Yesaya 2:12-16

2:12 Indeed, the Lord who commands armies has planned a day of judgment, ¹ 

for ²  all the high and mighty,

for all who are proud – they will be humiliated;

2:13 for all the cedars of Lebanon,

that are so high and mighty,

for all the oaks of Bashan; ³ 

2:14 for all the tall mountains,

for all the high hills, ⁴ 

2:15 for every high tower,

for every fortified wall,

2:16 for all the large ships, ⁵ 

for all the impressive ⁶  ships. ⁷ 

Yesaya 11:15-16

11:15 The Lord will divide ⁸  the gulf ⁹  of the Egyptian Sea; ¹⁰ 

he will wave his hand over the Euphrates River ¹¹  and send a strong wind, ¹² 

he will turn it into seven dried-up streams, ¹³ 

and enable them to walk across in their sandals.

11:16 There will be a highway leading out of Assyria

for the remnant of his people, ¹⁴ 

just as there was for Israel,

when ¹⁵  they went up from the land of Egypt.

Yesaya 44:27

44:27 who says to the deep sea, ‘Be dry!

I will dry up your sea currents,’

Yesaya 49:11

49:11 I will make all my mountains into a road;

I will construct my roadways.”

Yesaya 50:2

50:2 Why does no one challenge me when I come?

Why does no one respond when I call? ¹⁶ 

Is my hand too weak ¹⁷  to deliver ¹⁸  you?

Do I lack the power to rescue you?

Look, with a mere shout ¹⁹  I can dry up the sea;

I can turn streams into a desert,

so the fish rot away and die

from lack of water. ²⁰ 

Mazmur 18:7

18:7 The earth heaved and shook; ²¹ 

the roots of the mountains ²²  trembled; ²³ 

they heaved because he was angry.

Mazmur 107:33-34

107:33 He turned ²⁴  streams into a desert,

springs of water into arid land,

107:34 and a fruitful land into a barren place, ²⁵ 

because of the sin of its inhabitants.

Mazmur 114:3-7

114:3 The sea looked and fled; ²⁶ 

the Jordan River ²⁷  turned back. ²⁸ 

114:4 The mountains skipped like rams,

the hills like lambs. ²⁹ 

114:5 Why do you flee, O sea?

Why do you turn back, O Jordan River?

114:6 Why do you skip like rams, O mountains,

like lambs, O hills?

114:7 Tremble, O earth, before the Lord –

before the God of Jacob,

Yeremia 4:24

4:24 I looked at the mountains and saw that they were shaking.

All the hills were swaying back and forth!

Nahum 1:4-6

1:4 He shouts a battle cry ³⁰  against the sea ³¹  and makes it dry up; ³² 

he makes all the rivers ³³  run dry.

Bashan and Carmel wither; ³⁴ 

the blossom of Lebanon withers.

1:5 The mountains tremble before him, ³⁵ 

the hills convulse; ³⁶ 

the earth is laid waste ³⁷  before him,

the world and all its inhabitants ³⁸  are laid waste. ³⁹ 

1:6 No one can withstand ⁴⁰  his indignation! ⁴¹ 

No one can resist ⁴²  his fierce anger! ⁴³ 

His wrath is poured out like volcanic fire,

boulders are broken up ⁴⁴  as he approaches. ⁴⁵ 

Habakuk 3:6-10

3:6 He takes his battle position ⁴⁶  and shakes ⁴⁷  the earth;

with a mere look he frightens ⁴⁸  the nations.

The ancient mountains disintegrate; ⁴⁹ 

the primeval hills are flattened.

He travels on the ancient roads. ⁵⁰ 

3:7 I see the tents of Cushan overwhelmed by trouble; ⁵¹ 

the tent curtains of the land of Midian are shaking. ⁵² 

3:8 Is the Lord mad at the rivers?

Are you angry with the rivers?

Are you enraged at the sea? ⁵³ 

Is this why ⁵⁴  you climb into your horse-drawn chariots, ⁵⁵ 

your victorious chariots? ⁵⁶ 

3:9 Your bow is ready for action; ⁵⁷ 

you commission your arrows. ⁵⁸  Selah.

