OET interlinear REV 5:10

5:10a

You have made them to be: There is a textual issue in 5:10a: (1) The earliest Greek manuscripts have the pronoun them (BSB, RSV, NIV, GNT, NJB, NASB, NLT, GW, CEV, NET, NABRE, REB, ESV, NCV). (2) Some later Greek manuscripts have the pronoun us (KJV only). It is recommended that you follow option (1), because the UBS Greek NT recommends it. Here the word made refers to causing a change. Jesus caused the believers to change in two ways:

1. The believers were from many different people groups, but now they will be one group following one king. Therefore, they belong to one kingdom.

2. The believers will all serve as priests. Here the word “priests” refers to people whose job is to serve God.

a kingdom and priests: There is a textual issue in 5:10a: (1) Some early Greek manuscripts have the word kingdom (BSB, RSV, NIV, GNT, NJB, NASB, NLT, GW, CEV, NET, NABRE, REB, ESV, NCV). (2) One early Greek manuscript has the word kings (KJV only). It is recommended that you follow option (1), because the UBS Greek NT supports it. The Greek word that the BSB translates as and has several meanings. There are two ways to interpret it:

1. It indicates there are two things. God made the believers to be a kingdom. He also made them to be priests. For example:

   You have appointed them as a kingdom and priests. (NET) (BSB, RSV, NIV, NJB, NASB, NABRE, NLT96, GW, CEV, NET, ESV, KJV)

2. It indicates that the word “priests” describes the word “kingdom.” God made the believers into a kingdom that consists of priests. For example:

   you have caused them to become a Kingdom of priests (NLT) (GNT, NLT, REB, NCV)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), because here in the Greek the word “and” occurs between the word “kingdom” and the word “priests,” so the meaning is not the same as in 1:6.

kingdom: There is a textual issue with the Greek word that the BSB translates as kingdom:

1. It is the word that means kingdom, a group of people under one king. Here the word refers to the believers as a group under God as their ruler. For example:

   kingdom (RSV) (BSB, RSV, NIV, GNT, NASB, NABRE, NLT, GW, NET, REB, ESV, NCV)

2. It is the word that means kings. For example:

   kings (CEV) (NJB, KJV, CEV)

It is recommended that you follow option (1).The UBS Greek NT has basileian “kingdom.”

priests: A Jewish priest was a religious leader who:

1. offered sacrifices to God for the people,

2. led the people in worship,

3. taught the people about God.

Here the word priests refers figuratively to people who serve God as a way of life. They worship God and help others to worship him also. But offering animals as sacrifices is not a part of the job for these people in 5:10a. See how you translated this word in 1:6.

to serve our God: The Greek phrase is literally “to/for our God.” The BSB and many English versions interpret this as “to our God.” Therefore, they add the word serve here to make the meaning clear in English. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

for our God (GW)

belonging to our God

5:10b

they will reign upon the earth: There is a textual issue in 5:10b: (1) Some early Greek manuscripts have the verb form that indicates they (BSB, RSV, NIV, GNT, NJB, NASB, NLT, GW, CEV, NET, NABRE, REB, ESV, NCV). (2) Some early Greek manuscripts have the verb form that indicates we (KJV only). It is recommended that you follow option (1), because the UBS Greek NT recommends it. The word reign means “rule as kings/leaders.” The CEV translates the Greek clause as:

they will rule on earth

reign upon the earth: This phrase refers to these believers ruling other people on earth, but it is not clear when this will happen. Some languages must say who is ruled over. If that is true in your language, refer in general to other people. For example:

rule over others on the earth