NA27 Text (Revelation 2:1):

Τῷ ἀγγέλῳ τῆς ἐν Ἐφέσῳ ἐκκλησίας γράψον· Τάδε λέγει ὁ κρατῶν τοὺς ἑπτὰ ἀστέρας ἐν τῇ δεξιᾷ αὐτοῦ, ὁ περιπατῶν ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ἑπτὰ λυχνιῶν τῶν χρυσῶν·

Transliteration:

Tō̧ aggelō̧ tēs en Ephésō̧ ekklēsías grápson; Táde légei ho kratōn tous heptà astéras en tȩ̄ dexia̧ autoũ, ho peripatōn en mésō̧ tōn heptà luchniōn tōn chrusōn:

Translation (ESV):

To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: 'The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.

Analysis (Zerwick):

γράψον : aorist imperative of γράφω : write.
τάδε : these things (classical referring to what follows) opposite ταῦτα (classical referring to what precedes).
κρατῶν : participle of κρατέω hold, especially in one's power.
ἀστήρ, έρος, ὁ : star.
δεξιός : right ; ἡ δεξιá, with or without χείρ, right hand.
περιπατῶν : participle of περιπατέω : ὁ περιπατῶν the one who walks.
ἐν μέσῳ : among
λυχνία : lampstand.
χρυσοῦς (genitive - χρυσοῦ) -σῆ, -οῦν : made of gold.

NA27 Text (Revelation 2:2-3):

οἶδα τὰ ἔργα σου καὶ τὸν κόπον καὶ τὴν ὑπομονήν σου καὶ ὅτι οὐ δύνῃ βαστάσαι κακούς, καὶ ἐπείρασας τοὺς λέγοντας ἑαυτοὺς ἀποστόλους καὶ οὐκ εἰσὶν καὶ εὗρες αὐτοὺς ψευδεῖς, καὶ ὑπομονὴν ἔχεις καὶ ἐβάστασας διὰ τὸ ὄνομά μου καὶ οὐ κεκοπίακες.

Transliteration:

oĩda ta érga sou kai ton kópon kai tēn hypomonēn sou kai hóti ou dúnȩ̄ bastásai kakoús, kai epeírasas tous légontas heautoùs apostólous kai ouk eisìn kai heũres autoùs pseudeĩs, kai hupomonēn écheis kai ebástasas dià to ónomá mou kai ou kekopíakes.

Translation (ESV):

I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary.

Analysis (Zerwick):

κόπος : labor, toil.
ὑπομονή : endurance, fortitude.
δύνῃ : 2nd singular of δύναμαι (= classical δύνασαι) : οὐ δύνῃ you cannot.
βαστάσαι : aorist infinitive of βαστάζω carry ; metonymy tolerate, endure.
κακός : evil, masculine plural κακούς evil men.
ἐπείρασας : aorist of πειράζω : you (singular) have tested.
τοὺς λέγοντας ... καὶ οὐκ εἰσὶν : participial construction lapsing into indicative with καὶ coordinate.
εὗρες : aorist of εὑρίσκω : you (singular) have found.
ψευδής : false.
ἐβάστασας : aorist of βαστάζω : you have persevered.
κεκοπίακες : (for κεκοπίακας: ending assimilated to aorist) perfect of κοπιάω : οὐ κεκοπίακες you have not grown weary.

NA27 Text (Revelation 2:4):

ἀλλὰ ἔχω κατὰ σοῦ ὅτι τὴν ἀγάπην σου τὴν πρώτην ἀφῆκες.

Transliteration:

allà échō katà sou hóti tēn agápēn sou tēn prōtēn aphēkes.

Translation (ESV):

But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.

Analysis (Zerwick):

τὴν ἀγάπην σου τὴν πρώτην : i.e. the (brotherly) love you had at first.
ἀφῆκες : aorist 2nd singular of ἀφίημι : you have abandoned.

NA27 Text (Revelation 2:5):

μνημόνευε οὖν πόθεν πέπτωκας καὶ μετανόησον καὶ τὰ πρῶτα ἔργα ποίησον· εἰ δὲ μή, ἔρχομαί σοι καὶ κινήσω τὴν λυχνίαν σου ἐκ τοῦ τόπου αὐτῆς, ἐὰν μὴ μετανοήσῃς.

