complete verse (Revelation 1:3)

Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 1:3:

  • Uma: “Blessed is the person who reads this word of foretelling, and blessed also are those who hear it and follow what is written in it, because its happening has almost come.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “So-then, whoever reads this writing will be glad, and glad will be also whoever hears these things-foretold and follows what is in this writing/written here. Because the time is close when all this will happen.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And as for me, I will exhaustively write everything which I saw. The things which God said and the true doctrine will bless the one who reads this book, and He will also bless the one who listens to the reading of this and carries out what is written here. All of these prophecies will very soon be fulfilled.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Fortunate is the person who reads-aloud the prophecies that were written here, and fortunate also are those who hear and believe, because their (lit. its) fulfillment is soon.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Therefore consider this! Whoever reads to the gathering of believers this writing which is the word coming from God can be happy. And the one can be happy also who listens as long as he obeys all that it says. Because the time is close when these things will happen.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Concerning this word which God showed me, the good fortune will be met by the one who speaks this word where the believers are gathered. And also the good fortune will be met by the people who will listen to these words and will do according to what they hear. For these words here will happen in not a long time.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Revelation 1:3

In this verse the writer congratulates the person who will read and those who will hear the book being read; they are to be congratulated indeed if they obey the book’s message, for all the things reported in the book will take place in the near future.

Blessed: the word is used in six other passages: 14.13; 16.15; 19.9; 20.6; 22.7, 14 (see especially 22.7, “Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book”). The word, known especially from its use in the Beatitudes of Matt 5.3-11, is in Greek an adjective, not the passive participle of the verb “to bless.” The Greek makarios is the equivalent of the Hebrew ʾashrey (see Psa 1.1). It is not only a statement, “Such a person is happy,” but expresses also a wish, “May such a person be happy.” So in some languages it will need to be expressed as “May (or, Let) happiness come to the person who….” This word indicates God’s, or a person’s, approval of someone. In English, at least, Blessed (Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, Revised, Moffatt, An American Translation) is not the best word to use, since it means (or should mean) “God has blessed (or, will bless) such a person.” “Happy” is used by a number of translations (Good News Translation, Phillips, Bible en français courant, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible) but seems somewhat inadequate. Biblia Dios Habla Hoy has “Fortunate,” Barclay “God’s joy (will come to)…,” and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “Happiness without end (belongs to)….” Perhaps the best equivalent in English is “How fortunate is the person who…!”

He who reads aloud: the pronoun he (Good News Translation “the one”) in many languages will be rendered as “the person.” The phrase who reads aloud refers to the person who will read the book to the people assembled in church to worship. Translators in many languages will need to render this phrase in a similar way to Revised Standard Version, by employing a word or expression that means “reading in public”; for example, “read with a loud voice,” “read so everyone can hear,” or even “read this book to the congregation (or, to the assembled believers).”

The words of the prophecy: this literal translation fails to indicate that the author means the book itself (to which what is written therein refers). See the same phrase in 22.7, 10, 18, and a similar one in 22.19. The phrase means “these prophetic words,” “this prophetic message.” Modern translations have rendered it in similar ways: Good News Translation “the words of this prophetic message”; Revised English Bible “the words of this prophecy”; Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “this prophetic word.” In this context the noun “prophecy” does refer to things in the future, but not exclusively so; the inspired interpretation of present events is also included (see 1.19, which refers to “what is [now] and what is to take place”). Perhaps some readers in English will understand the word prophecy in this context to have a present and future meaning, but many others will not. Translators in many other languages will need an expression such as “listen to the words of this message about present and future events,” to carry the meaning of prophecy in this context.

Those who hear, and who keep: this is one group of people, not two. Good News Translation “those who listen … and obey”; New International Version “those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it”; Revised English Bible “… and happy those who listen if they take to heart what is here written.” The latter is a legitimate rendering of the phrase, inasmuch as only those who do obey the message are to be congratulated, and not simply those who hear but do not obey.

The verb “to keep” means “to pay attention to,” “to heed,” “to obey” (see its use in 3.8, 10a; 12.17; 14.12; 22.7, 9).

The time is near: the Greek word that appears here (kairos) is regularly used in the New Testament of a time, or occasion, that God chooses to act on behalf of his people; see 11.18, and in 22.10 see the exact same statement. Here it means the time when the events foretold in the book will take place. Bible en français courant has “the chosen moment,” New American Bible, Revised “the appointed time,” Revised English Bible “the time of fulfillment.” Something like “The time is near when all these things will take place” may be the best way to translate this. Or, more extensively, “Before long, at the time that God has already chosen, all these things will happen” or “The time that God has already chosen for all these things to happen is coming very soon.”

An alternative translation model is:

• Happy is the person who reads to the congregation this message (that came) from God, and happy are those who listen to it and obey what it says. For the time when God will make all these things happen is very near.

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 .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Revelation 1:3

Paragraph 1:3

1:3a

Blessed: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Blessed describes a person who is in a good situation. In the Bible, the good situation results from God showing favor/kindness to the person.

This word does not primarily refer to a feeling. However, a person in this good situation will frequently have good feelings like happiness and joy. Do not use a word that only refers to material prosperity or physical health.

Other ways to translate this word are:

Favored
-or-
How good it is
-or-
In a good/desirable position ⌊in God’s eyes⌋
-or-
Shown kindness ⌊by God⌋

This is the same word used in Matthew 5:3–11 in the Beatitudes.

reads aloud: In Greek, the word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as reads aloud is more literally “reading.” The Berean Standard Bible supplies the word aloud because at that time the word “reading” normally referred to reading aloud, either to oneself or to others. People did not normally read silently. The context here implies reading aloud to a group (1:3b). However, if possible, translate this word so that it can refer to any kind of reading (See the English Standard Version translation in the Display).

prophecy: The word prophecy refers to a message that God gives to someone. The message 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 the prophecy to the people or writes it down for their use.

Many scholars believe that Revelation 2:1 through 3:22 are prophecies about things that were happening at the time John received this revelation. Many also believe that 4:1 through 22:17 are prophecies about future events.

Some languages do not have a word for prophecy. If that is true in your language, you may want to:

• Use a descriptive phrase. For example:

direct message from God
-or-
God’s ⌊new⌋ message
-or-
a message that God has revealed

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

The word “prophecy” refers to a message that God gives to someone. The message may include a vision. A prophecy may reveal something about past events, current events, or future events.

1:3b

those who hear and obey what is written in it: John referred here to the people who were listening to someone reading this prophecy aloud (1:3a). He was indicating that people who hear the words of this prophecy also have to obey what is written before they are blessed.

obey: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as obey is literally “keep” (as in the Revised Standard Version). Here the word “keep” refers to following what was said and valuing it. Other ways to translate the Greek word are:

live according to it
-or-
do what is written in it (New Century Version)

1:3c

the time is near: This clause indicates that the events in this prophecy will happen soon. Some languages may need to say explicitly what time is near. For example:

the time is near when all these things will happen (Good News Translation)

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