It was granted her: for the passive use of the verb “to give,” indicating God as the actor, see 6.4a. Implicit is the idea of “right” or “privilege.” Thus a translation may choose to say “God has given her…,” or “… has given her the right…,” or “… has allowed her….”

Fine linen, bright and pure: see 15.6. The Greek word there translated “linen” is different from the one used here, but there is no difference in meaning other than that this term emphasizes the fine quality of the cloth. The one used here appears also in 18.12, 16; 19.14.

For the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints: by use of quotation marks and a dash after pure, Revised Standard Version indicates that this is a comment from the writer. Good News Translation does the same by placing this explanatory comment within parentheses. Here, as elsewhere, is means “represents,” “signifies”; righteous deeds are the kind that God requires of his people; for saints see 5.8.

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• God has given her clothes made of clean, shining linen to wear.” (The linen represents the good deeds that God’s people do.)

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Revelation to John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .