SIL Translator’s Notes on Revelation 8:13

Paragraph 8:13

8:13a

an eagle:
The Greek phrase is literally “one eagle.” The word “one” probably emphasizes that the eagle was alone. For example:

a single eagle (New Living Translation (2004))

eagle: An eagle is a large, sometimes aggressive bird. Eagles weigh about 5 kilograms (11 pounds) and are about 1 meter (3 feet) in length.

See how you translated this word in 4:7.

flying overhead: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as flying overhead refers to the open sky far above the ground. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

in midair (New International Version)
-or-
high in the air (Good News Translation)

calling in a loud voice: Here the phrase calling in a loud voice refers to speaking loudly. Another way to translate it is:

said with a powerful voice

8:13b

Woe! Woe! Woe to those who dwell on the earth: Here the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Woe refers to a time of much hardship or distress. Speaking the word three times probably corresponds to three hardships (each called a “woe”). Other ways to translate this clause are:

How terrible, terrible, terrible for the inhabitants of the earth!
-or-
Trouble, trouble, trouble to everyone who lives on earth! (Contemporary English Version)

If you have translated Matthew 11:21 (“How dreadful”), Mark 13:17 (“How miserable”), or Luke 22:22 (“woe”), see how you translated Woe there.

The word Woe is said three times to correspond to the three hardships. But in some languages repeating a word has a different use or is unnatural. If that is true in your language, repeat the meaning in a natural way. For example:

Woe for the inhabitants of the earth! Indeed, woe to them. Yes, woe.

those who dwell on the earth: This phrase refers to the people living on the earth. For example:

all who live on earth (Good News Translation)

8:13c

the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the remaining three angels: The Greek words are literally “the remaining trumpet blasts of the angels about to sound them.” The Greek uses an active clause, and the Berean Standard Bible uses a passive clause. Some languages must use an active clause. For example, the Revised Standard Version says:

the blasts of the other trumpets which the three angels are about to blow

the trumpet blasts: The Greek phrase is literally “the remaining sounds of the trumpet.” Here this phrase refers to the sounds that the last three trumpets will make when the three angels blow them. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

the remaining trumpet blasts (God’s Word)
-or-
the sound of the other trumpets (Revised English Bible)

about to be sounded: This phrase indicates that the time is close for the last three angels to blow their trumpets.

© 2020 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

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