Deuteronomy 11:1-32 
Context11:1 You must love the Lord your God and do what he requires; keep his statutes, ordinances, and commandments 1 at all times. 11:2 Bear in mind today that I am not speaking 2 to your children who have not personally experienced the judgments 3 of the Lord your God, which revealed 4 his greatness, strength, and power. 5 11:3 They did not see 6 the awesome deeds he performed 7 in the midst of Egypt against Pharaoh king of Egypt and his whole land, 11:4 or what he did to the army of Egypt, including their horses and chariots, when he made the waters of the Red Sea 8 overwhelm them while they were pursuing you and he 9 annihilated them. 10 11:5 They did not see 11 what he did to you in the desert before you reached this place, 11:6 or what he did to Dathan and Abiram, 12 sons of Eliab the Reubenite, 13 when the earth opened its mouth in the middle of the Israelite camp 14 and swallowed them, their families, 15 their tents, and all the property they brought with them. 16 11:7 I am speaking to you 17 because you are the ones who saw all the great deeds of the Lord!
11:8 Now pay attention to all the commandments 18 I am giving 19 you today, so that you may be strong enough to enter and possess the land where you are headed, 20 11:9 and that you may enjoy long life in the land the Lord promised to give to your ancestors 21 and their descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey. 11:10 For the land where you are headed 22 is not like the land of Egypt from which you came, a land where you planted seed and which you irrigated by hand 23 like a vegetable garden. 11:11 Instead, the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy 24 is one of hills and valleys, a land that drinks in water from the rains, 25 11:12 a land the Lord your God looks after. 26 He is constantly attentive to it 27 from the beginning to the end of the year. 28 11:13 Now, if you pay close attention 29 to my commandments that I am giving you today and love 30 the Lord your God and serve him with all your mind and being, 31 11:14 then he promises, 32 “I will send rain for your land 33 in its season, the autumn and the spring rains, 34 so that you may gather in your grain, new wine, and olive oil. 11:15 I will provide pasture 35 for your livestock and you will eat your fill.”
11:16 Make sure you do not turn away to serve and worship other gods! 36 11:17 Then the anger of the Lord will erupt 37 against you and he will close up the sky 38 so that it does not rain. The land will not yield its produce, and you will soon be removed 39 from the good land that the Lord 40 is about to give you. 11:18 Fix these words of mine into your mind and being, 41 and tie them as a reminder on your hands and let them be symbols 42 on your forehead. 11:19 Teach them to your children and speak of them as you sit in your house, as you walk along the road, 43 as you lie down, and as you get up. 11:20 Inscribe them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates 11:21 so that your days and those of your descendants may be extended in the land which the Lord promised to give to your ancestors, like the days of heaven itself. 44 11:22 For if you carefully observe all of these commandments 45 I am giving you 46 and love the Lord your God, live according to his standards, 47 and remain loyal to him, 11:23 then he 48 will drive out all these nations ahead of you, and you will dispossess nations greater and stronger than you. 11:24 Every place you set your foot 49 will be yours; your border will extend from the desert to Lebanon and from the River (that is, the Euphrates) as far as the Mediterranean Sea. 50 11:25 Nobody will be able to resist you; the Lord your God will spread the fear and terror of you over the whole land on which you walk, just as he promised you.
11:26 Take note – I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: 51 11:27 the blessing if you take to heart 52 the commandments of the Lord your God that I am giving you today, 11:28 and the curse if you pay no attention 53 to his 54 commandments and turn from the way I am setting before 55 you today to pursue 56 other gods you have not known. 11:29 When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are to possess, you must pronounce the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal. 57 11:30 Are they not across the Jordan River, 58 toward the west, in the land of the Canaanites who live in the Arabah opposite Gilgal 59 near the oak 60 of Moreh? 11:31 For you are about to cross the Jordan to possess the land the Lord your God is giving you, and you will possess and inhabit it. 11:32 Be certain to keep all the statutes and ordinances that I am presenting to you today.
Psalms 95:1--96:13
Context95:1 Come! Let’s sing for joy to the Lord!
Let’s shout out praises to our protector who delivers us! 62
95:2 Let’s enter his presence 63 with thanksgiving!
