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ἵνα μελανοήση, και 22 her fornication; Be

ε θέλει μελανοῆσαι ἐκ τῆς πορνείας 22 αὐτῆς. Ιδὲ, βάλλω αὐτὴν εἰς κλίνην, καὶ τὰς μοιχεύοντας μεθ' αὐτῆς εἰς θλίψιν μεγάλην, ἐὰν μή μετανοήσωσιν ἐκ τῶν

23 ἔρων αὐτῆς. Καὶ

τὰ τέκνα αὐτῆς ἀποκτενῶ ἐν θα νάτῳ, καὶ γνώσονται πᾶσαι αἱ ἐκκλσίαι ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἐρευνῶν νεφρὲς καὶ καρδίας καὶ δώσω ὑμῖν ἑκάτῳ καλά τὰ ἔργα ὑμῶν. 24 ὑμῖν δὲ λέγω, [τοίς] λοιποῖς τοῖς ἐν Θυαλείβοις, ὅσοι ἐκ ἔχεσι τὴν διο δαχὴν ταύτην, οἵτι νες ἐκ ἔγνωσαν τὰ βάθη τα σαλανᾶ, ὡς λέγεσιν Οὐ βαλῶ ἐφ' ὑμᾶς 25 άλλο βάρο. Πλὴν ὃ ἔχετε, κρατήσαλε έχεις κ αν ήξω 20 Καὶ ὁ νικῶν, καὶ ὁ τηρῶν ἄχρι τέλος τὰ ἔξία με, δώσω αὑτῷ ἐξεσίαν ἐπὶ 27 τῶν ἐθνῶν, Καὶ ποιμανεῖ αὐτὲς ἑν ῥάβδω σιδηράς ως

τὰ σκεύη τὰ κει ραμικά συντρίβεται, 28 Ως κἀγὼ εἴληφα

hold, I cast her into a

bed, and those who commit adultery with her, into great tribulation, unless they shall repent from her 23 works; And her chil dren will I slay with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts; And I will give unto every one of you according to your 24 works. But unto you I say, unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as hold not this doctrine, (whosoever have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak,) I shall put upon you none other 25 burthen; Only that which which ye have, hold fast until I come. 26 And he who overcometh, and who keepeth even unto the end my works, to him will I give power over the 27 nations, (And he shall

rule over them with an iron sceptre, as the vessels of earthen ware are broken to pieces,) 28 Even as I have re

ceived from my Father; and I will give

to repent of her fornication, and she re22 pented not. Behold,

I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they re

pent of their deeds. 23 And I will kill her

children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. 24 But unto you I say,

and unto the rest in Thyatira, As many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak, I will put upon you none other burden. 25 But that which ye

have already, hold fast 26 till l come. And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the 27 nations: (And he shall

rule them with a rod of iron as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers :) even as I received of 28 my Father. And I will

παρὰ τὸ παρὸς μs. Hy dwow aur τὸν ἀφέξα τον πρω 29 ϊνόν. Ὁ ἔχων ες, ἀκεσάτω, τί τὸ πνεῦμα λέγει ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις.

give him the morning 29 star. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

give him the morning 29 star. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Ver. 18. Thyatira.] This was a considerable city in the road from Pergamos to Sardis*. Lydia, who. at Philippi received the Apostles Paul and Silas, was of this place; and being a person of consequence, and divinely called to receive the Christian Religiont, probably became the cause of establishing a Church here. So that, on this account, as well as because this address of our Lord is directed to the Church of Thyatira, we can give no credence to the notion which was holden by some persons in Epiphanius's time, (300 years after the date of this epistle,) that the church in this city was founded after the time of Saint John's seeing this vision. No Christians are at this time reported to be found in the remains of this city.

Ib. Eyes as a flame of fire, &c.] Thus the Son of God appeared in ch. i. 14, where see the note, and the meaning of the word χαλκολιβανον.

Ver. 19. Thy last works to be more than the first.] This is great commendation, and the reverse of the fault for which the Ephesians are reproved, (v. 4.) and of that lamentable state, described in Saint Luke, xi. 26. 2 Pet. ii. 20. Ta soxala xɛigova Twy wewly, the last state worse than the first.

Ver. 20. Jezebel.] This might be literally, a wo

• Strabo and Pliny.

† Acts xvi. 14,

man

man of great rank and influence at Thyatira, who seduced the Christians to intermix idolatry and heathen impurities with their religion. Such seducers were in the church in Saint Paul's time. And the history of Queen Jezebel, that eminent patroness of idolatry, as delivered in the Books of Kings, shews that such a woman would be fitly represented under that name. But there is another sense in which it also may be applied; for, in symbolical language, by a woman is signified a city, a nation, a community, a church †. This passage is so understood by Venerable Bede, who explains the term Jezebel to mean a synagogue of false apostles pretending to be Christian; and it may signify a sect of seducers, like that described in verses 14 and 15 of this chapter; for the same doctrines are ascribed to both. In the comment of Andreas Bishop of Cæsarea, written about the year 500, and containing the matter, as the writer professes, of more ancient commentators on the Apocalypse, of Irenæus, Papias, Methodius, &c. it is said, that the Nicolaitan heresy is here called Jezebel figuratively §, on account of its impiety and intemperance. See also the note below, ver. 24.

Ver. 20. Fornication.] The edict of the Apostles, (Acts xv.) forbids to the Gentile converts that which is here mentioned: 1. Пogvei, fornication, under which word are comprehended all those carnal impurities, which were common among the heathens, and even made a part of their sacred rites. 2. Ειδωλαθυτα, Αλισγηματα των Eidwλwy, meats offered unto idols; to partake of which, when declared to be such, was to partake of the

* 2 Cor. vi. 14, &c.

+ See note below, v. 22. Synagogam pseudo-apostolicam, quæ se Christianam fingit, § Τροπικώς ωνομαζομενην Ιεζαβηλ, δια την δυσσέβειαν και ασελγειαν,

worship.

worship. The two sins were nearly connected together in the heathen institutions, and introduced each other.

woman

Ver. 22. Adultery.] In scriptural language, nations and cities, and communities are frequently expressed under the emblems of women, virgins, &c.; nor has this mode of representation been confined to the ancient or Eastern nations. In our times and country, Britannia is personified, and is seen, as a upon our coins; as are Judæa, Rome, &c. &c. on those of ancient days*. The nation of Israel, or the church of God under the Old Testament, is constantly represented under this symbol. In the times of her purity, she is a virgin; in her happy prospects, a bride; in her impure connections, a harlot. And, conformably to this figure, the great Being who especially protects her, was pleased to represent himself, as the husband who espouseth her, and who, for her wickedness, divorces hert. For, by a continuance of the metaphor, she is described as "treacherously departing from her husband," committing adultery with stocks, stones, and idols; but after chastisement and repentance, she is restored to favour and matrimonial distinction, and becomes fruitful in children, the multitudes of the Gentiles The reader may see this imagery produced into allegory, in the xvith chapter of Ezekiel. Agreeably to this, in the New Testament, our Lord, the head

See the plates in Montfaucon, or in Calmet's Dictionary.

† Jer. xxxi. 32. Is. xlix. 20, &c. liv. 5. lxii. 1, 5. Hos. ii. 2. Is. liv. 7.

↑ Jer. iii. 8, 9. 20. Ezek. xvi. 22. xxiii. 37.

Hos. ii. 7, 16. 19. Is. liv. 6.

of

of the church, is represented as the bridegroom, and her apostacy from him is called adultery*.

Now, in the passage before us, adultery may be taken either in a literal, or in this its figurative sense; accordingly as we understand Jezebel to represent, either literally a woman, or figuratively a sect. If taken in the figurative meaning, (which seems most probable,) then her sons, to be slain, are the followers of her religious institutions; and they, who commit adultery with her, are the Christians, who are seduced to her doctrines and practices, from the duty they owe to their Lord.

Ver. 22. Bed.] The place which had been the scene of her transgression, is to be that of her punishment. Taken literally, it will imply the pains of a sick-bed; and to be tormented in bed, where men seek rest, is peculiarly grievous †. Or, in a figurative sense, to adopt blasphemous and impure doctrines and practices, may, and probably will, occasion great tribulation to an apostatizing church.

Ver. 23. I will slay with death.] This is a Hebraism, denoting, by its repetition, the certainty of the event denounced. The equivalent expression in Genesis ii. 17, is translated, "thou shalt surely die." Sickness and death are represented by Saint Paul, as punishments inflicted on the perverters of holy ordinances in the apostolical times: or, Oavaros may here signify, as it does evidently in ch. vi. 8, pestilence; and thus express the mode of death by which these rebellious servants of God were to be slain.

*Matt. xxv. 2 Cor. xi. 2. Rom. vii. 4. Eph. v. 23, &c. Gal. iv. 26, &c.

+ Daubuz. See Psalm vi. 3. xli. 3. Job xxxii. 19. Is. xxviii. 20. 1 Cor. xi. 30.

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