2:8 “To 3 the angel of the church in Smyrna write the following: 4
“This is the solemn pronouncement of 5 the one who is the first and the last, the one who was dead, but 6 came to life:
12:11 But 53 they overcame him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony,
and they did not love their lives 54 so much that they were afraid to die.
1 tn Grk “And when.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
2 tn Here the Greek conjunction καί (kai) has been translated as a contrastive (“but”) due to the contrast between the two clauses.
3 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated due to differences between Greek and English style.
4 tn The phrase “the following” after “write” is supplied to clarify that what follows is the content of what is to be written.
5 tn Grk “These things says [the One]…” See the note on the phrase “this is the solemn pronouncement of” in 2:1.
sn The expression This is the solemn pronouncement of reflects an OT idiom. See the note on this phrase in 2:1.
6 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present between these two phrases.
7 tn The Greek article has been translated here with demonstrative force.
8 tc The ms evidence for γυναῖκα (gunaika, “woman”) alone includes {א C P 1611 2053 pc lat}. The ms evidence for the addition of “your” (σου, sou) includes A 1006 2351 ÏK pc sy. With the pronoun, the text reads “your wife, Jezebel” instead of “that woman, Jezebel.” In Revelation, A C are the most important
9 sn Jezebel was the name of King Ahab’s idolatrous and wicked queen in 1 Kgs 16:31; 18:1-5; 19:1-3; 21:5-24. It is probable that the individual named here was analogous to her prototype in idolatry and immoral behavior, since those are the items singled out for mention.
10 tn Grk “teaches and deceives” (διδάσκει καὶ πλανᾷ, didaskei kai plana), a construction in which the first verb appears to specify the means by which the second is accomplished: “by her teaching, deceives…”
11 tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.
12 sn To commit sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. Note the conclusions of the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15:29, which specifically prohibits Gentile Christians from engaging in these activities.
13 tn Or “who overcomes.”
14 tn Grk “thus.”
15 tn Or “white robes.”
16 tn The negation here is with οὐ μή (ou mh), the strongest possible form of negation in Koine Greek.
17 tn Or “will never wipe out.”
18 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
19 tn Grk “will confess.”
20 tn Grk “I have given.”
21 tn Grk “to shut it,” but English would leave the direct object understood in this case.
sn The entire statement is parenthetical, interrupting the construction found in other letters to the churches in 3:1 and 3:15, “I know your deeds, that…” where an enumeration of the deeds follows.
22 tn This translation is based on connecting the ὅτι (Joti) clause with the οἶδα (oida) at the beginning of the verse, giving the content of what is known (see also 3:1, 3:15 for parallels). Because of the intervening clause that is virtually parenthetical (see the note on the word “shut” earlier in this verse), the words “I know that” from the beginning of the verse had to be repeated to make this connection clear for the English reader. However, the ὅτι could be understood as introducing a causal subordinate clause instead and thus translated, “because you have.”
23 tn Or “little power.”
24 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
25 tn Grk “and having kept.” The participle ἐτήρησας (ethrhsas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. For the translation of τηρέω (threw) as “obey” see L&N 36.19. This is the same word that is used in 3:10 (there translated “kept”) where there is a play on words.
26 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
27 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).
28 tn Grk “men”; but ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used in a generic sense here of both men and women.
29 tn The article τῶν (twn) has been translated as a possessive pronoun here (ExSyn 215).
30 tn Grk “It was not permitted to them”; the referent (the locusts) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
31 tn The word “permission” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
32 tn The two ἵνα (Jina) clauses of 9:5 are understood to be functioning as epexegetical or complementary clauses related to ἐδόθη (edoqh).
33 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.”
34 tn The pronoun “them” is not in the Greek text but is picked up from the previous clause.
35 tn Grk “like the torture,” but this is redundant in contemporary English.
36 tn Grk “a man”; but ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used here in an individualized sense without being limited to the male gender.
37 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
38 tn The words “just then” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
39 tn Grk “But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel.”
40 tn The aorist ἐτελέσθη (etelesqh) has been translated as a proleptic (futuristic) aorist (ExSyn 564 cites this verse as an example).
41 tn The time of the action described by the aorist εὐηγγέλισεν (euhngelisen) seems to be past with respect to the aorist passive ἐτελέσθη (etelesqh). This does not require that the prophets in view here be OT prophets. They may actually refer to the martyrs in the church (so G. B. Caird, Revelation [HNTC], 129).
42 tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.
43 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the instructions given by the angel.
44 tn Grk “it was.” The idea of taste is implied.
45 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
46 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
47 tn On the term αὐλήν (aulhn) BDAG 150 s.v. αὐλή 1 states, “(outer) court of the temple…Rv 11:2.”
48 tn The precise meaning of the phrase ἔκβαλε ἔξωθεν (ekbale exwqen) is difficult to determine.
49 tn Or “to the nations” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).
50 sn The holy city appears to be a reference to Jerusalem. See also Luke 21:24.
51 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
52 tn Grk “fell upon.”
53 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast.
54 sn They did not love their lives. See Matt 16:25; Luke 17:33; John 12:25.
55 tn Here BDAG 988 s.v. ταλαντιαῖος states, “weighing a talent…χάλαζα μεγάλη ὡς ταλαντιαία a severe hailstorm with hailstones weighing a talent (the talent=125 librae, or Roman pounds of c. 343 gr. or 12 ounces each) (weighing about a hundred pounds NRSV) Rv 16:21.” This means each hailstone would weigh just under 100 pounds or 40 kilograms.
56 tn Or “the sky.” Due to the apocalyptic nature of this book, it is probably best to leave the translation as “from heaven,” since God is ultimately the source of the judgment.
57 tn Grk “on men,” but ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used here in a generic sense to refer to people in general (the hailstones did not single out adult males, but would have also fallen on women and children).
58 tn Grk “the men”; for stylistic reasons the pronoun “they” is used here.
59 tn Grk “the plague of it.”
60 tn Grk “since the plague of it was exceedingly great.”
61 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
62 tn Grk “I will tell you,” but since what follows is the angel’s interpretation of the vision, “interpret for you” is the preferred translation here.
63 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
64 tn For the translation “ruling authority” for ἐξουσία (exousia) see L&N 37.35.
65 tn See BDAG 636 s.v. μετά A.2.a.α.
66 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
67 tn The shift here to past tense reflects the Greek text.
68 tn On the phrase “broad plain of the earth” BDAG 823 s.v. πλάτος states, “τὸ πλάτος τῆς γῆς Rv 20:9 comes fr. the OT (Da 12:2 LXX. Cp. Hab 1:6; Sir 1:3), but the sense is not clear: breadth = the broad plain of the earth is perh. meant to provide room for the countless enemies of God vs. 8, but the ‘going up’ is better suited to Satan (vs. 7) who has recently been freed, and who comes up again fr. the abyss (vs. 3).” The referent here thus appears to be a plain large enough to accommodate the numberless hoards that have drawn up for battle against the Lord Christ and his saints.
69 tn Or “surrounded.”
70 tn On the term παρεμβολή (parembolh) BDAG 775 s.v. states, “Mostly used as a military t.t.…so always in our lit.…1. a (fortified) camp…ἡ παρεμβολὴ τῶν ἁγίων Rv 20:9 is also to be understood fr. the OT use of the word.”
71 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
72 tn See L&N 20.45 for the translation of κατεσθίω (katesqiw) as “to destroy utterly, to consume completely.”
73 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present here.
74 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.”
75 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.
76 tn Grk “keep” (an idiom for obedience).