Behold: see the comments at 1.7.

Those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie: for this description of their enemies, see 2.9. Here, somewhat redundantly, the text adds “but they lie.”

After identifying these opponents, the text repeats behold, I will make them. A translator may prefer to imitate Good News Translation and have a less complex sentence (so also Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Revised English Bible), without the repetition of the main verb.

The form of the Greek phrase translated those of allows the meaning “some who belong to” (as in 2.10, “some of you”): so An American Translation, Translator’s New Testament. This is because the Greek preposition for of can mean either “from” or “out of.” But it is rather strange that only some of their enemies will be punished, and the majority of translations do not take the Greek preposition to have this restrictive sense, but take “(those) from” to mean these Jews, as distinct from all other people: “those people who belong to the synagogue of Satan” or, as was suggested in the comments on 2.9, “members of a group that belongs to Satan.”

I will make them come and bow down before your feet: this is a figure of submission, ordinarily taken to mean that they will have been defeated. But this gesture can be an indication of their desire to join the Christians (see similar language in Isa 45.14; 60.14). In certain languages bow down before your feet will be rendered as “prostrate themselves (or, lie face down) before your feet.” However, if the phrase before your feet sounds strange in other languages, it may be translated as “in front of you.”

And learn that I have loved you: instead of learn, which usually implies a process of learning, the translation should be “discover, find out, know, recognize, understand.” In Revised Standard Version learn is governed by I will make them; it is better to follow New Revised Standard Version, “and they will learn,” a separate event. For the verb “to love” see 1.5. The perfect tense I have loved may give the impression that he no longer loves; so it is better to translate “I love you.”

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• Look! I will cause those people who are members of a group who belong to Satan, who say, “We are God’s chosen people,” but are really lying, to come (or, go) and lie face down at your feet and understand (or, discover) that I love you.

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 .