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Revelation 17 General Notes
Structure and formatting
This chapter is a continuation of the previous chapter.
Special concepts in this chapter
Prostitute
The Jews were often pictured as adulterous people and occasionally as prostitutes. This is not necessarily the reference here. The context may favor identifying the prostitute as Satan, but the translator should allow this illustration to be vague. (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-apocalypticwriting)
Seven hills
This is possibly a reference to the city of Rome, which was said to sit atop seven hills. However, the translator should not attempt to identify the seven hills in the translation.
=##### Important figures of speech in this chapter #####
==Metaphors == John uses many different metaphors in this chapter. He gives some explanation of their meaning, but allows them to remain relatively unclear. The translator should attempt to do the same. (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor)
Other possible translation difficulties in this chapter
"The beast you saw existed, does not exist now, but is about to come up "
This phrase is intended to contrast the statement that Jesus "was and is and is to come" used elsewhere in Scripture. (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit)
The use of paradox
A paradox is a seemingly absurd statement, which appears to contradict itself, but it is not absurd. This sentences in 17:11 is a paradox: "the beast ... is itself also an eighth king; but it is one of those seven kings." The translator should not attempt to resolve this paradox, and it should remain a mystery. (Revelation 17:11)