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Hebrew, as ’ Aj3adduvy Saravag, * Apfhccyib&v : also in construction, as aero ’iTjtfoS Xp/ffroo, 6 pdprvg 6 <7n<fr6$y x.r.X., aero o c3v, x.r.X. ; SO that a proper name is put, in the Hebrew manner, undeclined (ajcX/rov), and with- out the article. And here it is not said, aersff-rs/Xs, but iff^aai/sv anoeru- Xac, although the verb ds ?ga/ preceded. And in this John seems to have in his mind the Hebrew |SD, to which the Greek word &7%a / may answer : for he often joins Hebrew and Greek words. The lxx. use ffrj/nahsiv to express a great sign of a great thing : Ezek. xxxiii. 3. See also John xii. 33.
2. "0<ra elds, whatever things he saw) See App. Crit. on this pas- sage, Ed. ii.1 "Off a tlds, whatever things he sawy John bare record of, since in this very book he bare record of all things which he saw, and nothing hut what he saw. He does not, however, say that he bears record, but that he hare record : because at that time, when the book was read in Asia, he had now completed the writing of it. Lampe ought not, on account of the tense of the verb s^apr\jpr\diy hare record , to have doubted whether John was the writer of ver. 1, 2, 3. — Medit. anecd. in Apoc., pp. 255, 257. Comp. ver. 9, note. The particle rs, which does not belong to this place, has influenced him and other interpreters, who refer the verb hare record to the Gospel and Epistles of J ohn. Moreover, as in the Apocalypse see- ing and record ( testimony ) are commensurate, so are the measure of faith and prophecy (Rom. xii. 3, 6), or, in other words, knowledge and interpretation, in the case of those who rightly handle this book. D. Antonius, in the same college, wisely discusses the Last things , especially from the Apocalypse, in such a manner as at once to check the antiprophetical disease, and the itching for one’s own interpretation of prophecy.
3. Maxa piog, blessed) There are some who wretchedly handle this most sacred book with restless curiosity. And from this it comes to pass that others, running into the contrary extreme, are unwilling to hear even the name of the Apocalypse, by which they ought to be stirred up : and on account of the singular multitude of unfortunate interpretations and conjectures which are without accomplishment, they distrust the book itself. Thence, wdiereas they wish to know all things, they reject the only method of knowing those things which the Lord shews as about to happen. Hence they esteem the endea- vour to investigate the truth in this book as useless labour ; they con- sider sloth as moderation, silence as prudence, and they regard and
1 ABC read oVa only. Rec. Text adds re without good authority. — E.
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