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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 19 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V16 V17 V18 V19 V20 V21
OET (OET-LV) And I_fell before the feet of_him to_prostrate before_him.
And he_is_saying to_me:
Be_seeing to_it not, a_fellow-slave of_you I_am, and the brothers of_you which holding the testimony of_Yaʸsous/(Yəhōshūˊa), the before_god prostrate.
For/Because the testimony of_Yaʸsous is the spirit of_ the _prophecy.
OET (OET-RV) I knelt in front of him about to worship him, but he told me, “Hey, I’m a fellow slave of you and your fellow believers who believe Yeshua’s testimony. Only worship God, because Yeshua’s testimony came from the same spirit as prophecy.”
In this section, a huge crowd praised God because God had punished Babylon. The twenty-four elders in heaven and the four living creatures around the throne in heaven worshiped God in response.
Then a voice from the throne urged all who follow God to praise him. Another crowd (or possibly the same crowd as in 19:1–3) praised God for gathering believers to Jesus. This gathering was referred to as a wedding. An angel told John a message for him to write.
Other examples of headings for this section are:
Crowds/Multitudes sang songs of victory and praise
Various groups sang songs of victory and praise
Rejoicing in Heaven (ESV)
So I fell at his feet to worship him.
¶ At that, I prostrated myself at his feet to worship/revere/honor him.
¶ When I heard what he said, I knelt and put my face to the ground with arms outstretched at his feet in order to worship him.
So I fell at his feet: Here this clause refers to kneeling and putting the face to the ground with arms outstretched toward someone. This position showed complete humility before that person and honored him. The word fell implies a quick and complete action. It does not refer to accidentally falling. Other ways to translate this clause are:
I prostrated myself before him
I threw myself down at his feet (NET)
I bowed down at the angel’s feet (NCV)
I knelt at the feet of the angel (CEV)
See how you translated the verb at 19:4 (“fell down”).
worship: This word refers to honoring someone or something as sacred/divine. Other ways to translate this word are:
venerate
revere
See how you translated this word in 13:4 or 19:4.
But he told me, “Do not do that!
But he said to me, “Do not do that!
But he commanded/told me, “Do not worship me!
Do not do that: The Greek clause is literally “See not.” It is a command to John not to do what he was doing. John was not to prostrate himself before the angel. Other ways to translate this clause are:
Do not do it! (NIV84)
Do not worship/honor me
I am a fellow servant with you
I am your(sing) fellow slave/servant
For I serve God just as you do,
19:10c is a reason why John should not worship the angel. In some languages it is more natural to clearly indicate it is the reason. For example:
For I am…
I am a fellow servant with you: This clause indicates that the angel served God just as John served God. They both did the things that God told them to do. For example:
I am a servant together with you (GNT)
fellow servant: The Greek word that the BSB translates as servant can also mean “slave.” It indicates that the angel did what God told him to do. The difference between “slave” and “servant” is not important here.
Some languages do not have a single word for “slave.” If that is true in your language, you may want to refer generally to those who serve God. Or if the word “slave” is not appropriate for believers in your language, you may want to refer generally to those who serve God. For example:
one who serves God as you do
See how you translated the word servant in 10:7 or 15:3.
the testimony of Jesus…the testimony of Jesus: This phrase occurs in both 19:10d and 19:10f. It probably has the same meaning in both places. There are two ways to interpret this phrase:
It indicates that believers give their testimony about Jesus. For example:
bear their witness to Jesus. …those who bear witness to Jesus (REB) (NLT, NABRE, CEV, NET, REB, NCV)
It indicates that Jesus gave the testimony. For example:
the truth that Jesus revealed (GNT) (GNT)
Many English versions translate the Greek grammar literally as of, as the BSB does. It is not possible to tell which interpretation they follow. You may also translate this phrase in a similar way. But some languages must choose either interpretation (1) or interpretation (2). If that is true in your language, it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).Beale (page 946) supports interpretation (1). Aune (page 1014) probably supports interpretation (1): “the testimony concerning Jesus.”
and your brothers who rely on the testimony of Jesus.
and the fellow slave/servant of your brothers who have the testimony/message of Jesus.
and as other believers do, who are faithful to the witness of Jesus.
