Revelation 18:5 — Greek interlinear

1. Greek word
2. Greek lemma
3. OET-LV words
4. OET-RV words
5. Strong's
6. Role/Morphology
7. OET Gloss
8. VLT Gloss
9. CAPS codes
10. Confidence
11. OET tags
12. OET word #
1. ὅτι
2. ὅτι
3. because
4. because
5. G3754 ↗
6. C-·······
7. because
8. because
9. -
10. Y96
11. 164189
1. ἠκολούθησαν
2. ἀκολουθέω
3. -
4. -
5. G190 ↗
6. V-IAA3··P
7. followed
8. followed
9. -
10. -
11. 164190
1. ἐκολλήθησαν
2. κολλάω
3. were joined together
4. -
5. G2853 ↗
6. V-IAP3··P
7. ˓were˒ joined_together
8. ˓were˒ joined_together
9. -
10. Y96
11. 164191
1. αὐτῆς
2. αὐτός
3. of her
4. her
5. G846 ↗
6. R-···3GFS
7. ˱of˲ her
8. ˱of˲ her
9. -
10. Y96; R164086; Location=Babylon
11. 164192
1. αἱ
2. ὁ
3. the
4. -
5. G3588 ↗
6. E-····NFP
7. ¬the
8. ¬the
9. -
10. Y96
11. 164193
1. ἁμαρτίαι
2. ἁμαρτία
3. sins
4. sins
5. G266 ↗
6. N-····NFP
7. sins
8. sins
9. -
10. Y96
11. 164194
1. ἄχρι
2. ἄχρι
3. until
4. -
5. G891 ↗
6. P-·······
7. until
8. until
9. -
10. Y96
11. 164195
1. τοῦ
2. ὁ
3. the
4. -
5. G3588 ↗
6. E-····GMS
7. ¬the
8. ¬the
9. -
10. Y96
11. 164196
1. οὐρανοῦ
2. οὐρανός
3. heaven
4. heaven
5. G3772 ↗
6. N-····GMS
7. heaven
8. heaven
9. -
10. Y96
11. 164197
1. καί
2. καί
3. and
4. so
5. G2532 ↗
6. C-·······
7. and
8. and
9. -
10. Y96
11. 164198
1. ἐμνημόνευσεν
2. μνημονεύω
3. remembered
4. -
5. G3421 ↗
6. V-IAA3··S
7. remembered
8. remembered
9. -
10. Y96
11. 164199
1. ὁ
2. ὁ
3. the
4. -
5. G3588 ↗
6. E-····NMS
7. ¬the
8. ¬the
9. -
10. Y96
11. 164200
1. Θεός
2. θεός
3. god
4. God
5. G2316 ↗
6. N-····NMS
7. god
8. God
9. GN
10. Y96; Person=God
11. 164201
1. τά
2. ὁ
3. the
4. -
5. G3588 ↗
6. E-····ANP
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y96
11. 164202
1. ἀδικήματα
2. ἀδίκημα
3. wrongs
4. -
5. G92 ↗
6. N-····ANP
7. wrongs
8. wrongs
9. -
10. Y96
11. 164203
1. αὐτῆς
2. αὐτός
3. of her
4. her
5. G846 ↗
6. R-···3GFS
7. ˱of˲ her
8. ˱of˲ her
9. -
10. Y96; R164086; Location=Babylon
11. 164204

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 18:1–24: Announcements/Messages about Babylon

In this section, three heavenly beings each announce something about Babylon. The first announcement is that the city is destroyed. Her riches and prosperity have been taken away.

The second announcement is that God’s people should leave Babylon before God destroys her. It also describes how kings and others mourn over the destroyed city.

The third announcement is that Babylon will never be built again.

Other examples of headings for this section are:

An angel announced that Babylon was destroyed, and some groups are sad

Announcements about the destruction of Babylon

Various people talk about Babylon

18:5a

For her sins are piled up to heaven,

for her sins are stacked as high as heaven,
Because her sins are as numerous as if their stack/pile reached to heaven.

For: This conjunction introduces the reason for the warning in 18:4.

her sins are piled up to heaven: This clause indicates figuratively that Babylon has sinned many times. Her many sins are like a huge pile of something. The pile is so high that it reaches heaven. The clause implies that her sins are numerous and obvious to God. Now he will wait no longer but will punish Babylon for her sins.

In some languages it is not natural to talk about piling or stacking sins. If that is true in your language, you may want to:

Translate the literal meaning and explain it in a footnote. For example:
This saying is a figure of speech. It pictures Babylon’s sins as a huge pile of something that is as high as heaven.
Translate this clause as a simile. For example:
her sins are very, very many, like rocks piled up to heaven
Translate the meaning without the figure of speech. For example:
she has very, very many sins
her sins are beyond counting You may then want to explain the literal Greek words in a footnote. An example footnote is:
Literally: “her sins are piled up to heaven.” This saying pictures Babylon’s sins as like something piled up to heaven.

heaven: The Greek word can mean heaven or “sky.” There are two ways to interpret this word:

The word means heaven here. For example:
heaven (RSV) (BSB, RSV, NIV, GNT, NASB, NLT, GW, CEV, NET, REB, ESV, KJV)
The word means sky here. For example:
sky (NJB) (NJB, NABRE, NCV)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).Beale (page 900) and Aune (page 992) support interpretation (1).

