Translation commentary on Revelation 18:22

The sound of harpers … shall be heard in thee no more: this can be said more naturally: “No one will ever again hear harpists (or, people) playing their harps in your streets” or “No one will ever again hear in your streets the music of harps.” For harpers see 14.2.

Minstrels: in current American English this word does not mean “musicians” or “singers,” which are better terms. The Greek word means “skilled in the arts,” especially music.

Flute players and trumpeters: flutes and trumpets are wind instruments. This phrase can be more naturally expressed by “those who play flutes and those who play trumpets” or “those who blow flutes and those who blow trumpets.”

A craftsman of any craft: this refers to skilled workers as opposed to common laborers (see Acts 19.24, 38).

The sound of the millstone shall be heard in thee no more: this is a way of saying that mills won’t be grinding any grain (because there will be no grain to grind).

Alternative translation models for this verse are:

• Never again, Babylon, will there be music in your streets, the music of harps and of singers, the music of flutes and of trumpets. All your skilled workers will disappear, and your mills will have no grain to grind.

Or:

• … no one will hear people plucking strings of a harp, or people singing, or people blowing flutes or trumpets. All….

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 18:22

18:22a–b

And the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will never ring out in you again: This clause indicates that no one will ever make music in Babylon after this time. This clause is passive. Some languages must use an active clause. For example:

⌊No one⌋ will ever hear the music of harpists and musicians, flute players, and trumpeters in you again.
-or-
Harpists and musicians, flute players and trumpeters will never make music in you again.

18:22a

the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters: This phrase refers to four different kinds of musicians. The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as musicians usually refers generally to people who know how to play any musical instrument. Here it may mean “singer.” For example:

The music of harps and of human voices, of players of the flute and the trumpet (Good News Translation)

harpists: The word harpists refers to people who know how to play harps. A harp is a stringed instrument. For example:

people playing harps (New Century Version)

See how you translated this word in 14:2.

musicians: This Greek word refers generally to those who make music, either by singing or with instruments. This word occurs in a list of people playing particular instruments, so it seems more likely that it refers to singers. For example:

singers (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
minstrels (Revised Standard Version)

(Here the word “minstrel” refers to someone who sings and possibly plays an instrument at the same time.)

flute players: A flute is a tube with holes that the players cover to make music when they blow air over the sharp edge at the end.

A flute may also be a series of pipes of different lengths that make different notes.

trumpeters: The word “trumpet” refers to a musical instrument that was often used to alert people to danger. It was also used to announce important messages. At that time trumpets were made from metal or from animal horns. A trumpeter blows into a trumpet in such a way as to make the trumpet sound.

The particular kind of trumpet is not important here. In some languages people use trumpets made of animal horn, shell, bamboo, or other material. If that is true in your language, you may want to use the word for that kind of trumpet here.

Some languages do not have a word for trumpeters. If that is true in your language, you can:

• Use a word for a person who uses a loud instrument, preferably one that someone blows into.

• Use a method of announcing in your area.

• Use the major language word for trumpeters.

See how you translated the word “trumpet” in 1:10 or 8:2.

18:22b

will never ring out in you again: The pronoun you refers to the city of Babylon. In some languages it is more natural to refer to the city indirectly. For example:

will never be heard in your/her city again
-or-
will never be heard in that city again

Also see note at 18:21c–24b.

will never ring out: In Greek, this clause is passive. See note at 18:22a–b.

18:22c

Nor will any craftsmen of any trade be found in you again: This clause indicates that there will be no workmen in the city of Babylon after this time. People will no longer be making things in the city. This clause is passive. Some languages must use an active clause. For example:

⌊no one⌋ will ever see/find a craftsman of any trade in you again
-or-
There will be no more skilled craftsmen at work there.

craftsmen of any trade: This phrase refers to people who have the ability to make things such as houses, furniture, baskets, or tools. For example:

craftsmen of every skill (New Jerusalem Bible)

Some languages do not have a general word for craftsmen. If that is true in your language, you may want to begin with a list of kinds of workers and end with “others.” For example:

housebuilders, basketmakers, or other workers like that

18:22d

nor the sound of a millstone be heard in you again: This clause indicates that no one will be grinding grain in the city of Babylon after this time. It is passive. Some languages must use an active clause. For example:

no one will ever hear the sound of a millstone ⌊grinding grain⌋ in you again

sound of a millstone: This phrase refers to the sound of scraping one flat stone against another with wheat between the stones. This action grinds the wheat into flour. Women did this every day. They used the flour to make bread for their families.

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

• Explain the work that is done with the millstone. For example:

the sound of grinding grain (Contemporary English Version)

• Use a general word for preparing food. For example:

sound of preparing food

You may then want to include a footnote to explain the Greek words. For example:

Literally: “the sound of a millstone.” A millstone is used to grind grain into flour for bread. At that time, every day people would grind grain.

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