SEV Biblia, Chapter 5:5
Y uno de los ancianos me dice: No llores; he aquí el Len de la tribu de Jud, la Raíz de David, que ha vencido para abrir el libro, y desatar sus siete sellos.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Revelation 5:5
Verse 5. The Lion of the tribe of Juda] Jesus Christ, who sprang from this tribe, as his genealogy proves; see on Matt. i. 2, 3 and Luke iii. 33. There is an allusion here to Gen. xlix. 9, Judah is a lion's whelp; the lion was the emblem of this tribe, and was supposed to have been embroidered on its ensigns.
The Root of David] See Isa. xi. 1. Christ was the root of David as to his Divine nature; he was a branch out of the stem of Jesse as to his human nature.
Hath prevailed] By the merit of his incarnation, passion, and death.
To open the book] To explain and execute all the purposes and decrees of God, in relation to the government of the world and the Church.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 5. And one of the elders said unto me , etc.] The Ethiopic version reads, one of these elders; that is, one of the four and twenty elders that were round about the throne; not the first of the four and twenty books of the Old Testament; nor the patriarch Jacob, because of the prophecy concerning Shiloh, Judah's son, which stands in ( Genesis 49:10), nor Moses, who spoke of the Messiah as the great prophet of the church; nor John the Baptist, who pointed out the Lamb of God; these are all fancies and conjectures. It was one of the members of the Christian church, who was near the throne of God, had communion with him, and knowledge of his will, who in this visionary way is represented as comforting John under his sorrow and concern, and giving him information: and sometimes persons of superior abilities may receive instruction from meaner persons, as did Apollos from Aquila and Priscilla: the same said unto John, weep not ; cease sorrowing, do not be cast down, nor despair; behold the lion of the tribe of Judah ; by whom is meant Christ, who, according to the flesh, was to come of the tribe of Judah; and certain it is, that our Lord sprang from thence: and he is said to be the lion of that tribe, in allusion to the prophecy concerning Judah in ( Genesis 49:9), where he is said to be a lion, an old lion stooping down and couching, and on whose standard was the figure of a lion. Christ may be compared to one, because of his great strength, he being the mighty God, the able Saviour, and strong Redeemer, and protector of his church and people, and the avenger of their enemies; and because of his courage and intrepidity when he engaged with Satan, and his principalities and powers, when he bore the sins of his people, sustained his Father's wrath, and the terrors of death set themselves in array against him; and because of the fierceness of his wrath, and fury against the wicked, and for his generosity and lenity towards those that stoop unto him, and obey him. So the Jews say f150 , that of Messiah, the son of David, who comes forth from Judah, is it said, ( Genesis 49:9), Judah is a lion's whelp; and a little after, Messiah, the son of David, who is hyra , a lion, shall be on his right hand, and Messiah, the son of Joseph, who is an ox, on his left hand; so the word of the Lord frequently, in the Chaldee paraphrase, is said to be a lion f151 . The root of David ; in like manner is Christ called the root of Jesse in ( Isaiah 11:10); and the meaning either is, that he is a branch that springs out of the roots of Jesse and David, is David's son and offspring, according to his human nature; (see Revelation 22:16); or that he is David's Lord, according to his divine nature: and the metaphor of a root well agrees with him as Mediator, he being hidden out of sight, and unknown to a natural man; and may denote his meanness in his state of humiliation, when he was as a root out of a dry ground; and because he is the root from whence all the elect of God spring, in whom they have their being, and by whom they are bore and supported, and from whom are derived to them all the blessings of grace, all their spiritual life, holiness, fruitfulness, and perseverance. Now this illustrious Person, so described, hath prevailed ; or overcome all difficulties, being one of worth and value, of great authority and ability: to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof ; and deliver out all the prophecies in it, and fulfil them; and this through the merits of his blood, and in consequence of his sufferings and death: hence, in the next verse, he is represented as a lamb as it had been slain; and the four living creatures, and the four and twenty elders, put his worthiness to take the book, and open it, upon his having been slain, and having redeemed them by his blood, ( Revelation 5:9). And as he, upon his resurrection from the dead, had all power in heaven and in earth given him, as Mediator, for the protection of his church, so he was deserving; and it was fit and necessary that he, as the great prophet of the church, should have and deliver out the prophecies concerning the state and condition of his redeemed ones in all ages.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-7 - The apostle saw in the hand of Him that sat upon the throne, a roll of parchments in the form usual in those times, and sealed with seve seals. This represented the secret purposes of God about to be revealed. The designs and methods of Divine Providence, toward the church and the world, are stated, fixed, and made a matter of record The counsels of God are altogether hidden from the eye an understanding of the creature. The several parts are not unsealed an opened at once, but after each other, till the whole mystery of God' counsel and conduct is finished in the world. The creatures cannot ope it, nor read it; the Lord only can do so. Those who see most of God are most desirous to see more; and those who have seen his glory desire to know his will. But even good men may be too eager and hast to look into the mysteries of the Divine conduct. Such desires, if no soon answered, turn to grief and sorrow. If John wept much because he could not look into the book of God's decrees, what reason have many to shed floods of tears for their ignorance of the gospel of Christ! of that on which everlasting salvation depends! We need not weep that we cannot foresee future events respecting ourselves in this world; the eager expectation of future prospects, or the foresight of futur calamities, would alike unfit us for present duties and conflicts, or render our prosperous days distressing. Yet we may desire to learn from the promises and prophecies of Scripture, what will be the fina event to believers and to the church; and the Incarnate Son ha prevailed, that we should learn all that we need to know. Christ stand as Mediator between God and both ministers and people. He is called Lion, but he appears as a Lamb slain. He appears with the marks of his sufferings, to show that he pleads for us in heaven, in virtue of his satisfaction. He appears as a Lamb, having seven horns and seven eyes perfect power to execute all the will of God, and perfect wisdom to understand it, and to do it in the most effectual manner. The Fathe put the book of his eternal counsels into the hand of Christ, an Christ readily and gladly took it into his hand; for he delights to make known the will of his Father; and the Holy Spirit is given by his to reveal the truth and will of God.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 εις 1520 εκ 1537 των 3588 πρεσβυτερων 4245 λεγει 3004 5719 μοι 3427 μη 3361 κλαιε 2799 5720 ιδου 2400 5628 ενικησεν 3528 5656 ο 3588 λεων 3023 ο 3588 ων 5607 5752 εκ 1537 της 3588 φυλης 5443 ιουδα 2448 η 3588 ριζα 4491 δαβιδ 1138 ανοιξαι 455 5658 το 3588 βιβλιον 975 και 2532 λυσαι 3089 5658 τας 3588 επτα 2033 σφραγιδας 4973 αυτου 846
Vincent's NT Word Studies
5. Of the elders (ek twn presbuterwn). Strictly, from among the elders.
The Lion. See Gen. xlix. 9.
The Root of David. See on Nazarene, Matt. ii. 23.
Hath prevailed (enikhsen). Or overcame.
To loose. Omit.
