Revelation 14:4-6

New English Translation

Footnotes

1. Revelation 14:4 tn The aorist passive verb is rendered as a reflexive (“defiled themselves”) by BDAG 657 s.v. μολύνω 2.
2. Revelation 14:5 tn Grk “in their mouth was not found a lie.”
3. Revelation 14:5 tc Several mss (P⁴⁷ א 1 1006 1611 2351 M^K) have the conjunction “for” (γάρ, gar) here so that the phrase reads: “for they are blameless.” Other significant mss (A C P 1854 2053 al lat) lack the word. The shorter reading is to be preferred since the scribes were more likely to make the connection explicit through the addition of “for” than they would have been to omit the conjunction. As it is, the passage without the conjunction makes good sense and evokes a very somber tone.
4. Revelation 14:6 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
5. Revelation 14:6 tc Most mss (P47 א* M sa) lack ἄλλον (allon, “another”) here, but the support for it is stronger (P^115vid א² A C P 051 1006 1611 1841 2053 2329 al latt sy bo). The problem that its inclusion represents is that there is no reference to any other angel in the immediate context (the last mention was in 11:15). In this instance, the longer reading is harder. The word was probably intentionally omitted in order to resolve the tension; less likely, it might have been accidentally omitted since its spelling is similar to “angel” (ἄγγελος, angelos).
6. Revelation 14:6 tn L&N 1.10 states, “a point or region of the sky directly above the earth—‘high in the sky, midpoint in the sky, directly overhead, straight above in the sky.’”
7. Revelation 14:6 tn Grk “having.”
8. Revelation 14:6 tn Or “an eternal gospel to announce as good news.”
9. Revelation 14:6 tn Grk “to those seated on the earth.”
10. Revelation 14:6 tn Grk “and tribe,” but καί (kai) has not been translated here or before the following term since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.