Let’s shout out to him in celebration! 64
95:3 For the Lord is a great God,
a great king who is superior to 65 all gods.
95:4 The depths of the earth are in his hand, 66
and the mountain peaks belong to him.
95:5 The sea is his, for he made it.
His hands formed the dry land.
95:6 Come! Let’s bow down and worship! 67
Let’s kneel before the Lord, our creator!
95:7 For he is our God;
we are the people of his pasture,
the sheep he owns. 68
Today, if only you would obey him! 69
95:8 He says, 70 “Do not be stubborn like they were at Meribah, 71
like they were that day at Massah 72 in the wilderness, 73
95:9 where your ancestors challenged my authority, 74
and tried my patience, even though they had seen my work.
95:10 For forty years I was continually disgusted 75 with that generation,
and I said, ‘These people desire to go astray; 76
they do not obey my commands.’ 77
95:11 So I made a vow in my anger,
‘They will never enter into the resting place I had set aside for them.’” 78
96:1 Sing to the Lord a new song! 80
Sing to the Lord, all the earth!
96:2 Sing to the Lord! Praise his name!
Announce every day how he delivers! 81
96:3 Tell the nations about his splendor!
Tell 82 all the nations about his amazing deeds!
96:4 For the Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise;
he is more awesome than all gods. 83
96:5 For all the gods of the nations are worthless, 84
but the Lord made the sky.
96:6 Majestic splendor emanates from him; 85
his sanctuary is firmly established and beautiful. 86
96:7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the nations,
ascribe to the Lord splendor and strength!
96:8 Ascribe to the Lord the splendor he deserves! 87
Bring an offering and enter his courts!
96:9 Worship the Lord in holy attire! 88
Tremble before him, all the earth!
96:10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!
The world is established, it cannot be moved.
He judges the nations fairly.”
96:11 Let the sky rejoice, and the earth be happy!
Let the sea and everything in it shout!
96:12 Let the fields and everything in them celebrate!
Then let the trees of the forest shout with joy
96:13 before the Lord, for he comes!
For he comes to judge the earth!
He judges the world fairly, 89
and the nations in accordance with his justice. 90
Isaiah 39:1-8
Context39:1 At that time Merodach-Baladan son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a gift to Hezekiah, for he heard that Hezekiah had been ill and had recovered. 39:2 Hezekiah welcomed 91 them and showed them his storehouse with its silver, gold, spices, and high-quality olive oil, as well as his whole armory and everything in his treasuries. Hezekiah showed them everything in his palace and in his whole kingdom. 92 39:3 Isaiah the prophet visited King Hezekiah and asked him, “What did these men say? Where do they come from?” Hezekiah replied, “They come from the distant land of Babylon.” 39:4 Isaiah 93 asked, “What have they seen in your palace?” Hezekiah replied, “They have seen everything in my palace. I showed them everything in my treasuries.” 39:5 Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Listen to the word of the Lord who commands armies: 39:6 ‘Look, a time is coming when everything in your palace and the things your ancestors 94 have accumulated to this day will be carried away to Babylon; nothing will be left,’ says the Lord. 39:7 ‘Some of your very own descendants whom you father 95 will be taken away and will be made eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.’” 39:8 Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The Lord’s word which you have announced is appropriate.” 96 Then he thought, 97 “For 98 there will be peace and stability during my lifetime.”
Revelation 9:1-21
Context9:1 Then 99 the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky 100 to the earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the abyss. 101 9:2 He 102 opened the shaft of the abyss and smoke rose out of it 103 like smoke from a giant furnace. The 104 sun and the air were darkened with smoke from the shaft. 9:3 Then 105 out of the smoke came locusts onto the earth, and they were given power 106 like that of the scorpions of the earth. 9:4 They 107 were told 108 not to damage the grass of the earth, or any green plant or tree, but only those people 109 who did not have the seal of God on their 110 forehead. 9:5 The locusts 111 were not given permission 112 to kill 113 them, but only to torture 114 them 115 for five months, and their torture was like that 116 of a scorpion when it stings a person. 117 9:6 In 118 those days people 119 will seek death, but 120 will not be able to 121 find it; they will long to die, but death will flee from them.
