Rev 21:12-21 | NETfull | STEP | It has a massive, high wall with twelve gates, with twelve angels at the gates, and the names of the twelve tribes of the nation of Israel are written on the gates.

Revelation of John 21:12-21

12 It has ^{▼▼ Grk “jasper, having.” Here a new sentence was started in the translation.} a massive, high wall ^{▼▼ Grk “a (city) wall great and high.”} with twelve gates, ^{▼▼ On this term BDAG 897 s.v. πυλών 1 states, “gate, esp. of the large, impressive gateways at the entrance of temples and palaces…of the entrances of the heavenly Jerusalem…οἱ πυλῶνες αὐτῆς οὐ μὴ κλεισθῶσιν its entrances shall never be shut Rv 21:25; cp. vss. 12ab, 13abcd, 15, 21ab; 22:14.”} with twelve angels at the gates, and the names of the twelve tribes of the nation of Israel ^{▼▼ Grk “of the sons of Israel.” The translation “nation of Israel” is given in L&N 11.58.} are written on the gates. ^{▼▼ Grk “on them”; the referent (the gates) has been specified in the translation for clarity.} 13 There are ^{▼▼ The words “There are” have been supplied to make a complete English sentence. This is a continuation of the previous sentence, a lengthy and complicated one in Greek.} three gates on the east side, three gates on the north side, three gates on the south side and three gates on the west side. ^{▼▼ The word “side” has been supplied four times in this verse for clarity.} 14 The ^{▼▼ Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.} wall of the city has twelve foundations, and on them are the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15 The angel ^{▼▼ Grk “the one”; the referent (the angel of v. 9) has been specified in the translation for clarity.} who spoke to me had a golden measuring rod with which to measure the city and its foundation stones and wall. 16 Now ^{▼▼ Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the somewhat parenthetical nature of the description of the city.} the city is laid out as a square, ^{▼▼ Or “the city lies square.” On κεῖμαι (keimai) in this context, BDAG 537 s.v. 2 states, “lie, of things…ἡ πόλις τετράγωνος κεῖται is laid out as a square Rv 21:16.”} its length and width the same. He ^{▼▼ Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.} measured the city with the measuring rod ^{▼▼ Grk “with the rod”; the word “measuring” is supplied from the description in v. 15.} at fourteen hundred miles ^{▼▼ Or “two thousand two hundred kilometers,” Grk “12,000 stades.” A stade was a measure of length about 607 ft (185 m).} (its length and width and height are equal). 17 He also measured its wall, one hundred forty-four cubits ^{▼▼ Here the measurement was kept in cubits in the translation because of the possible symbolic significance of the number 144 (12 times 12). This is about 216 ft (65 m).} according to human measurement, which is also the angel’s. ^{▼▼ Here L&N 81.1 translate the phrase μέτρον ἀνθρώπου, ὅ ἐστιν ἀγγέλου (metron anqrōpou, {o estin angelou) “‘the unit of measurement used by a person, that is, by an angel’ Re 21:17.” It is more likely that μέτρον is an accusative of respect or reference.} 18 The city’s ^{▼▼ Grk “and its wall”; the referent of the pronoun (the city) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.} wall is made ^{▼▼ The phrase ἡ ἐνδώμησις τοῦ τείχους (hē endōmēsis tou teichous) is difficult to translate precisely. BDAG 334 s.v. ἐνδώμησις states, “primary mng. ‘interior structure’; in our lit. prob.=construction, hence material τοῦ τείχους Rv 21:18.” The phrase could then be translated, “the foundation of the city wall was jasper” or “the material used for the wall of the city was jasper.” The latter alternative has been used in the translation because the text goes on to discuss the foundation in 21:19 (using the term θεμέλιος [qemelios]), which is somewhat redundant if the foundation is mentioned here.} of jasper and the city is pure gold, like transparent glass. ^{▼▼ Or “transparent crystal.” See L&N 6.222, which notes the emphasis is on transparency here. The same Greek word, καθαρός (kaqaros), means both “pure” (referring to the gold) and “transparent” (referring to the glass).} 19 The foundations of the city’s wall are decorated ^{▼▼ The perfect participle here has been translated as an intensive (resultative) perfect.} with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation is jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, ^{▼▼ Agate (also called chalcedony) is a semiprecious stone usually milky or gray in color (L&N 2.32).} the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, ^{▼▼ Onyx (also called sardonyx) is a semiprecious stone that comes in various colors (L&N 2.35).} the sixth carnelian, ^{▼▼ Carnelian is a semiprecious gemstone, usually red in color (L&N 2.36).} the seventh chrysolite, ^{▼▼ Chrysolite refers to either quartz or topaz, golden yellow in color (L&N 2.37).} the eighth beryl, ^{▼▼ Beryl is a semiprecious stone, usually blue-green or green in color (L&N 2.38).} the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, ^{▼▼ Chrysoprase is a greenish type of quartz (L&N 2.40).} the eleventh jacinth, ^{▼▼ Jacinth is a semiprecious stone, probably blue in color (also called “hyacinth,” but that translation is not used here because of possible confusion with the flower of the same name). See L&N 2.41.} and the twelfth amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates are twelve pearls – each one of the gates is made from just one pearl! The ^{▼▼ Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.} main street ^{▼▼ The Greek word πλατεῖα (plateia) refers to a major (broad) street (L&N 1.103).} of the city is pure gold, like transparent glass.