5
The Lamb takes the scroll
1 Καὶ εἶδον ἐπὶ τὴν δεξιὰν τοῦ καθημένου ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου βιβλίον, γεγραμμένον ἔσωθεν καὶ ἔξωθεν,* εξωθεν f35 Ma,b,d,e⅔,f,g,h,i CP,RP,HF,OC ¦ οπισθεν Me⅓ (ℵ)A,NU,TR κατεσφραγισμένον σφραγῖσιν ἑπτά. 2 Καὶ εἶδον ἄγγελον ἰσχυρὸν κηρύσσοντα† κηρυσσοντα f35 Md,ept,hpt CP,TR ¦ 1 εν Ma,b,ept,f,g,hpt,i ℵA,RP,HF,OC,NU φωνῇ μεγάλη, «Τίς ἄξιός‡ αξιος f35 Mept,h ℵA,CP,NU ¦ 1 εστιν Ma,b,d,ept,f,g,i RP,HF,OC ¦ εστιν 1 TR (Does the absence of the verb emphasize the adjective?) ἀνοῖξαι τὸ βιβλίον καὶ λῦσαι τὰς σφραγῖδας αὐτοῦ;» 3 Καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐδύνατο§ εδυνατο f35 Ma,b,d⅓,e⅖,f,g⅓,hpt,ipt ℵ,CP,RP,HF,OC,NU ¦ ηδυνατο Md⅔,ept,g⅔,hpt,ipt A,TR ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ* ουρανω f35 Md,e,h⅔ ℵA,CP,OC,NU,TR ¦ 1 ανω Ma,b,e¼,f,g,h⅓,i RP,HF οὐδὲ† ουδε f35 Md,ept,g,h,i⅕ A,CP,NU,TR ¦ ουτε Ma,b,ept,f,h¼,i⅔ ℵ,RP,HF,OC ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς οὐδὲ‡ ουδε f35 Md,ept,g,h,i⅕ A,CP,NU,TR ¦ ουτε Ma,b,ept,f,h¼,i⅔ RP,HF,OC ¦ — Ma⅙ ℵ ὑποκάτω τῆς γῆς ἀνοῖξαι τὸ βιβλίον οὐδὲ§ ουδε f35 Md,ept,hpt CP,TR ¦ ουτε Ma,b,ept,f,g,hpt,i ℵA,RP,HF,OC,NU βλέπειν αὐτό. 4 Καὶ ἐγὼ* εγω rell ¦ — Mept ℵ,NU ¦ A omits the whole verse ἔκλαιον πολύ,† πολυ rell ¦ πολλα TR ¦ A omits the whole verse ὅτι οὐδεὶς ἄξιος εὑρέθη ἀνοῖξαι καὶ ἀναγνῶναι‡ και αναγνωναι f35 Md⅕,e,g⅓,i⅓ CP,TR ¦ — Ma,b,d,e⅕,f,g⅔,h,i⅔ ℵ,RP,HF,OC,NU (The clause forces an awkward meaning upon βλεπειν αυτο, which now must really mean ‘look at it’.) τὸ βιβλίον, οὔτε βλέπειν αὐτό.
5 Καὶ εἷς ἐκ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων λέγει μοι· «Μὴ κλαῖε· ἰδού, ἐνίκησεν ὁ λέων ὁ § ο rell ¦ 1 ων Me¼ TR ¦ — Mh⅔ ℵ ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς Ἰούδα, ἡ ῥίζα Δαυίδ, ἀνοῖξαι* ανοιξαι f35 Md,e,g,h ℵA,CP,OC,NU,TR ¦ ο ανοιγων Ma,b,f,i RP,HF τὸ βιβλίον καὶ† και rell ¦ 1 λυσαι ℵ,TR τὰς ἑπτὰ σφραγῖδας αὐτοῦ.» 