your brothers: Here the word brothers refers to other believers. It refers to both men and women. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
your brothers and sisters (NLT)
your siblings in believing/faith
your fellow believers
who rely on the testimony of Jesus: This clause tells the reader more about the believers (“your brothers”). In some languages a literal translation would wrongly indicate that only some believers rely on the testimony of Jesus. If that is true in your language, translate this clause so that it tells more about all believers. One way to do that is to start a new sentence here. For example:
They rely on the testimony of Jesus.
rely on: Here, the phrase rely on indicates that the believers continue to believe that their testimony about Jesus is true. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
are faithful to
have
testimony: The word testimony means “the words spoken about what one saw or knows.” The word testimony is often used when the person speaking is expected to be truthful and accurate. Other ways to translate this word are:
witness (NJB)
message (NCV)
See how you translated this word in 12:17 or 17:6 (where the BSB translates it as “witnesses”).
Worship God!
Worship/Revere/Honor(sing) only God.
Worship God: This command indicates that John should worship only God. He should never worship an angel or anyone else. It was not a command to begin worshiping God at that moment. For example:
Worship only God. (NLT)
For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
For the testimony/message of Jesus is the essence/purpose of prophecy.”
For true prophecy involves the witness of Jesus.”
For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy: There are two ways to interpret who spoke:
The angel spoke this clause. (BSB, NIV, NRSV, NASB, NABRE, NLT, GW, CEV, NET, REB, NCV, KJV)
John wrote his own thought here. (RSV, GNT, NJB, ESV)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).Aune (page 1014), Osbourne (page 671), and Caird (page 233) include 19:10f in the angel’s speech in their translations.
For: This conjunction introduces an explanation about “the testimony of Jesus” (19:10d).
the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy: The word “spirit” probably means “essence” or “main principle” here. For example:
the testimony of Jesus is the essence of prophecy
the testimony of Jesus is the main principle of prophecy
This clause is generally understood in several ways that are close in meaning:
The purpose of prophecy is to testify about Jesus.
Anyone telling others about Jesus is, in effect, prophesying to them.
Words of true prophecy agree with what Jesus said and did.
Translate the phrase the testimony of Jesus in a way that is similar in meaning to your translation of that phrase in 19:10d.
prophecy: The word prophecy refers to a message that God gives to someone. The message may include a vision, as in Ezekiel 1 and Daniel 8. A prophecy may reveal something about past events, current events, or future events. The prophet speaks the prophecy to the people or writes it down for their use.
Some languages do not have a word for prophecy. If that is true in your language, you may want to:
Use a descriptive phrase. For example:
direct message from God
God’s new message
a message that God has revealed
Use the major language word. If people are not familiar with this word, explain it in a footnote. Example footnotes are:
The word “prophecy” refers to a message that God gives to someone. The message may be words or visions. A “prophecy” may speak about something that happened in the past, something currently happening, or something that will happen in the future.
See the footnote on “prophecy” at 1:3.
See how you translated this word in 1:3.
Note 1 topic: translate-symaction
ἔπεσα ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ
˱I˲_fell before the feet ˱of˲_him
Be sure that it is clear in your translation that John did not fall down accidentally. Rather, bowing or lying down in front of this angel was a sign of humility and respect. Alternate translation: [I bowed down at his feet] or [I bowed down to the ground in front of him]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis
ὅρα μή
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἔπεσα ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ προσκυνῆσαι αὐτῷ Καί λέγει μοί Ὅρα μή σύνδουλος σοῦ εἰμί καί τῶν ἀδελφῶν σοῦ τῶν ἐχόντων τήν μαρτυρίαν Ἰησοῦ τῷ Θεῷ προσκύνησον ἡ Γάρ μαρτυρία Ἰησοῦ ἐστίν τό πνεῦμα τῆς προφητείας)
