SEV Biblia, Chapter 1:11
que decía: YO SOY el Alfa y la Omega, el primero y el ltimo. Escribe en un libro lo que ves, y envíalo a las siete Iglesias que estn en Asia: a Efeso, y a Esmirna, y a Prgamo, y a Tiatira, y a Sardis, y a Filadelfia, y a Laodicea.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Revelation 1:11
Verse 11. I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and] This whole clause is wanting in ABC, thirty-one others; some editions; the Syriac, Coptic, AEthiopic, Armenian, Slavonic, Vulgate, Arethas, Andreas, and Primasius. Griesbach has left it out of the text. Saying-What thou seest, write in a book] Carefully note down every thing that is represented to thee. John had the visions from heaven; but he described them in his own language and manner.
Send it unto the seven Churches] The names of which immediately follow. In Asia. This is wanting in the principal MSS. and versions.
Griesbach has left it out of the text.
Ephesus] This was a city of Ionia, in Asia Minor, situated at the mouth of the river Cayster, on the shore of the AEgean Sea, about fifty miles south of Smyrna. See preface to the Epistle to the Ephesians.
Smyrna] Now called also Ismir, is the largest and richest city of Asia Minor. It is situated about one hundred and eighty-three miles west by south of Constantinople, on the shore of the AEgean Sea. It is supposed to contain about one hundred and forty thousand inhabitants, of whom there are from fifteen to twenty thousand Greeks, six thousand Armenians, five thousand Roman Catholics, one hundred and forty Protestants, eleven thousand Jews, and fifteen thousand Turks. It is a beautiful city, but often ravaged by the plague, and seldom two years together free from earthquakes. In 1758 the city was nearly desolated by the plague; scarcely a sufficient number of the inhabitants survived to gather in the fruits of the earth. In 1688 there was a terrible earthquake here, which overthrew a great number of houses; in one of the shocks, the rock on which the castle stood opened, swallowed up the castle and five thousand persons! On these accounts, nothing but the love of gain, so natural to man, could induce any person to make it his residence; though, in other respects, it can boast of many advantages. In this city the Turks have nineteen mosques; the Greeks, two churches; the Armenians, one; and the Jews, eight synagogues; and the English and Dutch factories have each a chaplain.
Smyrna is one hundred miles north of the island of Rhodes, long. 27 25' E., lat. 38 28' N.
Pergamos] A town of Mysia, situated on the river Caicus. It was the royal residence of Eumenes, and the kings of the race of the Attali. It was anciently famous for its library, which contained, according to Plutarch, two hundred thousand volumes. It was here that the membranae Pergameniae, Pergamenian skins, were invented; from which we derive our word parchment. Pergamos was the birthplace of Galen; and in it P. Scipio died. It is now called Pergamo and Bergamo, and is situated in long. 27 0' E., lat. 39 13' N.
Thyatira] Now called Akissat and Ak-kissar, a city of Natolia, in Asia Minor, seated on the river Hermus, in a plain eighteen miles broad, and is about fifty miles from Pergamos; long. 27 49' E., lat. 38 16' N. The houses are chiefly built of earth, but the mosques are all of marble. Many remarkable ancient inscriptions have been discovered in this place.
Sardis] Now called Sardo and Sart, a town of Asia, in Natolia, about forty miles east from Smyrna. It is seated on the side of mount Tmolus, and was once the capital of the Lydian kings, and here Croesus reigned. It is now a poor, inconsiderable village. Long. 28 5' E., lat. 37 51' N.
Philadelphia] A city of Natolia, seated at the foot of mount Tmolus, by the river Cogamus. It was founded by Attalus Philadelphus, brother of Eumenes, from whom it derived its name. It is now called Alah-sheker, and is about forty miles ESE. of Smyrna. Long. 28 15' E., lat. 38 28' N.
