EXCHANGE
THE
SOLECISMS OF THE APOCALYPSE
BY
T. COWDEN LAUGHLIN
A DISSERTATION
PRESENTED TO THE FACULTY OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY
FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
1902
PRINCETON, N. J.
C. 6. ROBINSON & CO., UNIVERSITY PRINTERS
THE
SOLECISMS OF THE APOCALYPSE
BY
T. COWDEN LAUGHLIN
A DISSERTATION
PRESENTED TO THE FACULTY OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY
FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
1902
PRINCETON, N. J.
C. 8. ROBINSON & CO., UNIVERSITY PRINTERS
THE SOLECISMS OF THE APOCALYPSE
BIBLIOGRAPHY
The leading works consulted in the preparation of this disserta-
tion are the following :
BLASS, "Grammatik des neutestamentlichen Griechisch." Gottingen, 1896.
BOUSSET, " Die Otfenbarung Johannis." 5 Aufl. Gottingen, 1896.
BUP.TON, "Syntax of the Moods and Tenses in New Testament Greek." Chi-
cago, 1893.
CHEYNE & BLACK, " Encyclopaedia Biblica." New York, 1899-1903.
EBRARD, "Das Evangelium Johannis." Ziiruch, 1845.
EBRARD, " Wissenschaftliche Kritik der evangelischen Geschichte." Dritte
Aufl. Frankfurt a. M., 1868.
EUSEBIUS, " Ecclesiasticae Historiae " MIGNE, " Patrologia Graeca."
EWALD, " Commentarius in Apocalypsin Johannis Exegeticus et Criticus."
Lipsiae, 1828.
EWALD, "Grammatik der hebraischen Sprache des A. T." Zweite Aufl.
Leipzig, 1835.
EWALD, "Die Johanneischen Schriften iibersetz und erklart." Gottingen,
1861-1862.
GREEN, "A Grammar of the Hebrew Language." New York, 1889.
GUILLEMARD, " Hebraisms in the Greek Testament." Cambridge, 1879.
HARNACK, Article on Word " Revelation " in " Encycl. Brit.," Vol. XX.
HASTINGS, " Dictionary of the Bible." New York, 1898-1902.
HATCH, " Essays in Biblical Greek." Oxford, 1889.
LIGHTFOOT, "St. Paul's Epistle to the Galatians." London and New
York, 1900.
LtiCKE, " Versuch einer Vollstandigen Einleitung in die Offenbarung Johannis
und in die gesammte apokalyptische Litteratur." Bonn. 1852.
MILLIGAN, " Discussions on the Apocalypse." London, 1893.
MOULTON & GEDEN, "A Concordance to the Greek Testament." 2d Edition,
New York, 1900.
SALMON, "A Historical Introduction to the Study of the Books of the New
Testament." 9th Edition, London, 1899.
SPITTA, "Die Offenbarung des Johannes." Halle, 1889.
SWETE, "An Introduction to the Old Testament in Greek." Cambridge, 1900.
SWETE, "The Old Testament in Greek according to the Septuagint." 3 vols.
Cambridge, 1887-1894.
THAYER, "Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament." New York, 1887.
TISCHENDORF, " Novum Testamentum Graece." Lipsiae, 1872.
TOY, " Quotations in the New Testament." New York, 1884.
YITEAU, " Etude sur le Grec du Nouveau Testament." Paris, 1893-6.
WESTCOTT, "The Gospel According to St. John." London, 1894.
WESTCOTT & HORT, "The New Testament in the Original Greek." London
and Cambridge, 1885. (The references in this dissertation are to this text.)
WINER, "A Grammar of the Idiom of the New Testament." Thayer's
Edition, Andorer, 1874.
239329
I he Solecisms of the Apocalypse.
THE SOLECISMS OF THE APOCALYPSE.
The Greek of the Apocalypse is marked by a series of most
striking peculiarities which, as has long been recognized, are due
in large part to the influence of the Hebrew idiom. They appear
in passages imitating the style of the Hebrew Prophets * (with
whose writings the Apocalyptist was so familiar 2 ) or in sentences
or phrases transferred directly from the Hebrew of the Old
Testament or from its Greek translation the LXX. 3 The fol-
lowing pages present the evidence of this Hebrew influence in
sufficient volume and with sufficient discussion of detail to make,
it is hoped, a complete demonstration. 4 The solecisms will be
considered under three heads.
