 5) 5:9; 6:9; 18:24.”

[5:9]  ⁴ tn The redundant participle λέγοντες (legontes) has not been translated here.

[5:9]  ⁵ tn Or “slaughtered”; traditionally, “slain.”

[5:9]  ⁶ tn The preposition ἐν (en) is taken to indicate price here, like the Hebrew preposition ב (bet) does at times. BDAG 329 s.v. ἐν 5.b states, “The ἐν which takes the place of the gen. of price is also instrumental ἠγόρασας ἐν τῷ αἵματί σου Rv 5:9 (cp. 1 Ch 21:24 ἀγοράζω ἐν ἀργυρίῳ).”

[5:9]  ⁷ tc The Greek text as it stands above (i.e., the reading τῷ θεῷ [tw qew] alone) is found in codex A. א 2050 2344 Ï sy add the term “us” (ἡμᾶς, Jhmas), either before or after τῷ θεῷ, as an attempt to clarify the object of “purchased” (ἠγόρασας, hgorasa"). A few mss (1 vg^ms) delete the reference to God altogether and simply replace it with “us” (ἡμᾶς). This too is an attempt to remove ambiguity in the phrase and provide an object for “purchased.” The shorter reading, supported by the best witness for Revelation, best accounts for the other readings.

[5:9]  ⁸ tn The word “persons” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[5:9]  ⁹ tn Grk “and language,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.