Revelation Chapter 2 verse 10 Holy Bible

Revelation 2 : 10 Bible Verse Songs

• Victor's Crown by Darlene Zschech

Pulpit Commentary

Pulpit CommentaryVerse 10. - Fear not the things which thou art about to suffer. We must bring out the difference between "to be about to" (μέλλειν), in the first two clauses, and the simple future (ἔξετε) in the third; compare "I will show him how many things he must suffer for my Name's sake" (Acts 9:16). The devil, who inspires the "synagogue of Satan," is to be allowed to afflict them, as he afflicted Job. (For "behold," see note on ver. 22.) The expression, "some of you" (ἐξ ὑμῶν), is an interesting link of style between this book and the Fourth Gospel and the Second Epistle; we have a similar construction in John 1:24; John 7:40; John 16:17 2John 4. (For a warning of like import, but to the persecutors, not the persecuted, comp. Matthew 23:34.) That ye may be tried. The common meaning of πειράζειν, as distinct from δοκιμάζειν, is here conspicuous; it is "to try" with the sinister intent of causing to fail. But what is temptation on the devil's side is probation on God's side (comp. 1 Peter 4:12-14). Ten days. It is unwise to make anything either mystical or rigidly literal out of the number ten, which here is probably a round number. The question is whether the round number denotes a small (Genesis 24:55; Numbers 11:19) or a large number (Numbers 14:22; 1 Samuel 1:8; Job 19:3). The former seems probable. It is not impossible that some analogy between their case and that of the "four children" (Daniel 1:12, 15) is suggested by the ten days' probation. Be thou faithful unto death; literally, become thou faithful; show thyself to be such (γίνου πιστός). Note how completely the angel of the Church is identified with the Church. In this one verse we have complete mixture of the two modes of address: "Thou art about to suffer... some of you... ye shall have... I will give thee." "Unto death" does not merely mean "to thy life's end," but "even if fidelity involves death;" compare "becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross" (Philippians 2:8). The crown of life. The Authorized Version, by ignoring the article ("a crown of life"), sadly detracts from the meaning. It is the well-known crown, the crown which is truly such, in contrast to earthly crowns, and perhaps with a special reference to the crowns given at Smyrna to the priests of Dionysus at the expiration of their year of office. The word στεφανηφόρος has been found in inscriptions at Smyrna in this connexion (comp. James 1:12, where the same phrase occurs; also 1 Corinthians 9:25; 1 Peter 5:4). Excepting Revelation 12:3; Revelation 13:1; Revelation 19:12 (where we have διάδημα), στέφανος is the regular word for "crown" in the New Testament. "Of life" is the genitive of apposition; the life is the crown, just as in "the Word of life" (1 John 1:1) the life is the Word. It is impossible to determine whether St. John has in his mind the crown of a king, of a victorious athlete, or of a triumphant warrior. The XII. Tables provided that he who had won a crown might have it placed on his head when his dead body was carried in the funeral procession. St. John, both at Rome and in the East, would have seen this ceremony, possibly in the case of a crowned priest at Smyrna. "The crown of life" would be the exact opposite of that. The narrative of the martyrdom of St. Polycarp draws to a close with these words: "Having by his patience vanquished the unjust ruler, and having thus received the crown of immortality," etc. The writer seems to have had Revelation 2:10 in his mind.

Ellicott's Commentary

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(10) Fear none of those things.--Though Christ proclaimed His yoke to be easy, He also said that His followers must expect tribulation (John 16:33). He never conceals the difficulties or dangers of His service. (See Matthew 10:16-31; Acts 9:16.) So here He proclaims, "Behold, the devil shall cast some. . . ."The devil.--The LXX. translation gives this name to Satan, regarding him as the "accuser." (See Job 1:6; Zechariah 3:1-2; and comp. Revelation 12:10, where he is described as the "accuser of the brethren.") . . .