I gave her time to repent: this indicates that in some way Christ’s judgment had been revealed to her, but she had ignored it and insisted in continuing her evil ways. Had she repented, she would not have been punished. For repent see comments on 2.5.

She refuses to repent: she chooses not to abandon her evil ways, and so she will be punished.

Her immorality: the Greek noun, used also in 9.21; 14.8 and 18.3 (“impure passion”); 17.2, 4 and 19.2 (“fornication”), is always applied to females. Female immorality in certain languages is expressed as “having an easy heart,” meaning a woman who is free with her affections, or it may be expressed as “acting like a woman who sells her body,” or even “acting like a female dog (or, bitch).” Translators should look for appropriate idioms in the receptor languages.

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 .

And the four living creatures … are full of eyes all round and within: the main problem here is the meaning of within; it seems that what is meant is that they had eyes all over the body (verse 6b), including the underside of the wings.

Each of them with six wings: like the seraphim of Isa 6.2.

And day and night they never cease to sing: the Greek is quite vivid: “and they have no rest, day and night, saying.” Translator’s New Testament does an effective job of representing this: “Day and night, without resting, they sing.” Where a dynamic equivalent of day and night does not exist, something like “they sing all the time” or “without stopping” may be said. The Greek has “saying,” but in this liturgical context something like “singing” or “chanting” is quite appropriate. Certain languages will employ idiomatic expressions for continuous singing or talking; for example, “they sing without letting their mouths stop.”

Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty: this is like the song of the seraphim in Isa 6.3. For holy see 3.7. Here it represents the separateness, the apartness, of God from all created things, with probable emphasis on the purity of God, without the flaws or sins that characterize human beings. It is recommended that the song appear in poetic style (see Section F of the introduction, “Translating the Revelation to John,” pages 6 and following).

For the translation of the phrase Lord God Almighty, see 1.8.

Who was and is and is to come: see 1.4, where the same expressions occur but in a different order.

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 .

After this I saw: as in 4.1. This is a separate vision, and everything takes place on earth. Since this is the beginning of a new chapter, it will be equally natural in most languages to say “The next thing that I saw….”

Four angels standing at the four corners of the earth: the earth is regarded as a vast, square surface, with four distinct corners, from each of which one wind blows.

Holding back the four winds of the earth: the four winds blow from heaven (Jer 49.36; Dan 7.2; Zech 6.5); here they are called the four winds of the earth, blowing from north, south, east, and west. The angels keep them from blowing on earth or sea, which includes all the earth’s surface—the earth, of course, meaning “the dry land,” and the sea referring to large bodies of water everywhere. The addition of or against any tree seems to be a detail meant to make the figure more vivid, since trees are particularly affected by strong winds.

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 .

Tails like scorpions, and stings: what is meant is that their tails were like scorpions’ tails, with stings at the end.

Their power of hurting men: the word translated power can also mean “authority” or “capability.” The final sentence may be translated as follows: “It is with the stings on their tails that they are able to hurt people for five months.” See also 9.5 on hurting or torturing people.

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 .

Those who dwell on the earth: this refers to all the unrepentant sinners in the world (see the use of this expression in 3.10; 6.10; 8.13).

Will rejoice over them and make merry: the Greek text has the present tense, “they rejoice over them and celebrate,” but in this context it is better to maintain the future tense. To rejoice over means to be happy because they have been killed. It is advised that this information be made explicit in the translation, to make it easier to understand. In certain languages one may render the first clause as “will be happy (hearts, or liver, will be cool, or sweet, or bright) because these two have died.” Make merry (Good News Translation “celebrate”): translators should choose an expression for this action that is most natural in the receptor language; for example, “have parties (or, fiestas).”

Exchange presents: a way of showing their happiness. New International Version provides a good model for translators: “… will gloat over them and celebrate by sending each other gifts.”

These two prophets had been a torment: the verbal phrase had been a torment translates the Greek verb “to cause pain,” “to torment” (see 9.5; 12.2 [“anguish”]; 14.10; 20.10). This refers back to verse 6. For prophets see 10.7.

Alternative translation models for this verse are:

• All the people of the world will gloat because these two have died. They will hold parties and send gifts to each other, because these two prophets have caused humans to suffer terribly.

Or:

• … They will celebrate by exchanging gifts, because these two prophets….

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 .

The beast was given a mouth: here mouth represents the power of speech; “was allowed to speak,” “received the ability (or, power) to speak.” The passive verb points to God as the one who allows the beast to speak. So in those languages that do not use the passive, one may say “God allowed the beast to….”

Uttering haughty and blasphemous words: the Greek text says “great (utterances) and blasphemies,” which may be understood to mean “outrageous blasphemies.” For “blasphemy” see Rev. 13.1. For the whole statement see Dan 7.8, 20, 25. As translated by Good News Translation, the “proud claims” were themselves insults to God. The idea is that the beast was claiming rights and authority that belong only to God. One may also render this as “boast about his authority and thus insult God.”

It was allowed to exercise authority: again, God is in control; “God allowed the beast to have authority.”

Forty-two months: see 11.2-3.

Alternative translation models for languages that do not use the passive are:

• The beast received the right to boast about himself and thus insult God. He received authority to act for forty-two months.

Or:

• God allowed the beast to boast about his authority and thus insult him (God). God permitted him to have this authority for forty-two months.

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 .

Another portent in heaven: see 12.1. Here, however, John explicitly says I saw. What he sees takes place in heaven itself, not high in the air, nor in “the sky” as in Good News Translation.

Great and wonderful: the two adjectives are used together in verse 3 also. Great does not mean “large” or “powerful” in this context, but rather “incredible” or “important.” Wonderful can be understood to mean “impressive,” “amazing,” “astonishing.” The related verb is used in 13.3, translated there as “with wonder.”

Seven plagues: for plagues see 9.18. Care should be taken in translating seven angels with seven plagues to avoid giving the impression that these seven angels are suffering from some incurable disease. So it may be better to say “seven angels who had the responsibility of inflicting the seven last plagues on the world” or “… of causing the people of the world to receive the seven final punishments.”

With them the wrath of God is ended: for wrath see 12.12. The Greek verb translated ended means not only to cease but also to complete. In this context the seven plagues express fully and completely God’s anger at sinners. So New Jerusalem Bible translates “they exhaust the anger of God”; Revised English Bible “was completed”; New American Bible, Revised “is accomplished”; Translator’s New Testament “is consummated”; Barclay, rather wordily, “reached its climax and consummation.” Some languages, however, cannot speak about wrath (or, “anger”) being accomplished or ended. In such cases translators may say “when these punishments are finished God will stop being angry,” or “when God finishes punishing people these seven times, he will stop being angry,” or “… his hot heart will cool down.”

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 .

Why marvel?: “Why are you surprised (or, astonished)?” The question implies that John should have understood what he was seeing. It prepares the way for the explanation that follows. Marvel is expressed idiomatically in many languages; for example, “shiver in the heart (or, liver),” “be with mouth open,” or “feel strange in the heart.”

I will tell you the mystery: for the first time in the book, an angel interpreter appears. “I will explain the mystery to you,” “I will reveal to you the secret meaning.”

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 .