6 Καὶ εἶδον‡ ειδον rell ¦ ιδον [22 assorted mss] ¦ 1 και ιδου Mb CP,TR ¦ ιδου και A ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ θρόνου καὶ τῶν τεσσάρων ζῴων, καὶ ἐν μέσῳ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων, Ἀρνίον ἑστηκός§ εστηκος rell ¦ εστηκως Mb⅖,e⅓,g¼ ℵ—ὡς ἐσφαγμένον, ἔχον* εχον rell ¦ εχων Md⅕,e¼,g,h¼ 𝕻24ℵA,NU κέρατα ἑπτὰ καὶ ὀφθαλμοὺς ἑπτά, ἅ † α f35 Ma,b,d,f,g,i CP,RP,HF,OC ¦ οι Me,h ℵA,NU,TR (The gender agrees with ‘horns’, not ‘eyes’, which is unexpected.) εἰσιν τὰ ἑπτὰ‡ επτα rell [NU] ¦ — Mept A πνεύματα τοῦ Θεοῦ§ πνευματα του θεου rell ¦ ~ 231 Mept TR ἀποστελλόμενα* αποστελλομενα f35 Ma,b,e¼,f,i¾ CP,RP,HF,OC ¦ τα 1 Me¼,g,i⅕ ¦ τα απεσταλμενα Md¾,ept TR ¦ απεσταλμενα Mhpt 𝕻24ℵ ¦ απεσταλμενοι A,NU εἰς πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν. 7 Καὶ ἦλθεν καὶ εἴληφεν† ειληφεν rell ¦ 1 το βιβλιον TR ¦ add το βιβλιον at end of verse Mept ἐκ τῆς δεξιᾶς τοῦ καθημένου ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου.
A new song
8 Καὶ ὅτε ἔλαβεν τὸ βιβλίον τὰ τέσσαρα‡ τεσσαρα f35⅖ Ma,b,d,e,f,gpt,h,i CP,RP,HF,OC,NU,TR ¦ τεσσερα ℵA ¦ δ΄ f35⅗ Mgpt ζῷα καὶ οἱ εἴκοσι τέσσαρες§ εικοσι τεσσαρες f35¼ Ma⅓,b,dpt,ept,f,gpt,hpt,i ℵA,CP,RP,HF,OC,NU,TR ¦ κδ΄ f35 Ma⅔,dpt,ept,gpt,hpt πρεσβύτεροι ἔπεσον* επεσον rell ¦ επεσαν Ma¼,e¼,g ℵA,OC,NU ἐνώπιον τοῦ Ἀρνίου, ἔχοντες ἕκαστος κιθάρας,† κιθαρας f35 Md⅓,e,g,ipt CP,TR ¦ κιθαραν Ma,b,d⅔,e¼,f,h,ipt ℵA,RP,HF,OC,NU καὶ φιάλας χρυσᾶς γεμούσας θυμιαμάτων, αἵ εἰσιν αἱ‡ αι f35 Ma⅙,b⅖,d,e,g,h,ipt A,CP,OC,NU,TR ¦ — Ma,b⅗,e¼,f,g¼,ipt ℵ,RP,HF προσευχαὶ τῶν ἁγίων. 9 Καὶ ᾄδουσιν ᾠδὴν καινὴν λέγοντες· «Ἄξιος εἶ λαβεῖν τὸ βιβλίον καὶ ἀνοῖξαι τὰς σφραγῖδας αὐτοῦ· ὅτι ἐσφάγης, καὶ ἠγόρασας τῷ Θεῷ ἡμᾶς§ τω θεω ημας f35 Ma,d,e⅔,f,h,i⅗ ℵ,CP,RP,HF,OC,TR ¦ ~ 312 Mb,g,i⅖ ¦ 3 Me⅓ ¦ 12 A,NU [Why do you suppose NU follows a single MS, of demonstrably inferior quality in Revelation (objectively so), against virtually all others (perhaps six scattered cursives have ‘our’ for ‘us’) plus lat,syr,bo? And why do the editors of modern versions follow their lead? Why? (Hoskier says the word was ‘lost’ in the transition from one column to the next—I don’t have access to a facsimile of the codex to check it, but assuming that Hoskier is correct about the location then the omission was probably inadvertent, one of the many slips that disfigure the MS.)] ἐν τῷ αἵματί σου ἐκ πάσης φυλῆς καὶ γλώσσης καὶ λαοῦ καὶ ἔθνους· 10 καὶ ἐποίησας αὐτοὺς* αυτους rell ¦ ημας TR τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν βασιλεῖς καὶ ἱερεῖς,† βασιλεις και ιερεις rell ¦ βασιλειαν 23 Mhpt A,NU ¦ βασιλιαν 2 ιερατειαν ℵ καὶ βασιλεύσουσιν‡ βασιλευσουσιν f35 Mapt,b,d⅗,e⅔,f⅔,g,h⅓,i ℵ,RP,HF,OC,NU ¦ βασιλευουσιν Mapt,d⅖,e⅓,f⅓,g¼,h⅔ A,CP ¦ βασιλευσομεν TR ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς.»
All the angels
11 Καὶ εἶδον, καὶ ἤκουσα ὡς§ ως f35 Ma,b,d¼,ept,f,g,hpt,i ℵ,CP,RP,HF,OC ¦ — Md,ept,hpt A,NU,TR φωνὴν ἀγγέλων πολλῶν, κύκλῳ* κυκλω rell ¦ κυκλοθεν TR τοῦ θρόνου καὶ τῶν ζῴων καὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων. Καὶ ἦν ὁ ἀριθμὸς αὐτῶν μυριάδες μυριάδων καὶ χιλιάδες χιλιάδων, 12 λέγοντες φωνῇ μεγάλῃ· «Ἄξιόν ἐστιν τὸ Ἀρνίον τὸ ἐσφαγμένον λαβεῖν τὴν δύναμιν καὶ† και f35 Ma⅙,d,e,h ℵA,CP,NU,TR ¦ 1 τον Ma,b,e⅕,f,g,i RP,HF,OC (OC is in small print.) πλοῦτον καὶ σοφίαν καὶ ἰσχὺν καὶ τιμὴν καὶ δόξαν καὶ εὐλογίαν.»
Every creature
13 Καὶ πᾶν κτίσμα ὅ ἐστιν‡ εστιν f35 Mb,d,e,h¼,i⅓ CP,TR ¦ — Ma,f,g,h,i⅔ ℵA,RP,HF,OC,NU ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς§ επι της γης f35 Ma,b,e,f,g,h,i ℵA,CP,RP,HF,OC,NU ¦ 13 Md,g¼ ¦ εν τη γη Md⅐,e¼ TR καὶ ὑποκάτω τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης (ἅ ἐστιν* α εστιν f35 Ma⅙,d¼,e,h⅓,ipt CP,TR ¦ οσα 2 Mb ¦ 2 Ma,f,g,h⅓,ipt A,RP,HF,OC ¦ — Md,h⅓ ℵ,NU καὶ τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς)—πάντας† παντας f35 Ma⅔,d¼,ept,fpt,g,hpt,i⅗ CP,RP,HF ¦ και 1 Md⅗ ¦ παντα Ma⅕,ept,fpt,hpt,i⅕ A,OC,NU,TR ¦ παντα και Mb,d⅕ ℵ ἤκουσα λέγοντας· «Τῷ καθημένῳ ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου‡ του θρονου f35 Ma⅓,d,e,g⅓,h,i⅔ ℵ,CP,RP,OC,TR ¦ τω θρονω Ma⅔,b,f,g⅔,i⅓ A,HF,NU καὶ τῷ Ἀρνίῳ· ἡ εὐλογία καὶ ἡ τιμὴ καὶ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.»§ αμην f35 Ma,d,e,f,gpt,hpt,i CP,RP,HF ¦ — Mb,e⅙,gpt,hpt ℵA,OC,NU,TR 14 (Καὶ τὰ τέσσαρα ζῷα λέγοντα τὸ* λεγοντα το f35 Ma,f,ipt CP,RP,HF ¦ ελεγεν 2 Mb ¦ ελεγον 2 Mg,i¼ ¦ ελεγον Ma¼,d,e,h ℵA,OC,NU,TR (The participle is controlled by ηκουσα; the article should be read in any case.) Ἀμήν.) Καὶ οἱ† οι rell ¦ 1 εικοσι τεσσαρες TR πρεσβύτεροι ἔπεσον‡ επεσον f35 Ma⅔,d,e⅗,f,h,i CP,RP,HF ¦ επεσαν Ma⅓,b,e⅖,g,h¼,i2/7 ℵA,OC,NU,TR καὶ προσεκύνησαν.§ προσεκυνησαν rell ¦ 1 ζωντι εις τους αιωνας των αιωνων TR

*5:1 εξωθεν f35 Ma,b,d,e⅔,f,g,h,i CP,RP,HF,OC ¦ οπισθεν Me⅓ (ℵ)A,NU,TR

†5:2 κηρυσσοντα f35 Md,ept,hpt CP,TR ¦ 1 εν Ma,b,ept,f,g,hpt,i ℵA,RP,HF,OC,NU

‡5:2 αξιος f35 Mept,h ℵA,CP,NU ¦ 1 εστιν Ma,b,d,ept,f,g,i RP,HF,OC ¦ εστιν 1 TR (Does the absence of the verb emphasize the adjective?)

§5:3 εδυνατο f35 Ma,b,d⅓,e⅖,f,g⅓,hpt,ipt ℵ,CP,RP,HF,OC,NU ¦ ηδυνατο Md⅔,ept,g⅔,hpt,ipt A,TR

*5:3 ουρανω f35 Md,e,h⅔ ℵA,CP,OC,NU,TR ¦ 1 ανω Ma,b,e¼,f,g,h⅓,i RP,HF

†5:3 ουδε f35 Md,ept,g,h,i⅕ A,CP,NU,TR ¦ ουτε Ma,b,ept,f,h¼,i⅔ ℵ,RP,HF,OC

‡5:3 ουδε f35 Md,ept,g,h,i⅕ A,CP,NU,TR ¦ ουτε Ma,b,ept,f,h¼,i⅔ RP,HF,OC ¦ — Ma⅙ ℵ

§5:3 ουδε f35 Md,ept,hpt CP,TR ¦ ουτε Ma,b,ept,f,g,hpt,i ℵA,RP,HF,OC,NU

*5:4 εγω rell ¦ — Mept ℵ,NU ¦ A omits the whole verse

†5:4 πολυ rell ¦ πολλα TR ¦ A omits the whole verse

‡5:4 και αναγνωναι f35 Md⅕,e,g⅓,i⅓ CP,TR ¦ — Ma,b,d,e⅕,f,g⅔,h,i⅔ ℵ,RP,HF,OC,NU (The clause forces an awkward meaning upon βλεπειν αυτο, which now must really mean ‘look at it’.)

§5:5 ο rell ¦ 1 ων Me¼ TR ¦ — Mh⅔ ℵ

*5:5 ανοιξαι f35 Md,e,g,h ℵA,CP,OC,NU,TR ¦ ο ανοιγων Ma,b,f,i RP,HF

†5:5 και rell ¦ 1 λυσαι ℵ,TR

‡5:6 ειδον rell ¦ ιδον [22 assorted mss] ¦ 1 και ιδου Mb CP,TR ¦ ιδου και A

§5:6 εστηκος rell ¦ εστηκως Mb⅖,e⅓,g¼ ℵ

*5:6 εχον rell ¦ εχων Md⅕,e¼,g,h¼ 𝕻24ℵA,NU

†5:6 α f35 Ma,b,d,f,g,i CP,RP,HF,OC ¦ οι Me,h ℵA,NU,TR (The gender agrees with ‘horns’, not ‘eyes’, which is unexpected.)

‡5:6 επτα rell [NU] ¦ — Mept A

§5:6 πνευματα του θεου rell ¦ ~ 231 Mept TR

*5:6 αποστελλομενα f35 Ma,b,e¼,f,i¾ CP,RP,HF,OC ¦ τα 1 Me¼,g,i⅕ ¦ τα απεσταλμενα Md¾,ept TR ¦ απεσταλμενα Mhpt 𝕻24ℵ ¦ απεσταλμενοι A,NU

†5:7 ειληφεν rell ¦ 1 το βιβλιον TR ¦ add το βιβλιον at end of verse Mept

‡5:8 τεσσαρα f35⅖ Ma,b,d,e,f,gpt,h,i CP,RP,HF,OC,NU,TR ¦ τεσσερα ℵA ¦ δ΄ f35⅗ Mgpt

§5:8 εικοσι τεσσαρες f35¼ Ma⅓,b,dpt,ept,f,gpt,hpt,i ℵA,CP,RP,HF,OC,NU,TR ¦ κδ΄ f35 Ma⅔,dpt,ept,gpt,hpt