Transliteration:

mnēmóneue oun póthen péptōkas kai metanóēson kai ta prōta érga poíēson; ei de mē, érchomaí soi kai kinēsō tēn luchnían sou ek tou tópou autēs, eàn mē metanoēsȩ̄s.

Translation (ESV):

Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

Analysis (Zerwick):

μνημόνευε : imperative of μνημονεύω remember.
πόθεν : whence, from where, implying "how far".
πέπτωκας : perfect of πίπτω : you have fallen.
μετανόησον : aorist imperative of μετανοέω repent.
ποίησον : aorist imperative of ποιέω do.
εἰ δὲ μή : if not, otherwise.
ἔρχομαι : present with future sense : I will come.
σοι : ? πρός σε or ? dative of disadvantage : to you.
κινήσω : future of κινέω : I will move, remove, take away.
λυχνία : lampstand.
μετανοήσῃς : aorist subjunctive of μετανοέω : (unless ἐὰν μὴ) you repent.

Originally posted by John Reece

NA27 Text (Revelation 1:8):

. . .

Transliteration:

Egō eimi tò álpha kaì tò ō, légei kúrios ho theós, ho ōn kaì ho ēn kai ho erchómenos, ho pantokrátōr.

Translation (NRSV):

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

Analysis (Zerwick):

τὸ ἄλφα καὶ τὸ Ω : the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, therefore the beginning and the end ; rabbinical expression adapted to Greek by substitution of Ω [omega] for tau. . . .

Originally posted by The Curtmudgeon

John, is there anything significant in the fact that "alpha" is spelled out but "o[mega]" isn't? Are there some manuscripts that spell both out, or neither?

The (it just looks strange to me) Curtmudgeon

TR adds "arche kai telos" (beginning and the end) and omits "ho theos". (Margin, second edition, Greek NT according to the MT.)

"The early Christian scribes uniformly developed a system of special contractions, or abbreviations, for divine names (called nomina sacra) and other words that appear often in Scripture. . . . In their manuscripts these abbreviations were written in all capital letters with a horizontal line above the letters to identify them as contractions. . . .." (Comfort & Barrett, Earliest NT Greek Mss. p34)

Perhaps omega was abbreviated, and I suppose it is a nomina sacra? I notice JR has transcribed omega as such - ō - rather than ό.
_
J

eta: I'm a complete novice at NT Greek so a) thanks for these threads John, and b) please correct any mistakes/errors I make and give me punishment exercises!

Originally posted by Johnny MacManky

I notice JR has transcribed omega as such - ō - rather than ό.

Not "transcribed" but rather transliterated.

I should have capitalized the English transliteration Ō to correspond exactly with the Greek capital omega Ω — which is not an example of nomina sacra (which would require a horizontal line across the top of the Greek Ω rather than across the top of the English transliteration Ō).

The bar atop the English ō (small letter) or Ō (capital letter) simply differentiates the long vowel English transliteration (of the Greek long vowel omega) from the short vowel English transliteration (of the Greek short vowel omicron).

I don't know why you write "- rather than ό", which is just o with an acute accent mark, which would occur only within a word rather than as a vowel standing alone, because the acute accent marks a syllable of a word for accented pronunciation.

Thanks John. I'm still learning.

Originally posted by Johnny MacManky

Thanks John. I'm still learning.

Always happy to hear from you.

NA27 Text (Revelation 2:6):

ἀλλὰ τοῦτο ἔχεις, ὅτι μισεῖς τὰ ἔργα τῶν Νικολαϊτῶν ἃ κἀγὼ μισῶ.

Transliteration:

allā toũto écheis, hóti miseĩs ta érga tōn Nikolaïtōn ha kagō misō.

Translation (ESV):

Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

Analysis (Zerwick):

τοῦτο : neuter of οὗτος, demonstrative pronoun this, explained by following ὅτι.
ὅτι : marker of narrative or discourse content, direct or indirect, that.
μισεῖς : 2nd person singular of μισέω : you hate.
κἀγὼ = καί ἐγώ : I also.

Originally posted by John Reece

NA27 Text (Revelation 2:6):

ἀλλὰ τοῦτο ἔχεις, ὅτι μισεῖς τὰ ἔργα τῶν Νικολαϊτῶν ἃ κἀγὼ μισῶ.

Transliteration:

allā toũto écheis, hóti miseĩs ta érga tōn Nikolaïtōn ha kagō misō.

