of the following angels with trumpets, uyyiXog is expressed, by rea- son of the longer intervals between the discourse and the events. That the event of the trumpets began a very short time after the writing of the book, is evident from this, that the sealing defended the servants of God against the plagues which followed, not under the seals, but under the trumpets, and under the very trumpet of the first angel. Add, that the sealing precedes the opening of the seventh seal. But the seals begin immediately after the giving of the Apocalypse : therefore the sealing also must proceed to come to pass presently after.
The trumpet of the first angel befittingly assails the Jews : and comprises the Jewish wars under Trajan and Adrian, on which the Hist. Annot. of S. B. Abbot Zeller on R. Abraham ben Dior Comment, rerum Bom., p. 69-79, are especially to be read. He copiously recounts the other writers, to which you may add Hottin- ger Hist. Eccl. N. T., sect. ii. p. 66, and of the ancients, Orosius , lib. vii. C. 12 and 13. — xai rb rp/rov rrjg yrjg xarsxuri) All authorities, or at least those which are entire, and have been thoroughly exa- mined, and among them Andreas , exhibit this clause. But the book of Capnio was without it : and Erasmus follows the hiatus, and Wolf defends it. This clause is as readily omitted, as the fol- lowing clause is by others, xai r'o rptrov ruv devdpcov xarexuT], namely, through the recurrence of the verb xa nxdri. Neither ought to be omitted i1 and the former clause, respecting the burning of the earth , is to be retained ; because the trumpet of the first angel especially refers to the earth (wherefore the passage, ch. ix. 4, is not suitably compared with this one), and the earth comprises many other things besides trees and grass.
8. opog , as a mountain) A mass of barbarian nations is meant ; concerning the migration and irruption of which, attended with the greatest injuries, from the third century, history is so full, that it is needless to quote particular authors. The mountain thrown into the sea is aptly expressed from the Yaria of Cassiodorius, where a suffi- ciently obvious mention is made at the same time of the Goths and Romans.
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9. Aieptidpriffoui2) See App. Ed. ii. The Singular number, at the beginning of a sentence, creates no difficulty : for the singular is fol- lowed by the plural also in ver. 7, eyevsro yakaZa xai nvp (/.tfiiyfitva sv
1 ABA Vulg. support both clauses. Rec. Text omits ku! to rptrov r. yijg
KUrSKMYl. E.
2 A lias l uQ 6 up wav. BA Vulg. have bts(p0apri : so Rec. Text. — E.