9:7 Now 122 the locusts looked like horses equipped for battle. On 123 their heads were something like crowns similar to gold, 124 and their faces looked like men’s 125 faces. 9:8 They 126 had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. 9:9 They had breastplates 127 like iron breastplates, and the sound of their wings was like the noise of many horse-drawn chariots charging into battle. 9:10 They have 128 tails and stingers like scorpions, and their ability 129 to injure people for five months is in their tails. 9:11 They have as king over them the angel of the abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon. 130
9:12 The first woe has passed, but 131 two woes are still coming after these things!
9:13 Then 132 the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a single voice coming from the 133 horns on the golden altar that is before God, 9:14 saying to the sixth angel, the one holding 134 the trumpet, “Set free 135 the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates!” 9:15 Then 136 the four angels who had been prepared for this 137 hour, day, 138 month, and year were set free to kill 139 a third of humanity. 9:16 The 140 number of soldiers on horseback was two hundred million; 141 I heard their number. 9:17 Now 142 this is what the horses and their riders 143 looked like in my 144 vision: The riders had breastplates that were fiery red, 145 dark blue, 146 and sulfurous 147 yellow in color. 148 The 149 heads of the horses looked like lions’ heads, and fire, smoke, and sulfur 150 came out of their mouths. 9:18 A third of humanity was killed by these three plagues, that is, 151 by the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur that came out of their mouths. 9:19 For the power 152 of the horses resides 153 in their mouths and in their tails, because their tails are like snakes, having heads that inflict injuries. 9:20 The rest of humanity, who had not been killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so that they did not stop worshiping demons and idols made 154 of gold, silver, 155 bronze, stone, and wood – idols that cannot see or hear or walk about. 9:21 Furthermore, 156 they did not repent of their murders, of their magic spells, 157 of their sexual immorality, or of their stealing.
1 tn This collocation of technical terms for elements of the covenant text lends support to its importance and also signals a new section of paraenesis in which Moses will exhort Israel to covenant obedience. The Hebrew term מִשְׁמָרוֹת (mishmarot, “obligations”) sums up the three terms that follow – חֻקֹּת (khuqot), מִשְׁפָּטִים (mishppatim), and מִצְוֹת (mitsot).
2 tn Heb “that not.” The words “I am speaking” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
3 tn Heb “who have not known and who have not seen the discipline of the Lord.” The collocation of the verbs “know” and “see” indicates that personal experience (knowing by seeing) is in view. The term translated “discipline” (KJV, ASV “chastisement”) may also be rendered “instruction,” but vv. 2b-6 indicate that the referent of the term is the various acts of divine judgment the Israelites had witnessed.
4 tn The words “which revealed” have been supplied in the translation to show the logical relationship between the terms that follow and the divine judgments. In the Hebrew text the former are in apposition to the latter.
5 tn Heb “his strong hand and his stretched-out arm.”
6 tn In the Hebrew text vv. 2-7 are one long sentence. For stylistic reasons the English translation divides the passage into three sentences. To facilitate this stylistic decision the words “They did not see” are supplied at the beginning of both v. 3 and v. 5, and “I am speaking” at the beginning of v. 7.
7 tn Heb “his signs and his deeds which he did” (NRSV similar). The collocation of “signs” and “deeds” indicates that these acts were intended to make an impression on observers and reveal something about God’s power (cf. v. 2b). The word “awesome” has been employed to bring out the force of the word “signs” in this context.
8 tn Heb “Reed Sea.” “Reed Sea” (or “Sea of Reeds”) is a more accurate rendering of the Hebrew expression יָם סוּף (yam suf), traditionally translated “Red Sea.” See note on the term “Red Sea” in Exod 13:18.
9 tn Heb “the
10 tn Heb “and the Lord destroyed them to this day” (cf. NRSV); NLT “he has kept them devastated to this very day.” The translation uses the verb “annihilated” to indicate the permanency of the action.
11 tn See note on these same words in v. 3.
