Revelation 14:8-11

14:8 A¹ second² angel³ followed the first,⁴ declaring:⁵ “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great city!⁶ She made all the nations⁷ drink of the wine of her immoral passion.”⁸

14:9 A⁹ third angel¹⁰ followed the first two,¹¹ declaring¹² in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and takes the mark on his forehead or his hand, 14:10 that person¹³ will also drink of the wine of God’s anger¹⁴ that has been mixed undiluted in the cup of his wrath, and he will be tortured with fire and sulfur¹⁵ in front of the holy angels and in front of the Lamb. 14:11 And the smoke from their¹⁶ torture will go up¹⁷ forever and ever, and those who worship the beast and his image will have¹⁸ no rest day or night, along with¹⁹ anyone who receives the mark of his name.”

¹tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

²tc There are several different variants comprising a textual problem involving “second” (δεύτερος, deuteros). First, several mss (A 1 2329 Ï^K) read “another, a second angel” (ἄλλος δεύτερος ἄγγελος, allo" deutero" angelo"). Second, other mss (Ì⁴⁷ א* 1006 1841 1854 pc) read just “another, a second” (ἄλλος δεύτερος). Third, the reading “another angel” (ἄλλος ἄγγελος) is supported by a few Greek mss and some versional evidence (69 pc ar vg). Fourth, several mss (א² [C reads δεύτερον instead of δεύτερος] 051 1611 2053 2344 Ï^A) support the reading “another, a second angel” (ἄλλος ἄγγελος δεύτερος). The reading that most likely gave rise to the others is the fourth. The first reading attempts to smooth out the grammar by placing the adjective in front of the noun. The second reading may have dropped out the “angel” on the basis of its similarity to “another” (ἄλλος). The third reading either intentionally or accidentally left out the word “second.” In any event, this is weakly attested and should not be given much consideration. (If, however, this reading had had good support, with “second” floating, and with “third” in the text in 14:9, one could possibly see δεύτερος as a motivated reading. But without sufficient support for the third reading, the one thing that is most certain is that δεύτερος was part of the original text here.) It is difficult to account for the rise of the other readings if “second” is not original. And the undisputed use of “third” (τρίτος, tritos) in 14:9 may be another indicator that the adjective “second” was in the original text. Finally, the fourth reading is the more difficult and therefore, in this case, to be accepted as the progenitor of the others.

³tn Grk “And another angel, a second.”

⁴tn 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.

⁵tn For the translation of λέγω (legw) as “declare,” see BDAG 590 s.v. 2.e.

⁶sn The fall of Babylon the great city is described in detail in Rev 18:2-24.

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

⁸tn 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).

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

¹⁰tn Grk “And another angel, a third.”

¹¹tn Grk “followed them.”

¹²tn For the translation of λέγω (legw) as “declare,” see BDAG 590 s.v. 2.e.

¹³tn Grk “he himself.”

¹⁴tn The Greek word for “anger” here is θυμός (qumos), a wordplay on the “passion” (θυμός) of the personified city of Babylon in 14:8.

¹⁵tn Traditionally, “brimstone.”

¹⁶tn The Greek pronoun is plural here even though the verbs in the previous verse are singular.

¹⁷tn The present tense ἀναβαίνει (anabainei) has been translated as a futuristic present (ExSyn 535-36). This is also consistent with the future passive βασανισθήσεται (basanisqhsetai) in v. 10.

¹⁸tn The present tense ἔχουσιν (ecousin) has been translated as a futuristic present to keep the English tense consistent with the previous verb (see note on “will go up” earlier in this verse).

¹⁹tn Grk “and.”