SIL Translator’s Notes on Revelation 2020 – Page 48

SIL Translator’s Notes on Revelation 21:6

Paragraph 21:6–8

21:6a

It is done!: The Greek clause is literally “(They) have happened.” This clause indicates that all the things that God promised to happen for his people have now happened. Other ways to translate this clause are:

It is finished (New Century Version)
-or-

⌊All⌋ those things have occurred

21:6b

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End: This clause has two titles. The title the Alpha and the Omega and the title the Beginning and the End are similar in meaning. Together they emphasize that God is eternal and controls all that happens in history.

I am the Alpha and the Omega: Alpha is the name of the first letter of the Greek alphabet. Omega is the name of the last letter of that alphabet. Here the phrase the Alpha and the Omega is used as a title. It is also a figure of speech. So this saying probably indicates that:

(a) God is eternal.

(b) He has authority over the beginning and the end of all things. This implies that everything in between the beginning and the end is also under his authority. He has control over all things and events.

In some languages a literal translation would not have the correct meaning. If that is true in your language, you may want to:

• Translate the meaning without the figure of speech. For example:

I am ⌊the One with authority over⌋ the first ⌊things⌋ and the last ⌊things⌋
-or-
I am the One with all authority from start to finish

You may then want to indicate the literal words and their meaning in a footnote. An example footnote is:

Literally: “the Alpha and the Omega.” Alpha and Omega are the names of the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. This phrase is an idiom. It indicates that God exists eternally and has authority over all things.

• Substitute the first and the last letters of your own alphabet. For example:

I am the A and the Z (God’s Word)

You may then want to indicate the literal words and its meaning in a footnote. An example footnote is:

• Translate the literal meaning and explain its meaning in your translation. For example:

I am the Alpha and the Omega, ⌊which means I am the One with authority over the first things and the last things⌋
-or-
I am the Alpha and the Omega, ⌊that is, the One who is in control from start to finish⌋

• Translate the literal meaning and explain its meaning in a footnote. An example footnote is:

Alpha and Omega are the names of the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. This phrase is an idiom. It indicates that God exists eternally and controls all things.

This title is similar in meaning to the titles “The First and the Last” (1:17, 2:8, 22:13) and “The Beginning and End” (21:6, 22:13). If possible, you should translate the three titles in similar but different ways. This is helpful, because all three titles appear in 22:13.

See how you translated this phrase in 1:8.

the Beginning and the End: The title the Beginning and the End indicates figuratively that God has authority over all things. It is similar in meaning to the title “the Alpha and the Omega.”

In some languages a literal translation would not have the correct meaning. If that is true in your language, you may want to:

• Explain its meaning in your translation. For example:

the Beginning ⌊of all things⌋ and the End ⌊of all things⌋
-or-
the Beginning and the End, ⌊which means I have all authority⌋

• Translate the literal meaning and explain its meaning in a footnote. For example:

The saying “the Beginning and the End” indicates that God has authority over all things.

21:6c

To the thirsty I will give freely: The clause I will give freely indicates that God will allow this person to drink. For example:

To anyone who is thirsty I will give the right to drink (Good News Translation)

To the thirsty: God spoke this phrase to anyone who seeks him. For example:

To all who are thirsty (New Living Translation (2004))

freely: This phrase indicates that God gives the right to drink for free. He does not require people to pay something first. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

free (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
without paying for it (Good News Translation)

21:6d

spring: Here the word spring refers to a place where water arises out of the ground.

the water of life: This phrase indicates that the water is a source of eternal life. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

water that gives ⌊eternal⌋ life
-or-
life-giving water

See how you translated a similar phrase in 7:17 (“living water”).