12 sn Dathan and Abiram. These two (along with others) had challenged Moses’ leadership in the desert with the result that the earth beneath them opened up and they and their families disappeared (Num 16:1-3, 31-35).
13 tn Or “the descendant of Reuben”; Heb “son of Reuben.”
14 tn Heb “in the midst of all Israel” (so KJV, ASV, NRSV); NASB “among all Israel.” In the Hebrew text these words appear at the end of the verse, but they are logically connected with the verbs. To make this clear the translation places the phrase after the first verb.
15 tn Heb “their houses,” referring to all who lived in their household. Cf. KJV, ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT “households.”
16 tn Heb “and all the substance which was at their feet.”
17 tn On the addition of these words in the translation see note on “They did not see” in v. 3.
18 tn Heb “the commandment.” The singular מִצְוָה (mitsvah, “commandment”) speaks here as elsewhere of the whole corpus of covenant stipulations in Deuteronomy (cf. 6:1, 25; 7:11; 8:1).
19 tn Heb “commanding” (so NASB, NRSV). For stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy, “giving” has been used in the translation (likewise in vv. 13, 27).
20 tn Heb “which you are crossing over there to possess it.”
21 tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 21).
22 tn Heb “you are going there to possess it”; NASB “into which you are about to cross to possess it”; NRSV “that you are crossing over to occupy.”
23 tn Heb “with your foot” (so NASB, NLT). There is a two-fold significance to this phrase. First, Egypt had no rain so water supply depended on human efforts at irrigation. Second, the Nile was the source of irrigation waters but those waters sometimes had to be pumped into fields and gardens by foot-power, perhaps the kind of machinery (Arabic shaduf) still used by Egyptian farmers (see C. Aldred, The Egyptians, 181). Nevertheless, the translation uses “by hand,” since that expression is the more common English idiom for an activity performed by manual labor.
24 tn Heb “which you are crossing over there to possess it.”
25 tn Heb “rain of heaven.”
26 tn Heb “seeks.” The statement reflects the ancient belief that God (Baal in Canaanite thinking) directly controlled storms and rainfall.
27 tn Heb “the eyes of the
sn Constantly attentive to it. This attention to the land by the
28 sn From the beginning to the end of the year. This refers to the agricultural year that was marked by the onset of the heavy rains, thus the autumn. See note on the phrase “the former and the latter rains” in v. 14.
29 tn Heb “if hearing, you will hear.” The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute to emphasize the verbal idea. The translation renders this emphasis with the word “close.”
30 tn Again, the Hebrew term אָהַב (’ahav) draws attention to the reciprocation of divine love as a condition or sign of covenant loyalty (cf. Deut 6:5).
31 tn Heb “heart and soul” or “heart and being.” See note on the word “being” in Deut 6:5.
32 tn The words “he promises” do not appear in the Hebrew text but are needed in the translation to facilitate the transition from the condition (v. 13) to the promise and make it clear that the Lord is speaking the words of vv. 14-15.
33 tn Heb “the rain of your land.” In this case the genitive (modifying term) indicates the recipient of the rain.
34 sn The autumn and the spring rains. The “former” (יוֹרֶה, yoreh) and “latter” (מַלְקוֹשׁ, malqosh) rains come in abundance respectively in September/October and March/April. Planting of most crops takes place before the former rains fall and the harvests follow the latter rains.
35 tn Heb “grass in your field.”
36 tn Heb “Watch yourselves lest your heart turns and you turn aside and serve other gods and bow down to them.”
37 tn Heb “will become hot”; KJV, NASB, NRSV “will be kindled”; NAB “will flare up”; NIV, NLT “will burn.”
38 tn Or “heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.
39 tn Or “be destroyed”; NAB, NIV “will soon perish.”
40 tn Heb “the
41 tn Heb “heart and soul” or “heart and being.” See note on the word “being” in Deut 6:5.
42 tn On the Hebrew term טוֹטָפֹת (totafot, “reminders”), cf. Deut 6:4-9.
43 tn Or “as you are away on a journey” (cf. NRSV, TEV, NLT); NAB “at home and abroad.”
44 tn Heb “like the days of the heavens upon the earth,” that is, forever.
