Revelation 3
The remaining three of the seven letters stand in this chapter — Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea. Sardis goes straight to the charge with no praise, and one word, ‘name’, threads the letter: the name of being alive, the few names that did not soil their garments, and the name written in the book of life. It is told to become one who stays awake, and he will come like a thief — the word of Matt 24:43. ‘In white’ at v.4 has no noun where ‘white garments’ at v.5 has one, and the text keeps them apart. Philadelphia is the second letter with no charge — the key is singular here where 1:18 had the plural. Opening and shutting turn over four times in one verse, and ‘I am giving’ at v.9 has no object and the sentence restarts. The word used of the Father is used before a person, and ‘keep’ comes three times, turning direction: a man keeps the word and he keeps a man. The preposition in ‘from the hour of testing’ does not say whether it is out of it or through it. ‘My God’ comes four times in v.12, three names are written, and the participle ‘coming down’ breaks case against the genitive before it. At Laodicea, ‘Amen’ takes an article and becomes a name — the only place in the New Testament where the word stands as a title. Cold, hot and lukewarm turn on each other, and the order is reversed once, while three ‘I am rich’ are turned by one ‘you are wretched’. Gold, garments and eye salve are to be bought; five words in this chapter stand once in the New Testament and four of them are gathered here. The verb of loving those he exposes and disciplines is the one John's Gospel keeps apart, the standing at the door is a perfect, and v.20 closes with no verb, ‘and he with me’. The throne is promised to the one who overcomes and the prior overcoming is named; and the seven letters close with ‘to the assemblies’ — a letter written to one is heard by all seven.
Why this rendering
Rev.3.6 Observation
Syntactic observation
ὄνομα ἔχεις ὅτι ζῇς, καὶ νεκρὸς εἶ — ὄνομα ‘name’ is the thread of the letter to Sardis — the name in v.1 (a reputation), the few names in v.4 (people), his name in v.5 (written in the book of life): one word for three things · v.1 goes straight to the charge with no praise — only here and Laodicea of the seven · γίνου γρηγορῶν is an imperative with a participle, ‘become one who stays awake’ · ⸂ἔμελλον ἀποθανεῖν⸃ is imperfect, so they have not died yet · πεπληρωμένα is perfect passive · ‘come like a thief’ in v.3 is the word of Matt 24:43 and 1 Thess 5:2, and it returns at 16:15 · ἐν λευκοῖς (v.4) has no noun, while v.5 has ‘white garments’ with one, so the two differ · μολύνω ‘soil’ is active here where 1 Cor 8:7 has it passive · v.5 uses the ‘confess’ of Matt 10:32 exactly.
Rendering options · 3
Basis Reputation, people and what is written are all ὄνομα.
Basis v.4 has no noun where v.5 has ‘garments’.
Basis ‘Stay awake’ alone would lose the imperative-plus-participle shape.
Lost in translation
ὄνομα three times (vv.1 · 4 · 5) — reputation, people, what is written, one word. Both keep one word.
γίνου γρηγορῶν (v.2) — a participle laid on an imperative. Both render the doubling.
‘In white’ with no noun (v.4) — differing from v.5. English can stand without a noun.
The imperfect ἔμελλον (v.2) — they have not died yet. Both render the tense.
Active μολύνω (v.4) — passive at 1 Cor 8:7. Both render the voice.
‘Like a thief’ (v.3) — the word of Matt 24:43. Both use the same wording.
Why this rendering
Rev.3.13 Observation
Syntactic observation
ὁ ἔχων τὴν κλεῖν ⸀Δαυίδ, ὁ ἀνοίγων καὶ οὐδεὶς κλείσει — κλείς is singular here, where 1:18 had the plural ‘keys of death and of Hades’ · opening and shutting turn over four times in v.7 · v.8 breaks in like a parenthesis — after ‘I know your works’ comes ‘look …’, and only then the clause of reason · ⸀διδῶ (v.9) has no object and takes only a partitive preposition — what is given the text does not say (a solecism) · προσκυνέω is used before a person, the word used of the Father at John 4:20-24 · τηρέω comes three times in vv.8 and 10, once of a man keeping the word and twice of him keeping a man — the same verb turning direction · ἐκ in v.10 is ‘from’, and whether it is kept out of the testing or kept through it the text does not say · ἡ καταβαίνουσα in v.12 is nominative where the phrase before it is genitive (a solecism) · ‘my God’ comes four times in v.12 and three names are written · ναός ‘sanctuary’ is the word kept apart from ἱερόν ‘temple’.
