9“I know your affliction and your poverty, even though you are rich. I know the slander on the part of those who say that they are Jews and are not but are a synagogue of 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 ).
In many English translations the Greek terms “hieron” (the whole “temple” in Jerusalem or specifically the outer courts open to worshippers) and “naos” (the inner “shrine” or “sanctuary”) are translated with only one word: “temple” (see also for instance “Tempel” in German [for exception see below] and “tempel” in Dutch, Danish, or Afrikaans).
Other languages make a distinction: (Click or tap here to see more)
Navajo (Dinė): “house in which worship is carried out” (for naos)
Balinese: “inner part of the Great Temple” (“the term ‘inner part’ denoting the hindmost and holiest of the two or three courts that temples on Bali usually possess”) vs. “Great Temple”
Telugu: “womb (i.e. interior)-of-the-abode” vs. “abode”
Thai: a term denoting the main audience hall of a Buddhist temple compound vs. “environs-of-the-main-audience-hall”
Kituba: “place of holiness of house-God Lord” vs. “house-God Lord”
Shipibo-Conibo: “deep in God’s house” vs. “God’s house” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
Germandas Buch translation by Roland Werner (publ. 2009-2022): “inner court of the temple” (Tempelinnenhof) vs. “temple”
Languages that, like English, German, Dutch, Danish, or Afrikaans, don’t make that distinction include:
Toraja-Sa’dan: “house that is looked upon as holy, that is sacred, that is taboo and where one may not set foot” (lit. “house where-the-belly-gets-swollen” — because taboo is violated — using a term that is also applied to a Muslim mosque) (source for this and the three above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
Aguaruna: “the house for talking to God” (source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
Guhu-Samane: “festival longhouse of God” (“The biiri, ‘festival longhouse’, being the religious and social center of the community, is a possible term for ‘temple’. It is not the ‘poro house’ as such. That would be too closely identified with the cult of poro. The physical features of the building, huge and sub-divided, lend it further favor for this consideration. By qualifying it as ‘God’s biiri’ the term has become meaningful and appropriate in the context of the Scriptures.”) (Source: Ernest Richert in The Bible Translator, 1965, p. 81ff. )
Enga: “God’s restricted access house” (source: Adam Boyd on his blog )
Another distinction that tends to be overlooked in translations is that between hieron (“temple” in English) and sunagógé (“synagogue” in English). Euan Fry (in The Bible Translator 1987, p. 213ff. ) reports on this:
“Many older translations have simply used transliterations of ‘temple’ and ‘synagogue’ rather than trying to find equivalent terms or meaningful expressions in their own languages. This approach does keep the two terms separate; but it makes the readers depend on explanations given by pastors or teachers for their understanding of the text.
“Translators who have tried to find meaningful equivalents, for the two terms ‘temple’ and ‘synagogue’ have usually made a distinction between them in one of two ways (which focus on the contrasting components of meaning). One way takes the size and importance of the Temple to make a contrast, so that expressions such as ‘sacred meeting/ worship house of the Jews’ and ‘big sacred meeting/worship house of the Jews’ are used. The other way focuses on the different nature of the religious activity at each of the places, so that expressions such as ‘meeting/worship house of the Jews’ and ‘sacrifice/ceremony place of the Jews’ are used.
“It is not my purpose in this article to discuss how to arrive at the most precise equivalent to cover all the components of meaning of ‘temple’. That is something that each translator really has to work through for himself in the light of the present usage and possibilities in his own language. My chief concern here is that the basic term or terms chosen for ‘temple’ should give the reader of a translation a clear and correct picture of the location referred to in each passage. And I am afraid that in many cases where an equivalent like ‘house of God’ or ‘worship house’ has been chosen, the readers have quite the wrong picture of what going to the Temple or being in the Temple means. (This may be the case for the word ‘temple’ in English too, for many readers.)”
