Revelation 9:14

An Exegetical Analysis of Revelation 9:14: The Grammatical Scope of the Prepositional Phrase

Revelation 9:14 presents a concise but grammatically significant passage that invites exegetical scrutiny, particularly regarding the syntactic function of the prepositional phrase ἐπὶ τῷ ποταμῷ τῷ μεγάλῳ Εὐφράτῃ (epi tō potamō tō megalō Euphratē). The primary exegetical issue concerns whether this phrase modifies the imperative verb λῦσον (lyson, “release”) or the aorist passive participle δεδεμένους (dedemenous, “having been bound”). This distinction impacts the precise meaning and imagery conveyed by the text, either specifying the location of the act of releasing or the prior state of confinement of the four angels. This exegesis will analyze the grammatical possibilities, drawing upon textual and lexical resources, to propose a most probable interpretation.

λῦσον τοὺς τέσσαρας ἀγγέλους τοὺς δεδεμένους ἐπὶ τῷ ποταμῷ τῷ μεγάλῳ Εὐφράτῃ.

Key differences with SBLGNT (2010):

• The SBLGNT (2010) presents the same Greek text for Revelation 9:14 regarding the structure and wording of this specific clause: λῦσον τοὺς τέσσαρας ἀγγέλους τοὺς δεδεμένους ἐπὶ τῷ ποταμῷ τῷ μεγάλῳ Εὐφράτῃ. There are no significant textual variants in critical editions (e.g., NA28, UBS5) that alter the structure or vocabulary relevant to the prepositional phrase under examination.

Textual Criticism (NA28) and Lexical Notes (KITTEL, BDAG)

The textual tradition for Revelation 9:14 is remarkably stable, with the phrasing τοὺς δεδεμένους ἐπὶ τῷ ποταμῷ τῷ μεγάλῳ Εὐφράτῃ being uniformly attested across major manuscripts and critical editions, including the NA28. No significant variants exist that would alter the grammatical relationship of the prepositional phrase to the surrounding words.

Lexically, the key terms are well-attested in Hellenistic Greek.

• λῦσον: This is the aorist active imperative singular of λύω (lyō), meaning “to loose, release, untie.” BDAG offers primary definitions such as “to untie, unbind” (e.g., a sandal) or “to release someone from bonds or custody” (e.g., prisoners). In the context of angels, it implies setting them free from a state of confinement.
• δεδεμένους: This is the accusative masculine plural aorist passive participle of δέω (deō), meaning “to bind, tie, fasten.” BDAG illustrates its usage for both literal binding (e.g., “hand and foot” in Matt 22:13) and figurative imprisonment. The passive voice indicates that the angels have been bound by an external agent. The participle functions substantivally, modifying ἀγγέλους (“angels”), meaning “those who have been bound.”
• ἐπὶ τῷ ποταμῷ τῷ μεγάλῳ Εὐφράτῃ: The preposition ἐπὶ (epi) here takes the dative case. BDAG provides several semantic ranges for ἐπὶ with the dative, including “at, near, by” (spatial location) or “on, upon.” In this context, it denotes a specific location. The phrase refers to the “great river Euphrates,” a highly symbolic geographical marker in apocalyptic literature, often associated with threats from the East (cf. Rev 16:12).

Translation Variants and Grammatical & Rhetorical Analysis

The primary grammatical crux lies in determining which verbal element—the main verb λῦσον or the participle δεδεμένους—the prepositional phrase ἐπὶ τῷ ποταμῷ τῷ μεγάλῳ Εὐφράτῃ modifies.

1. Construction with the main verb λῦσον:

This interpretation construes the prepositional phrase as modifying the imperative “release,” indicating where the act of releasing is to take place. The angels are to be released at the river Euphrates.

• Grammatical Analysis: If ἐπὶ modifies λῦσον, it would function as an adverbial modifier indicating location. The structure would imply an action (releasing) occurring at a specified place.
• Rhetorical Analysis: This emphasizes the location of the unleashing event, suggesting the Euphrates is the staging ground for their release into the world. However, this reading places a significant syntactic distance between the main verb and the prepositional phrase, with the participle and its article intervening. While not strictly impossible in Greek, it is less natural than a closer association.

2. Construction with the participle δεδεμένους:

This interpretation construes the prepositional phrase as modifying the participle “having been bound,” indicating where the angels were previously confined. The angels who have been bound at the great river Euphrates are to be released.

• Grammatical Analysis: The proximity of the prepositional phrase to the participle δεδεμένους, combined with the immediately preceding article τοὺς which links the participle directly to the noun ἀγγέλους, strongly suggests that ἐπὶ τῷ ποταμῷ τῷ μεγάλῳ Εὐφράτῃ describes the state and location of the angels’ binding. This is a common and syntactically natural construction in Greek for participial phrases. Examples from other texts, such as the use of δέω with locative prepositions (e.g., in Ignatius, ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι “bound in/because of the name”), support the idea of δέω taking a locative modifier. In Matthew 22:13, the command to “bind him hand and foot” (δήσαντες αὐτοῦ πόδας καὶ χεῖρας) similarly associates the binding with a specific location/means.
• Rhetorical Analysis: This reading highlights the previous condition and location of the angels’ imprisonment, implying that their binding at the Euphrates is a significant part of their identity or destiny before their release. The Euphrates thus becomes the place of their long-term confinement rather than merely the site of their liberation. This interpretation creates a cohesive descriptive unit: “the four angels who have been bound at the great river Euphrates.”

Given the principles of natural syntax, which generally favor the closer modifying element, and the common usage of δέω with locative expressions, the construction of the prepositional phrase with the participle δεδεμένους is grammatically more probable and widely accepted by commentators.

Conclusions and Translation Suggestions

Based on the grammatical analysis, particularly the principle of proximity and the natural syntax of participial phrases in Greek, the prepositional phrase ἐπὶ τῷ ποταμῷ τῷ μεγάλῳ Εὐφράτῃ is most appropriately understood as modifying the participle δεδεμένους. This indicates the location where the four angels were previously bound, rather than the location where they are to be released. This interpretation emphasizes the pre-existing state of confinement of these specific angels at a theologically significant geographical location.

Proposed translations reflecting this understanding:

1. “Release the four angels who have been bound at the great river Euphrates.”
   This translation clearly links the prepositional phrase to the state of being bound, identifying the angels by their place of confinement.
2. “Untie the four angels, those bound by the great river Euphrates.”
   This variant emphasizes the ‘untying’ aspect of λύω and uses ‘by’ to convey the locative meaning of ἐπὶ with the dative.
3. “Set free the four angels who are confined at the great river Euphrates.”
   This option uses a more dynamic verb for λύω (“set free”) and an active verb for the participle (“are confined”) to convey the continuous state of being bound.