SIL Translator’s Notes on Revelation 19:2

19:2a

For: This conjunction introduces the basis for declaring that salvation, glory, and power belong to God (19:1c).

His judgments are true and just: This clause indicates that God always judges fairly. He always judges the wrongdoer to be guilty. Some English versions have the description before what was described. This is an English poetic style. For example:

true and just are his judgments (New International Version)

However, in some languages it is more natural to have the description afterward, as the Berean Standard Bible models. See how you translated this clause in 16:7.

judgments: This word refers to decisions that God makes about whether someone is guilty of sin or not. God judged Babylon as guilty of many sins. In some languages it is necessary or more natural to translate this noun as a verb. For example:

He judges/decides

true: Here the word true refers to God’s judgments being accurate. They are not mistaken or wrong.

just: Here the word just refers to judging rightly. Other ways to translate this word are:

right
-or-
proper

19:2b

19:2b begins with the Greek conjunction that means “because” or “in that.” It indicates that 19:2b is either a second reason for acknowledging God’s salvation (19:1c), glory, and power, or a basis for saying that God’s judgments are true and just (19:2a). Translate this word so that it allows either of these connections. For example, the New American Standard Bible says:

for

In some languages it is necessary or more natural not to translate the conjunction. Do this if the context will imply the correct connection in your language.

judged: The Greek word here implies that God has judged the prostitute to be guilty, and he has punished her. For example:

punished (New Living Translation (2004))

great: This word means “important” or “well-known” here. The word does not refer to a large or fat woman. Other ways to translate this word are:

notorious (God’s Word)
-or-
famous
-or-
infamous

See how you translated this in 17:1.

prostitute: This word refers to the symbolic woman who is named “Babylon” in 17:5. A prostitute often entices men to have sexual relations with her. Translate this word as you did in 17:1 or 17:15.

19:2c

who corrupted the earth with her immorality: This clause tells the reader more about the great prostitute. In some languages a literal translation would wrongly indicate that there are other great prostitutes and only this one corrupted the earth with her immorality. If that is true in your language, translate this clause so that it tells more about the great prostitute. One way to do that is to start a new sentence here. For example:

She corrupted the earth with her immorality.

corrupted the earth with her immorality: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as corrupted refers to ruining someone’s morals or to seducing a virgin. The word earth refers to mankind here. The great prostitute, Babylon, encouraged and enticed the people of the world to sin against God. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

made the earth evil with her sexual sin (New Century Version)
-or-
ruined the morals of people over the whole earth by her adulteries

immorality: This word refers to sexual immorality of all kinds. This word probably refers to sinning against God in many ways. In particular, it refers to being unfaithful to him by worshiping idols. See how you translated this word in 17:2.

19:2d

avenged: This word refers to giving the proper penalty for wrongdoing. Here God destroyed Babylon because Babylon had killed his servants. Other ways to translate this word are:

taken revenge (God’s Word)
-or-
taken vengeance (Revised English Bible)
-or-
paid…back (New Century Version)

See how you translated this word in 6:10.

the blood of His servants that was poured out by her hand: This phrase refers to God’s people being killed. For example:

because she killed his servants (Good News Translation)

His servants: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as servants can also be translated as “slaves.” Here the phrase refers to believers serving God. The difference between “slave” and “servant” is not important here. See how you translated the word servants in 2:20 or 11:18.

© 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 20:13

20:13a–c

This verse explains more about where the dead people came from. The events in this verse occur before God judged people in 20:12. See the General Comment on 20:12a–13c below.

20:13a

The sea gave up its dead: The Greek clause is literally “The sea gave the dead in it.” It symbolically represents the idea that the people who died in the sea came before God.

In some languages a literal translation would not have the correct meaning. If that is true in your language, you should translate the correct meaning. For example:

Those who died in the sea came
-or-
All of those who had died in the sea were there
-or-
All the dead from the sea came and stood ⌊before God

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 the word sea refers to seas and oceans in general. See how you translated this word in 5:13 or 18:17.

20:13b

Death and Hades gave up their dead: The Greek clause is literally “death and Hades gave the dead in them.” It symbolically represents the idea that the dead people in Hades and anywhere else came before God.

In some languages a literal translation would not have the correct meaning. If that is true in your language, translate the correct meaning. For example:

Those held by death or who were in Hades came
-or-
All of those who were in the place of the dead and all the other dead people were there
-or-
All the dead in the afterworld and anywhere else came ⌊and stood before God

Hades: This word refers to the place where the souls of dead people live before God judges everyone. Some ways to translate Hades are:

Use the name in your language for the place where the souls of dead people live.

