Revelation 5:2

Rev 5:2-3. And I saw a strong angel, &c. — I beheld in my vision an angel of chief power, as attendant upon the heavenly court, making proclamation, with a strong audible voice, to every creature; a proclamation too great for a man to make, and yet not becoming the Lamb himself, and therefore made by an angel, and one of uncommon eminence. Who is worthy to open the book, &c. — Is any being able and fit to reveal and make known the counsels of God registered in this book, and to bring them into execution? And no man — Greek, ουδεις, no one, no creature; no, not the Virgin Mary herself; in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth — That is, none in the universe; for these are the three great regions into which the whole creation is divided; was able to open the book — To declare the counsels of God; neither to look thereon — So as to understand any part of it.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

5:2-3 At first, no one in the entire universe seemed to have the divine authority or power to answer the angel’s call.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Rev 5:2. Ἰσχυρὸν, strong) Psa 103:20.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Rev_5:2 sqq. ἰσχυρὸν. The adjective[1860] is by no means without meaning;[1861] but does not, however, designate an angel of higher rank,[1862] having reference to the κηρύσσ. ἐν φωνῇ μεγὰλῃ, as Rev_10:1; Rev_10:3. The angel must have great power, because with his call he is to penetrate all regions of the creation.[1863]

ἄξιος. As Joh_1:27, where, however, not the inf., but ἵνα, follows. Cf. also ἰκανός, Mat_8:8. The worthiness is the inner, ethical presupposition of the being able, Rev_5:3.

ἀνοῖξαι τὸ βιβλίον καὶ λῦσαι τὰς σφραγ. αὐτ. A hysteron proteron.[1864]

ὑποκάτω τῆς γῆς, Rev_5:3. Incorrectly, Grot.: In the sea. It designates[1865] the entire sphere of creation, according to its three great regions.[1866] By ὑποκάτω τῆς γῆς is meant[1867] Hades,[1868] as the place, not of demons,[1869] to think of which here is very strange, but of departed souls.

βλέπειν is not by reading to understand,[1870] but designates the seeing, following the opening of the book, therefore the looking in, the reading, of the same.[1871]

[1860] Cf. Psa_103:20.

[1861] A mere ornamental epithet, Eichh.

[1862] C. a Lap., Züll., Stern; cf. also De Wette. N. de Lyra Gabriel.

[1863] Vitr., Beng., Hengstenb., Ebrard, Ew. ii.

[1864] De Wette.

[1865] Cf. Rev_5:13; Php_2:10.

[1866] Beng.

[1867] Otherwise than Exo_20:4.

[1868] Ebrard.

[1869] Cf. Vitr.

[1870] Bretschneider.

[1871] Ew., De Wette, etc.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Rev 5:2 . The καὶ after ἀνοῖξαι is either epexegetic or the mark of a hysteron proteron ( cf. the awkward οὔτε βλέπειν of 3 4, unless look here means to look into the contents). The cry is a challenge rather than an appeal.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

strong-- (Psa 103:20). His voice penetrated heaven, earth, and Hades (Rev 10:1-3).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 2. A strong angel] One of the chief of the angelic host.

Proclaiming] As the herald of God.

To open the book, and to loose the seals] To loose the seals that he may open the book. Who can tell what this book contains? Who can open its mysteries? The book may mean the purposes and designs of God relative to his government of the world and the Church; but we, whose habitation is in the dust, know nothing of such things. We are, however, determined to guess.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(2) And I saw a strong (better, mighty) angel proclaiming with (or, in) a loud voice, Who is worthy . . .—We must not let the word “worthy” pass as though it were simply equivalent to “strong enough.” It seems to imply moral fitness (comp. Rom_1:4), which is the true strength in the heavenly world. It was not lack of intellectual capacity so much as the taint of moral unworthiness which hindered the reading of the book. This is in harmony with what we have noticed before. “To commune with God, there is need of no subtle thought, no foreign tongue, no newest philosophy: ‘ the pure in heart shall see Him:’ and Fox and Bunyan can more truly make Him known than ‘masters of sentences’ and ‘ angelic doctors.’” Those who are willing to do God’s will know of God’s doctrine. This thought corresponds, too, with the stress which is laid (in Rev_5:5) on the victory of Christ. It is not simply as divine Son of God, but also as victorious Saviour and King of His people, that He opens the book: His worthiness has been established in conflict and temptation (Joh_14:30; Heb_2:9; Heb_4:15).

