1:9 I, John, your brother and the one who shares 1 with you in the persecution, kingdom, and endurance that 2 are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony about Jesus. 3
3:1 “To 9 the angel of the church in Sardis write the following: 10
“This is the solemn pronouncement of 11 the one who holds 12 the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a reputation 13 that you are alive, but 14 in reality 15 you are dead.
In 27 the middle of the throne 28 and around the throne were four living creatures 29 full of eyes in front and in back.
“You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals
because you were killed, 31
and at the cost of your own blood 32 you have purchased 33 for God
persons 34 from every tribe, language, 35 people, and nation.
“Fallen, fallen, is Babylon the great!
She 51 has become a lair for demons,
a haunt 52 for every unclean spirit,
a haunt for every unclean bird,
a haunt for every unclean and detested beast. 53
1 tn The translation attempts to bring out the verbal idea in συγκοινωνός (sunkoinwno", “co-sharer”); John was suffering for his faith at the time he wrote this.
2 tn The prepositional phrase ἐν ᾿Ιησοῦ (en Ihsou) could be taken with ὑπομονῇ (Jupomonh) as the translation does or with the more distant συγκοινωνός (sunkoinwno"), in which case the translation would read “your brother and the one who shares with you in Jesus in the persecution, kingdom, and endurance.”
3 tn The phrase “about Jesus” has been translated as an objective genitive.
4 tn Although the first possessive pronoun σου (sou) is connected to τὰ ἔργα (ta erga) and the second σου is connected to ὑπομονήν (Jupomonhn), semantically κόπον (kopon) is also to be understood as belonging to the Ephesian church. The translation reflects this.
5 tn The translation “tolerate” seems to capture the sense of βαστάσαι (bastasai) here. BDAG 171 s.v. βαστάζω 2.b.β says, “bear, endure…κακούς Rv 2:2.…bear patiently, put up with: weaknesses of the weak Ro 15:1; cf. IPol 1:2; evil Rv 2:3.”
6 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the participle was broken off from the previous sentence and translated as an indicative verb beginning a new sentence here in the translation.
7 sn That is, the teaching of Jezebel (v. 20).
8 tn Grk “deep things.” For the translation “deep secrets” see L&N 28.76; cf. NAB, NIV, CEV.
9 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated due to differences between Greek and English style.
10 tn The phrase “the following” after “write” is supplied to clarify that what follows is the content of what is to be written.
11 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.
12 tn Grk “who has” (cf. 1:16).
13 tn Grk “a name.”
14 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
15 tn The prepositional phrase “in reality” is supplied in the translation to make explicit the idea that their being alive was only an illusion.
16 tn Or “who overcomes.”
17 tn Grk “thus.”
18 tn Or “white robes.”
19 tn The negation here is with οὐ μή (ou mh), the strongest possible form of negation in Koine Greek.
20 tn Or “will never wipe out.”
21 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
22 tn Grk “will confess.”
23 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
24 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the words “They were” to indicate the connection to the preceding material.
25 sn See the note on the word crown in Rev 3:11.
26 tn This could refer to rock crystal, but it is possible this refers to ice (an older meaning). See BDAG 571 s.v. κρύσταλλος.
27 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
28 tn Perhaps, “in the middle of the throne area” (see L&N 83.10).
29 tn On the meaning of ζῴον (zwon) BDAG 431 s.v. 2 states, “Of the four peculiar beings at God’s throne, whose description Rv 4:6-9 reminds one of the ζῷα in Ezk 1:5ff, the cherubim. S. also Rv 5:6, 8, 11, 14; 6:1, 3, 5-7; 7:11; 14:3; 15:7; 19:4.”
30 tn The redundant participle λέγοντες (legontes) has not been translated here.
31 tn Or “slaughtered”; traditionally, “slain.”
32 tn The preposition ἐν (en) is taken to indicate price here, like the Hebrew preposition ב (bet) does at times. BDAG 329 s.v. ἐν 5.b states, “The ἐν which takes the place of the gen. of price is also instrumental ἠγόρασας ἐν τῷ αἵματί σου Rv 5:9 (cp. 1 Ch 21:24 ἀγοράζω ἐν ἀργυρίῳ).”
