Open Bible Data Home About News OET Key
OET OET-RV OET-LV ULT UST BSB MSB BLB AICNT OEB WEBBE WMBB NET LSV FBV TCNT T4T LEB BBE Moff JPS Wymth ASV DRA YLT Drby RV SLT Wbstr KJB-1769 KJB-1611 Bshps Gnva Cvdl TNT Wycl SR-GNT UHB BrLXX BrTr Related Topics Parallel Interlinear Reference Dictionary Search
InterlinearVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL LAO GES LES ESG DNG 2 PS TOB JDT WIS SIR BAR LJE PAZ SUS BEL MAN 1 MAC 2 MAC 3 MAC 4 MAC YHN (JHN) MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN (1 JHN) 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV
Rev C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 C17 C18 C19 C20 C21 C22
Rev 17 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V16 V17 V18
OET (OET-LV) The wild_animal that you_saw was, and not is, and is_going to_be_going_up out_of the abyss, and into destruction to_be_going.
And will_be_marvelling the ones dwelling on the earth, whose not has_been_written the names in the scroll of_ the _life from the_foundation of_the_earth, seeing the wild_animal, that it_was and not is and_yet will_be_being_present.
OET (OET-RV) The wild animal that you saw used to be here and isn’t anymore but is about to come up from the abyss. Then it’s going to destruction, and the ones living on the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will wonder, seeing the creature that used to be here and isn’t anymore but will come back.
In this section, John saw a woman sitting on a red beast. The woman had the symbolic name “Babylon.” An angel referred to her as a prostitute. The red beast had seven heads and ten horns. The beast worked together with her, but later he destroyed her.
Other examples of headings for this section are:
The great/famous prostitute with the symbolic name Babylon was destroyed
The red beast turned against the woman Babylon and destroyed her
The beast that you saw—it was, and now is no more,
The beast that you saw once was, now is not,
The monster that you saw lived once, now is dead,
it was, and now is no more, but is about to come up: These words refer to once being alive, then being dead, and then in the future being alive again. These words probably refer to imitating Jesus’ death and resurrection. The beast will do that to deceive people. Other ways to translate these words are:
is one that used to be and no longer is. It will come back (CEV)
was once alive, but lives no longer; it is about to come up (GNT)
was once alive but isn’t now. And yet he will soon come up (NLT)
is about to come up: This phrase implies that the beast will be alive at this time. If you translated “once was, now is not” as “once was alive, but now is not,” or similar wording, your translation should imply here that the beast is alive at the time he is about to come up. If it does not imply that, you may want to include that implied information in your translation. For example:
was once alive, but lives no longer; it is about to come up alive
was once alive but isn’t now. And yet he will live and soon come up
but is about to come up out of the Abyss
and will ascend out of the bottomless pit
and/but will arise alive out of the very/immeasurably deep hole that is the home of demons and the dead.
but: There is implied contrast between “is not” and “will come.” In some languages it is more natural to use “and” here.
the Abyss: The word Abyss refers to a very deep pit or chasm. It indicates that the pit or chasm was too deep to measure. Here it probably refers to something underground rather than a chasm. See how you translated this word in 9:1 or 11:7.
and go to its destruction.
and go to where he is destroyed.
He will continue to live until God destroys him.
He is destined for God to destroy him.
and go to its destruction: This clause indicates that God plans to destroy the beast. The word go refers figuratively to the beast’s life as a journey. At the end of his life journey, God will destroy him. But the focus here is on God’s plan to destroy him. Other ways to translate this clause are:
and is destined for destruction
only to meet with destruction (JBP)
and will only live until God destroys him
The noun destruction refers to an event. In some languages it is necessary or more natural to use a verb for this event. For example:
but only to be destroyed (CEV)
but God will destroy him
go: The future tense phrase “about to” is implied from 17:8b but not repeated here. Your translation should use a future form here. For example:
about to go
And those who dwell on the earth whose names were not written
The people living on the earth whose names were not written
The people of the earth whose names no one had written
those who dwell on the earth: This phrase refers to all people in a general way. But believers are not included (17:8e).
whose names were not written: This clause is passive. Some languages must use an active clause. The Book of Life belongs to Jesus, called the Lamb (21:27). For example:
all whose names that the Lamb has not written
all whose names that no one had written
whose names were not written
were not written: The Greek grammar indicates that the event of writing the names happened earlier. The names not written in the book then are still not written now.
in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world
in the Book of Life before the world/universe was created
before God made the earth/universe in the book of those to whom he/God will give eternal life,
will marvel when they see the beast
will be amazed when they see the beast,
they will be surprised when they see the monster.
the Book of Life: This phrase refers to a Book that has names written in it. God will give eternal Life to the people whose names are in this book. Some languages need to explain the word of. For example:
the book in which is the names of those who have eternal life
the book with/having the names of those to whom God will give eternal life
See how you translated this phrase in 3:5 or 13:8.
from the foundation of the world: There are two ways to interpret the Greek word that the BSB translates as from. It should be translated in the same way as in 13:8. See how you translated this phrase there.
that was, and is not, and yet will be.
because he once was, now is not, but will again exist/live on earth.
