REV 20:2 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT And he seized the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.

UST The angel seized the dragon. That dragon is the ancient serpent—the devil, that is, Satan. The angel bound him with the chain. That chain would hold him for a thousand years.

BSB He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is [the] devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.

MSB He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is [the] devil and Satan, he who deceives the whole world,[fn] and bound him for a thousand years.

20:2 CT and TR do not include he who deceives the whole world.

BLB And he seized the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.

AICNT And he seized the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, [[the one deceiving the whole world]],[fn] and bound him for a thousand years,

20:2, the one deceiving the whole world: Later manuscripts add. BYZ

OEB He seized the Dragon, the primeval snake (who is the “devil” or “Satan”), and bound him in chains for a thousand years.

WEBBE He seized the dragon, the old serpent, who is the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole inhabited earth,[fn] and bound him for a thousand years,

20:2 TR and NU omit “who deceives the whole inhabited earth”.

WMBB (Same as above including footnotes)

NET He seized the dragon – the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan – and tied him up for a thousand years.

LSV and he laid hold on the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is [the] Devil and Satan, and bound him one thousand years,

FBV He seized the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him in chains for one thousand years.

TCNT He seized the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, [fn]the deceiver of the whole world, and he bound him for a thousand years.

20:2 the deceiver of the whole world, 𝔐^C,K [66.8%] ¦ the deceiver of the world, ANT [0.5%] ¦ — 𝔐^A CT TR [32.2%]

T4T He seized the dragon. That dragon is the ancient serpent, the devil, that is, Satan. The angel bound him with the chain. That chain could not be loosed {No one could loose that chain} for 1,000 years.

LEB And he seized the dragon—the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan—and bound him for a thousand years,

BBE And he took the dragon, the old snake, which is the Evil One and Satan, and put chains on him for a thousand years,

Moff he gripped the dragon, that old serpent (who is the Devil and Satan), and bound him for a thousand years,

Wymth He laid hold of the Dragon—the ancient serpent—who is the Devil and the Adversary, and bound him for a thousand years, and hurled him into the bottomless pit.

ASV And he laid hold on the dragon, the old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years,

DRA And he laid hold on the dragon the old serpent, which is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.

YLT and he laid hold on the dragon, the old serpent, who is Devil and Adversary, and did bind him a thousand years,

Drby And he laid hold of the dragon, the ancient serpent who is [the] devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

RV And he laid hold on the dragon, the old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years,

SLT And he seized the dragon, the old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

Wbstr And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.

KJB-1769 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

KJB-1611 And hee laid hold on the dragon that old serpent, which is the deuill and Satan, and bound him a thousand yeres,
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation and punctuation)

Bshps And he toke the dragon, that olde serpent, which is the deuyll and Satanas, and he bounde hym a thousand yeres.
(And he took the dragon, that old serpent, which is the devil and Satan, and he bound him a thousand years.)

Gnva And he tooke the dragon that olde serpent, which is the deuill and Satan, and he bounde him a thousand yeeres:
(And he took the dragon that old serpent, which is the devil and Satan, and he bound him a thousand years: )

Cvdl And he toke the dragon that olde serpent (which is the deuell and Satanas) and he bounde him a thousand yeares:
(And he took the dragon that old serpent (which is the devil and Satan) and he bound him a thousand years:)

TNT And he toke the dragon that olde serpet which is the devyll and Satanas and he bounde him a thousand yeares:
(And he took the dragon that old serpet which is the devil and Satan and he bound him a thousand years: )

Wycl And he cauyte the dragoun, the elde serpent, that is the deuel and Sathanas; and he boonde hym bi a thousynde yeeris.
(And he cauyte the dragon, the old serpent, that is the devil and Satan; and he boonde him by a thousand years.)

Luth und ergriff den Drachen, die alte Schlange, welche ist der Teufel und der Satan, und band ihn tausend Jahre.
(and seized the dragons, the old snake, which is the/of_the devil and the/of_the Satan, and band him/it thousand years.)

ClVg Et apprehendit draconem, serpentem antiquum, qui est diabolus, et Satanas, et ligavit eum per annos mille:[fn]
(And apprehends dragon, snake ancient, who/which it_is the_devil, and Satan, and tievit him through years a_thousand: )

20.2 Apprehendit. Id est, peccasse ostendit dum se immunem a peccato ille diabolus occidit. Ligavit eum. Sciendum quod similiter in Abraham et aliis fidelibus diabolus fuit ligatus sicut in istis præsentibus; sed in illis ligavit spes futuri Christi, in istis ipse Christus adveniens ligavit.

20.2 Apprehendit. That it_is, peccasse he_showed while himself immunem from sin he/that_one the_devil killed. Ligavit him. Sciendum that likewise in/into/on Abraham and to_others to_the_faithful the_devil it_was tied like in/into/on to_these present; but in/into/on to_them tievit hope of_the_future Christi, in/into/on to_these exactly_that/himself Christ/Messiah adveniens tievit.

