KJV: And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;
YLT: 'And to the messenger of the assembly in Pergamos write: These things saith he who is having the sharp two-edged sword:
Darby: And to the angel of the assembly in Pergamos write: These things says he that has the sharp two-edged sword:
ASV: and to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These things saith he that hath the sharp two-edged sword:
ἀγγέλῳ | [the] messenger |
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular Root: ἄγγελος Sense: a messenger, envoy, one who is sent, an angel, a messenger from God. |
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τῆς | of the |
Parse: Article, Genitive Feminine Singular Root: ὁ Sense: this, that, these, etc. |
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Περγάμῳ | Pergamum |
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Singular Root: Πέργαμος Sense: a city of Mysia Minor, in Asia Minor, the seat of the dynasties of Attalus and Eumenes, famous for its temple of Aesculapius and the invention and manufacture of parchment. |
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ἐκκλησίας | church |
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular Root: ἐκκλησία Sense: a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place, an assembly. |
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γράψον | write |
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular Root: γράφω Sense: to write, with reference to the form of the letters. |
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Τάδε | These things |
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Accusative Neuter Plural Root: ὅδε Sense: this one here, these things, as follows, thus. |
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λέγει | says |
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular Root: λέγω Sense: to say, to speak. |
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ὁ | the [One] |
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: ὁ Sense: this, that, these, etc. |
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ῥομφαίαν | sword |
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular Root: ῥομφαία Sense: a large sword. |
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τὴν | - |
Parse: Article, Accusative Feminine Singular Root: ὁ Sense: this, that, these, etc. |
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δίστομον | two-edged |
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Feminine Singular Root: δίστομος Sense: having a double mouth as a river. |
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ὀξεῖαν | sharp |
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Feminine Singular Root: ὀξύς Sense: sharp. |
Greek Commentary for Revelation 2:12
In a north-easterly direction from Smyrna in the Caicus Valley, some fifty-five miles away, in Mysia, on a lofty hill, a great political and religious centre. Ramsay (Op. cit., p. 281) calls it “the royal city, the city of authority.” Eumenes II (b.c. 197-159) extended it and embellished it with many great buildings, including a library with 200,000 volumes, second only to Alexandria. The Kingdom of Pergamum became a Roman province b.c. 130. Pliny termed it the most illustrious city of Asia. Parchment Next to this was the grove and temple of Asklepios, the god of healing, called the god of Pergamum, with a university for medical study. Pergamum was the first city in Asia (a.d. 29) with a temple for the worship of Augustus (Octavius Caesar). Hence in the Apocalypse Pergamum is a very centre of emperor-worship “where Satan dwells” (Revelation 2:13). Here also the Nicolaitans flourished (Revelation 2:15) as in Ephesus (Revelation 2:6) and in Thyatira (Revelation 2:20.). Like Ephesus this city is called temple-sweeper (νεωκορος neōkoros) for the gods. [source]
This item repeated from Revelation 1:16 in the same order of words with the article three times (the sword the two-mouthed the sharp) singling out each point. [source]
The proper form of the name is Pergamum. It was situated in Teuthrania in Mysia, in a district watered by three rivers, by one of which it communicated with the sea. The original city was built on a lofty hill, which afterward became the citadel as houses sprang up around its base. The local legends attached a sacred character to the place, which, together with its natural strength, made it a place of deposit for royal treasure. The city was mainly indebted to Eumenes II. (b.c. 197-159) for its embellishment and extension. In addition to walks and public buildings, he founded the library, which contained two-hundred-thousand volumes, and was second only to that of Alexandria. The kingdom of Pergamum became a Roman province b.c. 130; but the city continued to flourish, so that Pliny styled it by far the most illustrious of Asia. All the main roads of Western Asia converged there. Pergamum was celebrated for the manufacture of ointments, pottery, tapestries, and parchment, which derives its name (charta Pergamena ) from the city. It contained a celebrated and much-frequented temple of Aesculapius, who was worshipped in the form of a living serpent fed in the temple. Hence Aesculapius was called the God of Pergamum, and on the coins struck by the town he often appears with a rod encircled by a serpent. The great glory of the city was the Nicephorium, a grove of great beauty containing an assemblage of temples. The city has been described as a sort of union of a pagan cathedral-city, a university-town, and a royal residence, embellished during a succession of years by kings who all had a passion for expenditure and ample means of gratifying it. The streams which embraced the town irrigated the groves of Nicephorium and of Aesculapius, in which flourished the licentious rites of pagan antiquity. The sacred character of the city appears in coins and inscriptions which described the Pergamenes by the title claimed by the worshippers of Diana at Ephesus, νεωκόροι temple-sweepersor sacristans. [source]