Here are some examples:
Bambara: “house of God” (or: “big house of worship”) vs. “worship house” (or: “small houses of worship”)
Toraja-Sa’dan: “house where-the-belly-gets-swollen” (see above) vs. “meeting house for discussing matters concerning religious customs” (and “church” is “house where one meets on Sunday”)
Navajo (Dinė): “house in which worship is carried out” vs. “house of gathering” (source for all above: Bratcher / Nida)
Click or tap here to see a short video clip about Herod’s temple (source: Bible Lands 2012)Click or tap here to see a short video clip showing synagogues in New Testament times (source: Bible Lands 2012)
Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 2:9:
Uma: “He says: I know the persecution that has befallen/struck you, I know that you are poor–but really you are rich in your faith. I know the disparaging words that are said about you by people who say they are Yahudi people. But really they are not Yahudi in their hearts, they are actually followers of the King of Evil-ones.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “I do know your troubles; I know that you are poor but the truth is you are rich in heaven. I also know that evil things are said about/to you by the people who pretend to be Yahudi, the people belonging to God, but that is not true. They are adherents/disciples of demons.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “I know about your enduring tribulation. I know that you are very poor, but in spite of that you are very rich in heaven. I know that the bad things said about you by the people who say they are Jews are not true. However they are not true Jews because they are in fellowship with Satan.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “I know that you are being-hardshipped and are poor, but the truth of it is, you are rich. I know also that the Judio (henceforth Jews) speak-evil-about you, but even though they say they are Jews, they are not true people of God but rather a congregation of Satan’s people.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “I really can see what you are experiencing, for you are being persecuted. I do indeed know your hardship/poverty. But the truth is, concerning wealth which comes from me, you really are wealthy. And I can also see the people who make themselves out to be my people, but this is just their insulting of me. For the truth is, they are all serving Satanas.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “I know what all you do. I know that you suffer great pain. And I know that you are poor, not having any money. But in spite of that, it is of great value the good God gives you. I know that people who say that they are Jews speak evil of you. But those people are not God’s people; rather they are the devil’s people.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.
Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.
One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.
I know your tribulation and your poverty: for I know see the comments at 2.2. The translation here should do the same for your and you as in the letter to Ephesus. For tribulation see the comments at 1.9. The poverty John speaks of is material and may have been the result of their possessions having been confiscated by the authorities; but there is no evidence for this. The word poverty occurs in this book only here; the adjective “poor,” in a literal sense, appears in 13.16. In some languages words for poverty or “poor” are often lacking. This is often the case where only certain people in a culture own material things. In such cases one may say “you have nothing” or “you are like those who live far from the chief’s compound.”
(But you are rich): this parenthetical statement turns the situation around; they may be poor materially but are rich spiritually (see 3.18; 1 Cor 4.8). The situation in Laodicea is exactly the contrary; they boast that they are rich but are in fact poor (3.17-18).
If possible the translation should preserve the seeming contradiction in the text. If, however, a literal translation will mislead the reader, the translation can say “I know that you have been persecuted and that you are poor. But in spiritual matters (or, matters of the heart) you are really rich.”
The slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not: the text doesn’t specify what kind of slander this was, but it probably consisted of false accusations made by their enemies for the purpose of getting them into trouble with the Roman authorities. The noun translated here as slander appears also in 13.1, 5, 6; 17.3. Its related Greek verb, “to blaspheme,” “to curse” (13.6; 16.9, 11, 21) always has God as object. In translating this phrase it should be made clear that these false accusations were directed against the believers in Smyrna. Revised English Bible has “I know how you are slandered by,” and Bible en français courant “I know the evil things they say about you.”
Their detractors falsely claim to be Jews. What does this mean? We must keep in mind the fact that John, the writer of Revelation, is himself a Jew. The term may be used in the literal sense of people of the Jewish race, and given the large number of Jews in Smyrna, it is probable that these are Jews. But in denying their claim to be “Jews,” John is using the word in the extended sense of “God’s (chosen) people,” which Jews claimed to be. For him it is the Christians, and not the Jews, who are the chosen people (see Paul’s definition of authentic Jews in Rom 2.28-29; 9.8; Gal 6.15-16). John’s position is that Christians are the true people of God. If translators feel that translating Jews literally will give the wrong impression to readers, it will be helpful to say “those who say (or, claim) to be God’s people, but are not.”
These Jews in the ethnic sense are not Jews in the spiritual sense (also 3.9); they are a synagogue of Satan. John purposely uses the Jewish term synagogue (also 3.9), the name for a group of Jews meeting in one place for religious purposes. The phrase of Satan means either that they belong to Satan, or else that they serve Satan instead of serving God (see John 8.44).
