Paragraph 15:2–4
15:2a
something like a sea of glass mixed with fire: The thing that John saw looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire.
a sea of glass mixed with fire: The fire was probably mixed into the sea of glass. The fire was not on top of the sea of glass. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
a glassy sea blended/combined with fire
-or-
a glass sea having fire mixed into it
The clause is passive. Some languages must use an active clause. Probably God or someone whom God sent mixed it. For example:
a sea of glass that ⌊God/someone had⌋ mixed with fire
-or-
a sea of glass that had fire throughout it
a sea of glass: This phrase refers to a large flat area. It was smooth and shiny like glass, not hilly or bumpy. See how you translated this phrase in 4:6.
mixed: The Greek grammar indicates that the fire was already mixed with the sea of glass when John saw it.
15:2b
beside which stood: There are two ways to interpret the Greek preposition that the Berean Standard Bible translates as beside :
(1) It means beside. For example:
standing by (Good News Translation)
(2) It means on. For example:
standing on (New American Standard Bible)
(New American Standard Bible, New American Bible, Revised Edition, New Living Translation (2004), God’s Word, Contemporary English Version, King James Version).
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).
those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name: This phrase describes those standing beside the sea. The Berean Standard Bible emphasizes the phrase in English by placing it after the verb “stood.” The Greek does not have an emphasized phrase. For example,
And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God. (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
Then I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire. I also saw those who had won the victory over the beast and its image and over the one whose name is represented by a number. They were standing by the sea of glass, holding harps that God had given them (Good News Translation)
those who had conquered: These believers had conquered because they did not submit to the beast. They remained faithful to Jesus even when the beast tortured or killed them. The believers were not victorious because they had won a battle.
In some languages a literal translation would wrongly refer only to fighting. If that is true in your language, you may want to:
• Explain the meaning in your translation. For example:
those who had conquered ⌊by remaining faithful to Jesus⌋
-or-
those who had been conquerors ⌊in their faith⌋
• Translate literally and explain its meaning in a footnote. An example footnote is:
These believers had conquered because they did not submit to the beast. They remained faithful to Jesus, even if the beast tried to make them disown Jesus.
the beast and its image and the number of its name:
These are the three things that the believers were victorious over. They did not submit to the beast. They did not submit to his statue. They also did not allow anyone to put the number of his name on their forehead or hand.
15:2c
harps from God: The Greek phrase is literally “harps of God.” This phrase probably indicates that God gave the harps. For example:
harps from God (New Jerusalem Bible)
The Berean Standard Bible clause is passive. Some languages must use an active clause. For example:
harps that God had given to them
harps: A harp is a stringed instrument. See how you translated harps in 5:8 or 14:2.
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