SEV Biblia, Chapter 1:8
YO SOY el Alfa y la Omega: principio y fin, dice el Seor, el que es y que era y que ha de venir, el Todopoderoso.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Revelation 1:8
Verse 8. I am Alpha and Omega] I am from eternity to eternity. This mode of speech is borrowed from the Jews, who express the whole compass of things by a aleph and t tau, the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet; but as St. John was writing in Greek, he accommodates the whole to the Greek alphabet, of which a alpha and w omega are the first and last letters. With the rabbins t d[w am meeleph vead tau, "from aleph to tau," expressed the whole of a matter, from the beginning to the end. So in Yalcut Rubeni, fol. 17, i5: Adam transgressed the whole law from aleph to tau; i.e., from the beginning to the end. Ibid., fol. 48, i5: Abraham observed the law, from aleph to tau; i.e., he kept it entirely, from beginning to end. Ibid., fol. 128, 3: When the holy blessed God pronounced a blessing on the Israelites, he did it from aleph to tau; i.e., he did it perfectly. The beginning and the ending] That is, as aleph or alpha is the beginning of the alphabet, so am I the author and cause of all things; as tau or omega is the end or last letter of the alphabet, so am I the end of all thinks, the destroyer as well as the establisher of all things. This clause is wanting in almost every MS. and version of importance. It appears to have been added first as an explanatory note, and in process of time crept into the text. Griesbach has left it out of the text. It is worthy of remark, that as the union of a aleph and t tau in Hebrew make ta eth, which the rabbins interpret of the first matter out of which all things were formed, (see on Gen. i. 1;) so the union of a alpha and w omega, in Greek, makes the verb aw, I breathe, and may very properly, in such a symbolical book, point out Him in whom we live, and move, and have our being; for, having formed man out of the dust of the earth, he breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and he became a living soul; and it is by the inspiration or inbreathing of his Spirit that the souls of men are quickened, made alive from the dead, and fitted for life eternal. He adds also that he is the Almighty, the all- powerful framer of the universe, and the inspirer of men.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 8. I am Alpha and Omega , etc.] These are the words of Christ himself, appearing at once, and confirming what John had said of him, concerning his person, offices, and future coming: Alpha is the first letter, and Omega the last in the Greek alphabet, and signifies that Christ is the first and the last, as it is interpreted in ( Revelation 1:11,17), and is a character often given to the divine Being in prophetic writings; (see Isaiah 41:4 44:6 48:12); and is no small proof of the proper deity of Christ. Alpha is used by the Jews for the chief of persons or things; Macmas and Mezonicha (names of places) are tlsl apla , Alpha for fine flour; that is, the best fine flour is there, they are the chief places for it: and again, Tekoah is ml apla , Alpha for oil, or the chief place for oil; the best oil was to be had there f18 : so Christ, he is the Alpha, the chief as to his divine nature, being God over all, blessed for ever; and in his divine sonship, none, angels or men, are in such sense the Son of God as he is; and in all his offices, of prophet, priest, and King; he is the prophet, the great prophet of the church, never man spake like him, or taught as he did; he is the most excellent priest, that exceeds Aaron and all his sons, having an unchangeable priesthood; and he is the King of kings, and Lord of lords; he has the chief place in the church, he is the head of it, and has in all things the preeminence; he is the chief in honour and dignity, is at the right hand of God, and has a name above every name: he also in some sense may be said to be the Omega, the last and the lowest; as in his state of humiliation, he was not only made lower than the angels, but than man; he was despised and rejected of men, and scarcely reckoned a man, a worm, and no man; and he humbled himself, and became obedient to death, even the death of the cross. Moreover, these letters, Alpha and Omega, being the first and the last in the alphabet, may stand for the whole; and it seems to be a proverbial expression taken from the Jews, who use the phrase, from Aleph to Tau, for the whole of any thing, which two letters in the Hebrew alphabet stand in the same place as these; accordingly the Syriac version renders it Olaph and Tau; and the Arabic version Aleph and Ye. It is said in ( Ezekiel 9:6), begin at my sanctuary; R. Joseph taught, do not read my sanctuary, but sanctified ones, these are the children of men who confirm the whole law, wyt d[w Plam , from Aleph to Tau; the same as from Alpha to Omega, or from one end to the other: and a little after, says R. Levi, Tau is the end of the seal of the holy blessed God, for says R. Chanina, the seal of the holy blessed God is tma , truth: says R. Samuel bar Nachmani, these are the children of men who confirm the whole law from Aleph to Tau f19 .
