Revelation 2:9
Context2:9 ‘I know the distress you are suffering 1 and your poverty (but you are rich). I also know 2 the slander against you 3 by those who call themselves Jews and really are not, but are a synagogue 4 of Satan.
Revelation 21:27
Context21:27 but 5 nothing ritually unclean 6 will ever enter into it, nor anyone who does what is detestable 7 or practices falsehood, 8 but only those whose names 9 are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
1 tn Or “know your suffering.” This could refer to suffering or distress caused by persecution (see L&N 22.2).
2 tn Because of the length and complexity of this Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the phrase “I also know” to link this English sentence back to “I know” at the beginning of the verse.
3 tn The words “against you” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
4 sn A synagogue was a place for Jewish prayer and worship, with recognized leadership (e.g., Mt 4:23, Mk 1:21, Lk 4:15, Jn 6:59).
5 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
6 tn Here BDAG 552 s.v. κοινός 2 states, “pert. to being of little value because of being common, common, ordinary, profane…b. specifically, of that which is ceremonially impure: Rv 21:27.”
7 tn Or “what is abhorrent”; Grk “who practices abominations.”
8 tn Grk “practicing abomination or falsehood.” Because of the way βδέλυγμα (bdelugma) has been translated (“does what is detestable”) it was necessary to repeat the idea from the participle ποιῶν (poiwn, “practices”) before the term “falsehood.” On this term, BDAG 1097 s.v. ψεῦδος states, “ποιεῖν ψεῦδος practice (the things that go with) falsehood Rv 21:27; 22:15.” Cf. Rev 3:9.
9 tn Grk “those who are written”; the word “names” is implied.