*5:8 επεσον rell ¦ επεσαν Ma¼,e¼,g ℵA,OC,NU

†5:8 κιθαρας f35 Md⅓,e,g,ipt CP,TR ¦ κιθαραν Ma,b,d⅔,e¼,f,h,ipt ℵA,RP,HF,OC,NU

‡5:8 αι f35 Ma⅙,b⅖,d,e,g,h,ipt A,CP,OC,NU,TR ¦ — Ma,b⅗,e¼,f,g¼,ipt ℵ,RP,HF

§5:9 τω θεω ημας f35 Ma,d,e⅔,f,h,i⅗ ℵ,CP,RP,HF,OC,TR ¦ ~ 312 Mb,g,i⅖ ¦ 3 Me⅓ ¦ 12 A,NU [Why do you suppose NU follows a single MS, of demonstrably inferior quality in Revelation (objectively so), against virtually all others (perhaps six scattered cursives have ‘our’ for ‘us’) plus lat,syr,bo? And why do the editors of modern versions follow their lead? Why? (Hoskier says the word was ‘lost’ in the transition from one column to the next—I don’t have access to a facsimile of the codex to check it, but assuming that Hoskier is correct about the location then the omission was probably inadvertent, one of the many slips that disfigure the MS.)]

*5:10 αυτους rell ¦ ημας TR

†5:10 βασιλεις και ιερεις rell ¦ βασιλειαν 23 Mhpt A,NU ¦ βασιλιαν 2 ιερατειαν ℵ

‡5:10 βασιλευσουσιν f35 Mapt,b,d⅗,e⅔,f⅔,g,h⅓,i ℵ,RP,HF,OC,NU ¦ βασιλευουσιν Mapt,d⅖,e⅓,f⅓,g¼,h⅔ A,CP ¦ βασιλευσομεν TR

§5:11 ως f35 Ma,b,d¼,ept,f,g,hpt,i ℵ,CP,RP,HF,OC ¦ — Md,ept,hpt A,NU,TR

*5:11 κυκλω rell ¦ κυκλοθεν TR

†5:12 και f35 Ma⅙,d,e,h ℵA,CP,NU,TR ¦ 1 τον Ma,b,e⅕,f,g,i RP,HF,OC (OC is in small print.)

‡5:13 εστιν f35 Mb,d,e,h¼,i⅓ CP,TR ¦ — Ma,f,g,h,i⅔ ℵA,RP,HF,OC,NU

§5:13 επι της γης f35 Ma,b,e,f,g,h,i ℵA,CP,RP,HF,OC,NU ¦ 13 Md,g¼ ¦ εν τη γη Md⅐,e¼ TR

*5:13 α εστιν f35 Ma⅙,d¼,e,h⅓,ipt CP,TR ¦ οσα 2 Mb ¦ 2 Ma,f,g,h⅓,ipt A,RP,HF,OC ¦ — Md,h⅓ ℵ,NU

†5:13 παντας f35 Ma⅔,d¼,ept,fpt,g,hpt,i⅗ CP,RP,HF ¦ και 1 Md⅗ ¦ παντα Ma⅕,ept,fpt,hpt,i⅕ A,OC,NU,TR ¦ παντα και Mb,d⅕ ℵ

‡5:13 του θρονου f35 Ma⅓,d,e,g⅓,h,i⅔ ℵ,CP,RP,OC,TR ¦ τω θρονω Ma⅔,b,f,g⅔,i⅓ A,HF,NU

§5:13 αμην f35 Ma,d,e,f,gpt,hpt,i CP,RP,HF ¦ — Mb,e⅙,gpt,hpt ℵA,OC,NU,TR

*5:14 λεγοντα το f35 Ma,f,ipt CP,RP,HF ¦ ελεγεν 2 Mb ¦ ελεγον 2 Mg,i¼ ¦ ελεγον Ma¼,d,e,h ℵA,OC,NU,TR (The participle is controlled by ηκουσα; the article should be read in any case.)

†5:14 οι rell ¦ 1 εικοσι τεσσαρες TR

‡5:14 επεσον f35 Ma⅔,d,e⅗,f,h,i CP,RP,HF ¦ επεσαν Ma⅓,b,e⅖,g,h¼,i2/7 ℵA,OC,NU,TR

§5:14 προσεκυνησαν rell ¦ 1 ζωντι εις τους αιωνας των αιωνων TR

© 2020 Wilbur N. Pickering