OET interlinear REV 2:13

2:13a

I know where you live: There is a textual issue in 2:13a: (1) Some early Greek manuscripts have the phrase know where you live (BSB, RSV, NIV, GNT, NJB, NASB, NLT, GW, CEV, NET, NABRE, REB, ESV, NCV). (2) Some early Greek manuscripts have the words know your deeds and where you live (KJV only). It is recommended that you follow option (1), because the UBS Greek NT supports it. Jesus indicated here that he knew the sort of place that Pergamum was. Other ways to translate this clause are:

I know that you live in the city where… (NLT)

I know where you live. It is where… (NCV)

I realize/understand where you live, namely, where…

you: The pronoun you refers to the angel of this church as the representative of the believers there. In some languages it is more natural to use plural pronouns here. See how you translated the pronoun “your” in 2:2 or 2:9.

where the throne of Satan sits: This clause figuratively indicates that Satan ruled in Pergamum. The people of Pergamum did not directly follow Satan but followed other religions. They worshiped pagan gods and also the Roman emperor, Caesar. In that way they were in fact worshiping Satan and letting Satan rule their lives. Other ways to translate this are:

where Satan is enthroned (NJB)

where the throne of Satan is

In some languages a literal translation would wrongly indicate that Satan physically sat in Pergamum. If that is true in your language, you may want to:

• Explain the meaning in your translation. For example:

  where Satan rules the people

  where the people are under the control of Satan You may then want to include a footnote to indicate what the literal words say. An example footnote is:

  Literally:“where Satan has his throne.”

• Translate literally and explain its meaning in a footnote. For example:

  This saying represents the idea that Satan ruled over the people in that area.

throne: A throne is the official chair of a king. It is a symbol of his power to rule. See how you translated throne in 1:4.

2:13b

Yet: The Greek conjunction here is usually translated as “and” (as in the NJB). The GNT has no conjunction here. But there is some contrast between Satan having much authority in Pergamum and the believers continuing to be faithful to Jesus. So the NCV translates this conjunction as:

But

You should connect 2:13a and 2:13b in the way that is most natural in your language.

you have held fast to My name: The Greek word that the BSB translates as held fast literally refers to holding something. This clause indicates that the believers in Pergamum continued to be faithful to Jesus. They did not stop following him. Other ways to translate this clause are:

you continue to cling to my name (NET)

you have remained loyal to me (NLT)

2:13c

and have not denied your faith in Me: The word denied refers to disowning something or refusing to have anything to do with it. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

You did not renounce your faith in me (NIV)

you did not abandon your faith in me (GNT)

You did not say that you would no longer believe in me

your faith in Me: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as your faith in Me is literally “the faith of me.” Here it refers to the believers’ faith in Jesus Christ. They believed him, trusted him, and were committed to following him. Another way to translate this phrase is:

you believe in me

2:13d

even in the day when My faithful witness Antipas: Here the word even implies that persecution of believers during the life of Antipas was worse than at other times. At that time people persecuted the believers very much. However, the believers did not stop believing in Jesus.

in the day when: This phrase refers to the general time that Antipas was killed. It could refer to weeks or months before or after that time. For example:

during the time (GNT)

My faithful witness: The Greek words here are literally “my witness, my faithful one” (as in the RSV). Antipas told others about Jesus as the Christ. He was faithful to Jesus when people persecuted him. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

who proclaimed my message and was faithful to me

who told others about me and remained loyal to me

Antipas: Nothing else is known about this man named Antipas. He is mentioned only in this verse. He was not the same person as the Antipas mentioned in the Gospels.

2:13e

was killed among you: The phrase was killed is passive. Some languages must use an active clause. These verses do not say who killed Antipas, so you should use a general word. For example:

whom they killed

whom people killed

This clause tells the reader more about Antipas. In some languages a literal translation would wrongly indicate that John was thinking of several men named Antipas and only this one was killed among you. If that is true in your language, translate this clause so that it tells more about Antipas. One way to do that is to start a new sentence here. For example:

He was killed.

where Satan dwells: This clause has a similar meaning to “where the throne of Satan sits” in 2:13a. It indicates that Satan had much influence in Pergamum.

In some languages a literal translation would wrongly indicate that Satan physically dwelt in Pergamum. If that is true in your language, you may want to:

• Translate the meaning without the figure of speech. For example:

  where Satan influences/controls the people

  where Satan has many people on his side You may then want to include a footnote to indicate what the literal words say. An example footnote is:

  Literally: “where Satan lives.”

• Translate literally and explain its meaning in a footnote. For example:

  This saying is symbolic. It indicates that Satan influenced the people in that area.