Revelation 15:1
The Final Plagues
15:1 Then 1 I saw another great and astounding sign in heaven: seven angels who have seven final plagues 2 (they are final because in them God’s anger is completed).
Revelation 15:3
15:3 They 3 sang the song of Moses the servant 4 of God and the song of the Lamb: 5 “Great and astounding are your deeds,
Lord God, the All-Powerful! 6
Just 7 and true are your ways,
King over the nations! 8
1 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
2 tn Grk “seven plagues – the last ones.”
3 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
4 tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.
5 tn Grk “saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
6 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.”
7 tn Or “righteous,” although the context favors justice as the theme.
8 tc Certain mss (Ì47 א*,2 C 1006 1611 1841 pc) read “ages” (αἰώνων, aiwnwn) instead of “nations” (ἐθνῶν, eqnwn), which itself is supported by several mss (א1 A 051 Ï). The ms evidence seems to be fairly balanced, though αἰώνων has somewhat better support. The replacement of “ages” with “nations” is possibly a scribal attempt to harmonize this verse with the use of “nations” in the following verse. On the other hand, the idea of “nations” fits well with v. 4 and it may be that “ages” is a scribal attempt to assimilate this text to 1 Tim 1:17: “the king of the ages” (βασιλεὺς τῶν αἰώνων, basileu" twn aiwnwn). The decision is a difficult one since both scenarios deal well with the evidence, though the verbal parallel with 1 Tim 1:17 is exact while the parallel with v. 4 is not. The term “king” occurs 17 other times (most occurrences refer to earthly kings) in Revelation and it is not used with either “ages” or “nations” apart from this verse. Probably the reading “nations” should be considered original due to the influence of 1 Tim 1:17.