Revelation 5:1

The Opening of the Scroll

5:1 Then ¹  I saw in the right hand of the one who was seated on the throne a scroll written on the front and back ²  and sealed with seven seals. ³ 

Revelation 17:5

17:5 On ⁴  her forehead was written a name, a mystery: ⁵  “Babylon the Great, the Mother of prostitutes and of the detestable things of the earth.”

Revelation 19:12

19:12 His eyes are like a fiery ⁶  flame and there are many diadem crowns ⁷  on his head. He has ⁸  a name written ⁹  that no one knows except himself.

[5:1]  ¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

[5:1]  ² tn Grk “written on the inside and the outside” (an idiom for having writing on both sides).

[5:1]  ³ tn L&N 6.55 states, “From the immediate context of Re 5:1 it is not possible to determine whether the scroll in question had seven seals on the outside or whether the scroll was sealed at seven different points. However, since according to chapter six of Revelation the seals were broken one after another, it would appear as though the scroll had been sealed at seven different places as it had been rolled up.”

[17:5]  ⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[17:5]  ⁵ tn Some translations consider the word μυστήριον (musthrion, “mystery”) a part of the name written (“Mystery Babylon the Great,” so KJV, NIV), but the gender of both ὄνομα (onoma, “name”) and μυστήριον are neuter, while the gender of “Babylon” is feminine. This strongly suggests that μυστήριον should be understood as an appositive to ὄνομα (“a name, i.e., a mystery”).

[19:12]  ⁷ tn The genitive noun πυρός (puros) has been translated as an attributive genitive (see also Rev 1:14).

[19:12]  ⁸ tn For the translation of διάδημα (diadhma) as “diadem crown” see L&N 6.196.

[19:12]  ⁹ tn Grk “head, having.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[19:12]  ¹⁰ tn Although many translations supply a prepositional phrase to specify what the name was written on (“upon Him,” NASB; “on him,” NIV), there is no location for the name specified in the Greek text.