Revelation 1:17

“And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. And he placed his right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last,”
Revelation 1:17 · direct translation from the Greek

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John falls as though dead; the living one says to him: “Do not be afraid”Courage

With the Greek beneath

AndΚαὶwhenὅτεI sawεἶδονhim,αὐτόνI fellἔπεσαatπρὸςhis feetτοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦasὡςthoughdead.νεκρόςAndκαὶhe placedἔθηκενhis right handτὴν δεξιὰν αὐτοῦonἐπ’me,ἐμὲsaying,λέγων“Do notΜὴbe afraid;φοβοῦIἐγώamεἰμιthe firstὁ πρῶτοςandκαὶthe last,ὁ ἔσχατος

Allusion · Isaiah 44:6

Go to Isaiah 44:6

Both texts say “I am the first and the last”; in Isaiah 44:6 YHWH says it.

They share words that are rare in the original, without a quotation.

λέγωνlegōnG3004אָמַרamarH559“say”
πρῶτοςprōtosG4413רִאשׁוֹןrishonH7223“first”
ἔσχατοςeschatosG2078אַחֲרוֹןajaronH314“last”

Revelation 1:17, word by word

I sawεἶδονeidon

see

To perceive with sight, to look and notice what is in front.

Where else “eidon” appears

I fellἔπεσαepesa

fall down

To fall down before someone to plead or worship.

Where else “epesa” appears

his feetπόδαςpodas

foot

Foot.

Where else “podas” appears

deadνεκρόςnekros

dead

Someone who no longer has life, whose body has no breath left.

Where else “nekros” appears

he placedἔθηκενethēken

put

To put something somewhere.

Where else “ethēken” appears

his right handδεξιὰνdexian

right

Right (hand, side).

Where else “dexian” appears

sayingλέγωνlegōn

say

To express something in words to others.

Where else “legōn” appears

be afraidφοβοῦphobou

be afraid

To be afraid: "do not fear".

Where else “phobou” appears

amεἰμιeimi

To be: says who or what something is.

Where else “eimi” appears

the firstπρῶτοςprōtos

first

The one who comes before all others, in time or in order.

Where else “prōtos” appears

the lastἔσχατοςeschatos

last

The one who comes behind all, in line or in esteem.

Where else “eschatos” appears

Translation note

It recalls Isaiah 44:6 and 48:12, where God says it.

The context

16and he had in his right hand seven stars, and from his mouth came out a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun when it shines in its strength.

17 · This verse (above)

18and the living one; and I was dead, and look, I am alive to the ages of the ages, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.

Read all of Revelation 1

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