thunder

The Greek that is translated in English as “thunder” is translated in Q’anjob’al with the existing idiom “the sun trembles.” (Source: Newberry and Kittie Cox in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 91ff. )

In Matumbi njai means “thunder” and/or “lightning.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)

complete verse (Revelation 16:18)

Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 16:18:

  • Uma: “The sound of thunder crashed and thunderbolts and lightning flashed all around, and there was a big earthquake. From the first creation of man in the world until this time, there has not yet been an earthquake as big as that.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Immediately there were lightning and thunderclaps and rolling-thunder and very strong earthquakes. There hasn’t been an earthquake like that since mankind was created. That is really the ultimate in strong earthquakes.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Then I heard very loud noises, lightening flashed, and thunder rolled, and there was a strong earthquake. Never before had people experienced an earthquake as strong as that.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Right after-that lightning flashed and thunder roared. There was also a fearful earthquake. There has been nothing that can-equal the strength of this earthquake beginning from the creation of people on this earth, because this one is the strongest.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “And then suddenly lightnings flashed and thunder sounded with loud thunder-claps and the earth shook with great force. This really was the most forceful shaking of the earth which has ever been experienced by people in all this time. It really was the strongest.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “There was lightning then, there was thunder. There was much noise. The earth quaked. And overflowingly it quaked, never had it been like that since the day people have lived on earth.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Revelation 16:18

Flashes of lightning, voices, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake: see 4.5; 8.5; 11.19. This great earthquake is described as the most destructive of all earthquakes in history. In certain languages this will be expressed as “and the earth shook frighteningly (or, in a frightening way).”

Since men were on the earth: this can be said, more naturally, “ever since the creation of humankind,” “ever since the human race has existed,” or “ever since humans have existed in the world.”

An alternative translation model for the final sentence of this verse is:

• Since humans have lived in the world, the earth has never shaken in such a destructive way.

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 16:18

16:18a–b

And there were flashes of lightning, and rumblings, and peals of thunder, and a great earthquake: The Greek clause is literally “lightning, noises, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake occurred.” Here the word “noises” probably refers to the sound of distant thunder. The New Living Translation (2004) translates this as:

the thunder crashed and rolled, and lightning flashed. And a great earthquake struck…

See how you translated this in 11:19.

great earthquake: This word refers to when the ground shakes strongly.

16:18c–d

the likes of which had not occurred since men were upon the earth—so mighty was the great quake: These words compare this earthquake to all other earthquakes. It says that this earthquake was the worst one. Other ways to translate these words are:

such as had not occurred since people were upon the earth, so violent was that earthquake (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
the worst since people were placed on the earth (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
There has never been such a powerful earthquake since humans have been on earth (God’s Word)

men: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as men refers to people in general. For example:

mankind (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

mighty: This word means “big” or “great.” The earthquake caused the earth to shake a lot.

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