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Revelation 13:8

Posted: July 20th, 2012, 3:13 pm
by rhutchin
Revelation 13:8 says:

και προσκυνησουσιν αὐτον παντες οἱ κατοικουντες ἐπι της γης οὑ οὐ γεγραπται το ὀνομα αὐτου ἐν τῳ βιβλιῳ της ζωης του ἀρνιου του ἐσφαγμενου ἀπο καταβαλης κοσμου.

Traditional translations have seen this as:

και προσκυνησουσιν αὐτον παντες οἱ κατοικουντες ἐπι της γης οὑ οὐ γεγραπται το ὀνομα αὐτου...
- ἐν τῳ βιβλιῳ της ζωης
- του ἀρνιου
- του ἐσφαγμενου
- ἀπο καταβαλης κοσμου.

where the last four phrases are each taken to modify the immediately preceding phrase.

The NET Bible, contrary to this, says, "The prepositional phrase “since the foundation of the world” is traditionally translated as a modifier of the immediately preceding phrase in the Greek text, “the Lamb who was killed” (so also G. B. Caird, Revelation [HNTC], 168), but it is more likely that the phrase “since the foundation of the world” modifies the verb “written” (as translated above - 'and all those who live on the earth will worship the beast, everyone whose name has not been written since the foundation of the world in the book of life belonging to the Lamb who was killed.'). Confirmation of this can be found in Rev 17:8 where the phrase “written in the book of life since the foundation of the world” occurs with no ambiguity."

Which version is the grammatically defensible position?

Roger Hutchinson

Re: Revelation 13:8

Posted: July 20th, 2012, 8:40 pm
by Stephen Carlson
rhutchin wrote:Which version is the grammatically defensible position?
I don't think the ambiguity can be resolved grammatically.