Revelation 11:1

The Fate of the Two Witnesses

11:1 Then ¹  a measuring rod ²  like a staff was given to me, and I was told, ³  “Get up and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and the ones who worship there.

Revelation 12:5

12:5 So ⁴  the woman gave birth to a son, a male child, ⁵  who is going to rule ⁶  over all the nations ⁷  with an iron rod. ⁸  Her ⁹  child was suddenly caught up to God and to his throne,

Revelation 19:15

19:15 From his mouth extends a sharp sword, so that with it he can strike the nations. ¹⁰  He ¹¹  will rule ¹²  them with an iron rod, ¹³  and he stomps the winepress ¹⁴  of the furious ¹⁵  wrath of God, the All-Powerful. ¹⁶ 

Revelation 21:16

21:16 Now ¹⁷  the city is laid out as a square, ¹⁸  its length and width the same. He ¹⁹  measured the city with the measuring rod ²⁰  at fourteen hundred miles ²¹  (its length and width and height are equal).

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

² tn Grk “a reed” (but these were used for measuring). Cf. Ezek 40:3ff.

³ tn Grk “saying.”

⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the conclusion of the anticipated birth.

⁵ tn On this term BDAG 135 s.v. ἄρσην states: “male…The neut. ἄρσεν Rv 12:5, difft. vs. 13, comes fr. Is 66:7 and is in apposition to υἱόν. On the juxtaposition s. FBoll, ZNW 15, 1914, 253; BOlsson, Glotta 23, ’34, 112.”

⁶ tn Grk “shepherd.”

⁷ tn Or “all the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).

⁸ tn Or “scepter.” The Greek term ῥάβδος (rJabdo") can mean either “rod” or “scepter.”

sn An allusion to Ps 2:9 (see also Rev 2:27; 19:15).

⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

¹⁰ tn Or “the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).

¹¹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

¹² tn Grk “will shepherd.”

¹³ tn Or “scepter.” The Greek term ῥάβδος (rJabdo") can mean either “rod” or “scepter.”

sn A quotation from Ps 2:9 (see also Rev 2:27, 12:5).

¹⁴ sn He stomps the winepress. See Isa 63:3, where Messiah does this alone (usually several individuals would join in the process), and Rev 14:20.

¹⁵ tn The genitive θυμοῦ (qumou) has been translated as an attributed genitive. Following BDAG 461 s.v. θυμός 2, the combination of the genitives of θυμός (qumos) 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).

¹⁶ 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.”

¹⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the somewhat parenthetical nature of the description of the city.

¹⁸ 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.”

¹⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

²⁰ tn Grk “with the rod”; the word “measuring” is supplied from the description in v. 15.

²¹ tn Or “two thousand two hundred kilometers,” Grk “12,000 stades.” A stade was a measure of length about 607 ft (185 m).