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Rev 17:8. Ἦν, κ.τ.λ., was, etc.) There are three periods of the duration of the beast: the times of which are by conjecture related in the book, Erkl. Offenb. p. 1147, etc. But, (1.) To the problem there given there may be added a certain secondary course of the number of the beast, from the completion of his rising out of the sea, in the time of Alexander III., A. 1169, to A. 1836. (2.) That which I said above, on ch. Rev 13:1, Proposition 10, Observ. 29, may be compared. (3.) The whole of that 10th Proposition may be reviewed to explain many parts of this 17th chapter.-[187] βλεπόντων[188]) The Genitive by itself put absolutely, as Luk 8:20, λεγόντων.-ὅτι, that) The point of view, by reason of which the inhabitants of the earth wonder at the beast: thus altogether, ὅτι, Joh 9:8.-καὶ παρέσται[189]) The ancient authorities, with the greatest agreement, have this reading: some, καὶ πάρεστιν. It is not so clear respecting M. and Pet. 3 only. See App. Crit. Ed. ii. on this passage. Erasmus himself, if he were alive, would, as I think, yield the victory to so many MSS., which are now accessible, and would wonder at his followers, who so superstitiously preserve the readings formerly established by him with difficulty. When I deny, that the particle καίπερ is anywhere used by John, Wolf retorts, that not even the word παρέσται is used by John.[190] But the two cases are dissimilar. For no idiomatic usage excludes the verb παρέσται. The Hebrew usage, which John greatly follows, almost everywhere renders the particle although, by ו or καὶ, according to Noldii Concord, pp. 292, 293, not by καίπερ. Another argument is to be added, which plainly refutes the construction of Erasmus, καίπερ ἐστίν. For all the passages of the New Testament teach, that καίπερ is not construed with a verb, but with a participle: 2Pe 1:12; Heb 5:8; Heb 7:5; Heb 12:17; and especially Php 3:4. And thus οἱ ἔξω. Demosth., ΤΑῦΤΑ ΜΝΗΜΟΝΕΎΕΤΕ ῬΗΘΈΝΤΑ, ΚΑΊΠΕΡ ὌΝΤΕς Οὐ ΔΕΙΝΟῚ ΤΟῪς ἈΔΙΚΟῦΝΤΑς ΜΕΜΝῆΣΘΑΙ. The same, ἝΚΑΣΤΟΝ ὐΜῶΝ, ΚΑΊΠΕΡ ἈΚΡΙΒῶς ΕἸΔΌΤΑ, ὍΜΩς ὐΠΟΜΝῆΣΑΙ ΒΟΎΛΟΜΑΙ. The same, ΔΕῖ ΜΕ, ΚΑΊΠΕΡ Οὐ ΦΙΛΟΛΟΊΔΟΡΟΝ ὌΝΤΑ ΦΎΣΕΙ, ΑὐΤᾺ ΤᾺ ἈΝΑΓΚΑΙΌΤΑΤΑ ΕἸΠΕῖΝ ΠΕΡῚ ΑὐΤΟῦ. Aristotle, Ἀλλὰ καίπερ ὄντος τοιούτου τοῦ παρόντος λόγου, πειρατέον βοηθεῖν. Euripides, ΚἈΓΏ Σʼ ἹΚΝΟῦΜΑΙ, ΚΑῚ ΓΥΝΉ ΠΕΡ ΟὖΣʼ ὍΜΩς, ΤΟῖς ΔΕΟΜΈΝΟΙΣΙΝ ὨΦΕΛΕῖΝ, ΟἿΌς ΤΕ Δʼ ΕἾ. Sophocles, Γινώσκω σαφῶς, Καίπερ σκοτεινὸς (that is, ὢν) τήν γε σὴν αὐδὴν ὅμως. Dion, ΤᾺ ΤΟῦ ΤΙΒΕΡΊΟΥ ἜΡΓΑ, ΚΑΊΠΕΡ (Xiphilinus, ΚΑῚ) ΧΑΛΕΠΏΤΑΤΑ ΔΌΞΑΝΤΑ ΓΕΓΟΝΈΝΑΙ, ΠΑΡᾺ ΤᾺ ΓΑΐΟΥ-ΠΑΡΉΝΕΓΚΑΝ. Zosimus, Καίπερ ἐν τούτοις ὄντι τῷ στρατοπέδῳ, περὶ φιλίας ὅμως ἐποιοῦντο λόγους οἱ Πέρσαι. Julian, ΚΑΊΠΕΡ ΤΑῦΤΑ ΠΟΛΥΠΡΑΓΜΟΝῶΝ, ᾘΔΕῖΤΟ ΤῸ ΜΈΓΕΘΟς ΑὐΤΟῦ Τῆς ἈΡΕΤῆς. But if any one affirms that ΚΑΊΠΕΡ is construed also with a verb, let him prove it by examples, and those too in which ΠΕΡ is not ΠΑΡΈΛΚΟΝ, as in Apollonius Rhodius, but signifies although. The nature of the particle does not permit it: for even the simple words, of which καίπερ is compounded, namely καὶ (for although) less frequently, and ΠΕΡ (in Devarius), never take a verb joined with them. A more weighty argument is, that the conjecture ΚΑΊΠΕΡ takes away much from the sentiment: for the wonder of them that dwell on the earth is excited not so much by that, that the beast was and is not, as by this, that the beast ΠΑΡΈΣΤΑΙ, will be present. Enough of criticism: but not however to no purpose. The passage is momentous. That tetragrammaton, יהוה, LORD, has a magnificent periphrasis, ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν καὶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος, who is, and who was, and who is to come. But the dwellers on the earth wonder at the beast, as though a kind of antitetragrammaton; for he was, and is not, and will be present. The Lord is described as ὁ ἐρχόμενος, coming: the beast ΠΑΡΈΣΤΑΙ, will be present, when that other king comes, Rev 17:10; and that ΠΑΡΟΥΣΊΑ (comp. altogether 2 Thessalonians 2) is by far the most destructive. To the Hebrew word, בוא, both ἜΡΧΟΜΑΙ and ΠΆΡΕΙΜΙ correspond in the LXX.; and in this place, ΚΑῚ ΠΑΡΈΣΤΑΙ most appropriately accords with ἮΝ ΚΑΙ ΟὐΚ ἜΣΤΙ, and it conveys a meaning something less, than if it were said, ΚΑῚ ἜΡΧΕΤΑῚ, or ΚΑῚ ἜΣΤΑΙ.
[187] ἐκ τῆς ἀβύσσου, out of the bottomless pit) The beast ascends out of the sea, when he begins to be: at last he will ascend out of the bottomless pit.-V. g.
[188] Vulg. h and Rec. Text read βλέποντες. AB read βλεπόντων.-E.
[189] ABh read καὶ πάοεσται. Rec. Text, without old authority, reads καίπέρ ἐστιν. Vulg. omits the words.-E.
[190] Since the remarks which here follow belong not only to Criticism, but also to sacred Philology, I was unwilling to reject them, although they are inserted in the Apparatus.-E. B.