Use a descriptive phrase. For example:

the land/place of the dead people
-or-
the world of the dead (Good News Translation)

Use the Greek word and explain it in your translation. For example:

Hades, ⌊the place of the dead

See how you translated this word in 1:18 or 6:8.

20:13c

each one was judged according to his deeds: This clause is passive. Some languages must use an active clause. God judged each one. For example:

God⌋ judged each person

General Comment on 20:12a–13c

20:13c repeats most of what 20:12d says. Both verses refer to one event of judging. 20:13a–b says where the dead people came from. Your translation should clearly indicate that 20:12d–13c refers to one event and not two events. You may want to:

Indicate at the beginning of 20:13a that 20:13a–c explains more about the dead in 20:12a. For example:

13a
For⌋ the sea gave…
-or-

13a
Indeed,⌋ the sea gave…

Put 20:13a–c before 20:12a and do not repeat the event of judging. For example:

13a The sea gave up the dead that were in it, 13b and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them. 12a I saw them all, great and small, standing before the throne, 12b and books were opened. 12c Another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. 12d,13c The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.

You would then mark these words with the combined verse numbers “12–13.”

© 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 22:3

22:3a

No longer will there be any curse: The Greek clause is literally “every curse will no longer be/exist.” There are two ways to interpret this clause:

(1) This clause indicates that all promises of destruction are gone. For example:

There will no longer be any curse (New American Standard Bible)

(2) This clause indicates that all people and things that God has promised to destroy are gone. For example:

Nothing that is under God’s curse will be found in the city (Good News Translation)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), because the focus of the clause is on the curse and not on who or what is cursed.

curse: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as curse means “promising to completely destroy something.” Other ways to translate this word are:

promise to destroy
-or-
curse of destruction (New Jerusalem Bible)

Paragraph 22:3b–5

22:3b

the city: The Greek word here is “her.” In Greek “street” (22:2a) is also feminine, but city (21:23a) makes more sense here.

22:3c

His servants: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as servants can also be translated as “slaves.” Here the phrase refers to believers serving God. The difference between “slave” and “servant” is not important here. See how you translated the word servants in 2:20 or 19:2.

worship: Here the word worship refers to doing religious duties. These duties include worship and doing the work of a priest. Other ways to translate this word are:

do his will
-or-
do everything that he commands them to do

See how you translated this word in 7:15, where the Berean Standard Bible translates it as “serve.”

Him: This pronoun probably refers to God here.

© 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 1:9

Section 1:9–20

John introduced the revelation

In this section, John told the seven churches that he was exiled on the island of Patmos because he had preached about Jesus. The people in the seven churches had also suffered for the sake of Jesus. So John indicated that they all shared in that suffering. He explained where he was and why he was there. He then began to tell his vision of Jesus and what Jesus revealed to him.

Other examples of headings for this section are:

Preliminary vision (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
John told/described his first vision
-or-
Introduction to what God revealed to John

Paragraph 1:9–11

1:9a–e

This verse is one long sentence. In some languages it is more natural to use shorter sentences. For example:

I, John, ⌊am⌋ your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus.One day,I was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

1:9a

I, John: John included his name here to clearly say who was speaking, because in the previous verse God referred to himself with the pronoun “I.” Reintroduce John in a way that is natural in your language. For example:

I, John, ⌊speak/write to you.⌋ I,…
-or-
I ⌊am⌋ John,…

your brother: Here the word brother indicates that John was also a believer, like believers in the churches. Using the word brother indicates that he had a close relationship with his readers.

In some languages a literal translation would wrongly indicate a literal brother. If that is true in your language, you may need to:

Explain the meaning in your translation. For example:

your brother ⌊in Christ

Use a different word or phrase. For example:

your fellow believer
-or-
a follower together with all of you (Contemporary English Version)

partner: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as partner refers to someone who shares something with someone else. Here John and the believers shared faith in Jesus. They also shared in suffering for Jesus’ sake, and in being part of God’s kingdom, and in enduring (1:9b). Other ways to translate the Greek word are:

companion (New International Version)
-or-

one⌋ who shares with

1:9b

in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance: This phrase indicates that John and his readers shared in three things. They shared in tribulation, they shared in the kingdom, and they shared in perseverance. The three abstract nouns tribulation, kingdom, and perseverance can all be translated as verbs, since they refer to something that John and his readers did together. They all suffered, they all lived in God’s kingdom, and they all endured patiently.