See on Revelation 1:16. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Revelation 2:12
Τομώτερος sharperfrom τέμνειν tocut, N.T.oolxx. The word of God has an incisive and penetrating quality. It lays bare self-delusions and moral sophisms. For the comparison of the word of God or of men to a sword, see Psalm 57:4; Psalm 59:7; Psalm 64:3; Ephesians 6:17. Philo calls his Logos ὁ τομεύς thecutter, as cutting chaos into distinct things, and so creating a kosmos. Ὑπὲρ thanis literally, above. Πᾶσαν anyis every. Δίσμοτον only here and Revelation 1:16; Revelation 2:12, lit. two-mouthed. In lxx always of a sword. See Judges 3:16; Psalm 149:6; Proverbs 5:4; Colossians 900); of rivers with two mouths (Polyb. xxxiv. 10,5). Στόμα mouthof the edge of a sword, Luke href="/desk/?q=lu+21:24&sr=1">Luke 21:24; Hebrews 11:34. Often in lxx, as Genesis 34:26; Joshua 10:28, Joshua 10:33, Joshua 10:35, Joshua 10:37, Joshua 10:39; Judges 1:8. So occasionally in Class., as Homer, Il. xv. 389. Κατεσθίειν or κατέσθειν todevour is used of the sword, Deuteronomy 32:42; 2 Samuel 2:26; Isaiah 31:8; Jeremiah 2:30, etc. Μάχαιρα swordin Class. a dirk or dagger: rarely, a carving knife; later, a bent sword or sabre as contrasted with a straight, thrusting sword, ξίφος (not in N.T. but occasionally in lxx). Ῥομφαία , Luke 2:35(see note), elsewhere only in Revelation, very often in lxx, is a large broadsword. In lxx of Goliath's sword, 1 Samuel 17:51 [source]
For safe keeping as in John 10:28.Seven stars (αστερας επτα asteras hepta). Symbols of the seven churches (Revelation 1:20), seven planets rather than Pleiades or any other constellation like the bear.Proceeded Present middle participle of εκπορευομαι ekporeuomai old compound (Matthew 3:5) used loosely again like εχων echōn sharp two-edged sword “A sword two-mouthed sharp.” ομπαια Romphaia (as distinct from μαχαιρα machaira) is a long sword, properly a Thracian javelin, in N.T. only Luke 2:35; Revelation 1:16; Revelation 2:12; Hebrews 4:12. See στομα stoma used with μαχαιρης machairēs in Luke 21:24 (by the mouth of the sword).Countenance (οπσις opsis). Old word (from οπτω optō), in N.T. only here, John 7:24; John 11:44.As the sun shineth Brachylogy, “as the sun when it shines.” For παινει phainei see John 1:5. [source]
Present middle participle of εκπορευομαι ekporeuomai old compound (Matthew 3:5) used loosely again like εχων echōn sharp two-edged sword “A sword two-mouthed sharp.” ομπαια Romphaia (as distinct from μαχαιρα machaira) is a long sword, properly a Thracian javelin, in N.T. only Luke 2:35; Revelation 1:16; Revelation 2:12; Hebrews 4:12. See στομα stoma used with μαχαιρης machairēs in Luke 21:24 (by the mouth of the sword).Countenance (οπσις opsis). Old word (from οπτω optō), in N.T. only here, John 7:24; John 11:44.As the sun shineth Brachylogy, “as the sun when it shines.” For παινει phainei see John 1:5. [source]
As in Revelation 1:16; Revelation 2:12, Revelation 2:15. [source]
This demonstrative seven times here, once with the message to each church (Revelation 2:1, Revelation 2:8, Revelation 2:12, Revelation 2:18; Revelation 2:1, Revelation 2:7, Revelation 2:14), only once elsewhere in N.T. (Acts 21:11).He that holdeth (ο κρατων ho kratōn). Present active articular participle of κρατεω krateō a stronger word than εχων echōn in Revelation 1:16, to which it refers.He that walketh Present active articular participle of περιπατεω peripateō an allusion to Revelation 1:13. These two epithets are drawn from the picture of Christ in Revelation 1:13-18, and appropriately to conditions in Ephesus describe Christ‘s power over the churches as he moves among them. [source]
Futuristic present middle indicative, “I am coming” (imminent), as in Revelation 2:5 with ταχυ tachu as in Revelation 3:11; Revelation 11:14; Revelation 22:7, Revelation 22:12, Revelation 22:20. As with εν ταχει en tachei (Revelation 1:1), we do not know how soon “quickly” is meant to be understood. But it is a real threat.Against them (μετ αυτων met' autōn). This proposition with πολεμεω polemeō rather than κατα kata (against) is common in the lxx, but in the N.T. only in Revelation 2:16; Revelation 12:7; Revelation 13:4; Revelation 17:14 and the verb itself nowhere else in N.T. except James 4:2. “An eternal roll of thunder from the throne” (Renan). “The glorified Christ is in this book a Warrior, who fights with the sharp sword of the word” (Swete).With Instrumental use of εν en For the language see Revelation 1:16; Revelation 2:12; Revelation 19:15. [source]
Instrumental use of εν en For the language see Revelation 1:16; Revelation 2:12; Revelation 19:15. [source]
Μαχαιρα Machaira may be a knife carried in a sheath at the girdle (John 18:10) or a long sword in battle as here. ομπαια Romphaia also a large sword, is the only other word for sword in the N.T. (Revelation 1:16; Revelation 2:12, Revelation 2:16; Revelation 6:8; Revelation 19:15, Revelation 19:21). [source]
Second aorist active infinitive of λαμβανω lambanō and here the nominative case, the subject of εδοτη edothē (see Revelation 6:2), “to take peace out of the earth.” Alas, how many red horses have been ridden through the ages.And that they should slay one another (και ινα αλληλους σπαχουσιν kai hina allēlous sphaxousin). Epexegetical explanatory purpose clause with ινα hina and the future active of σπαζω sphazō (Revelation 5:6) instead of the more usual subjunctive (Revelation 6:2). Cf. Robertson, Grammar, p. 998f. This is what war does to perfection, makes cannon fodder (cf. John 14:27) of men.A great sword Μαχαιρα Machaira may be a knife carried in a sheath at the girdle (John 18:10) or a long sword in battle as here. ομπαια Romphaia also a large sword, is the only other word for sword in the N.T. (Revelation 1:16; Revelation 2:12, Revelation 2:16; Revelation 6:8; Revelation 19:15, Revelation 19:21). [source]