Discovery BoxRevelation 5:6 
Context5:6 Then 1 I saw standing in the middle of the throne 2 and of the four living creatures, and in the middle of the elders, a Lamb that appeared to have been killed. 3 He had 4 seven horns and seven eyes, which 5 are the seven 6 spirits of God 7 sent out into all the earth.
Revelation 13:2
Context13:2 Now 8 the beast that I saw was like a leopard, but its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. The 9 dragon gave the beast 10 his power, his throne, and great authority to rule. 11
Revelation 15:2
Context15:2 Then 12 I saw something like a sea of glass 13 mixed with fire, and those who had conquered 14 the beast and his image and the number of his name. They were standing 15 by 16 the sea of glass, holding harps given to them by God. 17
Revelation 17:8
Context17:8 The beast you saw was, and is not, but is about to come up from the abyss 18 and then go to destruction. The 19 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 20 the beast was, and is not, but is to come.
Revelation 20:12
Context20:12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne. Then 21 books were opened, and another book was opened – the book of life. 22 So 23 the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to their deeds. 24
1 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
2 tn Perhaps, “in the middle of the throne area” (see L&N 83.10).
3 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.
4 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.”
5 sn The relative pronoun which is masculine, referring back to the eyes rather than to the horns.
6 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.
7 sn See the note on the phrase the seven spirits of God in Rev 4:5.
8 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the parenthetical nature of the following description of the beast.
9 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
10 tn Grk “gave it”; the referent (the beast) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
11 tn For the translation “authority to rule” for ἐξουσία (exousia) see L&N 37.35.
12 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
13 sn See Rev 4:6 where the sea of glass was mentioned previously.
14 tn Or “had been victorious over”; traditionally, “had overcome.”
15 tn Grk “of his name, standing.” A new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the words “They were.”
16 tn Or “on.” The preposition ἐπί (epi) with the accusative case could mean “on, at, by, near”; given the nature of this scene appearing in a vision, it is difficult to know precisely which the author of Revelation intended. See BDAG 363 s.v. ἐπί 1.c.γ, “At, by, near someone or someth.”
17 tn Grk “harps of God.” The phrase τοῦ θεοῦ (tou qeou) has been translated as a genitive of agency.
18 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.”
19 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
20 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).
21 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
22 tn Grk “another book was opened, which is of life.”
23 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the books being opened.
24 tn Grk “from the things written in the books according to their works.”
