Revelation 5:2-4

5:2 And I saw a powerful angel proclaiming in a loud voice: “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?” 5:3 But ¹  no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or look into it. 5:4 So ²  I began weeping bitterly ³  because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or to look into it.

Revelation 6:14

6:14 The sky ⁴  was split apart ⁵  like a scroll being rolled up, ⁶  and every mountain and island was moved from its place.

Revelation 10:2

10:2 He held ⁷  in his hand a little scroll that was open, and he put his right foot on the sea and his left on the land.

Revelation 10:9

10:9 So ⁸  I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He ⁹  said to me, “Take the scroll ¹⁰  and eat it. It ¹¹  will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.”

Revelation 5:1

The Opening of the Scroll

5:1 Then ¹²  I saw in the right hand of the one who was seated on the throne a scroll written on the front and back ¹³  and sealed with seven seals. ¹⁴ 

Revelation 5:5

5:5 Then ¹⁵  one of the elders said ¹⁶  to me, “Stop weeping! ¹⁷  Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered; ¹⁸  thus he can open ¹⁹  the scroll and its seven seals.”

Revelation 10:8

10:8 Then ²⁰  the voice I had heard from heaven began to speak ²¹  to me ²²  again, ²³  “Go and take the open ²⁴  scroll in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.”

Revelation 10:10

10:10 So ²⁵  I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it, and it did taste ²⁶  as sweet as honey in my mouth, but ²⁷  when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter.

Revelation 5:8-9

5:8 and when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders threw themselves to the ground ²⁸  before the Lamb. Each ²⁹  of them had a harp and golden bowls full of incense (which are the prayers of the saints). ³⁰  5:9 They were singing a new song: ³¹ 

“You are worthy to take the scroll

and to open its seals

because you were killed, ³² 

and at the cost of your own blood ³³  you have purchased ³⁴  for God

persons ³⁵  from every tribe, language, ³⁶  people, and nation.

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¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of no one being found worthy to open the scroll.

³ tn Grk “much.”

⁴ tn Or “The heavens were.” The Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) can mean either “heaven” or “sky.”

⁵ tn BDAG 125 s.v. ἀποχωρίζω states, “ὁ οὐρανὸς ἀπεχωρίσθη the sky was split Rv 6:14.” Although L&N 79.120 gives the meaning “the sky disappeared like a rolled-up scroll” here, a scroll that is rolled up does not “disappear,” and such a translation could be difficult for modern readers to understand.

⁶ tn On this term BDAG 317 s.v. ἑλίσσω states, “ὡς βιβλίον ἑλισσόμενον like a scroll that is rolled up…Rv 6:14.”

⁷ tn Grk “and 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.”

⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the instructions given by the voice.

⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

¹⁰ tn The words “the scroll” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

¹¹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

¹² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

¹³ tn Grk “written on the inside and the outside” (an idiom for having writing on both sides).

¹⁴ tn L&N 6.55 states, “From the immediate context of Re 5:1 it is not possible to determine whether the scroll in question had seven seals on the outside or whether the scroll was sealed at seven different points. However, since according to chapter six of Revelation the seals were broken one after another, it would appear as though the scroll had been sealed at seven different places as it had been rolled up.”

¹⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

¹⁶ tn Grk “says” (a historical present).

¹⁷ tn The present imperative with μή (mh) is used here to command cessation of an action in progress (ExSyn 724 lists this verse as an example).

¹⁸ tn Or “has been victorious”; traditionally, “has overcome.”

¹⁹ tn The infinitive has been translated as an infinitive of result here.

²⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

²¹ tn The participle λαλοῦσαν (lalousan) has been translated as “began to speak.” The use of πάλιν (palin) indicates an ingressive idea.

²² tn Grk “with me.” The translation “with me” implies that John was engaged in a dialogue with the one speaking to him (e.g., Jesus or an angel) when in reality it was a one-sided conversation, with John doing all the listening. For this reason, μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ (met’ emou, “with me”) was translated as “to me.”

²³ tn Grk “again, saying.” The participle λέγουσαν (legousan) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

²⁴ tn The perfect passive participle ἠνεῳγμένον (hnewgmenon) is in second attributive position and has been translated as an attributive adjective.

²⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the instructions given by the angel.

²⁶ tn Grk “it was.” The idea of taste is implied.

²⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

²⁸ 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.”

²⁹ tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

³⁰ sn This interpretive comment by the author forms a parenthesis in the narrative.

³¹ tn The redundant participle λέγοντες (legontes) has not been translated here.

³² tn Or “slaughtered”; traditionally, “slain.”

³³ tn The preposition ἐν (en) is taken to indicate price here, like the Hebrew preposition ב (bet) does at times. BDAG 329 s.v. ἐν 5.b states, “The ἐν which takes the place of the gen. of price is also instrumental ἠγόρασας ἐν τῷ αἵματί σου Rv 5:9 (cp. 1 Ch 21:24 ἀγοράζω ἐν ἀργυρίῳ).”

³⁴ tc The Greek text as it stands above (i.e., the reading τῷ θεῷ [tw qew] alone) is found in codex A. א 2050 2344 Ï sy add the term “us” (ἡμᾶς, Jhmas), either before or after τῷ θεῷ, as an attempt to clarify the object of “purchased” (ἠγόρασας, hgorasa"). A few mss (1 vg^ms) delete the reference to God altogether and simply replace it with “us” (ἡμᾶς). This too is an attempt to remove ambiguity in the phrase and provide an object for “purchased.” The shorter reading, supported by the best witness for Revelation, best accounts for the other readings.

³⁵ tn The word “persons” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

³⁶ tn Grk “and language,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.