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Revelation 1:5

“and from Jesus the Messiah, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To the one who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood,”

Revelation 1:5 · direct translation from the Greek
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5

Allusion · Psalms 89:27

Go to Psalms 89:27

Both texts join “firstborn” and “kings of the earth”: in the psalm, God makes David his firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.

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

  • πρωτότοκοςprōtotokosG4416בְּכוֹרbejorH1060“firstborn”
  • βασιλέωνbasileōnG935מַלְכֵיmaljeH4428“king”
  • γῆςgēsG1093אָרֶץaretsH776“earth”

Revelation 1:5, word by word

JesusἸησοῦIēsou

Jesus

Jesus, the Greek form of the Hebrew Yehoshua (Joshua), which means "YHWH saves". It is the name the angel told Joseph to give him (Matthew 1:21).

Where else “Iēsou” appears
the MessiahΧριστοῦChristou

Messiah

Messiah: literally "anointed", the king or envoy God consecrates with oil. It is a title, not a surname; in Hebrew, mashiach.

Where else “Christou” appears
the faithfulπιστόςpistos

faithful

Someone you can rely on.

Where else “pistos” appears
witnessμάρτυςmartys

witness

Someone who tells what they saw or heard.

Where else “martys” appears
the firstbornπρωτότοκοςprōtotokos

firstborn

Firstborn.

Where else “prōtotokos” appears
of the deadνεκρῶνnekrōn

dead

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

Where else “nekrōn” appears
the rulerἄρχωνarchōn

ruler

Someone in command: a ruler, a judge or the one presiding over a synagogue.

Where else “archōn” appears
of the kingsβασιλέωνbasileōn

king

The one who rules a people with the highest authority.

Where else “basileōn” appears
of the earthγῆςgēs

earth

The whole earth under heaven, where human beings live.

Where else “gēs” appears
To the one who lovesἀγαπῶντιagapōnti

love

Love: to seek the good of the other, even of someone who does not deserve it.

Where else “agapōnti” appears
freedλύσαντιlysanti

untie

To undo bonds, or set someone free.

Where else “lysanti” appears
our sinsἁμαρτιῶνhamartiōn

sin

Doing what God does not want, and the guilt it leaves.

Where else “hamartiōn” appears
his bloodαἵματιhaimati

blood

The red fluid that runs through the bodies of people and animals.

Where else “haimati” appears

Translation note· on the manuscripts

It recalls Psalm 89:27. Many manuscripts read “washed us.”

The context

4John, to the seven assemblies that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from the one who is and who was and who is coming, and from the seven spirits that are before his throne,

5 · This verse (above)

6and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be the glory and the might to the ages of the ages. Amen.

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