45 tn Heb “this commandment.” See note at Deut 5:30.
46 tn Heb “commanding you to do it.” For stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy, “giving” has been used in the translation and “to do it” has been left untranslated.
47 tn Heb “walk in all his ways” (so KJV, NIV); TEV “do everything he commands.”
48 tn Heb “the
49 tn Heb “the sole of your foot walks.” The placing of the foot symbolizes conquest and dominion, especially on land or on the necks of enemies (cf. Deut 1:36; Ps 7:13; Isa 63:3 Hab 3:19; Zech 9:13). See E. H. Merrill, NIDOTTE 1:992.
50 tn Heb “the after sea,” that is, the sea behind one when one is facing east, which is the normal OT orientation. Cf. ASV “the hinder sea.”
51 sn A blessing and a curse. Every extant treaty text of the late Bronze Age attests to a section known as the “blessings and curses,” the former for covenant loyalty and the latter for covenant breach. Blessings were promised rewards for obedience; curses were threatened judgments for disobedience. In the Book of Deuteronomy these are fully developed in 27:1–28:68. Here Moses adumbrates the whole by way of anticipation.
52 tn Heb “listen to,” that is, obey.
53 tn Heb “do not listen to,” that is, do not obey.
54 tn Heb “the commandments of the
55 tn Heb “am commanding” (so NASB, NRSV).
56 tn Heb “walk after”; NIV “by following”; NLT “by worshiping.” This is a violation of the first commandment, the most serious of the covenant violations (Deut 5:6-7).
57 sn Mount Gerizim…Mount Ebal. These two mountains are near the ancient site of Shechem and the modern city of Nablus. The valley between them is like a great amphitheater with the mountain slopes as seating sections. The place was sacred because it was there that Abraham pitched his camp and built his first altar after coming to Canaan (Gen 12:6). Jacob also settled at Shechem for a time and dug a well from which Jesus once requested a drink of water (Gen 33:18-20; John 4:5-7). When Joshua and the Israelites finally brought Canaan under control they assembled at Shechem as Moses commanded and undertook a ritual of covenant reaffirmation (Josh 8:30-35; 24:1, 25). Half the tribes stood on Mt. Gerizim and half on Mt. Ebal and in antiphonal chorus pledged their loyalty to the
58 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
59 sn Gilgal. From a Hebrew verb root גָלַל (galal, “to roll”) this place name means “circle” or “rolling,” a name given because God had “rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you” (Josh 5:9). It is perhaps to be identified with Khirbet el-Metjir, 1.2 mi (2 km) northeast of OT Jericho.
60 tc The MT plural “oaks” (אֵלוֹנֵי, ’eloney) should probably be altered (with many Greek texts) to the singular “oak” (אֵלוֹן, ’elon; cf. NRSV) in line with the only other occurrence of the phrase (Gen 12:6). The Syriac, Tg. Ps.-J. read mmrá, confusing this place with the “oaks of Mamre” near Hebron (Gen 13:18). Smr also appears to confuse “Moreh” with “Mamre” (reading mwr’, a combined form), adding the clarification mwl shkm (“near Shechem”) apparently to distinguish it from Mamre near Hebron.
61 sn Psalm 95. The psalmist summons Israel to praise God as the creator of the world and the nation’s protector, but he also reminds the people not to rebel against God.
62 tn Heb “to the rocky summit of our deliverance.”
63 tn Heb “meet his face.”
64 tn Heb “with songs of joy.”
65 tn Heb “above.”
66 tn The phrase “in his hand” means within the sphere of his authority.
67 tn Heb “kneel down.”
68 tn Heb “of his hand.”
69 tn Heb “if only you would listen to his voice.” The Hebrew particle אִם (’im, “if”) and following prefixed verbal form here express a wish (cf. Ps 81:8). Note that the apodosis (the “then” clause of the conditional sentence) is suppressed.
70 tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation to clarify that the following words are spoken by the Lord (see vv. 9-11).
71 sn The name Meribah means “strife.” Two separate but similar incidents at Meribah are recorded in the Pentateuch (Exod 17:1-7; Num 20:1-13, see also Pss 81:7; 106:32). In both cases the Israelites complained about lack of water and the Lord miraculously provided for them.
