Ulangan 32:41-43

32:41 I will sharpen my lightning-like sword,

and my hand will grasp hold of the weapon of judgment; ¹ 

I will execute vengeance on my foes,

and repay those who hate me! ² 

32:42 I will make my arrows drunk with blood,

and my sword will devour flesh –

the blood of the slaughtered and captured,

the chief ³  of the enemy’s leaders!’”

32:43 Cry out, O nations, with his people,

for he will avenge his servants’ blood;

he will take vengeance against his enemies,

and make atonement for his land and people.

Mazmur 74:22-23

74:22 Rise up, O God! Defend your honor! ⁴ 

Remember how fools insult you all day long! ⁵ 

74:23 Do not disregard ⁶  what your enemies say, ⁷ 

or the unceasing shouts of those who defy you. ⁸ 

Mazmur 79:10-12

79:10 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”

Before our very eyes may the shed blood of your servants

be avenged among the nations! ⁹ 

79:11 Listen to the painful cries of the prisoners! ¹⁰ 

Use your great strength to set free those condemned to die! ¹¹ 

79:12 Pay back our neighbors in full! ¹² 

May they be insulted the same way they insulted you, O Lord! ¹³ 

Mazmur 94:20-23

94:20 Cruel rulers ¹⁴  are not your allies,

those who make oppressive laws. ¹⁵ 

94:21 They conspire against ¹⁶  the blameless, ¹⁷ 

and condemn to death the innocent. ¹⁸ 

94:22 But the Lord will protect me, ¹⁹ 

and my God will shelter me. ²⁰ 

94:23 He will pay them back for their sin. ²¹ 

He will destroy them because of ²²  their evil;

the Lord our God will destroy them.

Yesaya 49:26

49:26 I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh;

they will get drunk on their own blood, as if it were wine. ²³ 

Then all humankind ²⁴  will recognize that

I am the Lord, your deliverer,

your protector, ²⁵  the powerful ruler of Jacob.” ²⁶ 

Zakharia 2:8

2:8 For the Lord who rules over all says to me that for his own glory ²⁷  he has sent me to the nations that plundered you – for anyone who touches you touches the pupil ²⁸  of his ²⁹  eye.

Wahyu 6:10

6:10 They ³⁰  cried out with a loud voice, ³¹  “How long, ³²  Sovereign Master, ³³  holy and true, before you judge those who live on the earth and avenge our blood?”

Wahyu 11:18

11:18 The ³⁴  nations ³⁵  were enraged,

but ³⁶  your wrath has come,

and the time has come for the dead to be judged,

and the time has come to give to your servants, ³⁷ 

the prophets, their reward,

as well as to the saints

and to those who revere ³⁸  your name, both small and great,

and the time has come ³⁹  to destroy those who destroy ⁴⁰  the earth.”

Wahyu 15:4

15:4 Who will not fear you, O Lord,

and glorify ⁴¹  your name, because you alone are holy? ⁴² 

All nations ⁴³  will come and worship before you

for your righteous acts ⁴⁴  have been revealed.”

Wahyu 16:5-6

16:5 Now ⁴⁵  I heard the angel of the waters saying:

“You are just ⁴⁶  – the one who is and who was,

the Holy One – because you have passed these judgments, ⁴⁷ 

16:6 because they poured out the blood of your saints and prophets,

so ⁴⁸  you have given them blood to drink. They got what they deserved!” ⁴⁹ 

Wahyu 18:20

18:20 (Rejoice over her, O heaven,

and you saints and apostles and prophets,

for God has pronounced judgment ⁵⁰  against her on your behalf!) ⁵¹ 

Wahyu 18:24

18:24 The ⁵²  blood of the saints and prophets was found in her, ⁵³ 

along with the blood ⁵⁴  of all those who had been killed on the earth.”

Wahyu 19:2

19:2 because his judgments are true and just. ⁵⁵ 

For he has judged ⁵⁶  the great prostitute

who corrupted the earth with her sexual immorality,

and has avenged the blood of his servants ⁵⁷  poured out by her own hands!” ⁵⁸ 

[32:41]  ¹ tn Heb “judgment.” This is a metonymy, a figure of speech in which the effect (judgment) is employed as an instrument (sword, spear, or the like), the means, by which it is brought about.

[32:41]  ² tn The Hebrew term שָׂנֵא (sane’, “hate”) in this covenant context speaks of those who reject Yahweh’s covenant overtures, that is, who disobey its stipulations (see note on the word “rejecting” in Deut 5:9; also see Deut 7:10; 2 Chr 19:2; Ps 81:15; 139:20-21).

[32:42]  ³ tn Or “head” (the same Hebrew word can mean “head” in the sense of “leader, chieftain” or “head” in the sense of body part).

[74:22]  ⁴ tn Or “defend your cause.”

[74:22]  ⁵ tn Heb “remember your reproach from a fool all the day.”

