Revelation 2:14
Context2:14 But I have a few things against you: You have some people there who follow the teaching of Balaam, 1 who instructed Balak to put a stumbling block 2 before the people 3 of Israel so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality. 4
Revelation 18:3
Context18:3 For all the nations 5 have fallen 6 from
the wine of her immoral passion, 7
and the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her,
and the merchants of the earth have gotten rich from the power of her sensual behavior.” 8
1 sn See Num 22-24; 31:16.
2 tn That is, a cause for sinning. An alternate translation is “who instructed Balak to cause the people of Israel to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols…”
3 tn Grk “sons,” but the expression υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραήλ (Juioi Israhl) is an idiom for the people of Israel as an ethnic entity (see L&N 11.58).
4 tn Due to the actual events in the OT (Num 22-24; 31:16), πορνεῦσαι (porneusai) is taken to mean “sexual immorality.” BDAG 854 s.v. πορνεύω 1 states, “engage in illicit sex, to fornicate, to whore…W. φαγεῖν εἰδωλόθυτα ‘eat meat offered to idols’ Rv 2:14, 20.”
5 tn Or “all the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).
6 tc ‡ Several
7 tn See the notes on the words “passion” in Rev 14:8 and “wrath” in 16:19.
8 tn According to BDAG 949 s.v. στρῆνος and στρηνιάω, these terms can refer either to luxury or sensuality. In the context of Rev 18, however (as L&N 88.254 indicate) the stress is on gratification of the senses by sexual immorality, so that meaning was emphasized in the translation here.