Paragraph 1:8

1:8a

I am the Alpha and the Omega:
Alpha is the name of the first letter of the Greek alphabet. Omega is the name of the last letter of that alphabet. Here the phrase the Alpha and the Omega is used as a title. It is also a figure of speech. So this saying indicates that:

(a) God is eternal.

(b) He has authority over the beginning and the end of all things. This implies that everything in between the beginning and the end is also under his authority. He has control over all things and events.

In some languages a literal translation would not have the correct meaning. If that is true in your language, you may want to:

• Translate the meaning without the figure of speech. For example:

I am ⌊the One with authority over⌋ the first ⌊things⌋ and the last ⌊things⌋
-or-
I am the One with all authority from start to finish
-or-
I am the start and the finish

You may then want to indicate the literal words and its meaning in a footnote. An example footnote is:

Literally: “the Alpha and the Omega.” Alpha and Omega are the names of the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. This phrase is an idiom. It indicates that God exists eternally and has authority over all things.

• Substitute the first and the last letters of your own alphabet. For example:

I am the A and the Z (God’s Word)

You may then want to indicate the literal words and its meaning in a footnote. An example footnote is:

Literally: “the Alpha and the Omega.” Alpha and Omega are the names of the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. This phrase is an idiom. It indicates that God exists eternally and controls all things.

• Translate literally and explain its meaning in your translation. For example:

I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
I am the Alpha and the Omega, ⌊which means I am the One with authority over the first things and the last things⌋
-or-
I am the Alpha and the Omega, ⌊that is, the One who is in control from start to finish⌋

• Translate literally and explain its meaning in a footnote. An example footnote is:

Alpha and Omega are the names of the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. This phrase is an idiom. It indicates that God exists eternally and controls all things.

This title is similar in meaning to the titles “The First and the Last” (1:17, 2:8, 22:13) and “The Beginning and End” (21:6, 22:13). If possible, you should translate the three titles in similar but different ways. This is helpful, since all three titles occur in 22:13.

I: The pronoun I is emphasized in the Greek. If you have a natural way to emphasize the pronoun I here, you may want to do so.

says the Lord God: The Berean Standard Bible places the phrase says the Lord God after what God said. The Berean Standard Bible also places the verb says before the phrase the Lord God. That order is a poetic English style. The Berean Standard Bible word order follows the Greek word order literally. You should place this phrase where it is most natural in your language.

says: John probably used the present tense to indicate that God always describes himself as the Alpha and the Omega.

the Lord God: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Lord means “the one in authority over (others),” or “owner.” Here the word is used to indicate that God has authority over all things. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

God the Lord
-or-
Sovereign God

1:8b

who is and was and is to come—the Almighty: There are two ways to interpret who spoke these words:

(1) Here John spoke about God. Versions that follow this interpretation do not put quotation marks around these words. For example:

the one who is, and who was, and who is still to come—the All-Powerful! (NET Bible)

(2) Here God continued speaking about himself. Versions that follow this interpretation put quotation marks around these words. For example:

“who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” (New American Standard Bible)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), because 1:8a uses “I” but 1:8b uses a word ending that means “he.”

who is and was and is to come: Translate this saying as you did in 1:4.

the Almighty: The word Almighty means “the one with the power to do anything.” This is a title for God. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

the God of all power
-or-
the one who has all power

To translate naturally in your language, you may need to put this title in a separate sentence. For example:

He is the Almighty.

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