Translation (ESV):

Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

Analysis (Zerwick):

τοῦτο : neuter of οὗτος, demonstrative pronoun this, explained by following ὅτι.
ὅτι : marker of narrative or discourse content, direct or indirect, that.
μισεῖς : 2nd person singular of μισέω : you hate.
κἀγὼ = καί ἐγώ : I also.

John, I've heard it said that "Nicolaitans" comes from nike meaning "victory", and (something like) laity meaning "the people; or, non-priests" and that this "victory over the people" heresy was the imposition of priests along the Catholic line. I expect that that's hyper-Protestant nonsense, but could you waste a few moments explaining how far off plumb it is?

The (thanx!) Curtmudgeon

The term rendered "Nicolaitans" is grist for speculative interpretation because the only information we have about the Nicolaitans is what is said about them in Revelation 2:6, 15.

First of all, beware of the root fallacy:

The most enduring of errors, the root fallacy presupposes that every word actually has a meaning bound up with its shape or its components. In this view, meaning is determined by etymology; that is, by the root or roots of words. — D. A. Carson, Exegetical Fallacies.

This is from The Revelation of Saint John, by G. B. Caird (BNTC):

According to Irenaeus these were followers of Nicolas of Antioch (Acts vi. 5). Hippolytus adds that Nicolas had lapsed from true doctrine. Clement of Alexandria attempts to rehabilitate Nicolas by arguing that the Nicolaitans misunderstood a story about him in which he was recorded to have said that one 'ought to despise the flesh'. It is unlikely that any of these writers possessed any information about the Nicolaitans apart from what they could read in the Revelation, for Eusebius tells us that the sect lasted only 'a very short time' (H. E. iii. 1). It has been suggested that, since Nicolaitan = Balaamite, (ii. 14-15), Nicolas is simply the Greek counterpart of Balaam, arrived at by a fanciful etymology; for, according to the Talmud, Balaam is derived from two Hebrew words (bala‛ and ‛am), meaning 'he has consumed the people', and a similar Greek etymology can be given for Nicolas (from nikan and laos). The only solid information we have about these people is contained in the letters to Pergamun and Thyatira ...

A sect that lasted 'a very short time' (as Eusebius said of the Nicolaitans) does not correspond to 'the imposition of priests along the Catholic line'.

Thanx, John!

The (it's a pity some of these wild and fanciful ideas don't last only a very short time) Curtmudgeon

NA27 Text (Revelation 2:7):

Ὁ ἔχων οὖς ἀκουσάτω τί τὸ πνεῦμα λέγει ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις. Τῷ νικῶντι δώσω αὐτῷ φαγεῖν ἐκ τοῦ ξύλου τῆς ζωῆς, ὅ ἐστιν ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ τοῦ θεοῦ.

Transliteration:

^hO échōn ous akousátō ti to pneũma légei tais ekklēsíais. Tō̧ nikōnti dōsō autō̧ phageĩn ek tou xúlou tēs zōēs, hó estin en tō̧ paradeĩsō̧ tou theoũ.

Translation (ESV):

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.'

Analysis (Zerwick):

οὖς : ear.
ἀκουσάτω : aorist imperative 3rd singular of ἀκούω hear.
τί : as indirect interrogative what.
νικῶντι : participle of νικάω conquer, be victorious ; in Revelation ὁ νικῶν has everywhere the sense of one who, in the power of Christ, has overcome sin and endured martyrdom ; αὐτῷ superfluous.
δώσω : future of δίδωμι grant, allow.
φαγεῖν : aorist infinitive of ἐσθίω : to eat.
ξύλον : wood, tree.
παράδεισος : word of Persian origin, garden ; here, home of the blessed, heaven.

NA27 Text (Revelation 2:8-9):

Καὶ τῷ ἀγγέλῳ τῆς ἐν Σμύρνῃ ἐκκλησίας γράψον· Τάδε λέγει ὁ πρῶτος καὶ ὁ ἔσχατος, ὃς ἐγένετο νεκρὸς καὶ ἔζησεν· οἶδά σου τὴν θλῖψιν καὶ τὴν πτωχείαν, ἀλλὰ πλούσιος εἶ, καὶ τὴν βλασφημίαν ἐκ τῶν λεγόντων Ἰουδαίους εἶναι ἑαυτοὺς καὶ οὐκ εἰσὶν ἀλλὰ συναγωγὴ τοῦ σατανᾶ.