You cause flash floods on the earth’s surface. ⁵⁹ 

3:10 When the mountains see you, they shake.

The torrential downpour sweeps through. ⁶⁰ 

The great deep ⁶¹  shouts out;

it lifts its hands high. ⁶² 

Hagai 2:6

2:6 Moreover, the Lord who rules over all says: ‘In just a little while ⁶³  I will once again shake the sky ⁶⁴  and the earth, the sea and the dry ground.

Zakharia 10:11

10:11 The Lord ⁶⁵  will cross the sea of storms and will calm its turbulence. The depths of the Nile will dry up, the pride of Assyria will be humbled, and the domination ⁶⁶  of Egypt will be no more.

Wahyu 6:12-17

6:12 Then ⁶⁷  I looked when the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and a huge ⁶⁸  earthquake took place; the sun became as black as sackcloth made of hair, ⁶⁹  and the full moon became blood red; ⁷⁰  6:13 and the stars in the sky ⁷¹  fell to the earth like a fig tree dropping ⁷²  its unripe figs ⁷³  when shaken by a fierce ⁷⁴  wind. 6:14 The sky ⁷⁵  was split apart ⁷⁶  like a scroll being rolled up, ⁷⁷  and every mountain and island was moved from its place. 6:15 Then ⁷⁸  the kings of the earth, the ⁷⁹  very important people, the generals, ⁸⁰  the rich, the powerful, and everyone, slave ⁸¹  and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 6:16 They ⁸²  said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who is seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, ⁸³  6:17 because the great day of their ⁸⁴  wrath has come, and who is able to withstand it?” ⁸⁵ 

Wahyu 8:7-12

8:7 The ⁸⁶  first angel blew his trumpet, and there was hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was thrown at the earth so that ⁸⁷  a third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.

8:8 Then ⁸⁸  the second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain of burning fire was thrown into the sea. A ⁸⁹  third of the sea became blood, 8:9 and a third of the creatures ⁹⁰  living in the sea died, and a third of the ships were completely destroyed. ⁹¹ 

8:10 Then ⁹²  the third angel blew his trumpet, and a huge star burning like a torch fell from the sky; ⁹³  it landed ⁹⁴  on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. 8:11 (Now ⁹⁵  the name of the star is ⁹⁶  Wormwood.) ⁹⁷  So ⁹⁸  a third of the waters became wormwood, ⁹⁹  and many people died from these waters because they were poisoned. ¹⁰⁰ 

8:12 Then ¹⁰¹  the fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. And there was no light for a third of the day ¹⁰²  and for a third of the night likewise.

Wahyu 11:13

11:13 Just then ¹⁰³  a major earthquake took place and a tenth of the city collapsed; seven thousand people ¹⁰⁴  were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

Wahyu 16:12

16:12 Then ¹⁰⁵  the sixth angel ¹⁰⁶  poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates and dried up its water ¹⁰⁷  to prepare the way ¹⁰⁸  for the kings from the east. ¹⁰⁹ 

Wahyu 16:18

16:18 Then ¹¹⁰  there were flashes of lightning, roaring, ¹¹¹  and crashes of thunder, and there was a tremendous earthquake – an earthquake unequaled since humanity ¹¹²  has been on the earth, so tremendous was that earthquake.

Wahyu 20:11

The Great White Throne

20:11 Then ¹¹³  I saw a large ¹¹⁴  white throne and the one who was seated on it; the earth and the heaven ¹¹⁵  fled ¹¹⁶  from his presence, and no place was found for them.

[2:12]  ¹ tn Heb “indeed [or “for”] the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts] has a day.”

[2:12]  ² tn Or “against” (NAB, NASB, NRSV).

[2:13]  ³ sn The cedars of Lebanon and oaks of Bashan were well-known for their size and prominence. They make apt symbols here for powerful men who think of themselves as prominent and secure.

