complete verse (Revelation 12:14)

Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 12:14:

  • Uma: “But the woman was given two big wings, like the wings of a hawk [lit., prairie bird, i.e., brahmin kite]. With those wings, she flew going to an empty field to a dwelling-place that had been prepared beforehand for her, so that the dragon could not do anything to her. There she was taken care of for three and a half years.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “But God gave the woman two large eagle’s wings so that she could fly to the place that had been prepared for her there in the lonely-place. And she was cared for there for three and a half years so that she could not be reached by the snake, that means the dragon.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And the woman God gave her two wings of a great eagle so that she might fly to take refuge in the land where no people live. She will be taken care of there for three and a half years, and there the snake cannot harm her.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “But the woman was given the two wings of a large bird so that she would be able-to-fly to a place where no one was residing which God had prepared as her staying-place for three years and a half so that there she would be taken-care-of and would escape/evade the snake which is the dragon.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “But suddenly/unexpectedly that woman was graced by God in that she was caused to have wings like the wings of a big agila , so that she could fly to go to the wilderness place. There is where she would be kept so she would be saved from that dragon. And there, she would be looked after well by God for the space of three and a half years.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “But concerning this woman, God caused that she had wings like an eagle so that she could fly to get away. Thus she escaped from the terrible animal and went to a part of the wilderness God had determined for her to live in. At this place she arrived at, it was there she was given food during three and a half years.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Revelation 12:14

The woman was given: either by an angel or by God. In certain languages one may avoid the passive by saying “she received,” but in other languages it will be necessary to translate as “someone gave her,” or even “they gave the woman.”

The two wings of the great eagle: again the Revised Standard Version literal translation the great eagle makes it appear that the writer had a specific, large eagle in mind. So it is better to translate “the (two) wings of a large eagle.” For eagle see 4.7. This clause may be rendered as “They gave the wings of a large eagle to the woman so that she could fly….”

She might fly … into the wilderness: for wilderness see Rev. 12.6. In Greek the phrase translated from the serpent comes at the end of the verse; literally it reads “from the face (that is, the presence) of the serpent.” Instead of connecting it with the verb “to fly,” Good News Translation takes it to mean “safe from the serpent’s attack” (also Bible en français courant, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje; note Translator’s New Testament “away from the serpent,” and Revised English Bible “out of reach of the serpent”). This seems preferable to Revised Standard Version and others.

From the serpent: the text switches from “the dragon” in verse 13 to “the serpent” in verses 14-15, and then back to “the dragon” in verses 16-17. A translation should feel free to keep “the dragon” in all passages, if translating the text literally proves confusing to the readers.

The place where she is to be nourished: as in Rev. 12.6.

A time, and times, and half a time: this is a way of saying “a year, two years, and half a year,” an expression used in Dan 7.25; 12.7, to indicate a limited period of intense suffering. It is the same as forty-two months or 1,260 days (see 11.2-3).

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• She received (or, They gave her) the wings of a large eagle so that she could fly to her place in the desert. There they (unknown agents) will take care of her for three and a half years, and the dragon will not be able to hurt her.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Revelation to John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .