20:4 Then 20 I saw thrones and seated on them were those who had been given authority to judge. 21 I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. These 22 had not worshiped the beast or his image and had refused to receive his mark on their forehead or hand. They 23 came to life 24 and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
1 tn Grk “is about to throw some of you,” but the force is causative in context.
2 tn Or “tempted.”
3 tn Or “experience persecution,” “will be in distress” (see L&N 22.2).
4 tn Grk “crown of life,” with the genitive “of life” (τῆς ζωῆς, th" zwh") functioning in apposition to “crown” (στέφανον, stefanon): “the crown that consists of life.”
5 tn On this term BDAG 2 s.v. ἄβυσσος 2 states, “netherworld, abyss, esp. the abode of the dead Ro 10:7 (Ps 106:26) and of demons Lk 8:31; dungeon where the devil is kept Rv 20:3; abode of the θηρίον, the Antichrist 11:7; 17:8; of ᾿Αβαδδών (q.v.), the angel of the underworld 9:11…φρέαρ τῆς ἀ. 9:1f; capable of being sealed 9:1; 20:1, 3.”
6 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
7 tn Some translations take the ὅτι (Joti) here as causal: “because he was, and is not, but is to come” (so NIV, NRSV), but it is much more likely that the subject of the ὅτι clause has been assimilated into the main clause: “when they see the beast, that he was…” = “when they see that the beast was” (so BDAG 732 s.v. ὅτι 1.f, where Rev 17:8 is listed).
8 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
9 tn Grk “another book was opened, which is of life.”
10 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the books being opened.
11 tn Grk “from the things written in the books according to their works.”
12 tn Or “It has happened.”
13 tn The word “water” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
14 tn Or “as a free gift” (see L&N 57.85).
15 tn Grk “its”; the referent (the city, the new Jerusalem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
16 tn The Greek word πλατεῖα (plateia) refers to a major (broad) street (L&N 1.103).
17 tn Grk “From here and from there.”
18 tn Or “twelve crops” (one for each month of the year).
19 tn The words “of the year” are implied.
20 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
21 tn Grk “I saw thrones, and those seated on them, and judgment was given to them.” BDAG 567 s.v. κρίμα 3 says, “judging, judgment, the κρίμα ἐδόθη αὐτοῖς authority to judge was given to them Rv 20:4.”
22 tn Grk “God, and who.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the pronoun “these” as subject.
23 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
24 tn On the use of the aorist ἔζησαν (ezhsan) BDAG 425 s.v. ζάω 1.a.β says, “of dead persons who return to life become alive again: of humans in general (3 Km 17:23) Mt 9:18; Ac 9:41; 20:12; Rv 20:4, 5.”