Bible Commentaries
Revelation 22

Verse 1

pure. The texts omit.

water of life. i.e. living water.

life. App-170 .

out of. App-104 .

throne. The throne of the great Priest-King (Zechariah 6:13 ) of the "thousand years" now gives place to the glorious "throne of God and of the Lamb", for God is now "all in all". Contrast Ezekiel 47:1-11 , where the river proceeds from the "house" associated with the altar; here, from the throne.

God. App-98 .

Verse 2

In. App-104 .

tree. Greek. xulon. Here, verses: Revelation 22:14 , Revelation 22:19 , Revelation 22:7 , and Luke 23:31 , the only occs. of the word as used of living wood.

which bare = bearing.

and yielded = yielding.

every month. Literally according to ( App-104 .) each month.

for. App-104 .

healing. In Ezekiel 47:12 is the Divine provision for preserving and restoring he alth. Here, the fruits are for the enjoyment of the citizens of the new Jerusalem, and the "leaves" for the healing (health and "haleness") of the nations. For the former things having "passed away", there will be no sickness there (Revelation 21:4 ).

Verse 3

no more = no ( App-105 ) longer.

curse. Greek. katanathema, or with the texts, katathema, an accursed thing. Compare Zechariah 14:11 (Septuagint anathema) .

but = and.

servants. App-190 .

serve. App-187 and App-190 .

Verse 4

see. App-106 .

in = upon. Greek. epi.

Verse 5

there. The texts read "longer".

candle. App-130 .

neither. Literally and.

light. App-130 .

the. Omit.

shall reign, &c. Compare the reign of the saints with Messiah for 1,000 years and the reign here with God "for ever and ever".

for ever and ever. App-151 . a. The last of the twenty-one ( App-10 ) Occurs in N.T. (fourteen in Rev.) of the full phrase.

Verse 6

he. i.e. the angel of Revelation 1:1 .

unto = to.

sayings = words. App-121 .

faithful. App-150 .

true. App-175 .

the Lord God. As Revelation 22:5 .

God = the God

of . . . prophets. The texts read "of the spirits ( App-101 .) of the prophets" ( App-189 ).

sent. App-174 .

shortly. As Revelation 1:1 . Note Figure of speech Polysyndeton ( App-6 ) in verses: Revelation 22:1-6 .

Verse 7

Behold. The texts read "And behold" ( App-183 .:2).

quickly. Greek. tachu . The words of the angel pass into the words of Christ; see verses: Revelation 22:12 , Revelation 22:20 , Revelation 22:11 . Compare Revelation 1:7 and Revelation 22:16 below.

blessed. The forty-ninth occurance of makarios in N.T.

keepeth. See John 17:6 .

Verse 8

saw, &c. The texts read "am he that heard and saw these things".

saw. App-133 .

had. Omit.

seen = saw, as above.

worship. App-137 .

Verse 9

Then = And.

See, &c. Compare Revelation 19:10 .

for. The texts omit.

fellowservant. As Revelation 6:11 ; Revelation 19:10 . Compare App-190 .

prophets. App-189 .

Verse 10

time. Greek. kairos. See Revelation 1:3 and App-195 .

Verse 11

unjust = unrighteous. Pres. part, of Greek. adikeo : everywhere in Rev. except here rend. "hurt". See Revelation 2:11 and compare App-128 .

let . . . unjust = let him act unrighteously. Aor. tense.

filthy = morally defiled. Greek. rhupoo. Only here. Compare James 1:21 (rhuiparia) and 1 Peter 3:21 (rhupos). The texts, however, read here rhuparos rhupantheto.

righteous. App-191 .

be righteous. The texts read "do (or work) righteousness" ( App-191 .)

be holy. Greek. hagiazo. Only occurrence of the verb in Rev. In N.T. almost invariably "sanctify". Note Figure of speech Epistrophe ( App-6 ) in this verse.

Verse 12

And. The texts omit.

with. App-104 .

every man = each one.

according. Omit.

shall be. The texts read "is".

Verse 13

Alpha, &c. See Revelation 1:8 .

Verse 14

Blessed. Greek. makarios. Fiftieth ( App-10 ) and last occurance in N.T. Compare the forty-two occs. of the Hebrew equivalent, 'ashrey, the first in Deuteronomy 33:29 (Happy).

do His commandments. The texts read "wash their robes", but it is probable that the reading of the Received Text is correct. It is a question of reading in the original MSS., and not of translation .

that = in order that. Greek. hina.

right. App-172 .

to = over. App-104 .

through = by. No preposition.

into. App-104 .

Verse 15

Figure of speech Synecdoche of Species ( App-6 ) in this verse.

For. The texts omit.

dogs. The word "dog" appears in Phoenician remains, as applied to a class of servants attached to a temple of Ashtoreth in Cyprus.

loveth. App-135 .

lie. Compare Revelation 21:27 .

Verse 16

I. The Lord Himself speaks.

Jesus. App-98 .

have sent = sent. App-174 .

testify. See p. 1611.

in. Greek. epi. App-104 .

churches. See Revelation 1:4 and App-186 . The "assemblies" of Revelation 6:0 and Revelation 8:0 specifically, during the fulfillment of "the prophecy of this book".

Offspring. Figure of speech Synecdoche (of Species). App-6 . See Acts 17:28 .

David. See Revelation 3:7 ; Revelation 5:5 .

and, and. Omit.

morning = the morning. Greek. orthrinos, only here. The texts read ho pro'inos, as Revelation 2:28 .

Star. Greek. aster. Fourteenth and last occurance in Rev. See App-197 . Compare Numbers 24:17 .

Verse 17

This verse illustrates the Figure of speech Polysyndeton. App-6 .

Spirit. App-101 .

bride. Greek. numphe. See Revelation 21:9 .

And. The texts omit.

whosoever will. Literally the one willing

will. App-102 .

freely. See Revelation 21:6 .

Verse 18

For. Omit.

I. The texts read I (emphatic).

testify. As Revelation 22:16 , with the texts.

every man = every one.

words. App-121 .

any man = any one. App-123 .

these things. The texts read "them".

unto. Greek. epi , as above.

Verse 19

takeaway. Greek. aphaireo. Only here in Rev. Compare Hebrews 10:4 .

out of. Same as "from" above.

book of life. The texts read "tree of life". With the last two verses: compare Deuteronomy 4:2 ; Deuteronomy 12:32 .Proverbs 30:5 , Proverbs 30:6 . Galatians 1:1 , Galatians 1:8 .

and . . . thing? . The texts omit.

Verse 20

quickly. Greek. tachu, as verses: Revelation 22:7 , Revelation 22:12 . The seventh and last solemn warning by the Lord Himself, in Rev., of His coming. It is the one great subject of the whole book, which is all prophecy. Amen. See Revelation 3:14 and 2 Corinthians 1:20 .

Even so. The texts omit; and link "Amen" with John's response, as Revised Version.

LORD. App-98 . The use of the word "Lord" shows the utterance to be John's. None of His people, when He was on earth, were ever so irreverent as to address Him as "Jesus",

Verse 21

grace, &c. See Revelation 1:4 .

our. The texts read "the".

Christ. Most texts omit.

you all. Many texts read "all the saints".