Discovery BoxRevelation 1:5 
Context1:5 and from Jesus Christ – the faithful 1 witness, 2 the firstborn from among the dead, the ruler over the kings of the earth. To the one who loves us and has set us free 3 from our sins at the cost of 4 his own blood
Revelation 5:6
Context5:6 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.
Revelation 8:13
Context8:13 Then 12 I looked, and I heard an 13 eagle 14 flying directly overhead, 15 proclaiming with a loud voice, “Woe! Woe! Woe to those who live on the earth because of the remaining sounds of the trumpets of the three angels who are about to blow them!” 16
Revelation 11:6
Context11:6 These two have the power 17 to close up the sky so that it does not rain during the time 18 they are prophesying. They 19 have power 20 to turn the waters to blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague whenever they want.
Revelation 11:18
Context11:18 The 21 nations 22 were enraged,
but 23 your wrath has come,
and the time has come for the dead to be judged,
and the time has come to give to your servants, 24
the prophets, their reward,
as well as to the saints
and to those who revere 25 your name, both small and great,
and the time has come 26 to destroy those who destroy 27 the earth.”
Revelation 12:4
Context12:4 Now 28 the dragon’s 29 tail swept away a third of the stars in heaven and hurled them to the earth. Then 30 the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child as soon as it was born.
Revelation 12:12
Context12:12 Therefore you heavens rejoice, and all who reside in them!
But 31 woe to the earth and the sea
because the devil has come down to you!
He 32 is filled with terrible anger,
for he knows that he only has a little time!”
Revelation 14:3
Context14:3 and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No 33 one was able to learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been redeemed from the earth.
Revelation 14:15
Context14:15 Then 34 another angel came out of the temple, shouting in a loud voice to the one seated on the cloud, “Use 35 your sickle and start to reap, 36 because the time to reap has come, since the earth’s harvest is ripe!”
Revelation 14:18
Context14:18 Another 37 angel, who was in charge of 38 the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to the angel 39 who had the sharp sickle, “Use 40 your sharp sickle and gather 41 the clusters of grapes 42 off the vine of the earth, 43 because its grapes 44 are now ripe.” 45
Revelation 17:8
Context17:8 The beast you saw was, and is not, but is about to come up from the abyss 46 and then go to destruction. The 47 inhabitants of the earth – all those whose names have not been written in the book of life since the foundation of the world – will be astounded when they see that 48 the beast was, and is not, but is to come.
1 tn Or “Jesus Christ – the faithful one, the witness…” Some take ὁ πιστός (Jo pistos) as a second substantive in relation to ὁ μάρτυς (Jo martus). In the present translation, however, ὁ πιστός was taken as an adjective in attributive position to ὁ μάρτυς. The idea of martyrdom and faithfulness are intimately connected. See BDAG 820 s.v. πιστός 1.a.α: “ὁ μάρτυς μου ὁ πιστός μου Rv 2:13 (μάρτυς 3); in this ‘book of martyrs’ Christ is ὁ μάρτυς ὁ πιστὸς (καὶ ὁ ἀληθινός) 1:5; 3:14; cp. 19:11 (the combination of ἀληθινός and πιστός in the last two passages is like 3 Macc 2:11). Cp. Rv 17:14.”
2 sn The Greek term translated witness can mean both “witness” and “martyr.”
3 tc The reading “set free” (λύσαντι, lusanti) has better ms support (Ì18 א A C 1611 2050 2329 2351 ÏA sy) than its rival, λούσαντι (lousanti, “washed”; found in P 1006 1841 1854 2053 2062 ÏK lat bo). Internally, it seems that the reading “washed” could have arisen in at least one of three ways: (1) as an error of hearing (both “released” and “washed” are pronounced similarly in Greek); (2) an error of sight (both “released” and “washed” look very similar – a difference of only one letter – which could have resulted in a simple error during the copying of a ms); (3) through scribal inability to appreciate that the Hebrew preposition ב can be used with a noun to indicate the price paid for something. Since the author of Revelation is influenced significantly by a Semitic form of Greek (e.g., 13:10), and since the Hebrew preposition “in” (ב) can indicate the price paid for something, and is often translated with the preposition “in” (ἐν, en) in the LXX, the author may have tried to communicate by the use of ἐν the idea of a price paid for something. That is, John was trying to say that Christ delivered us at the price of his own blood. This whole process, however, may have been lost on a later scribe, who being unfamiliar with Hebrew, found the expression “delivered in his blood” too difficult, and noticing the obvious similarities between λύσαντι and λούσαντι, assumed an error and then proceeded to change the text to “washed in his blood” – a thought more tolerable in his mind. Both readings, of course, are true to scripture; the current question is what the author wrote in this verse.
tn Or “and released us” (L&N 37.127).
4 tn The style here is somewhat Semitic, with the use of the ἐν (en) + the dative to mean “at the price of.” The addition of “own” in the English is stylistic and is an attempt to bring out the personal nature of the statement and the sacrificial aspect of Jesus’ death – a frequent refrain in the Apocalypse.
