4:6a

was something like a sea of glass: This clause indicates that John saw something that was like a sea. A sea is a large body of water that is many kilometers wide. The sea that John saw may have been solid like glass or liquid like water. Other ways to translate this clause are:

there is something like a sea of glass (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
something resembling a sea of glass
-or-
something spread out like a sea of glass

a sea of glass: The sea could be made of glass. Or it could be made of something flat and shiny like water that is perfectly smooth. In that way it looked smooth and clear like glass.

as clear as crystal: The Greek words only indicate that the sea of glass was “like crystal” (as in the Revised Standard Version). The comparison to crystal probably indicates that John could see through the sea in the way that someone can see through clear water. So the Berean Standard Bible and some other English versions add the word clear. But “as crystal” may instead refer to it being shiny or flat or angled (rather than rounded).

crystal: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as crystal refers to various substances that are bright, shiny, and have flat surfaces. The Greek word probably refers only to crystals that let light shine through them. Salt and ice are crystals, but here it is probably crystals as hard or harder than stone that are implied. Quartz, diamonds, and sapphires are examples of hard crystals.

Here the focus is on the fact that crystals are shiny and let light shine through them.

In some languages people are not familiar with crystals. If that is true in your language, you may want to:

• Use the characteristics of crystals that are important here. For example:

bright/sparkling, ⌊flat,⌋ and clear

• 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:

Crystals are hard substances that are see-through, shiny, and have flat surfaces.

Paragraph 4:6b–11

4:6b

In the center: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as In the center is literally “in the middle/midst of the throne.” Since God is sitting on the throne, this phrase probably refers to the middle of the throne area. It indicates that the four living creatures were near or next to the throne of God. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

In the center near the throne (God’s Word)
-or-
Close to the throne

around the throne: The living creatures were around the throne, perhaps:

(1) one at each corner,

(2) two on the right side and two on the left side,

(3) one in back and one in front and one on each side.

Use a general phrase like around the throne. This allows for one or more of the above meanings.

four living creatures: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as living creatures is literally “living (ones).” They are beings like angels, cherubim (Ezekiel 1), or seraphim (Isaiah 6). In John’s vision, some of these beings look like various animals (4:7). However, they are able to speak and praise God (4:8). Other ways to translate this phrase are:

four living beings (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
four living things/ones

4:6c

covered with eyes in front and back: These creatures had eyes all over their whole bodies. Other ways to translate this clause are:

full of eyes in front and behind (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
each covered with eyes, front and back (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
with eyes all over them, in front and in back (New Century Version)

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