Discovery BoxRevelation 2:1 
Context2:1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus, 1 write the following: 2
“This is the solemn pronouncement of 3 the one who has a firm grasp on 4 the seven stars in his right hand 5 – the one who walks among the seven golden 6 lampstands:
Revelation 20:4
Context20:4 Then 7 I saw thrones and seated on them were those who had been given authority to judge. 8 I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. These 9 had not worshiped the beast or his image and had refused to receive his mark on their forehead or hand. They 10 came to life 11 and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
1 map For location see JP1 D2; JP2 D2; JP3 D2; JP4 D2.
2 tn The phrase “the following” after “write” is supplied to clarify that what follows is the content of what is to be written.
3 tn Grk “These things says [the One]…” The expression τάδε λέγει (tade legei) occurs eight times in the NT, seven of which are in Rev 2-3. “The pronoun is used to add solemnity to the prophetic utterance that follows. …In classical drama, it was used to introduce a new actor to the scene (Smyth, Greek Grammar, 307 [§1241]). But the τάδε λέγει formula in the NT derives from the OT, where it was used to introduce a prophetic utterance (BAGD, s.v. ὅδε, 1)” (ExSyn 328). Thus, the translation “this is the solemn pronouncement of” for τάδε λέγει is very much in keeping with the OT connotations of this expression.
sn The expression This is the solemn pronouncement of reflects an OT idiom. The LXX has the same Greek phrase (τάδε λέγει, tade legei) about 350 times, with nearly 320 of them having “the Lord” (Heb יהוה, Yahweh) as subject. That the author of Revelation would use such an expression seven times with the risen Christ as the speaker may well imply something of Christ’s sovereignty and deity. Cf. also Acts 21:11 in which the Holy Spirit is the speaker of this expression.
4 tn Grk “holds,” but the term (i.e., κρατῶν, kratwn) with an accusative object, along with the context, argues for a sense of firmness. (Cf. ExSyn 132.)
5 sn On seven stars in his right hand see 1:16.
6 tn Grk “lampstands of gold” with the genitive τῶν χρυσῶν (twn cruswn) translated as an attributive genitive.
7 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
8 tn Grk “I saw thrones, and those seated on them, and judgment was given to them.” BDAG 567 s.v. κρίμα 3 says, “judging, judgment, the κρίμα ἐδόθη αὐτοῖς authority to judge was given to them Rv 20:4.”
9 tn Grk “God, and who.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the pronoun “these” as subject.
10 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
11 tn On the use of the aorist ἔζησαν (ezhsan) BDAG 425 s.v. ζάω 1.a.β says, “of dead persons who return to life become alive again: of humans in general (3 Km 17:23) Mt 9:18; Ac 9:41; 20:12; Rv 20:4, 5.”
