Bible Commentaries

Revelation 15:2. ¹⁷² νικῶντας ἐκ) A phrase of rare occurrence; but that of Lycurgus, contra Leocr., is similar, τί ποιῶν ἂν νίκην λάβοι παρὰ τῶν πολεμίων. As to the preposition, the LXX. have, ποιεῖν ἐκδίκησιν ἐκ τῶν ἐχθρῶν, κ. τ. λ.— καὶ ἐκ τοῦ ἀριθμοῦ τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ) After καὶ there is added by Erasmus, ἐκ τοῦ χαράγματος αὐτοῦ.¹⁷³ And this is the reading of about two or three MSS., which are so intimately related to one another, that they are, as it were, but one, and even these of themselves discover the gloss, by introducing various readings into the text. See App. on this passage. In fact there are not three things spoken of: but the name of the beast, OR the number of his name (disjunctively), is the mark itself. The mark (“character”) is the genus: there are two species, the name of the beast, and the number of his name. Hence it is that the mark (“character,” characterism) of the beast is spoken of for the most part indefinitely: ch. Revelation 14:9, Revelation 16:2, Revelation 19:20, Revelation 20:4; but when used definitely, it is either the mark (“charagma,” characteristic) of his name separately, as ch. Revelation 14:11, or the number of his name separately, as here. For the one of these is included in the notion of the other: or at one time it is the name of the beast, at another, the number of his name, that more prevails. The preposition, ἐκ, is here used several times, as ch. Revelation 18:20.— ἑστῶτας ἐπὶ τὴν θάλασσαν τὴν ὑαλίνην, standing at the sea of glass) ἐπὶ with an accusative, and with this very verb of standing, denotes either above, on, ch. Revelation 7:1, Revelation 11:11, Rev. 12:18 [Engl. Vers. Revelation 13:1], Revelation 14:1, or near, at, ch. Revelation 3:20.

Revelation 15:3. ¹⁷⁴ ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν ἐθνῶν, King of nations) An august and befitting title: comp. Revelation 15:4, and Jeremiah 10:7; and yet it has been variously changed by the copyists.¹⁷⁵

¹⁷⁴ τὴν ᾠδὴν τοῦ ἀρνίου, the song of the Lamb) The Lamb sings that song in honour of His Father in the great congregation; Psalms 22:23-26.—V. g.

Revelation 15:4. πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, all nations) Here is declared both the conversion of all nations (comp. Jeremiah 16:19), and the moving cause, together with the time of the conversion.

Revelation 15:7. φιάλας, vials) φιάλη δέ φασιν, ἀγγεῖον λεβητοειδὲς πεπλατυσμένον ἄνωθεν.—Eustathius. The breadth of the vials at the upper part contributes to the vastness of the sudden outpouring. Many think, that the vials bring in the third woe. But see Erkl. Offenb. p. 808.

Revelation 15:8. καπνοῦ, smoke) The covering of the Divine majesty.¹⁷⁶

— εἰς τὸν ναὸν, into the temple) although it was opened, ver. 5. When the plagues are finished, approach to the temple is permitted.—V. g.