I heard a loud voice from the throne: see 19.5.

The translator should consider the possibility of translating as poetry the message that follows in verses 3-4 (see Section F of the introduction, “Translating the Revelation to John,” pages 6 and following).

Behold: see 1.7.

The dwelling of God is with men: “from now on God will live with humankind,” “and now God will have his home among people.” The noun dwelling and the verb dwell translate the same Greek noun and verb used in 13.6 (and see 7.15 “shelter”).

They shall be his people: “they will all belong to him” or “they will all worship (or, obey) him.” As the RSV footnote shows, instead of the singular people (Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation), some Greek manuscripts, including the older ones, and a few early versions have the plural “peoples” (many more versions have the singular). Following a very common rule of textual criticism, the plural “peoples” has greater claim to be the original text than the singular “people,” since the plural form is obviously more difficult. Of the translations consulted, however, only New Revised Standard Version and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible have the plural. It is recommended that the plural form be translated. In languages where no distinction exists between the singular “people” and the plural “people,” the most natural term should be used.

God himself will be with them: here will be means “remain,” reinforcing what was said before, that he “will live with them.” As the RSV footnote shows, a number of Greek manuscripts and early versions add at the end of the verse “(and be) their God.” This is then literally “God himself with them will be their God.” Some, like Good News Translation, translate this “and he will be their God”; others, “(God himself will be with them) as their God” or “and he will be the God who is with them” (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible); and others take this as the equivalent of a title, “and ‘God-with-them’ will be their God.” If, following Good News Bible, this phrase is included, the translation can be “and God himself, their own God, will be (or, stay) with them.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Revelation to John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .