Paragraph 22:7
22:7a–b
“Behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of prophecy in this book.”: The Greek does not say who spoke these words. There are several interpretations:
(1) Jesus spoke the words in 22:7a–b. For example:
“Listen!” says Jesus. “I am coming soon! Happy are those who obey the prophetic words in this book!” (Good News Translation)
(2) The angel also spoke the words in 22:7a and John wrote the words in 22:7b. For example:
6c to show his servants what must soon take place. 7a And behold, I am coming soon.” 7b Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book. (Revised Standard Version)
(3) The angel also spoke the words in 22:7a–b. For example:
6c to show his servants the things that must happen soon. 7a I’m coming soon! 7b Blessed is the one who follows the words of the prophecy in this book.” (God’s Word)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).
The Greek and the Berean Standard Bible do not introduce the new speaker. In some languages a literal translation would wrongly indicate that the angel spoke these words. If that is true in your language, you may want to:
• Indicate who spoke in your translation. For example:
⌊Jesus said,⌋ “Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book.”
• Explain who spoke in a footnote. An example footnote is:
Jesus probably said this.
22:7a
Behold: This word means “look.” The word emphasizes or calls attention to the words that follow. It is not a command to look at something. Other ways to translate this word are:
Look (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Listen (Good News Translation)
-or-
Indeed/Hey
I am coming soon: This clause refers to Jesus returning to his people on earth. The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as soon can also mean “without delay” or “quickly.” Other ways to translate this clause are:
I am coming quickly (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
I am coming without delay
See how you translated this clause in 3:11.
22:7b
Blessed: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Blessed describes a person who is in a good situation. In the Bible, the good situation results from God showing favor/kindness to the person. Other ways to translate this word are:
Favored
-or-
How good it is
-or-
In a good/desirable position ⌊in God’s eyes⌋
-or-
Shown kindness ⌊by God⌋
See how you translated this word in 1:3 or 20:6.
keeps the words of prophecy in this book: Here, the word keeps refers to following what was said and valuing it. Believers follow the words of this book and value it. Other ways to translate this clause are:
values the words of the prophecy in this book
-or-
obey the prophetic words in this book (Good News Translation)
prophecy: The word prophecy refers to a message that God gives to someone. The message may include a vision, as in Ezekiel 1 and Daniel 8. A prophecy may reveal something about past events, current events, or future events. The prophet speaks the prophecy to the people or writes it for their use.
See how you translated this word in 1:3 or 19:10.
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