A Brighter Day Begins with His Word.

Bengel, Johann Albrecht, 1687-1752 • SECTION 356

Apocalypse Xv. 3-8.

← Gnomon of the New Testament — Volume 5

22. K/xuvrag lx) A phrase of rare occurrence ; but that of Lycur- gus, contra Leocr., is similar, ri koiuv av v/xqv XdjSot ntapd ruv noXs- [uw. As to the preposition, the lxx. have, vois/v IxdixvjGiv lx rojv lydpuv, x.r.X. — xcci lx roZ dpi6[JjoZ roZ ovb[iarog auroZ) After xai there is added by Erasmus, lx too yapay/xarog auroZ.3 And this is the reading of about two or three MSS., which are so intimately related

1 Rec. Text reads tyiv pcsyd^riu : but ABC^ Yulg. J*ead rou pe.lyotv. — E.

2 Ver. 1. iTtXla&Yb is consummated) After this consummation there are at hand better things. — Y. g.

3 These words are retained in Rec. Text in opposition to ABC Vulg. — E.

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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,” charac- terism ) of the beast is spoken of for the most part indefinitely : ch. xiv. 9, xvi. 2, xix. 20, xx. 4 ; but when used definitely, it is either the mark (“ charagma,” characteristic) of his name separately, as ch. xiv. 11, or the number o/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, ix, is here used several times, as ch. xviii. 20. — saroorag i<iti rr, v ddXccffff av ryv vccXfvrjv, standing at the sea of glass ) Int with an accusative, and with this very verb of standing, denotes either above, on, ch. vii. 1, xi. 11, xii. 18 [Engl. Yers. xiii. 1], xiv. 1, or near, at, ch. iii. 20.

x3. 'O f3a<fi\evg ruv eQvuv, King of nations ) An august and befit- ting title : comp. ver. 4, and J er. x. 7 ; and yet it has been variously changed by the copyists.1 2

4. ndvra rd Ui >r\, all nations ) Here is declared both the conver- sion of all nations (comp. Jer. xvi. 19), and the moving cause, to- gether with the time of the conversion.

7. QidXag, vials ) <pidXr) ds pcufiv, dyytTov Xe(3r]roe/d'sg crsvXarvff'ism uvtokv. — 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.

8. Kunvov, smoke) The covering of the Divine majesty.3

1 tyiv <ftiviv tov dpiu'ov, the song of the Lamb) The Lamb sings that song in honour of His Father in the great congregation ; Ps. xxii. 23-26. — V. g.

2 C Yulg. Syr. read ruu otiowav. AB h Memph. Cypr. read tuv \Qvuv\ so Laclim. and Tisch. But Rec. Text, without good authority, tuv dyluu. — E.

3 ovhlg, no one) not even the angels themselves, who were furnished with the vials. — Y. g.

— sis tou ua,ov, into the temple) although it was opened, ver. 5. When the plagues are finished, approach to the temple is permitted. — V. g.

Public domain historical edition (1859); scan/OCR from Internet Archive.

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