Laodicea] A town of Phrygia, on the river Lycus; first called Diospolis, or the city of Jupiter. It was built by Antiochus Theos, and named after his consort Laodice. See the note on Colossians ii. 1. And, for a very recent account of these seven Churches, see a letter from the chap. Henry Lindsay, inserted at the end of chap. 3.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 11. Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last , etc.] These characters, which are repeated here, (see Gill on Revelation 1:8); are left out in the Alexandrian copy, the Complutensian edition, the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions; but are very fitly retained, to point out the person that speaks; to express his dignity, deity, and eternity; to excite the attention of John, and to give weight to what he said: and, what thou seest, write in a book ; that it might remain, and be read of all men, and be profitable to the churches in the then present age, and in all future ones: and send [it] unto the seven churches which are in Asia ; from whence it appears, that not only the seven following epistles were sent to the churches, but that after John had written in a book the account of all the visions that he saw, the whole was sent unto them, for their use and benefit; and who are particularly named: unto Ephesus ; which was a city of Ionia, and which Pliny calls the work of the Amazons, and the light of Asia; it was famous for the temple of Diana, but more so for having a church of Christ in it: hither the Apostle Paul came and preached, and continued for the space of two years; where a very famous church was planted by him, and proper officers appointed, to whom he wrote a very excellent epistle: this is now a miserable desolate place, not a city, but a village; and is called by the Turks, Aiasalik: of this place and church; (see Gill on Acts 18:19), (see Gill on Acts 20:17); and unto Smyrna ; another city of Ionia, so called from Smyrna, the wife of Theseus f31 , the builder of it; or from Smyrna, an Amazon f32 , the relies of whose marble bust are to be seen there to this day: it lies about forty six miles from Ephesus, and is by the Turks now called Esmir, and is still a place famous, not for pompous buildings, but for number of inhabitants, riches, and commerce: and unto Pergamos ; this was a city of Mysia, situated by the river Caicus, formerly the seat of the kings of Attalia, and was bequeathed by Attalus, their last king, to the Romans: it is famous for being the native place of Galen the physician, and of Apollodorus the rhetorician, master to Augustus Caesar, and for the invention of parchment in it, from whence it seems to have its name: it is now called by the Turks Bergamo, and is almost sixty four miles from Smyrna: and unto Thyatira ; a city of Lydia, near the river Lycus, formerly called Pelopia, and Euhippia, and now, by the Turks, Ak Hissar, or the white camp, and is distant from Pergamos about forty eight miles; (see Gill on Acts 16:14); and unto Sardis ; this was another city of Lydia, situated at the side of Mount Tmolus, it was the metropolis of Lydia, and the seat of King Croesus, and is now called, by the Turks, Sart; and instead of a famous city, it is now an obscure little village, of mean houses, and scarce any other inhabitants in it than shepherds and cow keepers, and is thirty three miles from Thyatira: and unto Philadelphia ; another city of Lydia, situated at the foot of Mount Tmolus; it had its name from Attalus Philadelphus, the builder of it; it is now called, by the Turks, Alah Shahr, or the fair city, though there is nothing beautiful or magnificent in it; it is distant from Thyatira about twenty seven miles: and unto Laodicea ; another city of Lydia, near the river Lycus, first named Diospolis, afterwards Rhoas, and is now, by the Turks, called Eski Hissar, or the old camp; and is inhabited by none, unless it be in the night, by wolves, foxes, and jackals, as our countryman Dr. Smith affirms, in his Notitia of the seven churches of Asia; from whom I have taken the account of these cities as they now are, and the rest from Pliny and Ptolomy chiefly.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 9-11 - It was the apostle's comfort that he did not suffer as an evil-doer but for the testimony of Jesus, for bearing witness to Christ as the Immanuel, the Saviour; and the Spirit of glory and of God rested upo this persecuted apostle. The day and time when he had this vision wa the Lord's day, the Christian sabbath, the first day of the week observed in remembrance of the resurrection of Christ. Let us who cal him "Our Lord," honour him on his own day. The name shows how thi sacred day should be observed; the Lord's day should be wholly devote to the Lord, and none of its hours employed in a sensual, worldl manner, or in amusements. He was in a serious, heavenly, spiritual frame, under the gracious influences of the Spirit of God. Those wh would enjoy communion with God on the Lord's day, must seek to dra their thoughts and affections from earthly things. And if believers ar kept on the Lord's holy day, from public ordinances and the communio of saints, by necessity and not by choice, they may look for comfort i meditation and secret duties, from the influences of the Spirit; and by hearing the voice and contemplating the glory of their beloved Saviour from whose gracious words and power no confinement or outwar circumstances can separate them. An alarm was given as with the soun of the trumpet, and then the apostle heard the voice of Christ.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ επεστρεψα 1994 5656 V-AAI-1S βλεπειν 991 5721 V-PAN την 3588 T-ASF φωνην 5456 N-ASF ητις 3748 R-NSF ελαλησεν 2980 5656 V-AAI-3S μετ 3326 PREP εμου 1700 P-1GS και 2532 CONJ επιστρεψας 1994 5660 V-AAP-NSM ειδον 1492 5627 V-2AAI-1S επτα 2033 A-NUI λυχνιας 3087 N-APF χρυσας 5552 A-APF
