rwp - Revelation:11:7-10

rwp@Revelation:11:7 @{When they shall have finished} (\hotan telessin\). Merely the first aorist active subjunctive of \tele\ with \hotan\ in an indefinite temporal clause with no _futurum exactum_ (future perfect), "whenever they finish." {The beast} (\to thrion\). "The wild beast comes out of the abyss" of strkjv@9:1f|. He reappears in strkjv@13:1; strkjv@17:8|. In strkjv@Daniel:7:3| \thria\ occurs. Nothing less than antichrist will satisfy the picture here. Some see the abomination of strkjv@Daniel:7:7; strkjv@Matthew:24:15|. Some see Nero _redivivus_. {He shall make war with them} (\poisei met' autn polemon\). This same phrase occurs in strkjv@12:17| about the dragon's attack on the woman. It is more the picture of single combat (2:16|). {He shall overcome them} (\niksei autous\). Future active of \nika\. The victory of the beast over the two witnesses is certain, as in strkjv@Daniel:7:21|. {And kill them} (\kai apoktenei\). Future active of \apoktein\. Without attempting to apply this prophecy to specific individuals or times, one can agree with these words of Swete: "But his words cover in effect all the martyrdoms and massacres of history in which brute force has seemed to triumph over truth and righteousness."

rwp@Revelation:11:8 @{Their dead bodies lie} (\to ptma autn\). Old word from \pipt\ (to fall), a fall, especially of bodies slain in battle, a corpse, a carcase (Matthew:14:12|), here the singular (some MSS. \ptmata\, plural) as belonging to each of the \autn\ (their) like \stomatos autn\ (their mouth) in verse 5|. Songs:also in verse 9|. No word in the Greek for "lie." {In} (\epi\). "Upon," as in verse 6|, with genitive (\ts plateias\), the broad way (\hodou\ understood), from \platus\ (broad) as in strkjv@Matthew:6:5|, old word (Revelation:21:21; strkjv@22:2|). {Of the great city} (\ts poles ts megals\). Clearly Jerusalem in view of the closing clause (\hopou--estaurth\), though not here called "the holy city" as in verse 2|, and though elsewhere in the Apocalypse Babylon (Rome) is so described (14:8; strkjv@16:19; strkjv@17:5; strkjv@18:2,10,16,18,19,21|). {Which} (\htis\). Which very city, not "whichever." {Spiritually} (\pneumatiks\). This late adverb from \pneumatikos\ (spiritual) occurs in the N.T. only twice, in strkjv@1Corinthians:2:14| for the help of the Holy Spirit in interpreting God's message and here in a hidden or mystical (allegorical sense). For this use of \pneumatikos\ see strkjv@1Corinthians:10:3f|. Judah is called Sodom in strkjv@Isaiah:1:9f.; strkjv@Ezekiel:16:46,55|. See also strkjv@Matthew:10:15; strkjv@11:23|. Egypt is not applied to Israel in the O.T., but is "an obvious symbol of oppression and slavery" (Swete). {Where also their Lord was crucified} (\hopou kai ho kurios autn estaurth\). First aorist passive indicative of \stauro\, to crucify, a reference to the fact of Christ's crucifixion in Jerusalem. This item is one of the sins of Jerusalem and the disciple is not greater than the Master (John:15:20|).

rwp@Revelation:11:9 @{Men from among} (\ek tn\ etc.). No word for "men" (\anthrpoi\ or \polloi\) before \ek tn\, but it is implied (partitive use of \ek\) as in strkjv@2:10| and often. See also strkjv@5:9; strkjv@7:9| for this enumeration of races and nations. {Do look upon} (\blepousin\). Present (vivid dramatic) active indicative of \blep\. {Three days and a half} (\hmeras treis kai hmisu\). Accusative of extent of time. \Hmisu\ is neuter singular though \hmeras\ (days) is feminine as in strkjv@Mark:6:23; strkjv@Revelation:12:14|. The days of the gloating over the dead bodies are as many as the years of the prophesying by the witnesses (11:3|), but there is no necessary correspondence (day for a year). This delight of the spectators "is represented as at once fiendish and childish" (Swete). {Suffer not} (\ouk aphiousin\). Present active indicative of \aphi\, late form for \aphimi\, as in strkjv@Mark:1:34| (cf. \apheis\ in strkjv@Revelation:2:20|). This use of \aphimi\ with the infinitive is here alone in the Apocalypse, though common elsewhere (John:11:44,48; strkjv@12:7; strkjv@18:8|). {Their dead bodies} (\ta ptmata autn\). "Their corpses," plural here, though singular just before and in verse 8|. {To be laid in a tomb} (\tethnai eis mnma\). First aorist passive of \tithmi\, to place. \Mnma\ (old word from \mimnsk\, to remind) is a memorial, a monument, a sepulchre, a tomb (Mark:5:3|). "In a country where burial regularly took place on the day of death the time of exposure and indignity would be regarded long" (Beckwith). See Tobit strkjv@1:18ff.

rwp@Revelation:11:10 @{They that dwell upon the earth} (\hoi katoikountes epi ts gs\). Present active articular participle of \katoike\, "an Apocalyptic formula" (Swete) for the non-Christian world (3:10; strkjv@6:10; strkjv@8:13; strkjv@13:8,12,14; strkjv@17:8|). {Rejoice} (\chairousin\). Present active indicative of \chair\. {Over them} (\ep' autois\). Locative (or dative) case with \epi\ as in strkjv@10:11|. {Make merry} (\euphrainontai\). Present middle indicative of \euphrain\, old verb (\eu, phrn\, jolly mind), as in strkjv@Luke:15:32; strkjv@Revelation:12:12; strkjv@18:20|. Jubilant jollification over the cessation of the activity of the two prophets. {They shall send gifts to one another} (\dra pempsousin alllois\). Future active of \pemp\ with dative \alllois\. Just as we see it done in strkjv@Esther:9:19,22; strkjv@Nehemiah:8:10,12|. {Tormented} (\ebasanisan\). First aorist active indicative of \basaniz\, for which see strkjv@9:5|. This is the reason (\hoti\) of the fiendish glee of Jew and Gentile, who no longer will have to endure the prophecies (11:3f.|) and dread miracles (11:5f.|) of these two prophets. "Such a sense of relief is perhaps not seldom felt today by bad men when a preacher of righteousness or a signal example of goodness is removed" (Swete).