33 tc The Greek text as it stands above (i.e., the reading τῷ θεῷ [tw qew] alone) is found in codex A. א 2050 2344 Ï sy add the term “us” (ἡμᾶς, Jhmas), either before or after τῷ θεῷ, as an attempt to clarify the object of “purchased” (ἠγόρασας, hgorasa"). A few
34 tn The word “persons” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
35 tn Grk “and language,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
36 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
37 tn BDAG 1086 s.v. χοῖνιξ states, “a dry measure, oft. used for grain, approximately equivalent to one quart or one liter, quart. A χ.of grain was a daily ration for one pers.…Rv 6:6ab.”
38 tn Grk “a quart of wheat for a denarius.” A denarius was one day’s pay for an average worker. The words “will cost” are used to indicate the genitive of price or value; otherwise the English reader could understand the phrase to mean “a quart of wheat to be given as a day’s pay.”
39 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
40 tn Grk “people, saying.” In the Greek text this is a continuation of the previous sentence. For the translation of λέγω (legw) as “declare,” see BDAG 590 s.v. 2.e.
41 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
42 tn Or “of the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).
43 tn Grk “fell.”
44 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of Babylon’s misdeeds (see Rev 14:8).
45 tn Grk “the cup of the wine of the anger of the wrath of him.” The concatenation of four genitives has been rendered somewhat differently by various translations (see the note on the word “wrath”).
46 tn Following BDAG 461 s.v. θυμός 2, the combination of the genitives of θυμός (qumo") and ὀργή (orgh) in Rev 16:19 and 19:15 are taken to be a strengthening of the thought as in the OT and Qumran literature (Exod 32:12; Jer 32:37; Lam 2:3; CD 10:9). Thus in Rev 14:8 (to which the present passage alludes) and 18:3 there is irony: The wine of immoral behavior with which Babylon makes the nations drunk becomes the wine of God’s wrath for her.
47 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
48 tn A new sentence was started here in the translation. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
49 tn The final clause could also be turned into an adverbial clause of means: “They will consume her flesh by burning her with fire.”
50 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style
51 tn Or “It” (the subject is embedded in the verb in Greek; the verb only indicates that it is third person). Since the city has been personified as the great prostitute, the feminine pronoun was used in the translation.
52 tn Here BDAG 1067 s.v. φυλακή 3 states, “a place where guarding is done, prison…Of the nether world or its place of punishment (πνεῦμα 2 and 4c) 1 Pt 3:19 (BReicke, The Disobedient Spirits and Christian Baptism ’46, 116f). It is in a φ. in the latter sense that Satan will be rendered harmless during the millennium Rv 20:7. The fallen city of Babylon becomes a φυλακή haunt for all kinds of unclean spirits and birds 18:2ab.”
53 tc There are several problems in this verse. It seems that according to the ms evidence the first two phrases (i.e., “and a haunt for every unclean spirit, and a haunt for every unclean bird” [καὶ φυλακὴ παντὸς πνεύματος ἀκαθάρτου καὶ φυλακὴ παντὸς ὀρνέου ἀκαθάρτου, kai fulakh panto" pneumato" akaqartou kai fulakh panto" orneou akaqartou]) are to be regarded as authentic, though there are some ms discrepancies. The similar beginnings (καὶ φυλακὴ παντός) and endings (ἀκαθάρτου) of each phrase would easily account for some
54 tn “As much as” is the translation of ὅσα (Josa).
55 tn On the term ἐστρηνίασεν (estrhniasen) BDAG 949 s.v. στρηνιάω states, “live in luxury, live sensually Rv 18:7. W. πορνεύειν vs. 9.”
56 tn Grk “said in her heart,” an idiom for saying something to oneself.
57 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the somewhat parenthetical nature of the description of the city.
58 tn Or “the city lies square.” On κεῖμαι (keimai) in this context, BDAG 537 s.v. 2 states, “lie, of things…ἡ πόλις τετράγωνος κεῖται is laid out as a square Rv 21:16.”
59 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
60 tn Grk “with the rod”; the word “measuring” is supplied from the description in v. 15.
61 tn Or “two thousand two hundred kilometers,” Grk “12,000 stades.” A stade was a measure of length about 607 ft (185 m).