In the Greek, these three things are closely connected in the grammar. So some English versions interpret the grammar to indicate that the terms modify each other rather than refer to three separate actions. For example:

in patiently enduring the suffering that comes to those who belong to his Kingdom (Good News Translation)

However, in some languages it is more natural to translate them as three separate actions. See examples in the Display.

tribulation: The word tribulation refers to the trouble and pain that people endure. Other ways to translate this word are:

suffering (New International Version)
-or-
hardships (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
we(incl.) all suffer troubles

kingdom: The word kingdom refers to God ruling over his people. John and his readers were companions in the kingdom because they all belonged to God’s kingdom. They all acknowledged God as their king, and they all lived under God’s rule. John and his readers shared in the blessings of the kingdom and its work.

In some languages it is necessary or more natural to add a verb here. For example:

we
(incl.) all belong to⌋ God’s kingdom
-or-
together ⌊we follow⌋ God as king
-or-

all of us live⌋ under God’s rule

perseverance: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as perseverance refers to continuing to follow God even though facing hardships or opposition. Other ways to translate the Greek word are:

patient endurance (New International Version)
-or-
patience to continue (New Century Version)
-or-
we(incl.) all patiently endure
-or-
how we patiently endure ⌊difficulties/suffering/persecution

1:9c

that are in Jesus: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as that are in Jesus probably applies to the whole phrase “your brother and partner in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance” (1:9a–b). All those things are true or occur in a relationship with Jesus. John and his readers had a relationship with Jesus, so they suffered for the same reasons, shared in the kingdom of God, and patiently endured troubles for the same reasons.

Your translation of this phrase should refer to those shared experiences. Other ways to translate it are:

as we (incl.) are all in Jesus
-or-
as we follow Jesus together

General Comment on 1:9a–c

In some languages it is more natural to put the phrase “in Jesus” in a different place. For example:

9a I John, your brother, who share with you 9c in Jesus 9b the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance (Revised Standard Version)
-or-

9a I am John, your brother, and 9c as a follower of Jesus 9a I am your partner 9b in patiently enduring the suffering that comes to those who belong to his Kingdom (Good News Translation)

1:9d

was on the island of Patmos: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as was can also be translated as “came to be.” John did not plan to be on Patmos. It happened because God planned it. The Greek grammar does not indicate whether or not John was still on Patmos when he wrote Revelation after receiving these visions.

1:9e probably implies that the Roman authorities exiled John to Patmos. So some English versions use a passive clause. The passive clause in English implies that John did not go to the island voluntarily. For example:

I was sent to Patmos Island (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
I was put on the island of Patmos (Good News Translation)

But the verb was probably indicates that, for this letter, it was not important to John whether or not he was exiled.

the island of Patmos: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as of is literally “being called.” It indicates that Patmos was the name of the island. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

the island called Patmos (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
Patmos Island (Contemporary English Version)

island: An island is land that is completely surrounded by water. Patmos is in the Aegean Sea. It is about 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the mainland, which was the Roman province of Asia. Patmos is about 12 kilometers (8 miles) long from the northern end to the southern end. It is about 3 kilometers (2 miles) wide at its widest place.

1:9e

because of the word of God and my testimony about Jesus: This clause indicates that someone, probably Roman authorities, put John on Patmos (as punishment) because he preached the word of God and my testimony about Jesus. The Roman emperor insisted that everyone worship him as a god. Those who believed in Jesus refused to do that. The Roman authorities probably exiled John to Patmos because he was preaching about believing in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

There is no subject or verb in this phrase. John was probably talking about himself and what he did. In some languages it is more natural to make the subject and verb/verbs explicit. For example:

because ⌊I proclaimed⌋ the word of God and the testimony of Jesus
-or-
because I had preached God’s word and the message about Jesus (New Century Version)
-or-
because ⌊I had declared⌋ God’s word and told/testified about Jesus

of the word of God and my testimony about Jesus: Here the phrase refers to an earlier time when John was still in the province of Asia. John used the same phrase in 1:2 to connect to that verse, but he implies a connected-but-different meaning. Here it refers more generally to the Scriptures and the gospel about Jesus. John preached the gospel in Asia. Other ways to translate it are:

of the Word of God and of witness to Jesus (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
for preaching the word of God and for my testimony about Jesus (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
of God’s word and the testimony about Jesus (God’s Word)

my testimony about Jesus: In Greek this phrase is literally “the testimony of Jesus” (as in the English Standard Version). The word “of” has several meanings. There are two ways to interpret this phrase:

(1) The testimony is about Jesus. For example:

the testimony about Jesus (God’s Word)

(2) Jesus gave the testimony. For example:

the truth that Jesus revealed (Good News Translation)

Many English versions translate this literally as “of.” It is not possible to tell which interpretation they follow. You may also translate this phrase so that it allows both interpretations. But some languages must choose one of the interpretations. If that is true in your language, follow interpretation (1). Other ways to translate this phrase are:

I…had told about Jesus (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
I had…borne witness to Jesus (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

testimony: The word testimony means “the words spoken about what one saw or heard.” The word testimony is often used when the person speaking is expected to be truthful and accurate (as in a court of law). Other ways to translate this word are:

witness (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
message of what they saw and heard

© 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 2:22

2:22a

Behold: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Behold is literally “look.” The word emphasizes or calls attention to the words that follow. This word is not a command to look at something.

