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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadCambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges - Revelation 4:6 - 4:6
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6. θάλασσα ὑαλίνη. As there was a brazen “sea” in front of Solomon’s Temple, 1Ki 7:23 &c. We find from Rev 11:19, Rev 15:5, &c. that St John was now in front of the heavenly Temple—whether the Throne was inside it seems doubtful: Rev 16:17 looks as if it were; Rev 11:19 as if it were not. That Temple had a real sea in front of it—sea-like in extent, no doubt, but a glassy sea, calm and transparent, and apparently solid, Rev 15:2 : its earthly representative (see Sir 50:3, aud note on Rev 2:17 above) was hardly more than a tank, though richly ornamented.
ὁμοία κρυστάλλῳ. “Like unto crystal.” Ancient glass being not so clear as ours, a further term of comparison seemed necessary. The word may mean “ice,” but Rev 21:11 confirms the A. V[177]
[177] Authorised Version.
ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ θρόνου καὶ κύκλῳ τοῦ θρόνου. It is not quite clear how they are placed—whether with their bodies partly under the Throne, or only so far “in the midst” of it, that each of the four was in (or opposite to) the middle of one of its four sides. In Eze 1:22 we see that the Cherubim support the Throne of God, which points to the first view.
τέσσερα ζῷα. Vg[178] quattuor animalia: “Animal” was not fully naturalized when our version was made, and was commonly supposed to be a synonym of “beast,” see New English Dictionary, sub voce, so that there would have been no gain for popular intelligence. In Eze 1:5, (where it was impossible to translate “beasts,” and the Hebrew word is cognate to life,) A. V[179] has “living creatures” as R. V[180] has here. Possibly the translators of this book in A. V[181] intended to mark the difference between the preterhuman appearance of the throne-bearers in this vision, and their human appearance in Ezekiel at the price of obliterating the distinction between θηρίον in 13. sqq. and ζῷα.
[178] Vulgate.
[179] Authorised Version.
[180] Revised Version.
[181] Authorised Version.