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SIL Translator’s Notes on Revelation 22:11

22:11a

Let the unrighteous continue to be unrighteous: This command is to everyone who is a wrongdoer. In some languages using plural forms is more natural. For example:

Those who do what is wrong/evil, continue doing what is wrong/evil!

the unrighteous: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the unrighteous refers to someone who does things that God says are not right to do. For example:

the one who is doing harm (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
whoever is doing evil (New Century Version)
-or-
He that is unjust (King James Version)

22:11b

the vile continue to be vile: This command is to everyone who is vile. Translate this clause in a similar way to 22:11. For example:

Those who are vile continue being vile!

vile: Here the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as vile refers to deeds that are morally bad or wrong. Other ways to translate this word are:

morally filthy (NET Bible)
-or-
impure mind
-or-
immoral
-or-
dirty-minded (Contemporary English Version)

22:11c

let the righteous continue to practice righteousness: The phrase the righteous indicates that the deeds of these people are upright and good in God’s eyes. Other ways to translate this clause are:

let the good persevere in their goodness (Revised English Bible)
-or-
The one who is righteous must continue to act righteously (NET Bible)

22:11d

holy: Here the word holy refers to being set apart for special service to God. Here it probably also implies being without sin. Other ways to translate this word are:

devoted to God
-or-
set apart for God
-or-
pure/blemishless/sinless

SIL Translator’s Notes on Revelation 1:6

1:6a

has made us to be a kingdom, priests: There are two issues here.

Issue 1—The Greek text

There is a textual issue here:

(1) The earliest Greek manuscripts have the word “kingdom.”

(2) Some later Greek manuscripts have the word “kings.

It is recommended that you follow option (1).

Issue 2—Meaning

The Greek words are literally “has made us to be a kingdom, priests” (as in the Berean Standard Bible). There are several ways to interpret the Greek phrase:

(1) It indicates that the words priests and kingdom describe the same thing, as in the Revised Standard Version.

(2) It indicates that the kingdom consists of priests. For example:

made us a kingdom of priests (Good News Translation)

(3) It indicates two things unconnected or only loosely connected with each other. He made his people to be a kingdom, and he also made them priests. For example:

He has made us his kingdom and his priests (New Living Translation (1996))

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), because the Greek words do not have “and” here, nor the grammar indicating “of.” Other ways to translate these words according to interpretation (1) are:

made us a kingdom, ⌊that is,⌋ priests
-or-
made us a kingdom. ⌊He also made us⌋ priests

made us to be a kingdom: These words mean “has caused us to become a united group under one king/leader.” God is the king. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

has caused us to become a nation/tribe/people-group
-or-
has appointed us as a kingdom (NET Bible)

priests to His God and Father: The Greek words are literally “priests to his God and Father” (as in the Berean Standard Bible). This is a metaphor. Believers are like priests.

They are like priests because they serve God as a way of life. They devote themselves to doing what God wants them to do. There are several ways to translate this figure of speech:

• Keep the figure of speech. For example:

priests for God his Father (God’s Word)

• Change the metaphor to a simile. For example:

to become like priests of his Father God

• Translate the meaning without the figure of speech. For example:

those who serve/worship God his Father

• Keep the metaphor or simile priests and explain the meaning. For example:

priests serving his God and Father (NET Bible)

Translate this figure of speech in a way that makes the meaning clear in your language. Whether you are able to keep the figure of priests will depend partly on the role and function of priests in your culture. See the following note.

priests: A Jewish priest was a religious leader who:

(a) offered sacrifices to God for the people,

(b) led the people in worship, and

Here the word priests refers figuratively to people who serve God as a way of life. They worship God and help others to worship him also. Since Jesus died on the cross as our sacrifice, Christians do not offer sacrifices. If your usual word or phrase for priests focuses on sacrificing animals and food, you should translate the figurative meaning of priests here. For example:

those who always serve God his Father
-or-
people doing his Father God’s will/desire as a way of life

His God and Father: The pronoun His refers to Jesus. The word Father refers to God. In your translation, make sure that it is clear that the phrases His God and Father both refer to the one true God. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

God his Father (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
his God and Father

