complete verse (Revelation 21:26)

Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 21:26:

  • Uma: “All people carried their honor/respect and their wealth into that village.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “All that makes the tribes famous and their wealth will be brought into that city.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The expensive possessions and wealth of all the kingdoms on the earth are brought into the city.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The wealth and nature-of-honor (i.e. what they are honored for) of the collective-people in the collective-towns/countries will be taken there.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “The wealth and glory of all nations will really be brought into that city.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “All of the people who live in all the nations, concerning all that they have, they bring it to the city to deliver it over to God. Thus they honor God.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Revelation 21:26

They shall bring: as it stands in Revised Standard Version, the subject of this verb is “the kings” of verse 24. This is possible, but in light of the fact that in Greek the verb here is in the future tense, whereas in verse 24 it is in the present tense, it is possible that this third person plural active form of the verb is the equivalent of a passive, “will be brought in,” with no indication of who the actor is. Following this interpretation the translation can be “the people of the world will bring” (New Revised Standard Version “People will bring…”). However, in languages that do not use the passive, translators will need to express this clause in a way similar to Revised Standard Version, using the pronoun they to refer to unknown subjects.

The glory and the honor: these two abstract nouns stand for concrete objects: “their treasure and their wealth” (New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, Revised); Revised English Bible has “splendour and wealth.”

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• They will bring all the beautiful things and possessions of the people of the world into the city.

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 21:26

21:26

And into the city will be brought: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as will be brought is literally “(they) will bring.” Although the Berean Standard Bible translates this word as a passive clause, it is active in the Greek. The implied pronoun “they” may refer to:

(1) the kings of the earth (21:24b);

(2) the nations (21:24a);

(3) people in general.

Some ways to translate it are:

• Use a passive clause, as the Berean Standard Bible does. For example:

shall be brought into it (Revised English Bible)

• Use an active clause with a general subject. For example:

they shall bring into it (Revised Standard Version)

• Use an active clause and refer to the nations. For example:

all the nations will bring (New Living Translation (2004))

the glory and honor of the nations: There are several ways to interpret the Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as glory and honor :

(1) The words glory and honor have their usual meanings here. For example:

the nations’ grandeur and honor

(2) The word glory has its usual meaning, but the word honor refers to wealth here. For example:

The greatness and the wealth of the nations (Good News Translation)

(3) The words glory and honor refer to treasure and wealth here. For example:

their treasure and their wealth (New Jerusalem Bible)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). But you should follow the same interpretation that you used in 21:24b.

glory: Here this Greek word means “splendor,” or “majesty.” See how you translated this word in 21:24.

honor: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as honor means “respect, reverence.” See how you translated this word in 5:12 or 7:12.

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