[74:23]  ⁶ tn Or “forget.”

[74:23]  ⁷ tn Heb “the voice of your enemies.”

[74:23]  ⁸ tn Heb “the roar of those who rise up against you, which ascends continually.”

[79:10]  ⁹ tn Heb “may it be known among the nations, to our eyes, the vengeance of the shed blood of your servants.”

[79:11]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “may the painful cry of the prisoner come before you.”

[79:11]  ¹¹ tn Heb “according to the greatness of your arm leave the sons of death.” God’s “arm” here symbolizes his strength to deliver. The verbal form הוֹתֵר (hoter) is a Hiphil imperative from יָתַר (yatar, “to remain; to be left over”). Here it must mean “to leave over; to preserve.” However, it is preferable to emend the form to הַתֵּר (hatter), a Hiphil imperative from נָתַר (natar, “be free”). The Hiphil form is used in Ps 105:20 of Pharaoh freeing Joseph from prison. The phrase “sons of death” (see also Ps 102:21) is idiomatic for those condemned to die.

[79:12]  ¹² tn Heb “Return to our neighbors sevenfold into their lap.” The number seven is used rhetorically to express the thorough nature of the action. For other rhetorical/figurative uses of the Hebrew phrase שִׁבְעָתַיִם (shiv’atayim, “seven times”) see Gen 4:15, 24; Ps 12:6; Prov 6:31; Isa 30:26.

[79:12]  ¹³ tn Heb “their reproach with which they reproached you, O Lord.”

[94:20]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “a throne of destruction.” “Throne” stands here by metonymy for rulers who occupy thrones.

[94:20]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “Is a throne of destruction united to you, one that forms trouble upon a statute?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “Of course not!” The translation, while not preserving the interrogative form of the statement, reflects its rhetorical force.

[94:21]  ¹⁶ tn Or “attack.”

[94:21]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “the life of the blameless.”

[94:21]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “and the blood of the innocent they declare guilty.”

[94:22]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “and the Lord has become my elevated place.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive is used in a rhetorical sense, describing an anticipated development as if it were already reality.

[94:22]  ²⁰ tn Heb “and my God [has become] a rocky summit of my safety.”

[94:23]  ²¹ tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive is used in a rhetorical sense, describing an anticipated development as if it were already reality.

[94:23]  ²² tn Or “in.”

[49:26]  ²³ sn Verse 26a depicts siege warfare and bloody defeat. The besieged enemy will be so starved they will their own flesh. The bloodstained bodies lying on the blood-soaked battle site will look as if they collapsed in drunkenness.

[49:26]  ²⁴ tn Heb “flesh” (so KJV, NASB).

[49:26]  ²⁵ tn Heb “your redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.

[49:26]  ²⁶ tn Heb “the powerful [one] of Jacob.” See 1:24.

[2:8]  ²⁷ tn Heb “After glory has he sent me” (similar KJV, NASB). What is clearly in view is the role of Zechariah who, by faithful proclamation of the message, will glorify the Lord.

[2:8]  ²⁸ tn Heb “gate” (בָּבָה, bavah) of the eye, that is, pupil. The rendering of this term by KJV as “apple” has created a well-known idiom in the English language, “the apple of his eye” (so ASV, NIV). The pupil is one of the most vulnerable and valuable parts of the body, so for Judah to be considered the “pupil” of the Lord’s eye is to raise her value to an incalculable price (cf. NLT “my most precious possession”).

[2:8]  ²⁹ tc A scribal emendation (tiqqun sopherim) has apparently altered an original “my eye” to “his eye” in order to allow the prophet to be the speaker throughout vv. 8-9. This alleviates the problem of the Lord saying, in effect, that he has sent himself on the mission to the nations.

[6:10]  ³⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[6:10]  ³¹ tn Grk “voice, saying”; the participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated here.

[6:10]  ³² tn The expression ἕως πότε (ews pote) was translated “how long.” Cf. BDAG 423 s.v. ἕως 1.b.γ.

[6:10]  ³³ tn The Greek term here is δεσπότης (despoths; see L&N 37.63).

[11:18]  ³⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[11:18]  ³⁵ tn Or “The Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).

[11:18]  ³⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[11:18]  ³⁷ tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.

[11:18]  ³⁸ tn Grk “who fear.”

[11:18]  ³⁹ tn The words “the time has come” do not occur except at the beginning of the verse; the phrase has been repeated for emphasis and contrast. The Greek has one finite verb (“has come”) with a compound subject (“your wrath,” “the time”), followed by three infinitive clauses (“to be judged,” “to give,” “to destroy”). The rhetorical power of the repetition of the finite verb in English thus emulates the rhetorical power of its lone instance in Greek.

[11:18]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “who deprave.” There is a possible wordplay here on two meanings for διαφθείρω (diafqeirw), with the first meaning “destroy” and the second meaning either “to ruin” or “to make morally corrupt.” See L&N 20.40.

