SIL Translator’s Notes on Revelation 2020 – Page 46

SIL Translator’s Notes on Revelation 6:5

Paragraph 6:5–6

6:5a

third: This word refers to the next item after the second one. If counted, this item would be counted as number three. Other ways to translate this word are:

the one after the other two
-or-
the one after the two of them
-or-
another

6:5b

say, “Come!”:
The third living creature spoke here to the rider on the black horse (6:5d). It is probably implied that he spoke loudly, like the first creature spoke (6:1c).

6:5c

I looked and saw: The Greek words are literally “I saw, and look,” as in 6:2a. Translate the Greek words as you did in 6:2.

6:5c–d

a black horse, and its rider held in his hand a pair of scales: The Greek words are literally “a black horse and one sitting on it having a pair of scales in his hand.” It indicates that John saw both the horse and the person sitting on it at the same time but described the horse first. These words are similar in grammar to the words about the white horse and rider in 6:2a. Other ways to translate these words are:

was a black horse and rider with a pair of scales in his hand
-or-
was someone on a black horse, holding scales in his hand

a pair of scales: This phrase refers to a balance scale used for weighing things. It had two bowls which hung from a beam. The beam hung from a hook or ring halfway between the bowls. When the weight of the items in the two bowls were equal, the beam was level.

Usually a standard weight was put in one bowl. The person filled the other bowl with portions of the item for sale until the beam was level. They then had measured out the correct amount of the item to sell. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

a scale (God’s Word)
-or-
a balance scale (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
a device/tool for measuring ⌊the weight of⌋ food
-or-
a weight measurer

© 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.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Revelation 8:6

Section 8:6–9:21

Angels blew the first six trumpets

In this section, the blowing of each trumpet signaled a disaster. God would send these disasters upon the people of the earth. Some of the disasters were hail, fire, and poisoned water.

Other examples of headings for this section are:

The Seven Angels and Trumpets (New Century Version)
-or-
The Seven Trumpets (New Revised Standard Version)

Paragraph 8:6

8:6

prepared to sound them: This phrase indicates that the angels made themselves ready to blow the trumpets. They probably raised the trumpets and put the mouthpieces of the trumpets to their lips. For example:

made ready to blow them (Revised Standard Version)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Revelation 11:5

11:5–6

The Greek and the Berean Standard Bible use present tense in these verses. It indicates that the events here occur throughout the 1,260 days (11:3b). Use the proper tense and grammar to indicate that the events here occur throughout the 1,260 days.

11:5a–b

If anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouths and devours their enemies: The word anyone is singular, but refers generally to their enemies. The singular word indicates that whoever the enemy is, he will be destroyed. Other ways to translate these words are:

Fire comes from their mouths and consumes their enemies if anyone tries to harm them (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
Any enemy who tries to harm them will be destroyed by the fire that comes out of their mouths (Contemporary English Version)

11:5b

fire proceeds from their mouths: This indicates that flames of fire leave the mouths of the witnesses. It is implied that the flames leave their mouths forcefully.

devours: This word refers to eating something. But it also refers to the way fire burns something until only ashes are left. Use a word that refers to when fire burns something completely. The word probably implies “immediately” or “quickly” here. Other ways to translate this word are:

consumes (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
completely burns

11:5c

In this way, anyone who wants to harm them must be killed: The Greek words are literally “If anyone tries to harm them, it is necessary for him to be killed in that way.” The words indicate that any enemy attacking the two witnesses will certainly die. They will die from the fire coming from the mouths of the two witnesses. Other ways to translate this are:

anyone who tries to harm them will certainly be killed in this way (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
so shall anyone die who tries to do them injury (Revised English Bible)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Revelation 12:18

12:18

This verse appears at 12:17d in the Berean Standard Bible. See the General Comment note there on the placement of this verse.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Revelation 14:14

Section 14:14–20

The person on the cloud harvested the earth

In this section, John saw one “like a son of man” seated on a white cloud. This person gathered the people of the earth just as someone harvests grain. Then an angel gathered the grapes of the earth, and squeezed the juice out. The juice represents God’s anger.

