¹tn Grk “and behold.” The Greek word ijdouv (idou) at the beginning of this statement has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).
²tn Or “in the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).
³tn Grk “with me.” The translation “with me” implies that John was engaged in a dialogue with the one speaking to him (e.g., Jesus or an angel) when in reality it was a one-sided conversation, with John doing all the listening. For this reason, met= ejmou' (met’ emou, “with me”) was translated as “to me.”
⁴sn The phrase speaking to me like a trumpet refers back to Rev 1:10.
⁵tn The conjunction kaiv (kai), much like the vav-consecutive in Hebrew, appears to be introducing a final/purpose clause here rather than a coordinate clause.
⁶tn Or “in the spirit.” “Spirit” could refer either to the Holy Spirit or the human spirit, but in either case John was in “a state of spiritual exaltation best described as a trance” (R. H. Mounce, Revelation [NICNT], 75).
⁷tn Grk “and behold.” The Greek word ijdouv (idou) at the beginning of this statement has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).
⁸tn BDAG 537 s.v. kei'mai 2 gives the translation “stand” for the term in this verse.
⁹tn Grk “jasper stone.”
sn Jasper was a semiprecious gemstone, probably green in color (L&N 2.30).
¹⁰sn Carnelian was a semiprecious gemstone, usually red in color (L&N 2.36).
¹¹tn Or “a rainbow emerald-like in appearance.”
¹²tn Here kaiv (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
¹³tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the words “They were” to indicate the connection to the preceding material.
¹⁴sn See the note on the word crowns in Rev 3:11.
¹⁵tn Here kaiv (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
¹⁶tn Or “sounds,” “voices.” It is not entirely clear what this refers to. BDAG 1071 s.v. fwnhv 1 states, “In Rv we have ajstrapaiV kaiV fwnaiV kaiV brontaiv (cp. Ex 19:16) 4:5; 8:5; 11:19; 16:18 (are certain other sounds in nature thought of here in addition to thunder, as e.g. the roar of the storm?…).”
¹⁷sn Some interpret the seven spirits of God as angelic beings, while others see them as a reference to the sevenfold ministry of the Holy Spirit.
¹⁸tn This could refer to rock crystal, but it is possible this refers to ice (an older meaning). See BDAG 571 s.v. kruvstallo".
¹⁹tn Here kaiv (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
²⁰tn Perhaps, “in the middle of the throne area” (see L&N 83.10).
²¹tn On the meaning of zwv/on (zwon) BDAG 431 s.v. 2 states, “Of the four peculiar beings at God’s throne, whose description Rv 4:6-9 reminds one of the zw'/a in Ezk 1:5ff, the cherubim. S. also Rv 5:6, 8, 11, 14; 6:1, 3, 5-7; 7:11; 14:3; 15:7; 19:4.”
²²tn Here kaiv (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
²³tn Both here and before the phrase “the third,” kaiv (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
²⁴tn Grk “six wings apiece,” but this is redundant with “each one” in English.
²⁵tn Some translations render e[swqen (eswqen) as “under [its] wings,” but the description could also mean “filled all around on the outside and on the inside with eyes.” Since the referent is not available to the interpreter, the exact force is difficult to determine.
²⁶tn Or “They never stop saying day and night.”
²⁷tn On this word BDAG 755 s.v. pantokravtwr states, “the Almighty, All-Powerful, Omnipotent (One) only of God…(oJ) kuvrio" oJ qeoV" oJ p. …Rv 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7; 21:22.”
sn A quotation from (or an allusion to) Isa 6:3.
²⁸tn Here kaiv (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
²⁹tn Grk “the twenty-four elders fall down.” BDAG 815 s.v. pivptw 1.b.a.b. has “fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion or humility, before high-ranking persons or divine beings.”
³⁰sn See the note on the word crowns in Rev 3:11.
³¹tn The pronoun “his” is understood from the demonstrative force of the article tou' (tou) before qrovnou (qronou).
³²tc The past tense of “they existed” (h\san, hsan) and the order of the expression “they existed and were created” seems backwards both logically and chronologically. The text as it stands is the more difficult reading and seems to have given rise to codex A omitting the final “they were created,” 2329 replacing “they existed” (h\san) with “have come into being” (ejgevnonto, egeneto), and 046 adding oujk (ouk, “not”) before h\san (“they did not exist, [but were created]”). Several mss (1854 2050 Ï^A sa) also attempt to alleviate the problem by replacing h\san with “they are” (eijsin, eisin).