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice,.... This was not the uncreated angel, Jesus Christ; for he is after spoken of as the lion of the tribe of Judah, and as the Lamb in the midst of the throne, but a created one; though who he was, whether Gabriel, as some say, because his name signifies the strong or mighty One of God, is not material to be known; angels are said to be mighty, and to excel in strength: this is called so here, chiefly with respect to his voice, which he, by reason of his great strength, exerted so loudly, as to be heard by all the creatures in heaven, and in earth, and under the earth however, this was not John the Baptist, but if a minister of the Gospel, rather some one since, making the following proclamation:

who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? suggesting, that if there was any such person, that he was desired to come, and do it; and it seems, that he must not only be one of power and ability, but of dignity and authority, a person of greatness and worth, from whence his ability arises; as he ought to be that can engage his heart to draw nigh to God, and take a book out of his right hand, this mysterious book of the Revelation, as it was indeed while sealed; and open and explain it to others, unseal it or exhibit it, as it afterwards was in the following scenes and visions, and gave a view of all that is contained in it; and not only so, but fulfil and accomplish all the prophecies in it; and who can, or is worthy to do all this, but he that sits at the right hand of God, and who is God as well as man? and this proclamation was made to stir up an earnest desire in John, and all the saints he represents, to know what was in this book; and to show the impotence of all creatures to make any discovery of it; and to illustrate, and set off with a greater foil, the glory, excellency, ability, and worth of Jesus Christ. There seems to be an allusion to the president of the temple calling to the priests under him, to attend to the several parts of service assigned them, saying unto them, , "whosoever is worthy, let him" do so and so (c).

(c) Misna Tamid, c. 1. sect. 4. & c. 5. sect. 4. 5.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?

Ver. 2. And I saw a strong angel] Angels are very desirous to know the mystery of Christ, 1Pe 1:12, and to profit daily in that knowledge, Eph 3:10.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And I saw a strong angel - An angel endowed with great strength, as if such strength was necessary to enable him to give utterance to the loud voice of the inquiry. “Homer represents his heralds as powerful, robust men, in order consistently to attribute to them deep-toned and powerful voices” (Prof. Stuart). The inquiry to be made was one of vast importance; it was to be made of all in heaven, all on the earth, and all under the earth, and hence an angel is introduced so mighty that his voice could be heard in all those distant worlds.

Proclaiming with a loud voice - That is, as a herald or crier. He is rather introduced here as appointed to this office than as self-moved. The design undoubtedly is to impress the mind with a sense of the importance of the disclosures about to be made, and at the same time with a sense of the impossibility of penetrating the future by any created power. That one of the highest angels should make such a proclamation would sufficiently show its importance; that such an one, by the mere act of making such a proclamation, should practically confess his own inability, and consequently the inability of all of similar rank, to make the disclosures, would show that the revelations of the future were beyond mere created power.

Who is worthy to open the book, ... - That is, who is “worthy” in the sense of having a rank so exalted, and attributes so comprehensive, as to authorize and enable him to do it. In other words, who has the requisite endowments of all kinds to enable him to do it? It would require moral qualities of an exalted character to justify him in approaching the seat of the holy God, to take the book from his hands; it would require an ability beyond that of any created being to penetrate the future, and disclose the meaning of the symbols which were employed. The fact that the book was held in the hand of him that was on the throne, and sealed in this manner, was in itself a sufficient proof that it was not his purpose to make the disclosure directly, and the natural inquiry arose whether there was anyone in the wide universe who, by rank, or character, or office, would be empowered to open the mysterious volume.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

There were no weak angels, but possibly this angel might, in appearance to John, look as if he were stronger than others; or rather, so judged from the great and

loud voice he used.

Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? Not that he thought any was able, or worthy. We can only conclude from hence the impotency of men to search, and find out, and expound the deep things of God, and consequently the unlawfulness of too narrow a prying into his secret mysteries.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

2. Strong angel—Personal physical vigour is implied in the word strong, as in Rev_10:1; Rev_18:21. The present angel is strong, as being herald and challenger for God. Who is competent to break the seals that Jehovah has stamped? Who may reveal the secrets of the future, “which the Father has reserved in his own power?” Act_1:7. Dusterdieck’s statement, that as the seven trumpets spring from the seventh seal, and the seven vials from the seventh trumpet, so the Apocalyptic revelation is at first all enclosed in the seals, is nearly true. But the sixth chapter is not in the real series, but a contrastive picture without, and over against, the seals. And as this strong angel is without the real series, so the parallel strong angel of chapter x is outside the series, both being one of the personal managers of the panorama. And as the challenging question of this verse dimly suggests Michael, so Gabriel seems suggested by Rev_10:1; where see note.

A loud voice—Which (next verse) was so loud and strong as to peal through heaven and earth.

Who is— This may be an allusion to the name Michael, which signifies, Who is like God?

