It is common to say that the Apoc. is strongly Heb. in its grammar, while the Gospel is written in excellent Hel. Greek. The substitution of koX In the Apoc, as representative of the Heb. ), for the rich variety of Gr. particles, is urged as a con- spicuous proof of the position. But we find also in the Gospel that, where the emotions are intense, and when every sentence becomes a heart-throb, as in chs. 15, 17, and in ch. 21 (where the succes- sion of events constitutes the very nerve of the transcendent narrative), the author is equally content with the simple koI, and dispenses with all other particles. It is urged that iriKTore and iruwore and KaOws are used in the Gospel, but not in the Apocalypse. Now, the last word is used often in the Synoptics ; and though the former words occur in Jn, they are not to be found in Ac, and only very occasionally in NT, so that no conclusion can be drawn from theiromissionin the Apocalypse. While the Heb. forms 'Amen,' 'Abaddon,' 'Hallelujah,' are found in the Apoc, and the Heb. imagery of the ' manna,' the ' root and offspring of David,' the ' twelve tribes of Israel,' and the ' New Jerus.' are Introduced, they certainly are balanced by the
long list of Heb. phrases, information, and imager* found in the Gospel (see below). The Gospel makes claim for the ' Word made flesh ' that Abraham rejoiced to see the days of the Christ i that Moses wrote of Him ; that Jesus Himself was the Heavenly 'Manna' which came down from heaven, that He waa the Lamb of God, taking away sin, that He was the Bridegroom of the Church, that He was greater than the temple, able to rebuild it after its wanton destruction. The Lamb (tA dpvloy, not, however, o d^vis) of the Apoc. is in tremendous conflict with the power of the theocracy, then with the world, then with concen- trated world-powers, over which He gains the victory, and receives the acclamations of the universe. The Lamb of the Gospel narrative en- counters the powers of the world, displays great ' signs ' in the temple, on the land and on the sua, on the boiiies and minds of men. Through meek- ness and submission, not through inii>otence, through the mystery of suffering and cruel death, and the glory of resurrection, He gains a victory over the world, over all its representatives, over the flesh and the devil. He takes His perpetual place with, among, and within His people, their Lord, their King. Doubtless there is a concrete specialism in the imagery of the Apoc. which seems to conflict with the universalism of the Gosjiel ; but it must not be forgotten that the Apocalyptist sees 'a multitude which no man can number, gathered from every people and kindred and tribe,' who circle the throne of God and of the Lamb, and at last the ' leaves of the tree of life are for the healing of the nations.' The Hebraism of both documents is obvious, and it is hardly more conspicuous in the one than in the other. Instead of separating them by contrast, it may be held to establish community of origin.
(3) The grammatical peculiarities of the Apoc. include apparently ' false apposition,' the most remarkable example being 1*, whore ani is fol- lowed by 0 <jr, xai 0 i>, etc. This, however, arises from the writer having regarded the phrase as a tr. of the Eternal, as J', and an indeclinable noun. In 30 other places he gives dri its proper regimen. Other instances of unusual apposition may easily be explained without recourse to solecism, such as the v Xi^7ot-(ra of 2», cf. 3'" 8» etc., which are paralleled by similar constructions in Plato (Winer, 671, Eng. tr.), Thucydides, and others. Anomalous varieties of gender and number are best explained by the fervid personifj-ing temperament which gives masculine or feminine features to neuter nouns. The same peculiarities are found in other parts of NT, though they would scarcely be expected in the quiet, limpid prose of the Fourth Gospel. As a set-off agamst these curiosities, a considerable number of verbal coincidences demand attention. The verb iiafrrvpeiv and the noun m^p- Tvpla. occur very frequently in the Gospel and tlie Epp. of John, very sparinjily in other parts of NT, and in a different sense ; but they occur 13 times in the Apocalypse. The word hk^.v is used in the sense of overcoming evil and the world both in Gospel and Epp., and 17 times in the Apocalypse. TTjpeiv rbv \6yov is a phrase peculiar to the Gospel, Epp., and Ajjoc, and so is rripe^v rds ^KroXds. The idea of the tabernacling of God among or with men, sK-qvovv, is also to be found expressed by the same word in these documents. Tlie following words are virtually peculiar to them : a<ppayl^cLv in the sense of ' confirm,' 'E^SpaiVrri, XaXfiK p.eTa. nvos, /ti/pie (Tt' o75as, TrepitraTeiv fierd Tivos, which are characteristic of all three WTitings. What is still more remark- able is that words strangely absent from the Gospel and Epp., like /ieraioia, 7^£wa, are not to be found in Apocalypse. The word rims, which occurs 340 times in N'T, does not occur in the Gospel, and if
JOHN, GOSPEL OF