20:1 Then 1 I saw an angel descending from heaven, holding 2 in his hand the key to the abyss and a huge chain. 20:2 He 3 seized the dragon – the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan – and tied him up for a thousand years.
1 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
2 tn The word “holding” is implied. The two clauses “having the key of the abyss” and “a huge chain in his hand” can be construed in two ways: (1) both are controlled by the participle ἔχοντα (econta) and both are modified by the phrase “in his hand” – “having in his hand the key to the abyss and a huge chain.” (2) The participle ἔχοντα refers only to the key, and the phrase “in his hand” refers only to the chain – “having the key of the abyss and holding a huge chain in his hand.” Because of the stylistic tendency in Rev to use the verb ἔχω (ecw) to mean “hold (something)” and the phrase “in his hand” forming a “bracket” along with the verb ἔχω around both the phrases in question, the first option is preferred.
3 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.