Worthy—If force could have torn up the divine seals, the strong angel who issues the challenge might, perhaps, have accepted the task. It was, however, the highest worthiness, desert, dignity, alone which could presume to open the divine seals of futurity.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And I saw (see on ver. 1). A strong angel; iscuron , rendered "mighty" in Rev_10:1. Possibly, as De Wette and others think, so called because of higher rank De Lyra says Gabriel; but probably on account of the great voice, which sounded "as a lion roareth". (Rev_10:3) Proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? with a great voice. "Worthy" is axiov , fit morally, as in Joh_1:27.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And I saw a strong angel - This proclamation to every creature was too great for a man to make, and yet not becoming the Lamb himself. It was therefore made by an angel, and one of uncommon eminence.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

angel

(See Scofield "Heb 1:4")

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Observe, 1. Here is a proclamation made by an extraordinary angel, like an herald or officer, inquiring who was worthy, either in regard of authority, or in respect of ability, to open this book, and unloose the seals, that is, to disclose the secret counsels of God, and to make them known unto the sons of men, implying, that every angel in heaven is not worthy or meet to be the expositor of God’s mind and mysteries unto man.

Observe, 2. The great silence which there was in heaven upon this proclamation, amounting to an absolute and peremptory denial, that not any one, either in heaven or earth, or under the earth; not any angel in heaven, nor any saint living upon earth; not any dead saint under the earth, nor any devil or infernal spirit; was either worthy to open the book, or able to foresee or foretell the least event concerning the church, farther than revealed to them.

Learn hence, That neither angels nor devils do understand the mysterious counsels of God, or can reveal future things to man, any farther than as God is pleased to reveal the same unto them.

Observe, 3. St. John’s great and bitter lamentation, because no person was found worthy to open the book, and reveal unto the church the secret counsels of God concerning her, I wept much; fearing, no doubt, lest the church of God should be deprived of the benefit and comfort of this revelation. Such as are the true members of the church are greatly afflicted with all the providential dispensations of God which do befall her; but nothing goes so near them, as to have the mind and will of God hidden and concealed from her.

Observe, 4. A seasonable consolation given to St. John: one of the elders that were about the throne said to him, Weep not, for care is taken for the opening and revealing of the book. Christ, who is called the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Son of David, as man, and the root of David, as God, is found worthy, in regard of the divinity of his person, and the prevalency of his merits, to open unto the church all the mysteries of God, which are meet and convenient for her to understand and know.

Quest. Why is Christ called the Lion of the tribe of Judah?

Ans. In allusion to Jacob’s blessing, Genesis 49 where Judah is called a lion’s whelp, denoting the dignity and superiority of that tribe above the rest.

Now Christ descended of this tribe, and is called a lion, in regard of his kingly power and strength, in regard of his stoutness and courage, in regard of his mildness and clemency, and true nobleness of spirit, to them that submit and yield unto him, and in respect of his vigilancy and watchfulness over his church; all which are the known properties of the lion; and as that creature is the king of beasts, so is Christ King of kings, and Lord of lords, the only potentate; dominion and fear are with him.

Quest. But how could Christ be called David’s root, when we know that David did not spring from him, but he from David, according to the flesh?

Ans. In a natural sense, David was the root of David. David, as man, was the root of Christ: Christ, as Mediator and Godman, was the root of David. Thus he was both David’s lord, and David’s son, Psa 110:1.

William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2.] And I saw a strong angel (the epithet ἰσχυρόν is by no means superfluous, but corresponds to the φωνῇ μεγάλῃ below, which, as appears by what followed, penetrated heaven and earth and Hades. Compare ch. 10:1, 3 and notes) proclaiming in (reff.; the voice is the vehicle, or investiture, of the thing proclaimed) a loud voice, Who is worthy (see reff.

ἄξιος here = ἱκανός Mat 8:8) to open the book and to loose the seals of it? and no one was able, in heaven, nor yet upon the earth, nor yet under the earth (in Hades, the place of departed spirits: not, as Grot., in mari), to open the book, nor yet to look on it (if we were reading an ordinary Greek sentence, this οὐδέ would introduce a climax, which would rule the meaning to be, “nor even so much as to look upon the book,” lying there closed as it did. But the somewhat indiscriminate use of οὐδέ in the former clause, in which no such climax can be intended, removes this necessity, and enables us to take βλέπειν of an act subsequent to the ἀνοῖξαι,—the looking on the book, with a view to read it. For the claim to open the book must be founded on a claim of worthiness to see that which was contained in it).

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Strong. Either as being of higher rank, or with reference to the great voice.

Worthy [αξιος] . As in Joh 1:27. Morally entitled.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.