endurance

The Greek that is translated in English as “endurance” (or “patience”or “perseverance”) is translated in Tzotzil as “(good) strength of heart(s).” (Source: Ellis Deibler in Notes on Translation July, 1967, p. 5ff.)

In Isthmus Zapotec it is translated as “learning not to lose patience.” (Source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)

complete verse (Revelation 3:10)

Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 3:10:

  • Uma: “Since you follow my commands that say you must endure, that is why I protect you from the hardship that will strike the whole world. That time of hardship will test/try all people who live in the world.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “You persevere following my commandment that you should endure/suffer. Therefore I will also care for you so that no evil will befall you when the difficulties come to the whole world to test all the people in the world.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Because you are faithful to My command that you endure, I will watch over you so that you will not experience the punishment which all mankind must suffer and be tested by.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Since you have obeyed my command that you endure your hardship, I will save you from the fearful hardship that will arrive to the entire world which is the time-of-hardship of people who don’t believe.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Because you obeyed my command to hold fast even though being persecuted, I really will take care of you so that you won’t be lost/perish when the time comes that all people here under the heavens will experience hardship for I will then test/try them.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “I have told you to endure whatever suffering you must pass through. And this word I commanded you to do, that is what you have done. Therefore now I will help you when you suffer the suffering which all the people who live on the earth must pass through. Thus it will be made known which people will come out having good faith.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Revelation 3:10

Because you have kept my word of patient endurance: this means little if anything in English (New Revised Standard Version is the same). Here word means “command, instruction, order, teaching,” and the genitive phrase of patient endurance means “to endure patiently.” For the verb “to keep” see 3.8, “kept”; and for patient endurance see 1.9. New International Version has “Since you have kept my command to endure patiently”; Revised English Bible is the same, except that it uses “to stand firm.” One may also say “Because you have endured patiently as I commanded you” or “… been patient and endured, as I commanded you.”

I will keep you from the hour of trial: this is a promise that the believers in Philadelphia will not be defeated by the suffering that will soon come upon all people in the world. This hour of trial is the time of distress and suffering which, in apocalyptic theology, will precede the end of the age, before the Messianic coming. The promise here is not that they alone, of all the world’s population, will be exempt from these sufferings; rather the promise is that God will keep them firm during this period of hardship and calamity (see the similar thought in John 17.15). So it may be better to translate “I will keep you safe (or, protect you) in the time of distress that is coming on the world.” New Jerusalem Bible translates “I will keep you safe in the time of trial,” and Beckwith comments: “The Philadelphians … are promised that they shall be carried in safety through the great trial, they shall not fall.”

Which is coming on the whole world may be rendered as “that the people of the world will undergo” or “during the time when the people of the world suffer terribly.”

The rest of the sentence—which is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell upon the earth—shows that this hour of trial will affect everyone (see 7.14; 13.10; 14.12; Matt 24.7-13, 22). Should hour give the idea of only sixty minutes, it is better to say “period,” “time.” And for trial, something like “suffering,” “distress” is better than Good News Translation “trouble.” Revised English Bible has “the ordeal that is to fall upon the whole world.” The related verb “to try” means “to put to the test” (as in 2.10).

In this book those who dwell upon earth is often used of the followers of Satan, the enemies of the people of God (6.10; 8.13; 11.10; 13.8, 12, 14; 17.2, 8). Here it means all people, as the preceding clause makes clear.

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• You have endured patiently as I commanded you. So I will protect you during the time when I test all the people of the world by causing them to endure great suffering.

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 .