Rendering options · 3
Basis The text has a singular here.
Basis The text gives no object and the sentence restarts.
Basis Whether kept out of it or through it the text does not say.
Lost in translation
Singular κλείς (v.7) — against the plural of 1:18. Both render the number.
διδῶ with no object (v.9) — what is given is missing. Both leave it unfilled.
τηρέω three times (vv.8 · 10) — the direction of keeping turns. Both keep one word.
The nominative ἡ καταβαίνουσα (v.12) — against the genitive before it. Neither locale carries it.
προσκυνέω (v.9) — the word for the Father used before a person. Both use the same word.
ἐκ (v.10) — out of or through is not said. Neither locale closes it.
Why this rendering
Rev.3.17 Observation
Syntactic observation
Τάδε λέγει ὁ Ἀμήν — ἀμήν takes an article and becomes a name — the only place in the New Testament where this word stands as a title · in ἡ ἀρχὴ τῆς κτίσεως τοῦ θεοῦ, whether ἀρχή is a beginning or a source the text does not say; this edition keeps ‘beginning’, by the rule of 2 Pet 3:4 · vv.15-16 turn on three words — cold, hot, lukewarm; v.15 has ‘cold, hot’ and v.16 turns it to ‘hot, cold’ · χλιαρός, ἐμέω, κολλούριον, ἐγχρίω and ζηλεύω are each once in the New Testament · ὄφελον opens a wish that cannot be had, the word of 1 Cor 4:8, 2 Cor 11:1 and Gal 5:12 · v.17 sets three ‘I am’ against one ‘you are’ — the speech of riches turned into the speech of wretchedness · ταλαίπωρος is the word Paul says of himself at Rom 7:24 · v.18 turns three things back on Laodicea — gold, garments, eye salve; that the city was known for them the text does not say.
Rendering options · 3
Basis The text puts an article on it; ‘truly’ would lose the title.
Basis By the rule of 2 Pet 3:4; ‘source’ would close one reading.
Basis ‘Refined’ would cut it off from the same verb at 1:15.
Lost in translation
ἀμήν with an article (v.14) — it becomes a name. Both set the transliteration as a name.
The turn of order (vv.15 · 16) — cold, hot becomes hot, cold. Neither locale reorders.
ὄφελον (v.15) — a wish that cannot be had. Both follow the settled rendering.
Three ‘I am’ (v.17) — turned by one ‘you are’. Both render the facing.
πυρόομαι (v.18) — the verb of 1:15. Both use the same word.
ταλαίπωρος (v.17) — the word of Rom 7:24. Both use the same word.
Why this rendering
Rev.3.22 Observation
Syntactic observation
ἐγὼ ὅσους ἐὰν φιλῶ ἐλέγχω καὶ παιδεύω — φιλέω is the verb used — the one John's Gospel keeps apart from ἀγαπάω — and this quotes Proverbs 3:12, where the Greek translation has ἀγαπάω · ἐλέγχω ‘expose’ is the verb of John 3:20, paired here with παιδεύω ‘discipline’ · ζηλεύω is once in the New Testament, a different headword from ζηλόω with the same sense · ἕστηκα in v.20 is perfect, so the standing stands · δειπνέω ‘eat supper’ is the word that divides the meals of the day, kept apart from ἄριστον in this edition · the end of v.20 closes with no verb, ‘and he with me’ · v.21 promises the throne and names the prior overcoming, ‘as I also overcame’ — νικάω twice in one verse, eight times in the seven letters · v.21 doubles the person again, ‘the one who overcomes … to him’ (the solecism of 2:7) · v.22 closes with ‘to the assemblies’, and the seven letters end: a letter written to one is heard by all seven.
Rendering options · 3
Basis By the rule of 1 Cor 16:22; the Greek of the quotation has a different verb.
Basis A different headword with the same sense; splitting would add a distinction the text does not make.
Basis The text closes with no verb.
Lost in translation
φιλέω (v.19) — the Greek of the quotation has another verb. Both render the base text's verb.
ζηλεύω (v.19) — a different headword rendered with the same word. Neither locale carries the difference.
The perfect ἕστηκα (v.20) — the standing stands. Both render a present and lose the perfect.
The verbless close (v.20) — ‘and he with me’. Neither locale supplies a verb.
νικάω twice (v.21) — the one who overcomes and the one who overcame, one word. Both keep one word.
The doubled person (v.21) — a nominative followed by a pronoun. Neither locale carries it.