UGNT καὶ ἐκράτησεν τὸν δράκοντα, τὸν ὄφιν τὸν ἀρχαῖον, ὅς ἐστιν Διάβολος καὶ ὁ Σατανᾶς, καὶ ἔδησεν αὐτὸν χίλια ἔτη,
(kai ekrataʸsen ton drakonta, ton ofin ton arⱪaion, hos estin Diabolos kai ho Satanas, kai edaʸsen auton ⱪilia etaʸ,)

SBL-GNT καὶ ἐκράτησεν τὸν δράκοντα, ⸂ὁ ὄφις ὁ ἀρχαῖος⸃, ὅς ἐστιν Διάβολος καὶ ὁ ⸀Σατανᾶς, καὶ ἔδησεν αὐτὸν χίλια ἔτη,
(kai ekrataʸsen ton drakonta, ⸂ho ofis ho arⱪaios⸃, hos estin Diabolos kai ho ⸀Satanas, kai edaʸsen auton ⱪilia etaʸ,)

RP-GNT Καὶ ἐκράτησεν τὸν δράκοντα, τὸν ὄφιν τὸν ἀρχαῖον, ὅς ἐστιν διάβολος καὶ ὁ Σατανᾶς, ὁ πλανῶν τὴν οἰκουμένην ὅλην, καὶ ἔδησεν αὐτὸν χίλια ἔτη,
(Kai ekrataʸsen ton drakonta, ton ofin ton arⱪaion, hos estin diabolos kai ho Satanas, ho planōn taʸn oikoumenaʸn holaʸn, kai edaʸsen auton ⱪilia etaʸ,)

TC-GNT Καὶ ἐκράτησε τὸν δράκοντα, [fn]τὸν ὄφιν τὸν ἀρχαῖον, ὅς ἐστι διάβολος καὶ [fn]ὁ Σατανᾶς, [fn]ὁ πλανῶν τὴν οἰκουμένην ὅλην, καὶ ἔδησεν αὐτὸν χίλια ἔτη,
(Kai ekrataʸse ton drakonta, ton ofin ton arⱪaion, hos esti diabolos kai ho Satanas, ho planōn taʸn oikoumenaʸn holaʸn, kai edaʸsen auton ⱪilia etaʸ, )

20:2 τον οφιν τον αρχαιον 𝔐^A,C,K [92.8%] ¦ τον αρχαιον MSS [5.3%] ¦ ο οφις ο αρχαιος NA SBL TH WH [1.9%]

20:2 ο 𝔐^C,K+ [54.3%] ¦ — 𝔐^A,K− TR [45.2%]

20:2 ο πλανων την οικουμενην ολην 𝔐^C,K [66.8%] ¦ ο πλανων την οικουμενην ANT [0.5%] ¦ — 𝔐^A CT TR [32.2%]

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

TTN Tyndale Theme Notes:

The Thousand Years (The Millennium)

Revelation 20 describes the 1,000-year reign of Christ on earth. Three perspectives regarding how the millennium relates to the coming of Christ have been held by Christian groups with an equally high regard for Scripture as God’s inspired, authoritative word:

1. Premillennialism: The current age between Christ’s first and second comings will end when he returns to inaugurate a literal 1,000-year rule on earth with his holy people, after which Christ will execute the final judgment and inaugurate his eternal Kingdom.

2. Amillennialism: The “1,000 years” represents the current age between Christ’s first and second comings, in which Christ reigns spiritually with his people (i.e., there is not a literal 1,000-year period). At the end of this age, Christ will return, execute the final judgment, and inaugurate his eternal Kingdom.

3. Postmillennialism: During the current age following Christ’s first coming, Christ will establish through the church an age of peace on earth (the 1,000 years), at the end of which Christ will return, execute the final judgment, and inaugurate his eternal Kingdom.

Differences over these perspectives have caused conflict among Christians. Many have forsaken Christian fellowship with those who hold a different opinion. True Christian humility and love would never let such differences disrupt Christian fellowship, however (see 1 Pet 3:8).

All believers can agree about the overall message of Revelation: Christ will visibly return and rule in an actual new heaven and earth. A real spiritual warfare is taking place. Hell, like heaven, is real, and all people will be judged by God’s standards. The prophecies of Revelation offer hope to God’s people in the midst of pain, suffering, and confusion in the world.

Passages for Further Study

Rev 20:1-10

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 20:1–6: Christ reigned for a thousand years

In this section, John saw an angel take Satan and put him into the Abyss. The angel then locked the opening to it. Satan had to stay in the Abyss for one thousand years. He was not allowed to deceive the nations during that time.

Then John saw that Christ ruled during those one thousand years. He gathered believers whom the beast had beheaded and caused them to live again. He had them rule with him.

Other examples of headings for this section are:

The Thousand Year Reign (NET)

Christ ruled for 1,000 years

20:2a

He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent

He captured the dragon, that serpent/snake of ancient times,
He grabbed the large, fierce, winged lizard/reptile, namely, that serpent from long ago,

20:2b

who is the devil and Satan,

the Devil/Slanderer, also known as Satan,
that is, that one named the Demon Chief and/or Satan.