So Christ, he is the Alpha and Omega, the first and last, the chief, the whole of things; as of the covenant of grace, he is the first and last of it, he is the Mediator, surety, and messenger of it, and the ratifier and confirmer of it, he is the covenant itself, all its blessings and promises are in him; he is the sum and substance of the Scriptures, both of the law and of the Gospel; he is the fulfilling end of the law, and he is the subject matter of the Gospel; he stands in the first verse in Genesis, and in the last of the Revelation; he is the Alpha and Omega, the first and last, the whole and all in the business of salvation, in the affair of justification before God, in the sanctification of his people, in their adoption, and eternal glorification; he stands first and last in the book of God's purposes and decrees, in the book of the covenant, in the book of the creatures, or creation, being the first cause, and last end of all things, in the book of Providence, and in the book of the Scriptures: likewise, as these two letters include all the rest, this phrase may be expressive of the perfection of Christ, who as God has the fulness of the Godhead, all the perfections of the divine nature in him; and, as man, is in all things made like unto his brethren; and, as Mediator, has all fulness of power, wisdom, grace, and righteousness in him, in whom all the saints are complete; and this may also denote his eternity, he having none before him, nor any after him; and which also is signified by some other following expressions: the beginning and the ending ; the Alexandrian copy, the Complutensian edition, the Syriac and Ethiopic versions, leave out this; which seems to be explanative of the former clause, Alpha being the beginning of the alphabet, and Omega the ending of it; and properly belongs to Christ, who knows no beginning, nor will he have any end with respect to time, being from everlasting to everlasting; and agrees with him as the first cause of all things, both of the old and new creation, and the last end to which they are all referred, being made for his pleasure, honour, and glory: these things now saith the Lord ; that is, the Lord Jesus Christ; the Alexandrian copy, the Complutensian edition, and the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions, read, the Lord God; and the Ethiopic version only God: which is, and which was, and which is to come ; who is God over all, was God from all eternity, and is to come as such; which he will show by: his omniscience and omnipotence, displayed in the judgment of the world: who is now a Saviour of all that come to God by him; was so under the Old Testament dispensation, being the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world; and is to come, as such, and shall appear a second time unto salvation to them that look for him: particularly this phrase is expressive of the eternity of Christ, who is, was, and ever will be; and of his immutability, who is the same he was, and will be for ever the same he is, and was, unchangeable in his person, in his love, and in the virtue of his blood, righteousness, and sacrifice; he is the same today, yesterday, and for ever. This same phrase is used of God the Father in ( Revelation 1:4); and is a further proof of the deity of Christ; and which is still more confirmed by the following character, the Almighty ; as he appears to be, by creating all things but of nothing; by upholding all creatures in their beings; by the miracles he wrought on earth; by the resurrection of himself from the dead; by obtaining eternal redemption for his people; and by his having the care and government of them upon him, whom he keeps, upholds, bears, and carries to the end, through all their infirmities, afflictions, temptations, and trials.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 4-8 - There can be no true peace, where there is not true grace; and wher grace goeth before, peace will follow. This blessing is in the name of God, of the Holy Trinity, it is an act of adoration. The Father i first named; he is described as the Jehovah who is, and who was, an who is to come, eternal, unchangeable. The Holy Spirit is called the seven spirits, the perfect Spirit of God, in whom there is a diversit of gifts and operations. The Lord Jesus Christ was from eternity, Witness to all the counsels of God. He is the First-born from the dead who will by his own power raise up his people. He is the Prince of the kings of the earth; by him their counsels are overruled, and to his they are accountable. Sin leaves a stain of guilt and pollution upo the soul. Nothing can fetch out this stain but the blood of Christ; an Christ shed his own blood to satisfy Divine justice, and purchase pardon and purity for his people. Christ has made believers kings an priests to God and his Father. As such they overcome the world, mortif sin, govern their own spirits, resist Satan, prevail with God in prayer, and shall judge the world. He has made them priests, given the access to God, enabled them to offer spiritual and acceptabl sacrifices, and for these favours they are bound to ascribe to his dominion and glory for ever. He will judge the world. Attention i called to that great day when all will see the wisdom and happiness of the friends of Christ, and the madness and misery of his enemies. Le us think frequently upon the second coming of Christ. He shall come, to the terror of those who wound and crucify him by apostacy: he shal come, to the astonishment of the whole world of the ungodly. He is the Beginning and the End; all things are from him and for him; he is the Almighty; the same eternal and unchanged One. And if we would be numbered with his saints in glory everlasting, we must now willin submit to him receive him, and honour him as a saviour, who we believ will come to be our Judge. Alas, that there should be many, who woul wish never to die, and that there should not be a day of judgment!
Greek Textus Receptus
εγω 1473 ειμι 1510 5748 το 3588 α 1 και 2532 το 3588 ω 5598 αρχη 746 και 2532 τελος 5056 λεγει 3004 5719 ο 3588 κυριος 2962 ο 3588 ων 5607 5752 και 2532 ο 3588 ην 2258 5713 και 2532 ο 3588 ερχομενος 2064 5740 ο 3588 παντοκρατωρ 3841
Vincent's NT Word Studies
8. Alpha and Omega (to A kai to W). Rev., rightly, gives the article, "the Alpha," etc. The words are explained by the gloss, properly omitted from the text, the beginning and the ending. The Rabbinical writers used the phrase from Aleph to Tav, to signify completely, from beginning to end. Thus one says, "Adam transgressed the whole law from Aleph even to Tav." Compare Isa. xli. 4; xliii. 10; xliv. 6.
The Lord (o kuriov). See on Matt. xxi. 3. The best texts read Kuriov oJ Qeov the Lord the God. Rev., the Lord God.
Which is, etc. See on verse 4. "God, as the old tradition declares, holding in His hand the beginning, middle, and end of all that is" (Plato, "Laws," 715).
The Almighty (o pantokratwr). Used only once outside of Revelation, in 2 Cor. vi. 18, where it is a quotation. Constantly in the Septuagint.