The angel is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. You can supply these words from the context if that would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: [See that you do not do that]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy
ὅρα μή
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἔπεσα ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ προσκυνῆσαι αὐτῷ Καί λέγει μοί Ὅρα μή σύνδουλος σοῦ εἰμί καί τῶν ἀδελφῶν σοῦ τῶν ἐχόντων τήν μαρτυρίαν Ἰησοῦ τῷ Θεῷ προσκύνησον ἡ Γάρ μαρτυρία Ἰησοῦ ἐστίν τό πνεῦμα τῆς προφητείας)
The angel is using the term See to mean by association that John should give careful attention to what he is doing. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [Watch out! Do not do that!] or [Be careful not to do that]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
τῶν ἀδελφῶν σου
the the brothers ¬which (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἔπεσα ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ προσκυνῆσαι αὐτῷ Καί λέγει μοί Ὅρα μή σύνδουλος σοῦ εἰμί καί τῶν ἀδελφῶν σοῦ τῶν ἐχόντων τήν μαρτυρίαν Ἰησοῦ τῷ Θεῷ προσκύνησον ἡ Γάρ μαρτυρία Ἰησοῦ ἐστίν τό πνεῦμα τῆς προφητείας)
The angel is using the term brothers figuratively to mean people who share the same faith. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [your fellow believers]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations
τῶν ἀδελφῶν σου
the the brothers ¬which (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἔπεσα ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ προσκυνῆσαι αὐτῷ Καί λέγει μοί Ὅρα μή σύνδουλος σοῦ εἰμί καί τῶν ἀδελφῶν σοῦ τῶν ἐχόντων τήν μαρτυρίαν Ἰησοῦ τῷ Θεῷ προσκύνησον ἡ Γάρ μαρτυρία Ἰησοῦ ἐστίν τό πνεῦμα τῆς προφητείας)
Although the term brothers is masculine, here the word has a generic sense that includes both men and women. If you wish to retain the figurative expression in your translation, you could word it in a way that is clearly inclusive of both men and women. Alternate translation: [your brothers and sisters]
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
τῶν ἐχόντων τὴν μαρτυρίαν Ἰησοῦ
the the ¬which holding (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἔπεσα ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ προσκυνῆσαι αὐτῷ Καί λέγει μοί Ὅρα μή σύνδουλος σοῦ εἰμί καί τῶν ἀδελφῶν σοῦ τῶν ἐχόντων τήν μαρτυρίαν Ἰησοῦ τῷ Θεῷ προσκύνησον ἡ Γάρ μαρτυρία Ἰησοῦ ἐστίν τό πνεῦμα τῆς προφητείας)
If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of testimony, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [who testify to their faith in Jesus]
Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / possession
τῶν ἐχόντων τὴν μαρτυρίαν Ἰησοῦ
the the ¬which holding (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἔπεσα ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ προσκυνῆσαι αὐτῷ Καί λέγει μοί Ὅρα μή σύνδουλος σοῦ εἰμί καί τῶν ἀδελφῶν σοῦ τῶν ἐχόντων τήν μαρτυρίαν Ἰησοῦ τῷ Θεῷ προσκύνησον ἡ Γάρ μαρτυρία Ἰησοῦ ἐστίν τό πνεῦμα τῆς προφητείας)
In this possessive form, Jesus is the object rather than the subject of testimony. That is, this does not mean testimony that Jesus himself gives; it means testimony that believers give about their faith in Jesus. Alternate translation: [who testify to their faith in Jesus]
Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / personification
ἡ & μαρτυρία Ἰησοῦ ἐστιν τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς προφητείας
the & testimony ˱of˲_Jesus (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἔπεσα ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ προσκυνῆσαι αὐτῷ Καί λέγει μοί Ὅρα μή σύνδουλος σοῦ εἰμί καί τῶν ἀδελφῶν σοῦ τῶν ἐχόντων τήν μαρτυρίαν Ἰησοῦ τῷ Θεῷ προσκύνησον ἡ Γάρ μαρτυρία Ἰησοῦ ἐστίν τό πνεῦμα τῆς προφητείας)
The angel is speaking of prophecy as if it were a living thing that had a spirit. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [the impulse to testify to Jesus is what inspires prophecy]
19:10 The angel issues a stern warning against misdirected worship (cp. 22:8-9).
OET (OET-LV) And I_fell before the feet of_him to_prostrate before_him.
And he_is_saying to_me:
Be_seeing to_it not, a_fellow-slave of_you I_am, and the brothers of_you which holding the testimony of_Yaʸsous/(Yəhōshūˊa), the before_god prostrate.
For/Because the testimony of_Yaʸsous is the spirit of_ the _prophecy.
OET (OET-RV) I knelt in front of him about to worship him, but he told me, “Hey, I’m a fellow slave of you and your fellow believers who believe Yeshua’s testimony. Only worship God, because Yeshua’s testimony came from the same spirit as prophecy.”
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.
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