Discovery BoxRevelation 17:4-6 
Context17:4 Now 1 the woman was dressed in purple and scarlet clothing, 2 and adorned with gold, 3 precious stones, and pearls. She held 4 in her hand a golden cup filled with detestable things and unclean things from her sexual immorality. 5 17:5 On 6 her forehead was written a name, a mystery: 7 “Babylon the Great, the Mother of prostitutes and of the detestable things of the earth.” 17:6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of those who testified to Jesus. 8 I 9 was greatly astounded 10 when I saw her.
1 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the detailed description of the woman, which is somewhat parenthetical in nature.
2 tn The word “clothing” is supplied to clarify that the words “purple” and “scarlet” refer to cloth or garments rather than colors.
3 tn Grk “gilded with gold” (an instance of semantic reinforcement, see L&N 49.29).
4 tn Grk “pearls, having in her hand.” Due to the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
5 tc Several
6 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
7 tn Some translations consider the word μυστήριον (musthrion, “mystery”) a part of the name written (“Mystery Babylon the Great,” so KJV, NIV), but the gender of both ὄνομα (onoma, “name”) and μυστήριον are neuter, while the gender of “Babylon” is feminine. This strongly suggests that μυστήριον should be understood as an appositive to ὄνομα (“a name, i.e., a mystery”).
8 tn Or “of the witnesses to Jesus.” Here the genitive ᾿Ιησοῦ (Ihsou) is taken as an objective genitive; Jesus is the object of their testimony.
9 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
10 tn Grk “I marveled a great marvel” (an idiom for great astonishment).