If you have a word or phrase with that meaning, you may want to use it here. Some examples are:

Look, (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
Beware, (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
Indeed/Hey,

I will cast her onto a bed of sickness: The Greek clause is literally “I am throwing her on a bed.” It is probably a Hebrew idiom that means “I will now cause her to become sick/ill.” The Berean Standard Bible adds the words of sickness in order to indicate this meaning. Other ways to translate this clause are:

I will throw her on a sickbed (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
I will cause her to become so ill that she cannot get out of bed

In some languages a literal translation would not have the correct meaning. If that is true in your language, translate the meaning of the idiom. For example:

I will cause her ⌊body⌋ to suffer

I will cast: The Greek grammar here is the present tense. Here the present tense indicates “immediately” or “as I speak.”

2:22b

those who commit adultery with her will suffer great tribulation: The Greek words are literally “those who commit adultery with her into great suffering.” The main verb is from 2:22a—“I will cast.” Other ways to translate this clause are:

all her partners in adultery to great hardship (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
those who committed adultery with her will suffer terribly (Good News Translation)
-or-
those who commit adultery with her I am throwing into great distress (New Revised Standard Version)

commit adultery: This phrase refers to sexual immorality of all kinds. It has the same meaning as “commit sexual immorality” in 2:14e.

2:22c

unless they repent of her deeds: There are two issues here.

Issue 1—The Greek text

There is a textual issue here:

(1) The earliest Greek manuscripts have her. For example:

her (Good News Translation)

(2) Some later Greek manuscripts have their. For example:

their (King James Version)

It is recommended that you follow option (1), because the UBS Handbook Greek NT 4 apparatus recommends it.

This phrase indicates that the people were acting the same as the woman. In some languages it is not possible to say that people must repent of someone else’s deeds. In some languages it is more natural to refer to doing the same things. For example:

repent and stop acting as she does

Issue 2—Meaning

This phrase indicates that if these people repented, then they would not have to suffer. If they stopped committing adultery and eating food sacrificed to idols, God would forgive them. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

if they do not turn away from the wrongs she does (New Century Version)
-or-
unless they repent and turn away from her evil deeds (New Living Translation (2004))

General Comment on 2:22b–c

The cause (2:22c) is stated after the consequence (2:22b). In some languages it is more natural to have the cause first. For example:

22c Unless they repent of her deeds, 22b those who commit adultery with her suffer great tribulation.
-or-

22c If they do not repent of her deeds, 22b those who commit adultery with her suffer great tribulation.

© 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 4:3

4:3a

The One seated there looked like jasper and carnelian: These verses do not say how God looked like jasper and carnelian. It probably indicates that God shone colorfully and brightly, shining like those stones do. Other ways to translate this clause are:

The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones—like jasper and carnelian. (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
The one who was sitting there sparkled like precious stones of jasper and carnelian. (Contemporary English Version)

jasper: This name in Greek is spelled iaspis. This word refers to a spotted or veined stone of a variety of colors. It is often a reddish color, but can also be deep green, brown, or deep yellow. It shines brightly in the sun when polished. Light reflects off its surface. Light does not shine through this stone as it does through glass.

People of some languages are not familiar with jasper. If that is true in your language, you may want to:

Use the name for a kind of stone similar to how jasper is described above. The important thing is that it should be considered bright and beautiful.

Use a descriptive phrase. For example:

a shiny, spotted/veined stone ⌊named jasper

Use the major language word. If people are not familiar with this word, explain it in a footnote. An example footnote is:

Jasper is a spotted or veined stone that is deep red, green, or yellow. It shines brightly.

carnelian: This word refers to a blood-red stone that shines brightly in the sun when polished. Light reflects off the surface of this stone also.

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

Use a descriptive phrase. For example:

a shiny, reddish stone ⌊named carnelian

Use the major language word. If people are not familiar with this word, explain it in a footnote. An example footnote is:

Carnelian is a blood-red stone that shines brightly.