[2:14]  ⁴ sn The high mountains and hills symbolize the apparent security of proud men, as do the high tower and fortified wall of v. 15.

[2:16]  ⁵ tn Heb “the ships of Tarshish.” This probably refers to large ships either made in or capable of traveling to the distant western port of Tarshish.

[2:16]  ⁶ tn Heb “desirable”; NAB, NIV “stately”; NRSV “beautiful.”

[2:16]  ⁷ tn On the meaning of this word, which appears only here in the Hebrew Bible, see H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena (SBLDS), 41-42.

[2:16]  sn The ships mentioned in this verse were the best of their class, and therefore an apt metaphor for the proud men being denounced in this speech.

[11:15]  ⁸ tn The verb is usually understood as “put under the ban, destroy,” or emended to חָרָב (kharav, “dry up”). However, HALOT 354 s.v. II חרם proposes a homonymic root meaning “divide.”

[11:15]  ⁹ tn Heb “tongue” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV).

[11:15]  ¹⁰ sn That is, the Red Sea.

[11:15]  ¹¹ tn Heb “the river”; capitalized in some English versions (e.g., ASV, NASB, NRSV) as a reference to the Euphrates River.

[11:15]  ¹² tn Heb “with the [?] of his wind” [or “breath”]. The Hebrew term עַיָם (’ayam) occurs only here. Some attempt to relate the word to an Arabic root and translate, “scorching [or “hot”] wind.” This interpretation fits especially well if one reads “dry up” in the previous line. Others prefer to emend the form to עֹצֶם (’otsem, “strong”). See HALOT 817 s.v. עֲצַם.

[11:15]  ¹³ tn Heb “seven streams.” The Hebrew term נַחַל (nakhal, “stream”) refers to a wadi, or seasonal stream, which runs during the rainy season, but is otherwise dry. The context (see v. 15b) here favors the translation, “dried up streams.” The number seven suggests totality and completeness. Here it indicates that God’s provision for escape will be thorough and more than capable of accommodating the returning exiles.

[11:16]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and there will be a highway for the remnant of his people who remain, from Assyria.”

[11:16]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “in the day” (so KJV).

[50:2]  ¹⁶ sn The present tense translation of the verbs assumes that the Lord is questioning why Israel does not attempt to counter his arguments. Another possibility is to take the verbs as referring to past events: “Why did no one meet me when I came? Why did no one answer when I called?” In this case the Lord might be asking why Israel rejected his calls to repent and his offer to deliver them.

[50:2]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “short” (so NAB, NASB, NIV).

[50:2]  ¹⁸ tn Or “ransom” (NAB, NASB, NIV).

[50:2]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “with my rebuke.”

[50:2]  ²⁰ tn Heb “the fish stink from lack of water and die from thirst.”

[18:7]  ²¹ sn The earth heaved and shook. The imagery pictures an earthquake in which the earth’s surface rises and falls. The earthquake motif is common in OT theophanies of God as warrior and in ancient Near Eastern literary descriptions of warring gods and kings. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 160-62.

[18:7]  ²² tn 2 Sam 22:8 has “heavens” which forms a merism with “earth” in the preceding line. The “foundations of the heavens” would be the mountains. However, the reading “foundations of the mountains” has a parallel in Deut 32:22.

[18:7]  ²³ tn In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not an imperfect. Note the three prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) consecutive in the verse.

[107:33]  ²⁴ tn The verbal form appears to be a preterite, which is most naturally taken as narrational. (The use of prefixed forms with vav [ו] consecutive in vv. 36-37 favor this.) The psalmist may return to the theme of God’s intervention for the exiles (see vv. 4-22, especially vv. 4-9). However, many regard vv. 33-41 as a hymnic description which generalizes about God’s activities among men. In this case it would be preferable to use the English present tense throughout (cf. NEB, NRSV).

[107:34]  ²⁵ tn Heb “a salty land.”

[114:3]  ²⁶ sn The psalmist recalls the crossing of the Red Sea (Exod 14:21).

