millstone

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “millstone” in English is illustrated for use in Bible translations in East Africa by Pioneer Bible Translators like this:

Image owned by PBT and Jonathan McDaniel and licensed with the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

In the German translation by Fridolin Stier (1989) is it translated as “donkey millstone” (Eselsmühlstein).

See also a mill or an upper millstone.

angel

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The Greek, Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Aramaic that is translated as “angel” in English versions is translated in many ways:

  • Pintupi-Luritja: ngaṉka ngurrara: “one who belongs in the sky” (source: Ken Hansen quoted in Steven 1984a, p. 116.)
  • Tetela, Kpelle, Balinese, and Mandarin Chinese: “heavenly messenger”
  • Shilluk / Igede: “spirit messenger”
  • Mashco Piro: “messenger of God”
  • Batak Toba: “envoy, messenger”
  • Navajo (Dinė): “holy servant” (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida 1961; Igede: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
  • Central Mazahua: “God’s worker” (source: Ronald D. Olson in Notes on Translation January, 1968, p. 15ff.)
  • Saramaccan: basia u Masa Gaangadu köndë or “messenger from God’s country” (source: Jabini 2015, p. 86)
  • Mairasi: atatnyev nyaa or “sent-one” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
  • Shipibo-Conibo: “word bringer” (source: James Lauriault in The Bible Translator 1951, p. 32ff. )
  • Apali: “God’s one with talk from the head” (“basically God’s messenger since head refers to any leader’s talk”) (source: Martha Wade)
  • Michoacán Nahuatl: “clean helper of God” (source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
  • Noongar: Hdjin-djin-kwabba or “spirit good” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Wè Northern (Wɛɛ): Kea ‘a “sooa or “the Lord’s soldier” (also: “God’s soldier” or “his soldier”) (source: Drew Maust)
  • Iwaidja: “a man sent with a message” (Sam Freney explains the genesis of this term [in this article ): “For example, in Darwin last year, as we were working on a new translation of Luke 2:6–12 in Iwaidja, a Northern Territory language, the translators had written ‘angel’ as ‘a man with eagle wings’. Even before getting to the question of whether this was an accurate term (or one that imported some other information in), the word for ‘eagle’ started getting discussed. One of the translators had her teenage granddaughter with her, and this word didn’t mean anything to her at all. She’d never heard of it, as it was an archaic term that younger people didn’t use anymore. They ended up changing the translation of ‘angel’ to something like ‘a man sent with a message’, which is both more accurate and clear.”)

Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between. One way to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. When the referent is God, the “divine” honorific prefix mi- (御 or み) is used as in mi-tsukai (御使い) or “messenger (of God).” (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also angel (Acts 12:15) and this devotion on YouVersion .

complete verse (Revelation 18:21)

Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 18:21:

  • Uma: “After that, a strong angel lifted a big stone, bigger than a rice-mortar, he threw it into the sea, he said: ‘Like this stone is thrown into the sea, and is no longer found again, like that also the big village of Babel will be destroyed all-at-once, it will no longer be built again.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “After this, there was a very strong angel, he grabbed a very huge stone like a millstone, and he threw it in the sea. He said, ‘Like that also will be the force of ‘fragmentation’/making into fragments of the famous city of Babilon and it will never, never be seen again.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And then there was a powerful angel who lifted a stone as big as a stone grindstone, and he threw it into the sea, and he said, ‘Like this the great city of Babylon has been thoroughly destroyed. It will never again be seen by anyone.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “After-that there was a strong angel who hefted a large stone like the largest mortar, and he threw it in the ocean saying, ‘Like this is what will happen to the great city Babilonia, because it will be thoroughly destroyed and will not again be erected.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “And then there was a far-from-ordinary angel who fetched one rock which was really big. He threw it into the ocean, speaking at the same time, saying, ‘Like this is the force of the destruction of the famous city of Babilonia. It will really never be seen again.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Then an angel, who was very strong, picked up a large stone that was very heavy, like a milling stone. He threw it into the sea. And he said: ‘Just like the stone here now cannot be seen, it will be like this concerning the city of Babylon. It will never be seen again.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

sea / lake

The various Greek, Aramaic, Ge’ez, and Latin and Hebrew terms that are translated as “sea,” “ocean,” or “lake” in English are all translated in Chichewa with one term: nyanja. Malawi, where Chichewa is spoken, has a lot of lakes but does not share a border with the ocean. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Revelation 18:21

A mighty angel: see 5.2; 10.1.