For the monster lived once, now is dead, yet will be there alive.
that was, and is not: These words have the same meaning as in 17:8a. Translate them in the same way here.
and yet will be: The Greek word that the BSB translates as be is literally “be present.” For example:
It was once alive; now it no longer lives, but it will reappear (GNT)
this beast that used to be and no longer is, but will be once more (CEV)
the beast, which once was alive, and is alive no longer, and has still to appear (REB)
and: There is implied contrast between the three clauses. For example:
but (NET)
There are four things said here that relate to one another:
Some people’s names were not written in the Book of Life.
That Book of Life was written before the beginning of the universe.
Those people will be amazed at the beast.
The beast once was, now is not, and yet will be present.
In some languages it is more natural to put some of that information into one or more sentences. For example:
8dThe inhabitants of the earth 8fwill be astonished when they see the beast, 8gbecause he once was, now is not, and yet will be present. 8dTheir names were not written 8ein the Book of Life before the creation of the world.
8dThe inhabitants of the earth 8fwill be astonished when they see the beast, 8gbecause he once was, now is not, and yet will be present. 8dThe Lamb did not write their names 8ein the Book of Life at the beginning of the world.
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
εἰς ἀπώλειαν ὑπάγει
into destruction (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Τό θηρίον ὅ εἶδες ἦν καί οὐκ ἐστίν καί μέλλει ἀναβαίνειν ἐκ τῆς Ἀβύσσου καί εἰς ἀπώλειαν ὑπάγειν Καί θαυμάσονται οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐπί τῆς γῆς ὧν οὒ γέγραπται τά ὀνόματα ἐπί τό βιβλίον τῆς ζωῆς ἀπό καταβολῆς κόσμου βλεπόντων τό θηρίον ὅτι ἦν καί οὐκ ἐστίν καί παρέσται)
If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of destruction, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [is going to be destroyed]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive
οὐ γέγραπται
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Τό θηρίον ὅ εἶδες ἦν καί οὐκ ἐστίν καί μέλλει ἀναβαίνειν ἐκ τῆς Ἀβύσσου καί εἰς ἀπώλειαν ὑπάγειν Καί θαυμάσονται οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐπί τῆς γῆς ὧν οὒ γέγραπται τά ὀνόματα ἐπί τό βιβλίον τῆς ζωῆς ἀπό καταβολῆς κόσμου βλεπόντων τό θηρίον ὅτι ἦν καί οὐκ ἐστίν καί παρέσται)
If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you need to say who did the action, the context suggests that it was God. Alternate translation: [God has not written]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Τό θηρίον ὅ εἶδες ἦν καί οὐκ ἐστίν καί μέλλει ἀναβαίνειν ἐκ τῆς Ἀβύσσου καί εἰς ἀπώλειαν ὑπάγειν Καί θαυμάσονται οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐπί τῆς γῆς ὧν οὒ γέγραπται τά ὀνόματα ἐπί τό βιβλίον τῆς ζωῆς ἀπό καταβολῆς κόσμου βλεπόντων τό θηρίον ὅτι ἦν καί οὐκ ἐστίν καί παρέσται)
See how you translated this expression in [13:8](../13/08.md). Alternate translation: [since God founded the world]
17:8 The beast . . . was once alive but isn’t now . . . will soon come up: When Domitian became emperor (AD 81–96), he was as evil as Nero (both were fierce persecutors of the church), and many thought he was the embodiment of Nero’s spirit, if not Nero himself (perhaps similar to the way that John the Baptist was considered to embody Elijah’s spirit; see Mal 4:5; Matt 11:14; Luke 1:17; John 1:21).
• you saw: The past tense indicates that the angel’s interpretation took place after John’s vision.
• was once alive but isn’t now: This contrasts with God, “who is, who always was, and who is still to come” (Rev 1:4, 8).
• the bottomless pit: See study note on 9:1-12.
• In contrast to God’s people, the people of this world are not written in the Book of Life (see 20:11-15). They will be amazed by the apparent resurrection of the beast (see study note on 17:10-11; see also 13:13-17).
OET (OET-LV) The wild_animal that you_saw was, and not is, and is_going to_be_going_up out_of the abyss, and into destruction to_be_going.
And will_be_marvelling the ones dwelling on the earth, whose not has_been_written the names in the scroll of_ the _life from the_foundation of_the_earth, seeing the wild_animal, that it_was and not is and_yet will_be_being_present.
OET (OET-RV) The wild animal that you saw used to be here and isn’t anymore but is about to come up from the abyss. Then it’s going to destruction, and the ones living on the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will wonder, seeing the creature that used to be here and isn’t anymore but will come back.
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.
Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.
Open Bible Data site copyright © 2023–2026 Freely-Given.org.
Python source code for creating these static pages is available on GitHub under an open licence.
For Bible data copyrights, see the details for each displayed Bible version.
The Open English Translation (OET) main site is at OpenEnglishTranslation.Bible or OET.Bible.