[114:3]  ²⁷ tn Heb “the Jordan” (also in v. 5). The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[114:3]  ²⁸ sn The psalmist recalls the crossing of the Jordan River (Josh 3:13, 16).

[114:4]  ²⁹ sn The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs. This may recall the theophany at Sinai when the mountain shook before God’s presence (Exod 19:18).

[1:4]  ³⁰ tn The term גָּעַר (ga’ar) often denotes “reprimand” and “rebuke” (cf. KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV). When it is used in the context of a military attack, it denotes an angry battle cry shouted by a mighty warrior to strike fear into his enemies to drive them away (e.g., 2 Sam 23:16; Isa 30:17; Pss 18:15; 76:6; 80:17; 104:7). For example, the parallel Ugaritic term is used when Baal utters a battle cry against Yamm before they fight to the death. For further study see, A. A. MacIntosh, “A Consideration of Hebrew g`r,” VT 14 (1969): 474; P. J. van Zijl, “A Consideration of the root ga’ar (“rebuke”),” OTWSA 12 (1969): 56-63; A. Caquot, TDOT 3:49-53.

[1:4]  ³¹ sn The “sea” is personified as an antagonistic enemy, representing the wicked forces of chaos (Pss 66:6; 72:8; 80:12; 89:26; 93:3-4; Isa 50:2; Mic 7:12; Hab 3:8; Zech 9:10).

[1:4]  ³² tn This somewhat unusual use of the preterite (וַיַּבְּשֵׁהוּ, vayyabbÿshehu) follows a participle which depicts characteristic (present-time) action or imminent future action; the preterite depicts the subsequent present or future-time action (see IBHS 561-62 §33.3.5).

[1:4]  ³³ sn The Assyrians waged war every spring after the Tigris and Euphrates rivers dried up, allowing them to cross. As the Mighty Warrior par excellence, the Lord is able to part the rivers to attack Assyria.

[1:4]  ³⁴ tn The term אֻמְלַל (’umlal, “withers”) occurs twice in this verse in MT. The repetition of אֻמְלַל is also supported by the Dead Sea Scrolls (4QpNah). The BHS editors suggest emending the first occurrence of אֻמְלַל (“withers”) to דָּלְלוּ (dollu, “languishes”) to recover the letter ד (dalet) in the partial acrostic. Several versions do, in fact, employ two different verbs in the line (LXX, Syr, Targum, and Vg). However, the first verb at the beginning of the line in all of the versions reflects a reading of אֻמְלַל. Although several elements of an acrostic are present in Nahum 1, the acrostic is incomplete (only א [alef] to כ [kaf] in vv. 2-8) and broken (several elements are missing within vv. 2-8). There is no textual evidence for a complete, unbroken acrostic throughout the book of Nahum in any ancient Hebrew mss or other textual versions; it is most prudent simply to leave the MT as it stands.

[1:5]  ³⁵ tn Or “because of him.” The Hebrew preposition מִמֶּנּוּ (mimmenu) is taken in a causal sense (“because of him”) by NASB, NJPS; however, it is taken in a locative sense (“before him”) by KJV, NKJV, NRSV, NIV. On the other hand, the LXX rendered it in a separative sense: ἀπ' αὐτοῦ (ap autou, “from him”). The parallelism between 1:5a and 1:5b seems to favor the locative nuance: “The mountains quake before him (מִמֶּנּוּ), the earth is laid waste before him (מִפָּנָיו, mifanayv).”

[1:5]  ³⁶ tn Traditionally, “the hills melt.” English versions typically render הִתְמֹגָגוּ (hitmogagu) as “melt” (KJV, NRSV, NIV, NJPS) or “dissolve” (NASB). The LXX renders it ἐσαλεύθησαν (esaleuqhsan, “are shaken”). The Hebrew root has a range of meanings: (1) “to melt,” of courage (Ps 107:26) or troops retreating (“melting away” in fear) in battle (1 Sam 14:16); (2) “to dissolve,” of mountains dissolving due to erosion (Amos 9:13); (3) “to quake, shake apart,” of mountains quaking, swaying backwards and forwards, coming apart, and collapsing in an earthquake (Amos 9:5; Pss 46:6 [7]; 75:3 [4]). The latter fits the imagery of v. 5 (violent earthquakes): the earth trembles in fear at the approach of the Divine Warrior (e.g., Hab 3:6).