Satan, the Hebrew word for “adversary,” “opponent,” is the name given to the Devil, the ruler of all evil spiritual forces, and “the synagogue of Satan” stands in opposition to “the synagogue of Yahweh” (thus the Septuagint translation of Num 16.3; 20.4). Satan is used in the New Testament as a proper noun, and translators should transliterate it, writing it in the way in which it would be pronounced in their own language. The word used to translate synagogue should not be a building or a place but a group, “an assembly,” “a congregation” (Bible en français courant, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy); New Jerusalem Bible has “members of the synagogue of Satan.”
An alternative translation model for this verse is:
• I know (or, am aware of) the troubles you are undergoing. I know that you have few material possessions—but you are rich in things of the heart (or, spirit). I know about those who claim that they are God’s chosen people (Jews), but are not. They say evil things about you, but they are really members of a group that belongs to Satan.
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 .
I know your affliction:
The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as affliction means “oppression” or more generally “troubles.” Here the word probably refers to the fact that some people in Smyrna were persecuting the believers there. Other ways to translate this word are:
I know your hardships (New Jerusalem Bible) -or-
I know about your suffering (New Living Translation (2004)) -or-
I know your troubles (New Century Version)
your: The pronoun your is singular in the Greek. It refers to the angel of the church as the representative of all the believers there. In many languages it is more natural to use plural pronouns here. See how you translated the pronoun “your” in 2:2.
your poverty: The word poverty indicates that the believers in Smyrna were very poor. They had very little money or goods. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
you are poor (Good News Translation) -or-
you are extremely/very poor
2:9b
though you are rich: Here the word rich refers to having many spiritual blessings. The believers could look forward to these rewards in heaven. In the Gospels these rewards are often called “treasure.”
The word rich here does not refer to earthly riches. Jesus used the word rich without explanation to contrast it with the word “poverty” in 2:9a.
In some languages a literal translation would only refer to earthly riches. If that is true in your language, you may want to:
• Explain the meaning in your translation. For example:
yet you are rich ⌊in heaven/spirit⌋ -or-
yet you are ⌊spiritually⌋ rich
• Translate literally and explain its meaning in a footnote. For example:
This saying indicates that the believers were rich in heavenly treasures/blessings. They were rich in heaven because of their great faith in God.
2:9c
slander: This word refers to lies told for the purpose of hurting someone’s reputation, name, or status. Some people in Smyrna were telling lies to cause others to think that the believers were bad people. In some languages it is necessary or more natural to translate this word using a verb or verb phrase. For example:
lies being told about you -or-
the evil things said against you (Good News Translation) -or-
the bad things some people say about you (New Century Version) -or-
some people are slandering you -or-
you are slandered (Revised English Bible)
2:9c–d
those who falsely claim to be Jews, but are in fact a synagogue of Satan: The people referred to here were probably Jews by birth, but they did not believe in Jesus. Satan had influenced them so that they persecuted the believers at Smyrna. So in that way they were not Jews spiritually, because true Jews followed God’s commands. Jesus said that they were a synagogue of Satan.
Jesus used this strong language to emphasize that these people were very wrong to follow Satan. Other ways to translate these words are:
people who falsely claim to be Jews but are really members of the synagogue of Satan (New Jerusalem Bible) -or-
those who claim to be Jews but are not; they are a group that belongs to Satan (Good News Translation) -or-
They say they are Jews, but they are not true Jews. They are a synagogue that belongs to Satan. (New Century Version)
2:9d
synagogue: Here the word synagogue refers to the group of misled Jews in Smyrna. The word does not refer to the building where they met. The Good News Translation therefore translates this as:
group
Satan: The word Satan is the Hebrew word used for the leader of all evil spirits. In Hebrew the word means “one who opposes others.” It is similar in meaning to “enemy” but does not necessarily imply hostility or hatred. It is used as a title in the New Testament. So you should spell this word in your language like the Greek or the major language word. If this word is not already known in your area, you may also want to add a descriptive phrase. For example:
Satan, ⌊the one who opposes,⌋ -or-
Satan, ⌊the one who stands against⌋ ⌊God⌋
If you have translated the Gospels, see how you translated this word in Matthew 4:10, Mark 1:13, Luke 10:18, or John 13:27.
Living Water is produced for the Bible translation movement in association with Lutheran Bible Translators. Lyrics derived from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®).
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