20:2a–b

seized: The Greek word that the BSB translates as seized means “arrested,” “took hold of,” or “captured.” For example:

grabbed (NCV)

overpowered (GW)

the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan: These phrases describe the same being in four different ways. Translate these phrases so that they describe the same being. For example:

Satan, also named the dragon, the ancient serpent, or the devil

He chained the dragon…. It is that old snake, who is also known as the devil and Satan. (CEV)

dragon: This word refers to a mythical creature something like a huge lizard. This creature was often thought of as breathing fire and having wings. They are usually considered to be much larger than people. Dragons were usually considered to be fierce and dangerous. See how you translated this word in 12:3 or 16:13, or see the notes and illustration at 12:3.

ancient serpent: The word ancient indicates that the serpent lived long ago. He has continued to live from then to today. Now he has lived a very long time. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

serpent of that time long ago

serpent of ancient times

See how you translated this phrase in 12:9.

serpent: This is another way to say “snake” in English.

who is the devil and Satan: This clause tells the reader more about the phrase “that ancient serpent.” In some languages a literal translation would wrongly indicate that there are other ancient serpents and only this one is the devil and Satan. If that is true in your language, translate this clause so that it tells more about that ancient serpent. For example:

namely, the devil, or Satan

devil: The Greek word here means “slanderer.” A slanderer is someone who says false things about someone to try to ruin that person’s reputation, name, or status. This word is used like a title for the leader of evil spirits, Satan. Make it clear that this word is used like a title:

Devil (GNT)

Some ways to translate devil are:

Use a local name or idiom that refers to the chief of all demons. For example:
Barking One
Use a descriptive phrase. For example:
leader of the evil spirits
spirit enemy of God
Translate its meaning. For example:
Slanderer
Use the major language word. If people are not familiar with the meaning of this word, explain it in a footnote. An example footnote is:
The word “devil” in Greek means “slanderer.”

See how you translated this word in 2:10 or 12:9.

Satan: The word Satan is the Hebrew name of the leader of all the evil spirits. The Hebrew word means “enemy” or “opponent.” It is used as a proper name in the New Testament. This name in Greek is spelled Satanas. So you should also spell the name in your language like the Greek or the major language version. See how you translated this word in 2:9 or 12:9.

20:2c

and bound him for a thousand years.

and tied him to stay there for a thousand years.
The angel tied him with the chain so that he would remain a prisoner for 1,000 years.

bound him for a thousand years: This phrase indicates that Satan would remain tied with the chain for a thousand years. Other ways to translate this clause are:

bound him as a prisoner for a thousand years

The angel chained up the serpent for 1,000 years. (GW)

bound: This word refers to tying/restraining Satan with the chain to prevent escape. For example:

tied him up (NCV)

for a thousand years: The thousand years begin at this time. Immediately after tying Satan, the angel threw him into the Abyss (20:3a). Your translation should indicate that the thousand years begin at this time.

a thousand: The Greek phrase uses the number word as the BSB does. There are several ways to translate this meaning:

Use number words. For example:
one thousand
Use numerals. For example:
1,000
Use number words or phrase for “thousand” from the major language. For example:
one tausen

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

τὸν ὄφιν τὸν ἀρχαῖον, ὅς ἐστιν Διάβολος καὶ ὁ Σατανᾶς

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἐκράτησεν τόν δράκοντα τόν ὄφιν τόν ἀρχαῖον ὅς ἐστίν Διάβολος καί ὁ Σατανᾶς καί ἔδησεν αὐτόν χιλία ἔτη)

John assumes that his readers will understand that the phrase the ancient serpent is an allusion to the way the devil appeared in the form of a serpent to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, as [Genesis 3:1–15](../gen/03/01.md) describes. You can indicate this explicitly in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: [who appeared in the form of a serpent to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, who is the devil and Satan]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / infostructure

τὸν ὄφιν τὸν ἀρχαῖον, ὅς ἐστιν Διάβολος καὶ ὁ Σατανᾶς

It may be easier for your readers to recognize the allusion that John is making if you put the information that the dragon represents the devil and Satan before the information that this is also the ancient serpent. Alternate translation: [who is the devil and Satan, who appeared in the form of a serpent to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / doublet

Διάβολος καὶ ὁ Σατανᾶς

˓the˒_Devil (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἐκράτησεν τόν δράκοντα τόν ὄφιν τόν ἀρχαῖον ὅς ἐστίν Διάβολος καί ὁ Σατανᾶς καί ἔδησεν αὐτόν χιλία ἔτη)

The word devil and the name Satan refer to the same person. John is using the two terms together for emphasis. If it would be clearer for your readers, you could express the emphasis with a single phrase. Alternate translation: [the devil himself]

Parallel REV 20:2

Section 20:1–6: Christ reigned for a thousand years

20:2a

20:2b

20:2a–b

20:2c