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 “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
13 tn Grk “one eagle.”
14 tc ÏA reads “angel” (ἀγγέλου, angelou) instead of “eagle” (ἀετοῦ, aetou), a reading strongly supported by {א A 046 ÏK and several versions}. On external grounds, ἀετοῦ is clearly the superior reading. ἀγγέλου could have arisen inadvertently due to similarities in spelling or sound between ἀετοῦ and ἀγγέλου. It may also have been intentional in order to bring this statement in line with 14:6 where an angel is mentioned as the one flying in midair. This seems a more likely reason, strengthened by the facts that the book only mentions eagles two other times (4:7; 12:14). Further, the immediate as well as broad context is replete with references to angels.
15 tn Concerning the word μεσουράνημα (mesouranhma), L&N 1.10 states, “a point or region of the sky directly above the earth – ‘high in the sky, midpoint in the sky, directly overhead, straight above in the sky.’ εἶδον, καὶ ἤκουσα ἑνὸς ἁετοῦ πετομένου ἐν μεσουρανήματι ‘I looked, and I heard an eagle that was flying overhead in the sky’ Re 8:13.”
16 tn Grk “about to sound their trumpets,” but this is redundant in English.
17 tn Or “authority.”
18 tn Grk “the days.”
19 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
20 tn Or “authority.”
21 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
22 tn Or “The Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).
23 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
24 tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.
25 tn Grk “who fear.”
26 tn The words “the time has come” do not occur except at the beginning of the verse; the phrase has been repeated for emphasis and contrast. The Greek has one finite verb (“has come”) with a compound subject (“your wrath,” “the time”), followed by three infinitive clauses (“to be judged,” “to give,” “to destroy”). The rhetorical power of the repetition of the finite verb in English thus emulates the rhetorical power of its lone instance in Greek.
27 tn Or “who deprave.” There is a possible wordplay here on two meanings for διαφθείρω (diafqeirw), with the first meaning “destroy” and the second meaning either “to ruin” or “to make morally corrupt.” See L&N 20.40.
28 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate that this remark is virtually parenthetical.
29 tn Grk “its”; the referent (the dragon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
30 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
31 tn The word “But” is not in the Greek text, but the contrast is clearly implied. This is a case of asyndeton (lack of a connective).
32 tn Grk “and is filled,” a continuation of the previous sentence. Because English tends to use shorter sentences (especially when exclamations are involved), a new sentence was started here in the translation.
33 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.
34 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
35 tn Grk “Send out.”
36 tn The aorist θέρισον (qerison) has been translated ingressively.
37 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
38 tn Grk “who had authority over.” This appears to be the angel who tended the fire on the altar.
39 tn Grk “to the one having the sharp sickle”; the referent (the angel in v. 17) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
40 tn Grk “Send.”
41 tn On this term BDAG 1018 s.v. τρυγάω states: “‘gather in’ ripe fruit, esp. harvest (grapes) w. acc. of the fruit (POslo. 21, 13 [71 ad]; Jos., Ant. 4, 227) Lk 6:44; Rv 14:18 (in imagery, as in the foll. places)…W. acc. of that which bears the fruit gather the fruit of the vine…or the vineyard (s. ἄμπελος a) Rv 14:19.”
42 tn On this term BDAG 181 s.v. βότρυς states, “bunch of grapes Rv 14:18…The word is also found in the Phrygian Papias of Hierapolis, in a passage in which he speaks of the enormous size of the grapes in the new aeon (in the Lat. transl. in Irenaeus 5, 33, 2f.): dena millia botruum Papias (1:2). On this see Stephan. Byz. s.v. Εὐκαρπία: Metrophanes says that in the district of Εὐκαρπία in Phrygia Minor the grapes were said to be so large that one bunch of them caused a wagon to break down in the middle.”
43 tn The genitive τῆς γῆς (ths ghs), taken symbolically, could be considered a genitive of apposition.
44 tn Or perhaps, “its bunches of grapes” (a different Greek word from the previous clause). L&N 3.38 states, “the fruit of grapevines (see 3.27) – ‘grape, bunch of grapes.’ τρύγησον τοὺς βότρυας τῆς ἀμπέλου τῆς γῆς, ὅτι ἤκμασαν αἱ σταφυλαὶ αὐτῆς ‘cut the grapes from the vineyard of the earth because its grapes are ripe’ Re 14:18. Some scholars have contended that βότρυς means primarily a bunch of grapes, while σταφυλή designates individual grapes. In Re 14:18 this difference might seem plausible, but there is scarcely any evidence for such a distinction, since both words may signify grapes as well as bunches of grapes.”
45 tn On the use of ἥκμασαν (hkmasan) BDAG 36 s.v. ἀκμάζω states, “to bloom…of grapes…Rv 14:18.”
46 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.”
47 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
48 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).
