1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” 1 says the Lord God – the one who is, and who was, and who is still to come – the All-Powerful! 2
14:8 A 3 second 4 angel 5 followed the first, 6 declaring: 7 “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great city! 8 She made all the nations 9 drink of the wine of her immoral passion.” 10
18:14 (The ripe fruit 11 you greatly desired 12
has gone from you,
and all your luxury 13 and splendor 14
have gone from you –
they will never ever be found again!) 15
18:24 The 16 blood of the saints and prophets was found in her, 17
along with the blood 18 of all those who had been killed on the earth.”
21:22 Now 21 I saw no temple in the city, because the Lord God – the All-Powerful 22 – and the Lamb are its temple.
1 tc The shorter reading “Omega” (ὦ, w) has superior ms evidence ({א1 A C 1611}) to the longer reading which includes “the beginning and the end” (ἀρχὴ καὶ τέλος or ἡ ἀρχὴ καὶ τὸ τέλος, arch kai telo" or Jh arch kai to telo"), found in א*,2 1854 2050 2329 2351 ÏA lat bo. There is little reason why a scribe would have deleted the words, but their clarifying value and the fact that they harmonize with 21:6 indicate that they are a secondary addition to the text.
2 tn On this word BDAG 755 s.v. παντοκράτωρ states, “the Almighty, All-Powerful, Omnipotent (One) only of God…(ὁ) κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ π. …Rv 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7; 21:22.”
3 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
4 tc There are several different variants comprising a textual problem involving “second” (δεύτερος, deuteros). First, several
5 tn Grk “And another angel, a second.”
6 tn The words “the first” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
7 tn For the translation of λέγω (legw) as “declare,” see BDAG 590 s.v. 2.e.
8 sn The fall of Babylon the great city is described in detail in Rev 18:2-24.
9 tn Or “all the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).
10 tn Grk “of the wine of the passion of the sexual immorality of her.” Here τῆς πορνείας (th" porneia") has been translated as an attributive genitive. In an ironic twist of fate, God will make Babylon drink her own mixture, but it will become the wine of his wrath in retribution for her immoral deeds (see the note on the word “wrath” in 16:19).
11 tn On ὀπώρα (opwra) L&N 3.34 states, “ἡ ὀπώρα σου τῆς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς ψυχῆς ‘the ripe fruit for which you longed’ Re 18:14. In this one occurrence of ὀπώρα in the NT, ‘ripe fruit’ is to be understood in a figurative sense of ‘good things.’”
12 tn Grk “you desired in your soul.”
13 tn On λιπαρός (liparo") BDAG 597 s.v. states, “luxury Rv 18:14.”
14 tn On τὰ λαμπρά (ta lampra) BDAG 585 s.v. λαμπρός 4 states, “splendor…in which a rich man takes delight (cp. Jos., Ant. 12, 220 δωρεὰς δοὺς λαμπράς) Rv 18:14.”
15 tn Verse 14 is set in parentheses because in it the city, Babylon, is addressed directly in second person.
sn This verse forms a parenthetical aside in the narrative.
16 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
17 tn The shift in pronouns from second to third person corresponds to the Greek text.
18 tn Grk “and of all.” The phrase “along with the blood” has been repeated from the previous clause for stylistic reasons.
19 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
20 tn On the translation of ἐχορτάσθησαν (ecortasqhsan) BDAG 1087 s.v. χορτάζω 1.a states, “of animals, pass. in act. sense πάντα τὰ ὄρνεα ἐχορτάσθησαν ἐκ τῶν σαρκῶν αὐτῶν all the birds gorged themselves with their flesh Rv 19:21 (cp. TestJud. 21:8).”
21 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic. Every verse from here to the end of this chapter begins with καί in Greek, but due to differences between Greek and contemporary English style, these have not been translated.
22 tn On this word BDAG 755 s.v. παντοκράτωρ states, “the Almighty, All-Powerful, Omnipotent (One) only of God…(ὁ) κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ π. …Rv 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7; 21:22.”