72 sn The name Massah means “testing.” This was another name (along with Meribah) given to the place where Israel complained following the Red Sea Crossing (see Exod 17:1-7, as well as Deut 6:16; 9:22; 33:8).
73 tn Heb “do not harden your heart[s] as [at] Meribah, as [in] the day of Massah in the wilderness.”
74 tn Heb “where your fathers tested me.”
75 tn The prefixed verbal form is either a preterite or an imperfect. If the latter, it emphasizes the ongoing nature of the condition in the past. The translation reflects this interpretation of the verbal form.
76 tn Heb “a people, wanderers of heart [are] they.”
77 tn Heb “and they do not know my ways.” In this context the
78 tn Heb “my resting place.” The promised land of Canaan is here viewed metaphorically as a place of rest for God’s people, who are compared to sheep (see v. 7).
79 sn Psalm 96. The psalmist summons everyone to praise the Lord, the sovereign creator of the world who preserves and promotes justice in the earth.
80 sn A new song is appropriate because the
81 tn Heb “announce from day to day his deliverance.”
82 tn The verb “tell” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).
83 tn Or perhaps “and feared by all gods.” See Ps 89:7.
84 tn The Hebrew term אֱלִילִים (’elilim, “worthless”) sounds like אֱלֹהִים (’elohim, “gods”). The sound play draws attention to the statement.
85 tn Heb “majesty and splendor [are] before him.”
86 tn Heb “strength and beauty [are] in his sanctuary.”
87 tn Heb “the splendor of [i.e., “due”] his name.”
88 tn Or “in holy splendor.”
89 tn The verbal forms in v. 13 probably describe God’s typical, characteristic behavior, though they may depict in dramatic fashion the outworking of divine judgment or anticipate a future judgment of worldwide proportions, in which case they could be translated “will judge the world.”
90 tn Heb “and the nations with his integrity.”
91 tn Heb “was happy with”; NAB, NASB “was pleased”; NIV “received the envoys gladly.”
92 tn Heb “there was nothing which Hezekiah did not show them in his house and in all his kingdom.”
93 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Isaiah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
94 tn Heb “fathers” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV).
95 tn Heb “Some of your sons, who go out from you, whom you father.”
96 tn Heb “good” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “favorable.”
97 tn Heb “and he said.” The verb אָמַר (’amar, “say”) is sometimes used of what one thinks (that is, says to oneself).
98 tn Or “surely”; cf. CEV “At least.”
99 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
100 tn Or “from heaven” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).
101 tn On this term BDAG 2 s.v. ἄβυσσος 2 states, “netherworld, abyss, esp. the abode of the dead Ro 10:7 (Ps 106:26) and of demons Lk 8:31; dungeon where the devil is kept Rv 20:3; abode of the θηρίον, the Antichrist 11:7; 17:8; of ᾿Αβαδδών (q.v.), the angel of the underworld 9:11…φρέαρ τῆς ἀ. 9:1f; capable of being sealed 9:1; 20:1, 3.”
102 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
103 tn Grk “the shaft,” but since this would be somewhat redundant in English, the pronoun “it” is used here.
104 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
105 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
106 tn See BDAG 352 s.v. ἐξουσία 2, “potential or resource to command, control, or govern, capability, might, power.”
107 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
108 tn The dative indirect object (αὐταῖς, autais) was converted into the subject (“they”) as this more closely approximates English usage. The following ἵ῞να (Jina) is taken as substantival, introducing a direct object clause. In this case, because it is reported speech, the ἵνα is similar to the declarative ὅτι (Joti).
109 tn Grk “men”; but ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used in a generic sense here of both men and women.
110 tn The article τῶν (twn) has been translated as a possessive pronoun here (ExSyn 215).
111 tn Grk “It was not permitted to them”; the referent (the locusts) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
112 tn The word “permission” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
113 tn The two ἵνα (Jina) clauses of 9:5 are understood to be functioning as epexegetical or complementary clauses related to ἐδόθη (edoqh).
