‏ Revelation of John 10:2

 And he had ( κα εχων ). This use of the participle in place of  ειχεν (imperfect) is like that in 4:7f.; 12:2; 19:12; 21:12, 14, a Semitic idiom (Charles), or as if  καταβαινων (nominative) had preceded in place of  καταβαινοντα.

 A little book ( βιβλαριδιον ). A diminutive of  βιβλαριον (papyri), itself a diminutive of  βιβλιον (5:1) and perhaps in contrast with it, a rare form in Hermas and Re 10:2, 9, 10. In 10:8 Tischendorf reads  βιβλιδαριον, diminutive of  βιβλιδιον (Aristophanes) instead of  βιβλιον (Westcott and Hort). The contents of this little book are found in 11:1-13.

 Open ( ηνεωιγμενον ). See Eze 2:9f. Perfect (triple reduplication) passive participle of  ανοιγω, in contrast to the closed book in 5:1. There also we have  επ (upon)  την δεξιαν (the right hand), for it was a large roll, but here the little open roll is held in the hand ( εν τη χειρ ), apparently the left hand (verse 5).

 He set ( εθηκεν ). First aorist active indicative of  τιθημ. The size of the angel is colossal, for he bestrides both land and sea. Apparently there is no special point in the right foot ( τον ποδα τον δεξιον ) being on the sea ( επ της θαλασσης ) and the left ( τον ευωνυμον ) upon the land ( επ της γης ). It makes a bold and graphic picture.

 As a lion roareth ( ωσπερ λεων μυκατα ). Only instance of  ωσπερ in the Apocalypse, but  ως in the same sense several times. Present middle indicative of  μυκαομα, an old onomatopoetic word from  μυ or  μοο (the sound which a cow utters), common for the lowing and bellowing of cattle, Latin mugire, but in Theocritus for the roaring of a lion as here, though in 1Pe 5:8 we have  ωρυομα. Homer uses  μυκαομα for the clangour of the shield and Aristophanes for thunder. It occurs here alone in the N.T. It does not mean that what the angel said was unintelligible, only loud. Cf. 1:10; 5:2, 12; 6:10; 7:2, 10, etc.

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