[1:5]  ³⁷ tn Or “is upheaved”; or “heaves.” There is debate whether the originally unpointed Hebrew verb וַתִּשָּׂא (vattissa’) should be vocalized as וְתִּשָּׂא (vÿttissa’; NASB “is upheaved”; NRSV, NJPS “heaves”) from the root נָשָׂא (nasa’, “to lift up”) or as וַתִּשָּׁא (vattisha’, “is devastated, laid waste”) from the root שֹׁאָה (sho’ah, “to devastate, lay waste”). The vocalization וְתִּשָּׂא is attested in the Masoretic tradition and the Greek versions: Origen (“was raised up”), Symmachus (“was moved”), and Aquila (“shivered”). However, וְתִּשָּׂא demands an intransitive (“heaves”) or passive (“is upheaved”) sense which is not attested for the Qal stem. The vocalization וַתִּשָּׁא (“is devastated, laid waste”) is supported by the Syriac and Vulgate. The revocalization of the MT וְתִּשָּׂא (“is lifted up”) to וַתִּשָּׁא (“is devastated”) is suggested by the BHS editors and several Hebrew lexicons (HALOT 726 s.v. נשׁא; BDB 670-71 s.v. נָשָׂא). The revocalization involves only the difference between the form שׂ (sin) and שׁ (shin) and is followed in the present translation.

[1:5]  ³⁸ sn The phrase “the world and all its inhabitants” is used to stress the universal dimensions of God’s revelation of his glory and his acts of judgment (e.g., Pss 33:8; 98:7; Isa 18:3; 26:9, 18; Lam 4:12).

[1:5]  ³⁹ tn The words “are laid waste” are not in the Hebrew text, but are an implied repetition from the previous line.

[1:6]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “stand before” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV, NLT). The Hebrew verb עָמַד (’amad, “stand”) here denotes “to resist, withstand.” It is used elsewhere of warriors taking a stand in battle to hold their ground against enemies (Judg 2:14; Josh 10:8; 21:44; 23:9; 2 Kgs 10:4; Dan 11:16; Amos 2:15). It is also used of people trying to protect their lives from enemy attack (Esth 8:11; 9:16). Like a mighty warrior, the Lord will attack his enemies, but none will be able to make a stand against him; none will be able to hold their ground against him; and none will be able to protect themselves from his onslaught (Pss 76:7[8]; 147:17; Mal 3:2).

[1:6]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “Who can stand before his indignation?” The rhetorical question expects a negative answer; it is translated here as an emphatic denial. The Hebrew noun זַעַם (za’am, “indignation, curse”) connotes the angry wrath or indignant curse of God (Isa 10:5, 25; 13:5; 26:20; 30:27; Jer 10:10; 15:17; 50:25; Ezek 21:36; 22:24, 31; Hab 3:12; Zeph 3:8; Pss 38:4; 69:25; 78:49; 102:11; Lam 2:6; Dan 8:19; 11:36). It depicts anger expressed in the form of punishment (HALOT 276 s.v.; TWOT 1:247).

[1:6]  ⁴² tn Heb “Who can rise up against…?” The verb יָקוּם (yaqum, “arise”) is here a figurative expression connoting resistance. Although the adversative sense of בְּ (bet) with יָקוּם (yaqum, “against him”) is attested, denoting hostile action taken against one’s enemy (Mic 7:6; Ps 27:12), the locative sense (“before him”) is preferred due to the parallelism with לִפְנֵי (lifney, “before him”).

[1:6]  ⁴³ tn Heb “Who can rise up against the heat of his anger?” The rhetorical question expects a negative answer which is translated as an emphatic denial to clarify the point.