Transliteration:

Kai tō̧ aggélō̧ tēs en Smúrnȩ̄ ekklēsías grápson; Táde légei ho prōtos kai ho éschatos, hos egéneto nekròs kai ézēsen; oĩdá sou tēn thlípsin kai tēn ptōcheían, allà ploúsios ei, kai tēn blasphēmían ek tōn legóntōn Ioudaiíous eĩnai heautoùs kai ouk eisìn allà sunagōgē tou satanã.

Translation (ESV):

"And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: 'The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. "'I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.

Analysis (Zerwick):

γράψον : aorist imperative of γράφω : write.
τάδε : these things (classical referring to what follows) opposite ταῦτα (classical referring to what precedes).
ἔζησεν : aorist (inceptive) of ζάω : he came to life.
θλῖψις : distress, affliction, tribulation.
πτωχεία : poverty, destitution.
πλούσιος : rich.
βλασφημία : slander.
ἐκ : on the part of.
τοὺς λέγοντας ... καὶ οὐκ εἰσὶν : participial construction lapsing into indicative with καὶ coordinate.
συναγωγὴ : synagogue ; congregation.

NA27 Text (Revelation 2:10):

μηδὲν φοβοῦ ἃ μέλλεις πάσχειν. ἰδοὺ μέλλει βάλλειν ὁ διάβολος ἐξ ὑμῶν εἰς φυλακὴν ἵνα πειρασθῆτε καὶ ἕξετε θλῖψιν ἡμερῶν δέκα. γίνου πιστὸς ἄχρι θανάτου, καὶ δώσω σοι τὸν στέφανον τῆς ζωῆς.

Transliteration:

mēdèn phoboũ ha mélleis páschein. idoù méllei bállein ho diábolos ex humōn eis phylakēn hína peirasthēte kai héxete thlĩpsin hēmerōn déka. gínou pistòs áchri thanátou, kai dōsō soi ton stéphanon tēs zōēs.

Translation (ESV):

Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

Analysis (Zerwick):

φοβοῦ : imperative of φοβέομαι ; μηδὲν φοβοῦ do not fear.
πάσχειν : infinitive of πάσχω : to suffer.
ὁ διάβολος : the devil.
ἐξ ὑμῶν : some of you, a Hebraism.
φυλακή : (< φυλάσσω guard, keep) prison.
πειρασθῆτε : aorist passive subjunctive of πειράζω : (that ἵνα) you may be tested.
ἕξετε : future of ἔχω : you will have.
θλῖψις : distress, here probably in the form of persecution.
ἡμερῶν : genitive of time during which : days.
δέκα = 10.
γίνου : be! imperative 2nd singular of γίνομαι, for little used ἴσθι (εἰμί).
πιστὸς : faithful.
ἄχρι : until, unto.
δώσω : future of δίδωμι : I will give.
στέφανος, : crown.
τῆς ζωῆς : epexegetic, namely, eternal life.

NA27 Text (Revelation 2:11):

Ὁ ἔχων οὖς ἀκουσάτω τί τὸ πνεῦμα λέγει ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις. Ὁ νικῶν οὐ μὴ ἀδικηθῇ ἐκ τοῦ θανάτου τοῦ δευτέρου.

Transliteration:

^hO échōn ous akousátō ti to pneũma légei tais ekklēsíais. Ho nikōn ou mē adikēthȩ̄ ek tou thanátou tou deutérou.

Translation (ESV):

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.'

Analysis (Zerwick):

οὖς : ear.
ἀκουσάτω : aorist imperative 3rd singular of ἀκούω : let him hear.
τί : as indirect interrogative : what.
νικῶν : participle of νικάω conquer, be victorious ; in Revelation ὁ νικῶν has everywhere the sense of one who, in the power of Christ, has overcome sin and endured martyrdom.
οὐ μὴ : with subjunctive, emphatic negative referencing the future.
ἀδικηθῇ, : aorist passive subjunctive of ἀδικέω : he will (not οὐ μὴ) be hurt.
οὐ μὴ : with subjunctive emphatic negative referencing the future.
ἐκ : from, by.
δεύτερος : second, θάνατος ὁ δεύτερος Revelation 21:8.