1:6b

to Him be the glory and power: The Greek words are literally “to him glory and power.” There is no verb in the Greek. The Berean Standard Bible and many other English versions add the verb be. This phrase indicates that John agreed that Jesus had glory and power. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

to him is glory and power
-or-
he is the one who is great and who has power forever
-or-
glory and power belong to him

to Him: The pronoun Him refers to Jesus.

glory: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as glory here refers to the recognition of God having great status. He is greater than anything a person could think of.

power: This word refers to the ability and authority to cause things to happen. It does not refer to physical strength here. The Revised Standard Version translates it as:

dominion

forever and ever: The Greek words are “into the ages of the ages.” It means “always” or “eternally.” Other ways to translate this phrase are:

for evermore
-or-
for all ages to come

Amen: The word Amen is a Hebrew word that means “even so” or “it is true.” It is used to agree with what was said. The Greek borrowed the Hebrew word. English borrowed this word as well.

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

• Translate the meaning. For example:

It is so.
-or-
True!

• Borrow this word and spell it as people in your language would say it. You may then want to explain its meaning in a footnote. An example footnote is:

The word “amen” means “even so” or “it is true.”

General Comment on 1:5d–6b

These clauses contain a description of Jesus Christ and what he has done (1:5d–6a), followed by a call to praise him (1:6b). In some languages it is more natural to translate 1:6b first, and then tell about who Jesus is and what he did (1:5d–6a). For example:

6b Glory and power be to him! 5d He has loved us 5e and shed his blood to free us from our sins! 6a And he has made us into a kingdom, priests to serve his God and Father!

If you do this, you will need to combine the verses as “5–6.”

SIL Translator’s Notes on Revelation 2:19

2:19a

I know your deeds: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as deeds means “actions” or “activities.” You should translate this clause as you did in 2:2.

The phrase I know refers to the whole list in 2:19a–c.

your: The pronoun your refers to the angel of this church as the representative of the believers there. In some languages it is more natural to use plural pronouns here. See how you translated the pronoun “your” in 2:2 or 2:13.

your love, your faith: In some languages it is necessary or more natural to express the nouns love and faith as verbs. For example:

the way you love and the way you believe

2:19b

service: This word refers to the work of helping others. An example of this is the seven deacons of Acts 6:1–4. They helped others when they gave food to widows. Here, the word service refers to any kind of help that is done to honor Jesus. In some languages it is necessary or more natural to translate it using a verb. For example:

how you serve/help ⌊others⌋

perseverance: This word indicates that the believers had continued to follow Jesus even though people persecuted them because of it. You should translate this word as you did in 2:2 and 1:9.

2:19c

your latter deeds are greater than your first: This is a comparison. They had been doing well when they had first become believers. Now they were doing even better. Other ways to translate this comparison are:

you are doing now is greater than what you did at first (God’s Word)
-or-
your more recent deeds are greater than your earlier ones (NET Bible)
-or-
you did well before, and/but now you are doing ⌊even⌋ better.
-or-
what you are doing now surpasses how much you did before

SIL Translator’s Notes on Revelation 3:22

3:22

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches: Translate this command as you did in 3:13.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Revelation 6:7

Paragraph 6:7–8

6:7a–b

And when the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!”:
These words are similar to 6:3a–b. Translate this verse in a similar way.

I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!”: The phrase the voice of refers to the fourth living creature speaking. In some languages it is more natural to refer to the living creature rather than his voice. For example:

I heard the fourth living creature say, “Come!” (Good News Translation)

fourth: This word refers to the next item after three other things. If counted, this item would be counted as number four. See how you translated this word in 4:7.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Revelation 8:8

Paragraph 8:8–9

8:8a

second: The word second refers to the next item after the first one. If counted, this item would be counted as number two. See how you translated this word in 4:7 or 6:3.