[1:6]  ⁴⁴ tn Or “burst into flames.” The Niphal perfect נִתְּצוּ (nittÿtsu) from נָתַץ (natats, “to break up, throw down”) may denote “are broken up” or “are thrown down.” The BHS editors suggest emending the MT’s נִתְּצוּ (nittÿtsu) to נִצְּתּוּ (nitsÿtu, Niphal perfect from יָצַת [yatsat, “to burn, to kindle, to burst into flames”]): “boulders burst into flames.” This merely involves the simple transposition of the second and third consonants. This emendation is supported by a few Hebrew mss (cited in BHS apparatus). It is supported contextually by fire and heat motifs in 1:5-6. The same metathesis of נִתְּצוּ and נִצְּתּוּ occurs in Jer 4:26.

[1:6]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “before him” (so NAB, NIV, TEV).

[3:6]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “he stands.”

[3:6]  ⁴⁷ tn This verb has been traditionally understood as “measure” (from מוּד, mud), but the immediately following context (vv. 6b-7) favors the meaning “shake” from מָוד (mavd; see HALOT 555 s.v.).

[3:6]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “makes [the nations] jump [in fear].”

[3:6]  ⁴⁹ tn Or “crumbled,” broke into pieces.”

[3:6]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “ancient ways [or, “doings”] are his.” The meaning of this line is unclear. Traditionally it has been translated, “his ways are eternal.” However, in this context (see vv. 3, 7) it is more likely that the line speaks of the Lord taking the same route as in the days of Moses and Deborah (see Deut 33:2; Judg 5:4). See J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 154.

[3:7]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “under trouble I saw the tents of Cushan.”

[3:7]  sn Cushan was located in southern Transjordan.

[3:7]  ⁵² tn R. D. Patterson takes תַּחַת אֲוֶן (takhat ’aven) in the first line as a place name, “Tahath-Aven.” (Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah [WEC], 237.) In this case one may translate the verse as a tricolon: “I look at Tahath-Aven. The tents of Cushan are shaking, the tent curtains of the land of Midian.”

[3:8]  ⁵³ sn The following context suggests these questions should be answered, “Yes.” The rivers and the sea, symbolizing here the hostile nations (v. 12), are objects of the Lord’s anger (vv. 10, 15).

[3:8]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “so that.” Here כִּי (ki) is resultative. See the note on the phrase “make it” in 2:18.

[3:8]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “you mount your horses.” As the next line makes clear, the Lord is pictured here as a charioteer, not a cavalryman. Note NRSV here, “when you drove your horses, // your chariots to victory.”

[3:8]  ⁵⁶ tn Or “chariots of deliverance.”

[3:9]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “[into] nakedness your bow is laid bare.”

[3:9]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “sworn in are the arrow-shafts with a word.” The passive participle of שָׁבַע (shava’), “swear an oath,” also occurs in Ezek 21:23 ET (21:28 HT) referencing those who have sworn allegiance. Here the Lord’s arrows are personified and viewed as having received a commission which they have vowed to uphold. In Jer 47:6-7 the Lord’s sword is given such a charge. In the Ugaritic myths Baal’s weapons are formally assigned the task of killing the sea god Yam.

[3:9]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “[with] rivers you split open the earth.” A literal rendering like “You split the earth with rivers” (so NIV, NRSV) suggests geological activity to the modern reader, but in the present context of a violent thunderstorm, the idea of streams swollen to torrents by downpours better fits the imagery.

[3:9]  sn As the Lord comes in a thunderstorm the downpour causes streams to swell to river-like proportions and spread over the surface of the ground, causing flash floods.

[3:10]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “a heavy rain of waters passes by.” Perhaps the flash floods produced by the downpour are in view here.

[3:10]  ⁶¹ sn The great deep, which is to be equated with the sea (vv. 8, 15), is a symbol of chaos and represents the Lord’s enemies.

