14:20a
And the winepress was trodden: The clause is passive. Some languages must use an active clause. For example:
⌊They/Someone⌋ trod on them
trodden: This word refers to standing hard on something. The angels or someone stomped on the grapes to squeeze the juice out.
outside the city: These verses do not say which city this is. It might be Jerusalem or some other city. You should not say which city it is in your translation.
14:20b
blood: The blood here is probably a metaphor for God’s judgment and punishment of evil people.
it: Here this word refers to the winepress.
14:20c
the bridles of the horses: This phrase refers to a height of about 1.4–1.7 meters (4.5–5.5 feet).
In some languages people are not familiar with horses. If that is true in your language, you may want to:
• Explain the height in your translation. For example:
the horses’ heads/necks (about 1.5 meters)
-or-
the horses’ heads/necks (about five feet)
• Explain the height in a footnote. For example:
This would be about 1.5 meters high.
• Refer to shoulder or neck or eye height of people. For example:
men’s shoulders/neck
You may then want a footnote to explain the literal. For example:
Literally: “the horses’ bridles.”
bridles: This word refers to the equipment on a horse’s head to guide the horse. It includes the straps around the head and probably a mouthpiece.
the horses: The word horses refers to large, four-legged animals that weigh 500 kilograms (1100 pounds) or more. They are about 1.5 meters (5 feet) high at the back. People ride horses.
In some languages people are not familiar with horses. If that is true in your language, you may want to:
• Explain the word in your translation. For example:
riding animals’
• Use the major language word. If people are not familiar with this word, you may want to explain it in a footnote. An example footnote is:
A horse is a large, four-legged animal that weighs 500 kilograms or more. They are about 1.5 meters high at the back. People ride horses.
1,600 stadia: The Roman distance unit of measure is a stadium (plural is stadia). It is about 185 meters (607 feet). So 1,600 stadia is about 300 kilometers (180 miles). It is approximately the distance that Judea is from its northern border to its southern border. You may want to:
• Use the Roman measure, as the Berean Standard Bible does. You may then want to explain the distance in a footnote. For example:
This is about 300 kilometers.
-or-
About 180 miles.
• Use the common measure in your area. For example:
300 kilometers
-or-
180 miles
-or-
39,000 paces
-or-
the distance of walking 72 hours
You may then want to explain the literal words in a footnote. For example:
Literally: “1,600 stadia.” The Roman measure of a stadium (plural is “stadia”) is about 185 meters.
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