4:3b

and a rainbow that gleamed like an emerald encircled the throne: These verses do not say how the rainbow resembled an emerald. It probably refers to a ring of green light that circled around the throne. Other ways to translate this clause are:

round the throne was a rainbow that looked like an emerald (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
all around the throne there was a rainbow the color of an emerald (Good News Translation)

emerald: This word refers to a bright green precious stone that shines brightly in the sun. Light shines through this stone as it does through glass.

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

Use a descriptive phrase. For example:

a clear green stone/gem ⌊named emerald

Use the major language word. If people are not familiar with this word, explain it in a footnote. An example footnote is:

An emerald is a bright green precious stone that light can shine through.

© 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 6:10

6:10a

And they cried out in a loud voice: Here, the phrase cried out refers to speaking loudly in order to cause someone to listen. The souls of the dead believers were calling out to God for his attention. Other ways to translate this clause are:

they shouted in a loud voice (Good News Translation)
-or-
They shouted (New Living Translation (2004))

6:10b–c

How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You avenge our blood and judge those who dwell upon the earth?: God will one day judge and punish those who dwell upon the earth. The souls under the altar asked how long they had to wait until he does that. The question implies that they wanted him to do it soon. Other ways to translate this question are:

Sovereign, holy, and true Lord, how long before you avenge our deaths, judging those living on earth who shed our blood?
-or-
Almighty Lord, holy and true! How long will it be until you judge the people on earth and punish them for killing us? (Good News Translation)
-or-
Master, you are holy and faithful! How long will it be before you judge and punish the people of this earth who killed us? (Contemporary English Version)

6:10b

O Lord, holy and true: This is spoken to God. It describes him as holy and true.

In some languages having this phrase separate from the question is more natural. See the Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version examples above.

O Lord: This is a direct address to God. In some languages having this phrase first is more natural. See the first example in the note above.

The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Lord refers to someone who has complete authority over something. People under the rule of this person are required to follow his decisions. Other ways to translate the Greek word are:

Supreme Ruler
-or-
Great Master/Leader
-or-
Ruler of highest authority

holy and true: The two words holy and true describe the Lord. Place them where it is most natural in your language. For example:

holy and true Lord

holy: Here the word holy indicates that God is perfect and unique. He only does what is right. He is different than all the other beings. Other ways to translate this word are:

pure/perfect ⌊spiritually/morally
-or-
unique/separate

See how you translated this word in 3:7 or 4:8.

true: This word indicates that the Sovereign Lord does not lie. It also indicates that he is always truthful. He will do whatever he said he would do.

6:10c

avenge our blood: The word avenge refers to punishing someone for a wrongdoing. The word blood refers figuratively to death. People killed the believers under the altar because they followed Jesus. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

take revenge on those…who shed our blood (God’s Word)
-or-
punish them for killing us (Good News Translation)
-or-
take vengeance for our death (New Jerusalem Bible)

judge: This word indicates that God will decide if someone is guilty or innocent of wrongdoing. It is implied that the believers under the altar expected God to declare those who killed them to be guilty and then punish them. For example:

pass sentence (New Jerusalem Bible)

those who dwell upon the earth: This phrase refers to all people. The believers under the altar wanted God’s time of judging all people to come quickly. At that time God will judge those who killed them.

© 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 8:11

8:11a

Wormwood: Wormwood is a plant with a very bitter taste. The plant is also named “absinthe” or “artemisia.” The name Wormwood does not refer to wood that has been eaten by worms.

The name focuses on the very bitter taste of this plant. The star was called Wormwood because it turned the waters very bitter. You may want to:

Use the name of a very bitter plant or food in your area.

Name the star for its bitter taste. For example:

“Bitterness” (Good News Translation)

Use the major language word. If people are not familiar with this word, explain it in a footnote. An example footnote is:

The name “Wormwood” refers to a plant that is very bitter.

8:11b

A third of the waters: This phrase refers to the same third as the “third of the rivers and…springs” in 8:10c. For example:

That⌋ third of the rivers
-or-
The rivers and springs ⌊that the star fell on

bitter: The taste of bitterness is unpleasant. Unsweetened chocolate, raw coffee beans, and some unripe fruit are bitter. Some medicines, such as quinine, are also very bitter.

8:11c

many people died from the bitter waters: The people died because they drank the bitter water. It was harmful or poisonous.

In some languages it is more natural to explain in the translation that the people drank the bitter water. For example:

many people died from drinking the water that was bitter. (New Century Version)
-or-
many people died from drinking the water, because it had turned bitter. (Good News Translation)
-or-
many people drank this bitter water, and they died.

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