[3:10]  ⁶² sn Lifting the hands here suggests panic and is accompanied by a cry for mercy (see Ps 28:2; Lam 2:19). The forces of chaos cannot withstand the Lord’s power revealed in the storm.

[2:6]  ⁶³ tc The difficult MT reading עוֹד אַחַת מְעַט הִיא (’od ’akhat mÿ’at hi’, “yet once, it is little”; cf. NAB “One moment yet, a little while”) appears as “yet once” in the LXX, omitting the last two Hebrew words. However, the point being made is that the anticipated action is imminent; thus the repetition provides emphasis.

[2:6]  ⁶⁴ tn Or “the heavens.” The same Hebrew word, שָׁמַיִם (shamayim), may be translated “sky” or “heavens” depending on the context. Although many English versions translate the term as “heavens” here, the other three elements present in this context (earth, sea, dry ground) suggest “sky” is in view.

[10:11]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “he,” in which case the referent is the Lord. This reading is followed by KJV, ASV, NAB (which renders it as first person), and NASB. The LXX reads “they,” referring to the Israelites themselves, a reading followed by many modern English versions (e.g., NIV, NRSV, TEV, NLT).

[10:11]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “scepter,” referring by metonymy to the dominating rule of Egypt (cf. NLT).

[6:12]  ⁶⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[6:12]  ⁶⁸ tn Or “powerful”; Grk “a great.”

[6:12]  ⁶⁹ tn Or “like hairy sackcloth” (L&N 8.13).

[6:12]  ⁷⁰ tn Grk “like blood,” understanding αἷμα (aima) as a blood-red color rather than actual blood (L&N 8.64).

[6:13]  ⁷¹ tn Or “in heaven” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”). The genitive τοῦ οὐρανοῦ (tou ouranou) is taken as a genitive of place.

[6:13]  ⁷² tn Grk “throws [off]”; the indicative verb has been translated as a participle due to English style.

[6:13]  ⁷³ tn L&N 3.37 states, “a fig produced late in the summer season (and often falling off before it ripens) – ‘late fig.’ ὡς συκὴ βάλλει τοὺς ὀλύνθους αὐτῆς ὑπὸ ἀνέμου μεγάλου σειομένη ‘as the fig tree sheds its late figs when shaken by a great wind’ Re 6:13. In the only context in which ὄλυνθος occurs in the NT (Re 6:13), one may employ an expression such as ‘unripe fig’ or ‘fig which ripens late.’”

[6:13]  ⁷⁴ tn Grk “great wind.”

[6:14]  ⁷⁵ tn Or “The heavens were.” The Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) can mean either “heaven” or “sky.”

[6:14]  ⁷⁶ tn BDAG 125 s.v. ἀποχωρίζω states, “ὁ οὐρανὸς ἀπεχωρίσθη the sky was split Rv 6:14.” Although L&N 79.120 gives the meaning “the sky disappeared like a rolled-up scroll” here, a scroll that is rolled up does not “disappear,” and such a translation could be difficult for modern readers to understand.

[6:14]  ⁷⁷ tn On this term BDAG 317 s.v. ἑλίσσω states, “ὡς βιβλίον ἑλισσόμενον like a scroll that is rolled up…Rv 6:14.”

[6:15]  ⁷⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[6:15]  ⁷⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated; nor is it translated before each of the following categories, since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[6:15]  ⁸⁰ tn Grk “chiliarchs.” A chiliarch was normally a military officer commanding a thousand soldiers, but here probably used of higher-ranking commanders like generals (see L&N 55.15; cf. Rev 6:15).

[6:15]  ⁸¹ tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.

[6:16]  ⁸² tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[6:16]  ⁸³ tn It is difficult to say where this quotation ends. The translation ends it after “withstand it” at the end of v. 17, but it is possible that it should end here, after “Lamb” at the end of v. 16. If it ends after “Lamb,” v. 17 is a parenthetical explanation by the author.

