2:9a

I know your affliction:
The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as affliction means “oppression” or more generally “troubles.” Here the word probably refers to the fact that some people in Smyrna were persecuting the believers there. Other ways to translate this word are:

I know your hardships (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
I know about your suffering (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
I know your troubles (New Century Version)

your: The pronoun your is singular in the Greek. It refers to the angel of the church as the representative of all the believers there. In many languages it is more natural to use plural pronouns here. See how you translated the pronoun “your” in 2:2.

your poverty: The word poverty indicates that the believers in Smyrna were very poor. They had very little money or goods. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

you are poor (Good News Translation)
-or-
you are extremely/very poor

2:9b

though you are rich: Here the word rich refers to having many spiritual blessings. The believers could look forward to these rewards in heaven. In the Gospels these rewards are often called “treasure.”

The word rich here does not refer to earthly riches. Jesus used the word rich without explanation to contrast it with the word “poverty” in 2:9a.

In some languages a literal translation would only refer to earthly riches. If that is true in your language, you may want to:

• Explain the meaning in your translation. For example:

yet you are rich ⌊in heaven/spirit⌋
-or-
yet you are ⌊spiritually⌋ rich

• Translate literally and explain its meaning in a footnote. For example:

This saying indicates that the believers were rich in heavenly treasures/blessings. They were rich in heaven because of their great faith in God.

2:9c

slander: This word refers to lies told for the purpose of hurting someone’s reputation, name, or status. Some people in Smyrna were telling lies to cause others to think that the believers were bad people. In some languages it is necessary or more natural to translate this word using a verb or verb phrase. For example:

lies being told about you
-or-
the evil things said against you (Good News Translation)
-or-
the bad things some people say about you (New Century Version)
-or-
some people are slandering you
-or-
you are slandered (Revised English Bible)

2:9c–d

those who falsely claim to be Jews, but are in fact a synagogue of Satan: The people referred to here were probably Jews by birth, but they did not believe in Jesus. Satan had influenced them so that they persecuted the believers at Smyrna. So in that way they were not Jews spiritually, because true Jews followed God’s commands. Jesus said that they were a synagogue of Satan.

Jesus used this strong language to emphasize that these people were very wrong to follow Satan. Other ways to translate these words are:

people who falsely claim to be Jews but are really members of the synagogue of Satan (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
those who claim to be Jews but are not; they are a group that belongs to Satan (Good News Translation)
-or-
They say they are Jews, but they are not true Jews. They are a synagogue that belongs to Satan. (New Century Version)

2:9d

synagogue: Here the word synagogue refers to the group of misled Jews in Smyrna. The word does not refer to the building where they met. The Good News Translation therefore translates this as:

group

Satan: The word Satan is the Hebrew word used for the leader of all evil spirits. In Hebrew the word means “one who opposes others.” It is similar in meaning to “enemy” but does not necessarily imply hostility or hatred. It is used as a title in the New Testament. So you should spell this word in your language like the Greek or the major language word. If this word is not already known in your area, you may also want to add a descriptive phrase. For example:

Satan, ⌊the one who opposes,⌋
-or-
Satan, ⌊the one who stands against⌋ ⌊God⌋

If you have translated the Gospels, see how you translated this word in Matthew 4:10, Mark 1:13, Luke 10:18, or John 13:27.

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SIL Translator’s Notes on Revelation 2:10