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OET (OET-LV) Seven Yōannaʸs to_the assemblies which in the Asia:
grace to_you_all and peace, from the one being, and who was, and who coming, and from the seven spirits, who are before the throne of_him,
OET (OET-RV) This letter is from Yohan to the seven assemblies in Asia Minor:
¶ Grace and peace to you all from the God who is and was and will be, and from the seven spirits who are in front of his throne,
In this section, John identified himself and indicated to whom the letter was addressed. He greeted them in the usual way that was done in letters at that time. He then praised Jesus and told the readers of this letter what its theme was.
Other examples of headings for this section are:
Greetings to the Seven Churches (GNT)
John introduced himself and greeted the seven churches
Greeting and introduction from John
John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: After John introduced the content and purpose of this letter and announced a blessing (1:1–3), here he identified himself and those to whom he was writing. Other languages may use another order or other introduction words. For example:
From John to the seven churches in the province of Asia (GNT)
This letter is from John to the seven churches in the province of Asia (NLT)
To the seven churches in the province of Asia. This letter is from me, John
John,
¶ From John,
¶ I John am writing this letter
John: John is the name of the person who wrote the letter. In some languages it is more natural to make this clear by using the first-person pronoun, “I.” For example:
I am John. I write to the seven churches in Asia
I, John, am writing this letter to the seven churches in the province of Asia
To the seven churches in the province of Asia:
to the seven churches in the province of Asia.
to the seven gatherings of believers which are in the province of Asia.
to the communities of God’s people in the province of Asia.
To the seven churches in the province of Asia: The phrase the seven churches in the province of Asia refers to seven groups of believers in Asia. The phrase does not imply that only seven groups of believers existed in Asia.
seven churches: The Greek word that the BSB translates as churches refers generally to a gathering of people. Someone summoned the people for a particular purpose. Here, as almost always in the NT, it refers to groups of believers.
In the Bible this word never refers to church buildings. You also should not use a phrase that refers to separate groupings of churches where each group has its own name. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
seven congregations
the believers who live in seven cities
the seven gatherings of believers
the province of Asia: The BSB adds the phrase the province of. At that time the name “Asia” referred only to a small region in what is now the western part of the country of Turkey. But in English the name now refers to a large region of the world that includes the country of China. So the BSB and some English versions add the phrase the province of to indicate the old meaning.
You may also want to explain its meaning in a footnote. An example footnote is:
At that time, the name Asia referred to a province under Roman rule that was across the Aegean Sea east of Greece. It was in the western part of what is now the country of Turkey.
Grace and peace to you
Grace and peace be yours (GNT)
I pray that you(plur) may experience/enjoy grace and peace
May you receive kindness/favor and well-being/harmonious-living
Grace and peace to you: The saying Grace and peace to you was a common greeting among believers at that time. So authors of the books in the New Testament usually began their books that way.
This greeting has no verb. In some languages it is more natural to add a verb. For example:
May grace and peace be given to you
May you receive grace and peace
Grace and peace be yours (GNT)
Grace: The word Grace here refers to God being kind to those who do not deserve it. God does things for people because he wants to and not because they earned it. Other ways to translate this are:
kindness (CEV)
help
favor
In some languages, it is necessary to translate Grace using a verb. For example:
voluntarily/graciously be kind
help as a gift/favor
If you need to translate Grace using a verb, you may need to reorder the sentence. This is discussed in the General Comment on 1:4c–5c.
peace: In Jewish culture the word peace describes a situation of well-being that can include safety, wholeness, and health. It often describes harmony and friendship between God and people, or between individuals or groups of people. Other ways to translate peace here are:
harmony
wellness
In some languages, it is necessary to translate peace using a verb. For example:
live whole/well/peacefully
be calm/peaceful
Again, you may need to refer to the General Comment on 1:4c–5c for ways to reorder the sentence.
from Him who is and was and is to come,
from the one who is and was and is coming,
from God who exists now, and who has always existed, and who is to come,
from God. He is the one who exists, who existed, and who is coming.
from Him who is and was and is to come: These words refer to God. John described God here in the middle of his request for grace and peace.