[6:17]  ⁸⁴ tc Most mss (A Ï bo) change the pronoun “their” to “his” (αὐτοῦ, autou) in order to bring the text in line with the mention of the one seated on the throne in the immediately preceding verse, and to remove the ambiguity about whose wrath is in view here. The reading αὐτῶν (autwn, “their”) is well supported by א C 1611 1854 2053 2329 2344 pc latt sy. On both internal and external grounds, it should be regarded as original.

[6:17]  ⁸⁵ tn The translation “to withstand (it)” for ἵστημι (Jisthmi) is based on the imagery of holding one’s ground in a military campaign or an attack (BDAG 482 s.v. B.4).

[8:7]  ⁸⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[8:7]  ⁸⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so that” because what follows has the logical force of a result clause.

[8:8]  ⁸⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[8:8]  ⁸⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[8:9]  ⁹⁰ tn Or “a third of the living creatures in the sea”; Grk “the third of the creatures which were in the sea, the ones having life.”

[8:9]  ⁹¹ tn On the term translated “completely destroyed,” L&N 20.40 states, “to cause the complete destruction of someone or something – ‘to destroy utterly.’ τὸ τρίτον τῶν πλοίων διεφθάρησαν ‘a third of the ships were completely destroyed’ Re 8:9.”

[8:10]  ⁹² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[8:10]  ⁹³ tn Or “from heaven” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).

[8:10]  ⁹⁴ tn Grk “fell.”

[8:11]  ⁹⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” in keeping with the parenthetical nature of this remark.

[8:11]  ⁹⁶ tn Grk “is called,” but this is somewhat redundant in contemporary English.

[8:11]  ⁹⁷ sn Wormwood refers to a particularly bitter herb with medicinal value. According to L&N 3.21, “The English term wormwood is derived from the use of the plant as a medicine to kill intestinal worms.” This remark about the star’s name is parenthetical in nature.

[8:11]  ⁹⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the star falling on the waters.

[8:11]  ⁹⁹ tn That is, terribly bitter (see the note on “Wormwood” earlier in this verse).

[8:11]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Grk “and many of the men died from these waters because they were bitter.”

[8:12]  ¹⁰¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[8:12]  ¹⁰² tn Grk “the day did not shine [with respect to] the third of it.”

[11:13]  ¹⁰³ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[11:13]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Grk “seven thousand names of men.”

[16:12]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[16:12]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Grk “the sixth”; the referent (the sixth angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:12]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Grk “and its water was dried up.” Here the passive construction has been translated as an active one.

[16:12]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Grk “in order that the way might be prepared.” Here the passive construction has been translated as an active one.

[16:12]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Grk “from the rising of the sun.” BDAG 74 s.v. ἀνατολή 2.a takes this as a geographical direction: “ἀπὸ ἀ. ἡλίου…from the east Rv 7:2; 16:12; simply ἀπὸ ἀ. …21:13.”

[16:18]  ¹¹⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[16:18]  ¹¹¹ tn Or “sounds,” “voices.” It is not entirely clear what this refers to. BDAG 1071 s.v. φωνή 1 states, “In Rv we have ἀστραπαὶ καὶ φωναὶ καὶ βρονταί (cp. Ex 19:16) 4:5; 8:5; 11:19; 16:18 (are certain other sounds in nature thought of here in addition to thunder, as e.g. the roar of the storm?…).”

[16:18]  ¹¹² tn The singular ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used generically here to refer to the human race.

[20:11]  ¹¹³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

[20:11]  ¹¹⁴ tn Traditionally, “great,” but μέγας (megas) here refers to size rather than importance.

[20:11]  ¹¹⁵ tn Or “and the sky.” The same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky,” and context usually determines which is meant. In this apocalyptic scene, however, it is difficult to be sure what referent to assign the term.

[20:11]  ¹¹⁶ tn Or “vanished.”

[20:11]  sn The phrase the earth and the heaven fled from his presence can be understood (1) as visual imagery representing the fear of corruptible matter in the presence of God, but (2) it can also be understood more literally as the dissolution of the universe as we know it in preparation for the appearance of the new heaven and new earth (Rev 21:1).