5:6 Then 5 I saw standing in the middle of the throne 6 and of the four living creatures, and in the middle of the elders, a Lamb that appeared to have been killed. 7 He had 8 seven horns and seven eyes, which 9 are the seven 10 spirits of God 11 sent out into all the earth.
18:21 Then 16 one powerful angel picked up a stone like a huge millstone, threw it into the sea, and said,
“With this kind of sudden violent force 17
Babylon the great city will be thrown down 18
and it will never be found again!
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 Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
6 tn Perhaps, “in the middle of the throne area” (see L&N 83.10).
7 tn Or “slaughtered”; traditionally, “slain.” The phrase behind this translation is ὡς ἐσφαγμένον (Jw" ejsfagmenon). The particle ὡς is used in Greek generally for comparison, and in Revelation it is used often to describe the appearance of what the author saw. This phrase does not imply that the Lamb “appeared to have been killed” but in reality was not, because the wider context of the NT shows that in fact the Lamb, i.e., Jesus, was killed. See 13:3 for the only other occurrence of this phrase in the NT.
8 tn Grk “killed, having.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the pronoun “he.”
9 sn The relative pronoun which is masculine, referring back to the eyes rather than to the horns.
10 tc There is good ms evidence for the inclusion of “seven” (ἑπτά, Jepta; Ì24 א 2053 2351 ÏK). There is equally good ms support for the omission of the term (A 1006 1611 ÏA pc). It may have been accidentally added due to its repeated presence in the immediately preceding phrases, or it may have been intentionally added to maintain the symmetry of the phrases or more likely to harmonize the phrase with 1:4; 3:1; 4:5. Or it may have been accidentally deleted by way of homoioteleuton (τὰ ἑπτά, ta Jepta). A decision is difficult in this instance. NA27 also does not find the problem easy to solve, placing the word in brackets to indicate doubts as to its authenticity.
11 sn See the note on the phrase the seven spirits of God in Rev 4:5.
12 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present here.
13 tn Or “desert.”
14 tn The word “God” is supplied based on the previous statements made concerning “the place prepared for the woman” in 12:6.
15 tc The reading “and half a time” (καὶ ἥμισυ καιροῦ, kai {hmisu kairou) is lacking in the important uncial C. Its inclusion, however, is supported by {Ì47 א A and the rest of the ms tradition}. There is apparently no reason for the scribe of C to intentionally omit the phrase, and the fact that the word “time” (καιρὸν καὶ καιρούς, kairon kai kairou") appears twice before may indicate a scribal oversight.
sn The parallel statement in Rev 12:6 suggests that the phrase a time, times, and half a time equals 1,260 days (three and a half years of 360 days each).
16 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
17 tn On ὅρμημα ({ormhma) BDAG 724 s.v. states, “violent rush, onset ὁρμήματι βληθήσεται Βαβυλών Babylon will be thrown down with violence Rv 18:21.” L&N 68.82 refers to the suddenness of the force or violence.
18 sn Thrown down is a play on both the words and the action. The angel’s action with the stone illustrates the kind of sudden violent force with which the city will be overthrown.
19 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the introduction of an unexpected development in the account: The opposing armies do not come together in battle; rather the leader of one side is captured.
20 tn For this meaning see BDAG 342 s.v. ἐνώπιον 4.b, “by the authority of, on behalf of Rv 13:12, 14; 19:20.”
21 tn Traditionally, “brimstone.”
22 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the angel introduced in v. 1) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
23 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
24 tn Or “and shut.” While the lexical force of the term is closer to “shut,” it is acceptable to render the verb ἔκλεισεν (ekleisen) as “locked” here in view of the mention of the key in the previous verse.