Other examples for this section heading are:

The harvest of the earth
-or-
The Earth Is Harvested (New Century Version)
-or-
The person on a cloud gathered the people of the earth

Paragraph 14:14–16

14:14a

And I looked: John just finished talking about the future for believers. This clause indicates that he saw a new part of the vision. Other ways to translate this clause are:

Once again I looked (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
Now in my vision I saw (New Jerusalem Bible)

See how you translated this in 14:1. But note that John used this phrase again here just fourteen verses later.

and saw a white cloud: The Greek words are literally “and look.” The word “look” emphasizes or calls attention to the words that follow. It also probably indicates surprise or suddenness. The word “look” is not a command to look at something. Other ways to translate the Greek phrase are:

indeed/hey, a white cloud
-or-
and look, a white cloud
-or-
suddenly/unexpectedly I saw a white cloud

See how you translated this phrase in 14:1.

14:14b

and seated on the cloud was One like the Son of Man: These words are similar to the words in Daniel 7:13. In that verse, Daniel saw in a vision “one like a Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven.” Many people in Jesus’ day understood that to be a vision of the Christ.

In some languages people are not familiar with Daniel 7:13. If that is true in your language, you may want to explain it in a footnote. For example:

These words are similar to the prophecy in Daniel 7:13 about the Christ. The words here were written to remind people of the prophecy in Daniel 7:13.

like the Son of Man: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Man can mean “male,” “person,” or “mankind.” John probably implied that he was referring to Jesus here, but he only did so indirectly. The meaning here is probably the same as in 1:13. See how you translated the same phrase there.

14:14c

with a golden crown: Here the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as crown refers to the headpiece that kings wear. It is a symbol of their authority. See how you translated a similar phrase in 4:4.

golden: The word gold refers to a shiny, yellow metal that is very valuable. In some languages people are not familiar with gold. If that is true in your language, you may want to explain the meaning in your translation:

⌊expensive⌋ gold
-or-

⌊valuable⌋ metal/stones called gold

See how you translated this word in 3:18 or 4:4.

sickle: This word refers to a long, curved knife with a short handle. It is used for harvesting grain crops. People swing the sickle near the ground to cut the stalks of grain. At that time they used both the stalks and the grain.

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

• Use the name of a tool that is used in your area for harvesting grain crops.

• Explain the meaning in your translation. For example:

grain-harvesting tool
-or-
tool for harvesting grain/wheat

• 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:

A sickle is a long, curved knife with a short handle. It is used for harvesting grain crops.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Revelation 16:18

16:18a–b

And there were flashes of lightning, and rumblings, and peals of thunder, and a great earthquake: The Greek clause is literally “lightning, noises, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake occurred.” Here the word “noises” probably refers to the sound of distant thunder. The New Living Translation (2004) translates this as:

the thunder crashed and rolled, and lightning flashed. And a great earthquake struck…

See how you translated this in 11:19.

great earthquake: This word refers to when the ground shakes strongly.

16:18c–d

the likes of which had not occurred since men were upon the earth—so mighty was the great quake: These words compare this earthquake to all other earthquakes. It says that this earthquake was the worst one. Other ways to translate these words are:

such as had not occurred since people were upon the earth, so violent was that earthquake (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
the worst since people were placed on the earth (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
There has never been such a powerful earthquake since humans have been on earth (God’s Word)

men: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as men refers to people in general. For example:

mankind (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

mighty: This word means “big” or “great.” The earthquake caused the earth to shake a lot.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Revelation 18:11

Paragraph 18:11–13

18:11a

merchants: This word refers to those who buy, sell, and trade as their job. See how you translated this word in 18:3.

weep: This word refers to great sadness that causes tears in the eyes. Here the word may also refer to the noise people make when crying. But it probably does not refer to the loud noise of wailing.

mourn: This word refers to being very sad and grieving. See how you translated this word in 18:9, where the Berean Standard Bible translates it as “wail.”

18:11b

because: This conjunction introduces the reason for the merchants’ sorrow.

no one left to buy: This phrase indicates that no one in Babylon will buy what the merchants have to sell.

cargo: This word refers generally to things that merchants sell. Some of the kinds of cargo are listed in 18:12–13. For example:

goods (Good News Translation)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Revelation 19:19

Paragraph 19:19–21

19:19a

beast: Here the word beast refers to the first beast, the one from the sea (13:1–2).

19:19b

assembled: The Greek grammar indicates that the beast, leaders, and armies had already assembled together when John saw them.

19:19c

wage war: This phrase refers to fighting in organized groups. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

fight a war
-or-
battle

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Revelation 2020