Revelation 5:11 (Its Structure and Intertexuality)

Greek (THGNT): Καὶ εἶδον καὶ ἤκουσα φωνὴν ἀγγέλων πολλῶν κύκλῳ τοῦ θρόνου καὶ τῶν ζώων καὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων. καὶ ἦν ὁ ἀριθμὸς αὐτῶν μυριάδες μυριάδων καὶ χιλιάδες χιλιάδων

Translation (RSV): "Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,"

Moffatt NT: "Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels round the throne and of the living Creatures and of the Presbyters, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,"

Analysis: Καὶ εἶδον-Common formula in Revelation. The translations above seem to prefer "Then I looked" for this construction. NET Bible follows the same practice--its note for this verse explains:

"Here καί (kai) has been translated as 'then' to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision." On the other hand, David Aune calls Καὶ εἶδον a "vision-narrative formula" and he translates, "then I saw" while noting that Revelation 5:1-14 continues the account in Revelation 4:1-11. Aune also observes that 5:11 contains another less frequent formula: εἶδον καὶ ἤκουσα.

The influence from Daniel 7:10, Ezekiel 1:1-28 and 10:1-22 is obvious, and one sees elements of Ezekiel throughout the book of Revelation.

Daniel 7:10 LXX states: ποταμὸς πυρὸς εἷλκεν ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ χίλιαι χιλιάδες ἐλειτούργουν αὐτῷ καὶ μύριαι μυριάδες παρειστήκεισαν αὐτῷ κριτήριον ἐκάθισεν καὶ βίβλοι ἠνεῴχθησαν

G.K. Beale (The Book of Revelation): "It is generally recognized that the description 'myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands' is taken from Dan. 7:10 (cf. also 1 En. 40:1; 60:1; 71:8, which also allude to Dan. 7:10; cf. further 1 En. 14:22; Num. 10:36). That such a clear picture from Dan. 7:10 should arise here is not surprising in the light of our preceding observations of Daniel 7 influence in 5:2–10. The repeated mention of Ezekiel’s cherubim is now in v 11a combined with the scene in Dan. 7:10."