John described God using three phrases. In your translation, make sure that it is clear that the one who is, the one who was, and the one who is to come all refer to God. Other ways to translate this saying are:
from the One who is and was and is coming (NCV)
from him who exists, who always existed and who is coming
from God, who is, who was, and who is to come (GNT)
is to come: The clause is to come uses a different Greek verb that the verb used in the previous two clauses. Those clauses use the verb meaning “be/exist.” The verb in this clause probably refers to God coming to do the things written in this book. Other ways to translate this clause are:
who is still to come (NLT)
who is coming (GW)
The clause is to come does not refer to Jesus returning. So you should not translate this as “who is to return.”
and from the seven Spirits before His throne,
from the seven spirits in front of his throne,
and from the sevenfold Spirit who is in his presence before his ruling place/seat,
May you also receive kindness/favor and well-being/calm from the seven spirits serving God in front of his throne.
from the seven Spirits: This phrase is connected to “Grace and peace to you” (1:4c). It indicates that John also asked the seven spirits to give grace and peace.
the seven Spirits: Many scholars believe that the phrase the seven Spirits is a symbolic reference to the Holy Spirit.Beale, Swete, Smalley, Osbourne, Lenski, Kistemaker, Johnson, Beckwith, and Hughes. The number seven then represents completion or perfection. Other scholars believe that the phrase refers to seven angels.Aune and Charles. These angels could be either seven archangels, or seven other spirits who serve God. Since the meaning of this phrase is not clear, you may want to:
Translate literally. You may also want to explain the various opinions about its meaning in a footnote. An example footnote is:
Scholars have several opinions about the words “the seven spirits.” Some think the words refer symbolically to the Holy Spirit. Others think the words refer to seven angels of highest rank. Others think that the words refer to seven spirits of a special kind that only serve God at the throne.
Indicate that the phrase refers symbolically to the Holy Spirit. For example:
the Spirit symbolized by the word/number seven If you do that, then you may want to include a footnote to indicate the literal words. An example footnote is:
Literally: “the seven spirits.” John may have used this phrase to refer to the Holy Spirit, seven angels of highest rank, or seven spirits of a special kind who serve God at the throne.
before His throne: Here the phrase before His throne indicates that the seven spirits are always in God’s presence. It is implied that God is seated on his throne. It is more clear in some languages to indicate the implied information. For example:
before the throne where God is seated
throne: This word refers to the official chair of a king. When the king is seated on his throne, he rules over his people and his country. Therefore, the word throne is a symbol for authority to rule. Another way to translate this word is:
leader’s place to rule
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / 123person
Ἰωάννης
John
In this culture, letter writers would give their own names first, and they would refer to themselves in the third person. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use the first person. If your language has a particular way of introducing the author of a letter, you could also use that. Alternate translation: [From John] or [I, John, am writing this letter to] (with no comma following)
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / 123person
ταῖς ἑπτὰ ἐκκλησίαις ταῖς ἐν τῇ Ἀσίᾳ
˱to˲_the ¬which (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἰωάννης ταῖς Ἑπτά ἐκκλησίαις ταῖς ἐν τῇ Ἀσίᾳ χάρις ὑμῖν καί εἰρήνη ἀπό ὁ ὤν καί ὁ ἦν καί ὁ ἐρχόμενος καί ἀπό τῶν ἑπτά πνευμάτων ἅ ἐνώπιον τοῦ θρόνου αὐτοῦ)
In this culture, after giving their own names, letter writers would then say to whom they were writing, naming those people in the third person. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use the second person. Alternate translation: [to you who are members of the seven churches in Asia]
Note 3 topic: translate-blessing
χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη, ἀπὸ ὁ ὢν, καὶ ὁ ἦν, καὶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἑπτὰ πνευμάτων, ἃ ἐνώπιον τοῦ θρόνου αὐτοῦ
grace ˱to˲_you_all (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἰωάννης ταῖς Ἑπτά ἐκκλησίαις ταῖς ἐν τῇ Ἀσίᾳ χάρις ὑμῖν καί εἰρήνη ἀπό ὁ ὤν καί ὁ ἦν καί ὁ ἐρχόμενος καί ἀπό τῶν ἑπτά πνευμάτων ἅ ἐνώπιον τοῦ θρόνου αὐτοῦ)
In this culture, letter writers would offer a good wish for the recipient before introducing the main business of the letter. Use a form in your language that makes it clear that this is a greeting and blessing. Alternate translation: [May the one who is and who was and who is coming and the seven spirits who are before his throne give you grace and peace]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη, ἀπὸ ὁ ὢν, καὶ ὁ ἦν, καὶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἑπτὰ πνευμάτων, ἃ ἐνώπιον τοῦ θρόνου αὐτοῦ
grace ˱to˲_you_all (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἰωάννης ταῖς Ἑπτά ἐκκλησίαις ταῖς ἐν τῇ Ἀσίᾳ χάρις ὑμῖν καί εἰρήνη ἀπό ὁ ὤν καί ὁ ἦν καί ὁ ἐρχόμενος καί ἀπό τῶν ἑπτά πνευμάτων ἅ ἐνώπιον τοῦ θρόνου αὐτοῦ)
If your language does not use an abstract noun for the ideas of grace and peace, you could express the same ideas in another way. Alternate translation: [May the one who is and who was and who is coming and the seven spirits who are before his throne treat you kindly and make you peaceful]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / yousingular
ὑμῖν
˱to˲_you_all
The word you is plural here because it refers to all of the believers to whom John is writing. So use the plural form here in your translation if your language marks that distinction, and use the singular or plural form in the rest of the book as the context indicates. (As the General Introduction to Revelation explains, these notes will generally only identify forms as singular or plural if that might not be clear from the context.)
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
ὁ ὢν, καὶ ὁ ἦν, καὶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος
the_‹one› who who (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἰωάννης ταῖς Ἑπτά ἐκκλησίαις ταῖς ἐν τῇ Ἀσίᾳ χάρις ὑμῖν καί εἰρήνη ἀπό ὁ ὤν καί ὁ ἦν καί ὁ ἐρχόμενος καί ἀπό τῶν ἑπτά πνευμάτων ἅ ἐνώπιον τοῦ θρόνου αὐτοῦ)
These three phrases do not describe three different people. They all refer to God. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate this explicitly. Alternate translation: [God, who is and who was and who is coming]
Note 7 topic: writing-symlanguage
τῶν ἑπτὰ πνευμάτων
the (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἰωάννης ταῖς Ἑπτά ἐκκλησίαις ταῖς ἐν τῇ Ἀσίᾳ χάρις ὑμῖν καί εἰρήνη ἀπό ὁ ὤν καί ὁ ἦν καί ὁ ἐρχόμενος καί ἀπό τῶν ἑπτά πνευμάτων ἅ ἐνώπιον τοῦ θρόνου αὐτοῦ)
The seven spirits could refer to: (1) the Spirit of God, that is, the Holy Spirit. The Bible can use the number seven as a symbol for completeness and perfection, for example, it describes the Holy Spirit with seven attributes in [Isaiah 11:2](../isa/11/02.md). If this phrase refers to the Holy Spirit, then John is giving a Trinitarian benediction by mentioning God the Father and the Holy Spirit in this verse and Jesus Christ in the next verse. Alternate translation: [the Holy Spirit] (2) seven individual spirits who serve God. Alternate translation: [the seven spirit beings] or [the seven angelic spirits]
Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy
ἃ ἐνώπιον τοῦ θρόνου αὐτοῦ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἰωάννης ταῖς Ἑπτά ἐκκλησίαις ταῖς ἐν τῇ Ἀσίᾳ χάρις ὑμῖν καί εἰρήνη ἀπό ὁ ὤν καί ὁ ἦν καί ὁ ἐρχόμενος καί ἀπό τῶν ἑπτά πνευμάτων ἅ ἐνώπιον τοῦ θρόνου αὐτοῦ)
If these are individual spirits, is not entirely clear who they are, but they would be seven individual spiritual beings who had important responsibilities serving God. John indicates this by association by noting that they are before his throne, that is, in God's presence and ready to serve him whenever needed. Some interpreters believe that they may be the “seven angels” whom John describes in [8:2](../08/02.md). Alternate translation: [who are always ready to serve him in important ways]
1:4 To the seven churches does not mean that there were only seven churches in the Roman province of Asia but that these seven churches represent the entire group. Grace and peace is a typical Christian greeting (see study notes on 2 Cor 1:1-2; 2 Thes 1:1-2). The order of the two words is consistent in the New Testament, suggesting that peace follows from God’s grace.
• who is, who always was, and who is still to come: God controlled the past, will surely control the future, and is sovereign over every present crisis (see also Rev 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 16:5).
• the sevenfold Spirit (literally the seven spirits): Some argue that the “seven spirits” are seven angels, but the phrase fits between references to God the Father (1:4) and to God the Son (1:5), making this passage a description of the Trinity (see Matt 28:19; John 14:26; 15:26; 2 Cor 13:14; 1 Pet 1:2). The number seven acknowledges the Holy Spirit’s perfection (cp. Zech 4:2, 6, 10).
OET (OET-LV) Seven Yōannaʸs to_the assemblies which in the Asia:
grace to_you_all and peace, from the one being, and who was, and who coming, and from the seven spirits, who are before the throne of_him,
OET (OET-RV) This letter is from Yohan to the seven assemblies in Asia Minor:
¶ Grace and peace to you all from the God who is and was and will be, and from the seven spirits who are in front of his throne,
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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