In 2 the middle of the throne 3 and around the throne were four living creatures 4 full of eyes in front and in back.
5:11 Then 5 I looked and heard the voice of many angels in a circle around the throne, as well as the living creatures and the elders. Their 6 number was ten thousand times ten thousand 7 – thousands times thousands –
7:11 And all the angels stood 8 there in a circle around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they threw themselves down with their faces to the ground 9 before the throne and worshiped God,
“Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God, the All-Powerful, 13
Who was and who is, and who is still to come!”
5:6 Then 14 I saw standing in the middle of the throne 15 and of the four living creatures, and in the middle of the elders, a Lamb that appeared to have been killed. 16 He had 17 seven horns and seven eyes, which 18 are the seven 19 spirits of God 20 sent out into all the earth.
1 tn This could refer to rock crystal, but it is possible this refers to ice (an older meaning). See BDAG 571 s.v. κρύσταλλος.
2 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
3 tn Perhaps, “in the middle of the throne area” (see L&N 83.10).
4 tn On the meaning of ζῴον (zwon) BDAG 431 s.v. 2 states, “Of the four peculiar beings at God’s throne, whose description Rv 4:6-9 reminds one of the ζῷα in Ezk 1:5ff, the cherubim. S. also Rv 5:6, 8, 11, 14; 6:1, 3, 5-7; 7:11; 14:3; 15:7; 19:4.”
5 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
6 tn Grk “elders, and the number of them was.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
7 tn Or “myriads of myriads.” Although μυριάς (murias) literally means “10,000,” the point of the combination here may simply be to indicate an incalculably huge number. See L&N 60.9.
8 tn The verb is pluperfect, but the force is simple past. See ExSyn 586.
9 tn Grk “they fell down on their faces.” BDAG 815 s.v. πίπτω 1.b.α.ב. has “fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion or humility, before high-ranking persons or divine beings.”
10 tn Grk “six wings apiece,” but this is redundant with “each one” in English.
11 tn Some translations render ἔσωθεν (eswqen) as “under [its] wings,” but the description could also mean “filled all around on the outside and on the inside with eyes.” Since the referent is not available to the interpreter, the exact force is difficult to determine.
12 tn Or “They never stop saying day and night.”
13 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.”
sn A quotation from (or an allusion to) Isa 6:3.
14 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
15 tn Perhaps, “in the middle of the throne area” (see L&N 83.10).
16 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.
17 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.”
18 sn The relative pronoun which is masculine, referring back to the eyes rather than to the horns.
19 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.
20 sn See the note on the phrase the seven spirits of God in Rev 4:5.
21 tn Grk “fell down.” BDAG 815 s.v. πίπτω 1.b.α.ב. has “fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion or humility, before high-ranking persons or divine beings.”
22 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
23 sn This interpretive comment by the author forms a parenthesis in the narrative.
24 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
25 tn BDAG 1086 s.v. χοῖνιξ states, “a dry measure, oft. used for grain, approximately equivalent to one quart or one liter, quart. A χ.of grain was a daily ration for one pers.…Rv 6:6ab.”
26 tn Grk “a quart of wheat for a denarius.” A denarius was one day’s pay for an average worker. The words “will cost” are used to indicate the genitive of price or value; otherwise the English reader could understand the phrase to mean “a quart of wheat to be given as a day’s pay.”
27 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
28 tn Grk “elders, and no one.” This is a continuation of the previous sentence in the Greek text, but because of the length and complexity of the sentence a new sentence was started here in the translation.