complete verse (Revelation 1:19)

Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 1:19:

  • Uma: “So, write what you (sing.) see, what is happening at this time, and what will happen in the future.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “‘Write,’ he said, ‘all that you see, the things that happen now and those that will-be-caused-to-happen in the future.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Write down what I will show you, that which you will see which will come to pass now and that which will come to pass in the future.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Write then all that I will show you (sing.) that is happening now and will-happen in a future day.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Therefore write the things you have already seen and the things which you will yet see, the meaning of all of this being the things which have come/happened already and those which are yet to come in the future.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “And now write down what all you now see. Write what happens now and also what will happen afterwards.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Revelation 1:19

The command is the same as the one in verse 11, and it will be helpful in certain languages to say “write in the book (or, record) the things…” or “you must write in the book the things….” The direct object what you see includes everything John will see and then record in the book. The two clauses that follow are not additional items but define explicitly the nature of what John will see: things present and things future, “both that which is happening now as well as that which will happen afterward” (Bible en français courant; similarly Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Good News Translation). New Jerusalem Bible shortens and combines the three into two: “Now write down all that you see of present happenings and what is still to come.” The auxiliary verb “will” in “that will happen afterward” (Good News Translation) translates a Greek verb that at times seems to express divine authority. The Arndt and Gingrich Lexicon defines this use of it as follows: “concerning an action that necessarily follows a divine decree, is destined, must, will certainly.”

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• You must write (or, record) in the book all the things that you are seeing right now, and the things that will happen in the future (or, afterwards).

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 .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Revelation 1:19

Paragraph 1:19–20

1:19a–b

write down the things you have seen, and the things that are, and the things that will happen after this: There are two ways to interpret the connection between the phrase the things you have seen, the phrase the things that are, and the phrase the things that will happen after this :

(1) The three phrases express three things that Jesus wanted John to write about. The three phrases poetically describe the whole revelation. For example:

what you have seen and what is and what will happen after these things (Contemporary English Version)

(2) The first phrase express the things that Jesus wanted John to write about. The last two phrases explain the first phrase. The first phrase refers generally to the whole revelation. For example:

the things you see, both the things that are now and the things that will happen afterward (Good News Translation)
-or-
all that you see of present happenings and what is still to come (New Jerusalem Bible)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), because a plain “and” occurs before the second phrase and before the third phrase. But if the major language version follows interpretation (2), you may want to follow that.

1:19a

the things you have seen: This phrase refers to what John has already seen (1:10–18). The phrase implies the things John has heard as well. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

whatever you saw
-or-
the things you saw
-or-
all that you have seen ⌊here⌋

1:19b

the things that are: This phrase refers to the events currently happening and the prophecies to the churches (chapters 2 and 3). Other ways to translate this phrase are:

the things that are now (Good News Translation)
-or-
present happenings (New Jerusalem Bible)

the things that will happen after this: This phrase refers to the prophecies about the future (chapters 4 to 22). Other ways to translate this phrase are:

the things that will happen afterward (Good News Translation)
-or-
what will happen after

© 2020 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.