Revelation 8:3

Context
8:3 Another¹ angel holding² a golden censer³ came and was stationed⁴ at the altar. A⁵ large amount of incense was given to him to offer up, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar that is before the throne.

Revelation 13:1

Context

The Two Beasts

13:1 Then⁶ I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. It⁷ had ten horns and seven heads, and on its horns were ten diadem crowns,⁸ and on its heads a blasphemous name.⁹

[8:3] ¹tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[8:3] ²tn Grk “having.”

[8:3] ³sn A golden censer was a bowl in which incense was burned. The imagery suggests the OT role of the priest.

[8:3] ⁴tn The verb “to station” was used to translate ἑστάθη (Jestaqh) because it connotes the idea of purposeful arrangement in English, which seems to be the idea in the Greek.

[8:3] ⁵tn 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 because of differences between Greek and English style.

[13:1] ⁶tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

[13:1] ⁷tn Grk “having” (a continuation of the previous sentence). All of the pronouns referring to this beast (along with the second beast appearing in 13:11) could be translated as “it” because the word for beast (θηρίον, qhrion) is neuter gender in Greek and all the pronouns related to it are parsed as neuter in the Gramcord/Accordance database. Nevertheless, most interpreters would agree that the beast ultimately represents a human ruler, so beginning at the end of v. 4 the masculine pronouns (“he,” “him,” etc.) are used to refer to the first beast as well as the second beast appearing in 13:11.

[13:1] ⁸tn For the translation of διάδημα (diadhma) as “diadem crown” see L&N 6.196.

[13:1] ⁹tc ‡ Several mss (A 051 1611 1854 2053 2344 2351 Ï^K) read the plural ὀνόματα (onomata, “[blasphemous] names”), while the singular ὄνομα (onoma, “name”) has somewhat better support (Ì⁴⁷ א C 1006 1841 2329 Ï^A). The plural reading seems motivated by the fact that what is written is written “on its heads.” In the least, it is a clarifying reading. NA²⁷ puts the plural in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.