6:17a
For: This conjunction introduces the reason for what they said in 6:16b–c. For example:
because (God’s Word)
the great day of Their wrath has come: The phrase has come indicates that the day on which the people spoke these words was the great day of Their wrath.
In some languages it is necessary or more natural to translate has come in a different way. For example:
the great day of their wrath is today
-or-
It has become the great day of their wrath
the great day: Here the word great indicates that the day is important or extraordinary. This day is a special day when God and Jesus will punish the unbelievers on the earth. To those people, this day will be extremely terrifying. So you should not use a word that implies they are happy about this day. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
the terrible day (Good News Translation)
-or-
the extraordinary day
-or-
the unique day
day of Their wrath: This phrase refers to the day when God and the Lamb will be very angry. They will express their anger by punishing people. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
day when God and the Lamb show their anger
-or-
day when God and the Lamb are angry and punishing us(excl.)
6:17b
who is able to withstand it?: This is a rhetorical question. It emphasizes the fact that no one can stand. Some ways to translate this are:
• Use a rhetorical question. For example:
who can stand against it? (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
who is able to survive? (New Living Translation (2004))
• Use a statement. For example:
No one can stand against it!
-or-
Indeed, no one will survive!
withstand: Here this word refers to enduring or surviving. See the above examples.
General Comment on 6:16–17
The people spoke to the mountains and rocks. In some languages a literal translation is not natural. If that is true in your language, you may need to translate 6:16 as a wish or desire. For example:
16a They wanted the mountains and rocks 16b to fall on them and hide them from the face of him who sits on the throne 16c and from the wrath of the Lamb. 17a They shouted, “The great day of their wrath has come, 17b and who can stand?”
-or-
16a They wished/desired that the mountains and rocks 16b would fall on them. They wished/desired the mountains and rocks to hide them so that God on the throne could not see them 16c and the Lamb would not punish them in his anger. 17a They exclaimed, “The great day of their wrath has come. 17b Nobody will be able to endure it!”
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