Satan

The Greek that is typically transliterated in English as “Satan” is transliterated in Kipsigis as “Setani.” This is interesting because it is not only a transliteration that approximates the Greek sound but it is also an existing Kipsigis word with the meaning of “ugly” and “sneaking.” (Source: Earl Anderson in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 85ff. )

In Morelos Nahuatl it is translated as “envious one” (source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.) and in Tibetan: bdud (བདུད།), lit. “chief devil” (except in Rev. 20:2, where it is transliterated) (source: gSungrab website ).

See also devil.

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Satan .

complete verse (Revelation 20:7)

Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 20:7:

  • Uma: “When the thousand years is finished, the King of Evil-ones is released from his imprisonment,” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “When one thousand years are over, the leader of demons will be let loose from the hole where he is imprisoned.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “When those thousand years are finished, Satan will be released temporarily from his prison.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “When the one-thousand years are finished, Satanas will be released from his place-of-imprisonment,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Well at the end of those one thousand years, Satanas will again be released from that prison of his.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “When the one thousand years had finished, the devil was let loose from where he was jailed.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Revelation 20:7 – 20:8

Are ended: as in verse 3, “were ended.”

Satan will be loosed from his prison: if the passive verb must be changed to the active form, either “God” or “an angel” will be the subject. Since it was an angel who imprisoned Satan, it is probably an angel that will release him from prison. So one may translate “An angel will release….” The phrase from his prison may be rendered as “from where he is tied up (or, chained).”

Will come out to deceive: Satan will continue his activity as the deceiver (see 12.9). Here come represents the right perspective: Satan will “come” and not “go” from the abyss to earth’s surface, as Good News Translation translates.

The nations which are at the four corners of the earth: this does not mean only the nations located at the four corners of the earth (see 7.1), but all nations on earth (Good News Translation).

That is, Gog and Magog: these two names are from Ezekiel 38-39, where Gog is the chief ruler in the land of Magog. Here they are symbolic names for the nations themselves. It is possible that they are meant to be Satanic beings, but it seems more likely they are names of the nations. The translation can say “these nations are known as Gog and Magog” or “they call these nations (or, groups of people) Gog and Magog.”

To gather them for battle: in 16.14 this is done by the three foul spirits that came out of the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. Here it is Satan himself who brings them together for battle.

Their number is like the sand of the sea: this is a way of saying that they are too many to be counted, an expression frequently used in the Bible (see Gen 32.12; Jer 15.8; Rom 9.27; Heb 11.12). It should be clear that the antecedent of their is not the nations as such, but the people who will fight against God’s people. If the figure like the sand of the sea makes no sense, it can be abandoned and the literal meaning “too many to be counted” or something similar can be said.

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• When the thousand years come to an end, the angel will release (or, set free) Satan from where he is tied up, and he will come out to deceive the nations (or, groups of people) who are scattered all over the world. These nations are called Gog and Magog. Satan will bring them all together to the place where they will fight. There will be so many of them that one cannot count them.

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 20:7

Section 20:7–10

Satan rebelled for the last time

In this section, John saw that Satan was set free and left the Abyss. Then Satan deceived people all over the world and led them in a war against God. But God sent fire and the fire killed all the people in Satan’s army. Then God took Satan and threw him into the lake of fire.

Other examples of headings for this section are:

Satan rebelled a last time and God punished him
-or-
The Defeat of Satan (Good News Translation)
-or-
Satan’s last rebellion, ⌊defeat,⌋ and punishment

Paragraph 20:7–10

20:7a–b

Satan will be released: This clause is passive. Some languages must use an active clause. Probably the angel who bound Satan now released him. For example:

⌊the angel⌋ will release Satan

his prison: Satan was locked in the Abyss (20:1–3), so John refers to it as his prison. The word prison refers to a place in which people are locked inside so they cannot leave or escape. Another way to translate this phrase is:

the jail he was in

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