Online Resource Library
Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadJohn Bengel Commentary - Revelation 16:5 - 16:5
(Show All Books | Show All Chapters)
This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
Rev 16:5. [178] Ὁ ὢ καὶ ὁ ἦν, which art and which wast) See on ch. Rev 11:17, and comp. D. Lang. Comm. Apoc. f. 188.-ὁ ὅσιος) Others put καὶ before ὁ, or for ὁ, or omit καὶ ὁ.[179] Sound exegesis often distinguishes the pearls of a genuine reading from the filth of various readings: and Wolf excellently compares with this the passage, ch. Rev 1:8, ΚΎΡΙΟς Ὁ ΘΕῸς, Ὁ ὪΝ ΚΑῚ Ὁ ἮΝ ΚΑῚ Ὁ ἘΡΧΌΜΕΝΟς, Ὁ ΠΑΝΤΟΚΡΆΤΩΡ. It will also be profitable to have brought forward another, ch. Rev 4:8 : ἍΓΙΟς, ἍΓΙΟς, ἍΓΙΟς, ΚΎΡΙΟς Ὁ ΘΕῸς Ὁ ΠΑΝΤΟΚΡΆΤΩΡ, Ὁ ἮΝ ΚΑῚ Ὁ ὪΝ ΚΑῚ Ὁ ἘΡΧΌΜΕΝΟς. There is a very great resemblance between those two passages and this passage, which is thus: ΔΊΚΑΙΟς ΕἾ, Ὁ ὪΝ ΚΑῚ Ὁ ἮΝ, Ὁ ὍΣΙΟς. The subject there is, ΚΎΡΙΟς Ὁ ΘΕῸς Ὁ ὪΝ ΚΑῚ Ὁ ἮΝ ΚΑῚ Ὁ ἘΡΧΌΜΕΝΟς· here, in the vocative case, Ὁ ὪΝ ΚΑῚ Ὁ ἮΝ. The epithet belonging to the subject is there, Ὁ ΠΑΝΤΟΚΡΆΤΩΡ· here, in the same case, Ὁ ὍΣΙΟς· in both places without the particle ΚΑῚ. The predicate there, ch. Rev 4:8, is ἍΓΙΟς· here ΔΊΚΑΙΟς. For the sentence is not to be thus construed, ΔΊΚΑΙΟς ΚΑῚ ὍΣΙΟς since there are many intervening words in the text. At the commencement and at the close of the Apocalypse the Lord is called Ὁ ΠΑΝΤΟΚΡΆΤΩΡ, the Almighty; here, where judgments show themselves, He is called ὁ ὅσιος, the Holy. First of all He is praised on account of His Might, lest in the time of His patience He should appear to have no strength, whereas in the end He is about to display enough of Might; afterwards He is praised for His Grace, when retribution commences. Might and Grace are alike assigned to the Lord in Psa 62:11-12. The epithet ὅσιος answers to the Hebrew חסיד, and signifies gracious, in an active or a passive sense. God exhibits His own grace in all His works, and He receives gratitude [the attribution of grace] from all saints.
[178] τοῦ θηρίου, of the beast) Therefore the vial of the first angel will be the first mark [“character,” characterism] of the beast.-V. g.
[179] Engl. Vers, has “which art, and wast, and shalt be” (omitting ὅσιος, and substituting καὶ ὁ ἐσόμενος or ἐρχόμενος). ABC Vulg. support ὅσιος. h has et qui es pius. Rec. Text has καὶ ὁ ὅσιος.-E.