A stone like a great millstone: “a stone that was as big as a large millstone.” This refers to the large upper stone, turned by an animal to grind grain. Where millstone is unknown the translation can be “a very large stone.”

The sea: see 10.2.

So shall Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence: the Greek word translated violence means “with an impulsive rush,” like that of an unruly crowd or a herd of pigs, and appears only here in the New Testament. In languages where “to throw down” does not apply naturally to the destruction of a city, the translation may have to say “With violence like this the mighty city Babylon will be destroyed” or “This is how God will use great violence to destroy the great city Babylon.”

Shall be found no more: see the similar expression in verse 14: “will never reappear,” “will be gone forever,” or “people will never see this city again.”

In verses 22-23 the angel addresses the city, using the second person singular. It may be well to do the same here in verse 21, as follows: “Babylon, you mighty city, this is how you will be violently destroyed! Mighty city, you will disappear forever!” or in languages that do not use the passive, “Babylon, you mighty city, this is how God will destroy you with great force! Mighty city….”

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 18:21

Paragraph 18:21–24

18:21a–b

mighty: This word refers not only to physical strength but probably also to great authority and influence.

a stone the size of a great millstone: A stone is a rock. A millstone is a very large, circle-shaped stone used to grind grain into flour. A great millstone likely weighed hundreds of kilograms (double that for the number of pounds).

In some languages people are not familiar with using millstones for grinding grain. If that is true in your language, you may want to:

• Explain what a millstone is in your translation. For example:

a large stone, like one used for grinding grain (New Century Version)
-or-
one of a set of a very large circular stones used for grinding much grain at once

• Use a general word for a stone of this size. For example:

a huge stone (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
a heavy boulder

You may then want to explain the Greek phrase in a footnote. An example footnote is:

Literally: “a stone the size of a large millstone.” A large millstone likely weighs over 50 kilograms. It is circular with a hole in the middle. It is used to grind grain into flour.

18:21c–24b

The angel first spoke about the city of Babylon using grammar equivalent to using the pronoun “she” (18:21c–d). He then spoke directly to Babylon using the pronoun “you” (18:22a–23d).

In some languages it is more natural to refer to someone or something with the same pronoun. If that is true in your language, consider which pronoun would be most natural in these verses.

18:21c

With such violence the great city of Babylon will be cast down: The phrase With such violence is emphasized because it is first in the clause. If possible, emphasize this phrase.

With such violence: This phrase refers to how powerfully the angel threw the stone into the sea. For example:

This is how the great city Babylon will be violently thrown down (Good News Translation)

the great city of Babylon will be cast down: This clause is passive. Some languages must use an active or intransitive clause. The beast (and the ten kings) (17:16) will destroy the city. For example:

⌊the beast⌋ will cast down the great city of Babylon
-or-
the great city Babylon will meet its ruin/end
-or-
the great city Babylon will become a ruin

If you translate following the last two examples, your translation should imply that someone destroyed the city.

cast down: Here the phrase cast down refers figuratively to the beast destroying the city. It is used here to be compared to how the angel threw the stone.

In some languages the phrase cast down cannot be used that way. If that is true in your language, you may want to translate the figurative meaning. For example:

destroyed

18:21d

never to be seen again: The boulder disappeared forever under the surface of the sea. So also Babylon will never exist again. For example:

and will never be seen again (Good News Translation)

to be seen: This clause is passive. Some ways to translate it are:

• Use a passive clause. For example:

to be found (New International Version)

• Use an active clause. For example:

for ⌊anyone⌋ to find/see

• Use an intransitive clause. For example:

Babylon will disappear

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