114 tn On this term BDAG 168 s.v. βασανισμός states, “1. infliction of severe suffering or pain associated with torture or torment, tormenting, torture Rv 9:5b. – 2. the severe pain experienced through torture, torment vs. 5a; 14:11; 18:10, 15; (w. πένθος) vs. 7.”
115 tn The pronoun “them” is not in the Greek text but is picked up from the previous clause.
116 tn Grk “like the torture,” but this is redundant in contemporary English.
117 tn Grk “a man”; but ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used here in an individualized sense without being limited to the male gender.
118 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
119 tn Grk “men”; but ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used in a generic sense here of both men and women.
120 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
121 tn The phrase “not be able to” was used in the translation to emphasize the strong negation (οὐ μή, ou mh) in the Greek text.
122 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the introduction of the description of the locusts, which is somewhat parenthetical in the narrative.
123 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
124 tn The translation attempts to bring out the double uncertainty in this clause in the Greek text, involving both the form (ὡς στέφανοι, Jw" stefanoi, “like crowns”) and the material (ὅμοιοι χρυσῷ, {omoioi crusw, “similar to gold”).
125 tn Or “human faces.” The Greek term ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpos) is often used in a generic sense, referring to both men and women. However, because “women’s hair” in the next clause suggests a possible gender distinction here, “men’s” was retained.
126 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
127 tn Or perhaps, “scales like iron breastplates” (RSV, NRSV) although the Greek term θώραξ (qwrax) would have to shift its meaning within the clause, and elsewhere in biblical usage (e.g., Eph 6:14; 1 Thess 5:8) it normally means “breastplate.” See also L&N 8.38.
128 tn In the Greek text there is a shift to the present tense here; the previous verbs translated “had” are imperfects.
129 tn See BDAG 352 s.v. ἐξουσία 2, “potential or resource to command, control, or govern, capability, might, power.”
130 sn Both the Hebrew Abaddon and the Greek Apollyon mean “Destroyer.”
131 tn Grk “behold.” Here ἰδού (idou) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in the context.
132 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
133 tc ‡ Several key
134 tn Grk “having.”
135 tn On λῦσον (luson) BDAG 606-7 s.v. λύω 2 states, “set free, loose, untie – a. lit. a pers., animal, or thing that is bound or tied…Angels that are bound Rv 9:14f.”
136 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
137 tn The Greek article τήν (thn) has been translated with demonstrative force here.
138 tn The Greek term καί (kai) has not been translated here and before the following term “month” since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
139 tn Grk “so that they might kill,” but the English infinitive is an equivalent construction to indicate purpose here.
140 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
141 tn Grk “twenty thousand of ten thousands.”
142 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the introduction of the description of the horses and riders, which is somewhat parenthetical in the narrative.
143 tn Grk “and those seated on them.”
144 tn Grk “the vision”; the Greek article has been translated as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).
145 tn L&N 79.31 states, “‘fiery red’ (probably with a tinge of yellow or orange).”
146 tn On this term BDAG 1022 s.v. ὑακίνθινος states, “hyacinth-colored, i.e. dark blue (dark red?) w. πύρινος Rv 9:17.”
147 tn On this term BDAG 446 s.v. θειώδης states, “sulphurous Rv 9:17.”
148 sn The colors of the riders’ breastplates parallel the three plagues of fire, smoke, and sulfur in v. 18.
149 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
150 tn Traditionally, “brimstone.”
151 tn The phrase ἐκ τοῦ πυρὸς καὶ τοῦ καπνοῦ καὶ τοῦ θείου τοῦ ἐκπορευομένου ἐκ τῶν στομάτων αὐτῶν (“by the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur that came out of their mouths”) is taken as epexegetical (explanatory) to the phrase τῶν τριῶν πληγῶν τούτων (“these three plagues”).
152 tn See BDAG 352 s.v. ἐξουσία 2, “potential or resource to command, control, or govern, capability, might, power.”
153 tn Grk “is.”
154 tn The word “made” is not in the Greek text but is implied.
155 tn The Greek conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here or before the following materials in this list, since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
156 tn Grk “and.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation, with “furthermore” used to indicate a continuation of the preceding.
157 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.”