[15:4]  ⁴¹ tn Or “and praise.”

[15:4]  sn Jeremiah 10:7 probably stands behind the idea of fearing God, and Psalm 86:9-10 stands behind the ideas of glorifying God, his uniqueness, and the nations coming to worship him. Many other OT passages also speak about the nations “coming to his temple” to worship (Isa 2:2-3, 49:22-23, 66:23-24; Micah 4:2; Zech 8:20-22). See G. K. Beale, Revelation [NIGTC], 796-97.

[15:4]  ⁴² sn Because you alone are holy. In the Greek text the sentence literally reads “because alone holy.” Three points can be made in connection with John’s language here: (1) Omitting the second person, singular verb “you are” lays stress on the attribute of God’s holiness. (2) The juxtaposition of alone with holy stresses the unique nature of God’s holiness and complete “otherness” in relationship to his creation. It is not just moral purity which is involved in the use of the term holy, though it certainly includes that. It is also the pervasive OT idea that although God is deeply involved in the governing of his creation, he is to be regarded as separate and distinct from it. (3) John’s use of the term holy is also intriguing since it is the term ὅσιος (Josios) and not the more common NT term ἅγιος (Jagios). The former term evokes images of Christ’s messianic status in early Christian preaching. Both Peter in Acts 2:27 and Paul in Acts 13:35 apply Psalm 16:10 (LXX) to Jesus, referring to him as the “holy one” (ὅσιος). It is also the key term in Acts 13:34 (Isa 55:3 [LXX]) where it refers to the “holy blessings” (i.e., forgiveness and justification) brought about through Jesus in fulfillment of Davidic promise. Thus, in Rev 15:3-4, when John refers to God as “holy,” using the term ὅσιος in a context where the emphasis is on both God and Christ, there might be an implicit connection between divinity and the Messiah. This is bolstered by the fact that the Lamb is referred to in other contexts as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (cf. 1:5; 17:14; 19:16 and perhaps 11:15; G. K. Beale, Revelation [NIGTC], 796-97).

[15:4]  ⁴³ tn Or “all the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).

[15:4]  ⁴⁴ tn Or perhaps, “your sentences of condemnation.” On δικαίωμα (dikaiwma) in this context BDAG 249 s.v. 2. states, “righteous deed…δι᾿ ἑνὸς δικαιώματος (opp. παράπτωμα) Ro 5:18. – B 1:2 (cp. Wengst, Barnabas-brief 196, n.4); Rv 15:4 (here perh.= ‘sentence of condemnation’ [cp. Pla., Leg. 9, 864e; ins fr. Asia Minor: LBW 41, 2 [κατὰ] τὸ δι[καί]ωμα τὸ κυρω[θέν]= ‘acc. to the sentence which has become valid’]; difft. Wengst, s. above); 19:8.”

[16:5]  ⁴⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the somewhat parenthetical nature of the remarks that follow.

[16:5]  ⁴⁶ tn Or “righteous,” although the context favors justice as the theme.

[16:5]  ⁴⁷ tn Or “because you have judged these things.” The pronoun ταῦτα (tauta) is neuter gender.

[16:6]  ⁴⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate that this judgment is the result of what these wicked people did to the saints and prophets.

[16:6]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “They are worthy”; i.e., of this kind of punishment. By extension, “they got what they deserve.”

[18:20]  ⁵⁰ tn On the phrase “pronounced judgment” BDAG 567 s.v. κρίμα 4.b states, “The OT is the source of the expr. κρίνειν τὸ κρ. (cp. Zech 7:9; 8:16; Ezk 44:24) ἔκρινεν ὁ θεὸς τὸ κρίμα ὑμῶν ἐξ αὐτῆς God has pronounced judgment for you against her or God has pronounced on her the judgment she wished to impose on you (HHoltzmann, Hdb. 1893 ad loc.) Rv 18:20.”

[18:20]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “God has judged a judgment of you of her.” Verse 20 is set in parentheses because in it the saints, etc. are addressed directly in the second person.

[18:20]  sn This verse forms a parenthetical aside in the narrative.

[18:24]  ⁵² tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[18:24]  ⁵³ tn The shift in pronouns from second to third person corresponds to the Greek text.

[18:24]  ⁵⁴ tn Grk “and of all.” The phrase “along with the blood” has been repeated from the previous clause for stylistic reasons.

[19:2]  ⁵⁵ tn Compare the similar phrase in Rev 16:7.

[19:2]  ⁵⁶ tn Or “has punished.” See BDAG 568 s.v. κρίνω 5.b.α, describing the OT background which involves both the vindication of the innocent and the punishment of the guilty.

[19:2]  ⁵⁷ tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.

[19:2]  ⁵⁸ tn Grk “from her hand” (referring to her responsibility in causing the blood of God’s followers to be shed).