8:8b

something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown: This clause is passive. Some languages must use an active clause. God ordered someone to do this. For example:

⌊someone⌋ threw something like a great mountain, all ablaze
-or-

⌊God had someone⌋ throw something like a great mountain, all on fire

something like a great mountain burning with fire: This phrase indicates that the object looked like a mountain and that it was on fire. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

something that looked like a big mountain, burning with fire (New Century Version)
-or-
Something that looked like a huge mountain on fire (Good News Translation)
-or-
something like a great fiery mountain (Contemporary English Version)

sea: The word sea refers to a large body of water. A sea is often so large that someone standing on one side cannot see the other side. Here it probably refers to oceans in general. The sea is symbolic, so you should not name a particular sea. See how you translated this word in 5:13 or 7:1.

8:8c–9b

All three events in 8:8c–9b were caused by the thing like a big, fiery mountain. The second event (8:9a) does not have an “and” before it. This is good English style, but your language style will likely be different. List these three events naturally in your language.

8:8c

A third of the sea turned to blood: Here the word third means “one part out of three parts.” Other ways to translate this clause are:

One ⌊part⌋ in three ⌊parts⌋ of the oceans turned into blood
-or-
One-third of the water in the sea became blood (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
One part ⌊of every three parts⌋ of the oceans turned into blood and ⌊the other⌋ two parts did not

SIL Translator’s Notes on Revelation 10:7

10:7a

But: The conjunction But indicates contrast to the long delay up to this time. It does not indicate contrast to the end of the delay (10:6e). Some ways to translate this conjunction are:

• Indicate that the contrast is only with the word “delay.” For example:

rather ⌊than more delay⌋ ,
-or-
instead ⌊of more delay⌋ ,

• Leave the conjunction implied. Some English versions omit it.

in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound his trumpet: There are two ways to interpret the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as is about to :

(1) The word means soon before. For example:

In the days when the seventh angel is ready to blow his trumpet (God’s Word)

(2) The word means at that time. For example:

when the seventh angel blows his trumpet (Good News Translation)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), because it is the usual meaning of the Greek word.

10:7b

the mystery of God: Here the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as mystery refers to truth or knowledge that is not known. People cannot discover this truth or knowledge by seeking it on their own. Someone else must reveal it to them.

God’s plan is a mystery, because it comes from him and only he knows it fully. Here, the phrase the mystery of God refers to all or some part of that plan. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

God’s secret plan
-or-
the hidden purpose of God (Revised English Bible)

will be fulfilled: This phrase indicates that God’s plan will be completed or finished. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

will be accomplished (New International Version)
-or-
will be completed (God’s Word)

10:7c

just as He proclaimed to His servants the prophets: This clause indicates that God had earlier told his prophets about his secret plan, called “the mystery of God” in 10:7b. Other ways to translate this clause are:

as he announced to his servants the prophets, should be fulfilled. (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
as he promised to his servants the prophets. (Revised English Bible)

In some languages it is more natural to translate this clause as a complete sentence. For example:

It will happen just as he announced it to his servants the prophets. (New Living Translation (2004))

proclaimed: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as proclaimed refers to telling others good news. Here the good news was the prophecies about the mystery of God. Other ways to translate this word are:

announced (New International Version)
-or-
made this good news known (God’s Word)

His servants the prophets: This phrase indicates that the prophets were God’s servants. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

the prophets who served him
-or-
his servants, namely, the prophets

servants: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as servants can also be translated as “slaves.” Here the word refers to prophets serving God. They do this when they listen to God speaking to them, write what he said, and tell others the message. Another way to translate this word is:

those who serve him

See how you translated this word in 7:3.

prophets: A prophet is a person whom God uses to communicate with the people. The message (often called a “prophecy”) may include a vision, as in Ezekiel 1 and Daniel 8. A prophecy may reveal something about past events, current events, or future events. The prophet speaks God’s message to the people or writes it down for their use. See how you translated the similar word “prophetess” in 2:20.

General Comment on 10:7a–c

God told his prophets what would happen before it actually happened. In some languages it is more natural to describe God telling the prophets first in this verse. For example:

God told his secret plans to his servants the prophets, and it will all happen by the time the seventh angel sounds his trumpet. (Contemporary English Version)

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Revelation 2020