18:5b

and God has remembered her iniquities.

and God has thought again upon her unrighteous deeds.
God is now ready to do something about her wicked/wrongful deeds.

remembered: This word indicates that God thought again about the evil deeds of Babylon. God had not forgotten about these deeds, but had chosen not to punish her until this time.

In some languages a literal translation would wrongly imply that God had forgotten about her evil deeds but then later remembered them. If that is true in your language, translate so that it does not imply that God forgot. For example:

taken notice of

now paid attention to

did not forget

iniquities: The Greek word is literally “unrighteous deeds.” It refers to deeds that God said were wrong to do. Other ways to translate this word are:

crimes (NIV)

wicked ways (GNT)

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

ἐκολλήθησαν αὐτῆς αἱ ἁμαρτίαι ἄχρι τοῦ οὐρανοῦ

˓were˒_joined_together ˱of˲_her ¬the sins until ¬the heaven

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. This could mean: (1) Alternate translation: [the heap of her sins is as high as heaven]; (2) Alternate translation: [the heap of her sins is as high as the sky]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἐκολλήθησαν αὐτῆς αἱ ἁμαρτίαι ἄχρι τοῦ οὐρανοῦ

˓were˒_joined_together ˱of˲_her ¬the sins until ¬the heaven

The voice is speaking as if the sins of Babylon were literally in a very high pile. He means that Babylon has committed very many sins. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [she has committed very many sins]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

ἐμνημόνευσεν ὁ Θεὸς τὰ ἀδικήματα αὐτῆς

remembered ¬the (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὅτι ἐκολλήθησαν αὐτῆς αἱ ἁμαρτίαι ἄχρι τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καί ἐμνημόνευσεν ὁ Θεός τά ἀδικήματα αὐτῆς)

The voice is not suggesting that God had forgotten about Babylon but has now remembered the city’s offenses. The angel is using a common biblical expression that means that God has taken action with regard to a person or entity of which he was already aware, either to help or to punish. See how you translated the similar expression in 16:19. Alternate translation: [God has punished her for her offenses]

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

1. OET-LV words
2. OET-RV words
3. Strong's
4. Greek word
5. Greek lemma
6. Role/Morphology
7. OET Gloss
8. VLT Gloss
9. CAPS codes
10. Confidence
11. OET tags
12. OET word #
1. because
2. because
3. G3754 ↗
4. ὅτι
5. ὅτι
6. C-·······
7. because
8. because
9. -
10. Y96
11. 164189
1. were joined together
2. -
3. G2853 ↗
4. ἐκολλήθησαν
5. κολλάω
6. V-IAP3··P
7. ˓were˒ joined_together
8. ˓were˒ joined_together
9. -
10. Y96
11. 164191
1. of her
2. her
3. G846 ↗
4. αὐτῆς
5. αὐτός
6. R-···3GFS
7. ˱of˲ her
8. ˱of˲ her
9. -
10. Y96; R164086; Location=Babylon
11. 164192
1. the
2. -
3. G3588 ↗
4. αἱ
5. ὁ
6. E-····NFP
7. ¬the
8. ¬the
9. -
10. Y96
11. 164193
1. sins
2. sins
3. G266 ↗
4. ἁμαρτίαι
5. ἁμαρτία
6. N-····NFP
7. sins
8. sins
9. -
10. Y96
11. 164194
1. until
2. -
3. G891 ↗
4. ἄχρι
5. ἄχρι
6. P-·······
7. until
8. until
9. -
10. Y96
11. 164195
1. the
2. -
3. G3588 ↗
4. τοῦ
5. ὁ
6. E-····GMS
7. ¬the
8. ¬the
9. -
10. Y96
11. 164196
1. heaven
2. heaven
3. G3772 ↗
4. οὐρανοῦ
5. οὐρανός
6. N-····GMS
7. heaven
8. heaven
9. -
10. Y96
11. 164197
1. and
2. so
3. G2532 ↗
4. καί
5. καί
6. C-·······
7. and
8. and
9. -
10. Y96
11. 164198
1. remembered
2. -
3. G3421 ↗
4. ἐμνημόνευσεν
5. μνημονεύω
6. V-IAA3··S
7. remembered
8. remembered
9. -
10. Y96
11. 164199
1. the
2. -
3. G3588 ↗
4. ὁ
5. ὁ
6. E-····NMS
7. ¬the
8. ¬the
9. -
10. Y96
11. 164200
1. god
2. God
3. G2316 ↗
4. Θεός
5. θεός
6. N-····NMS
7. god
8. God
9. GN
10. Y96; Person=God
11. 164201
1. the
2. -
3. G3588 ↗
4. τά
5. ὁ
6. E-····ANP
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y96
11. 164202
1. wrongs
2. -
3. G92 ↗
4. ἀδικήματα
5. ἀδίκημα
6. N-····ANP
7. wrongs
8. wrongs
9. -
10. Y96
11. 164203
1. of her
2. her
3. G846 ↗
4. αὐτῆς
5. αὐτός
6. R-···3GFS
7. ˱of˲ her
8. ˱of˲ her
9. -
10. Y96; R164086; Location=Babylon
11. 164204

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.

OET interlinear REV 18:5

SR Greek word order (including unused variant words in grey)

Section 18:1–24: Announcements/Messages about Babylon

18:5a

18:5b

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)