1 Ebrard, in speaking of the more glaring solecisms of the Apocalypse, says,
that " dieselben nicht unvvillkiihrlich, sondern in halbabsichtlicher Nachahmung
des Colorits der a. t. Sprache entstanden sind. Der Autor der Apokalypse vvollte
offenbar hebraisirond schreibcn ; die Sprache und der Stil der a. t. Propheten war
es, die ihm allein in ihrer grossartigen Sehlichtheit geniigte, das Ungeheure wieder-
zugeben, was er geschaut hat." (" Wissenschaftliche Kritik der evangelischen
Geschichte." Dritte Ann. Frankfurt a. M. 1868, S. 1106.)
2 Ewald, " Die Johannei ; chen Schriften." Bd. II., S. 52.
3 The LXX translation is more Hebraic than the N. T. and does not represent
a type of Greek established and in actual currency at the time it was made, but " its
distinctive character is due rather to the translators' exaggerated deference to the
Hebrew sacred text and their mechanical reproduction of it." (Thayer on " Lan-
guage of the New Testament" in Hasting's " Dictionary of the Bible," Vol. Ill,
p. 40.) It is not surprising, then, that solecisms are found in the LXX nor in the
writings of those who quoted or made use of that translation.
4 There are no less than 460 O. T. passages made use of in the Apocalypse.
Westcott and Hort give a list of these in their " N. T. Greek," pp. 612 ff. and
under the heading " Quotations from the O. T." ; but the Apocalypse contains no
quotations proper, although a great part of its language is taken from the O. T.
(Toy, "Quotations in the N. T.," p. 253. Cp. Swete, "An Introduction to the
O. T. in Greek," pp. 392 and 404.)
The Solecisms of the Apocalypse. 5
I.
PECULIAR WORDS. 1
1. ISo v.~ It is often followed by a Nominative without verb.
The LXX of the Old Testament prophecies invariably
uses ISov (1) as a translation of the Hebrew word PUPI (behold,
lo). Thus, for example, in such passages as Gen. 12:19 f]^f]
-|f^^, the LXX. of which is KOI vvv ISov rj yvvrj aov (evavriov
<rov). Gen. 16 : 6 -jPHD^ PUPl "HEr^N D*nK, the LXX of
which is elirev Se 'A/3pafJi Trpbs ^dpav 'ISov r} 7ratSi(7icri crov
(evavTiov aov). "Gen. 18:9 ?n&O PlJPl LXX 6 Se ctTroicpiOek
el-jrev 'ISov h ry a^vr). Gen. 19:2 ^1^-^ HJH ^^1
LXX is teal elTrev 'I8ov, icvpioi, KK\Lvare Trpbs TOV olicov, &c.
Ps. 134:1 m>T"n^ *D*O PUH LXX y l8ov ^ evXoyelre TOV
tcvpLov. (2) 'I So v is the LXX translation also of the Hebrew word
^*|K (behold), which is from the Chaldaic, in such passages as
Dan. 7:5, 6, 7 and 13. It is the translation (3) of the Hebrew
I^N (behold), which is also from the Chaldaic, in Dan. 2 : 31,
for example. The LXX translation of each of these three words
(mil, n and ^) always ISov.
(a) Many passages in the Apocalypse contain 18 ov direct
from the LXX as, for example : Rev. 1 . 7 1 5 o v epxercu peTa rwv
This follows Dan. (LXX) 7:13 KOI ISov eVl TUV
wi', which follows the Aramaic original (Toy) and the Heb.
"UJJTDJ? TIKI- Rev - 14:14 KOI elSov, ical ISov
\ev/cij) fcal eVl rrjv veffreXyv /caBijfievov O/JLOLOV vlov avdpoyjrov.
This follows the LXX of Dan. 7 : 13 /cal ISov eVt ra>v ve(f>e\a)v
rov ovpavov a)? v to? av0pa)7rov, the Hebrew of which is
1 These can scarcely be called solecisms in strictest sense, yet they are peculiar
especially to the Apocalypse, whose author quotes them from the LXX.
2 Ebrard, in refuting Hitzig, who regards the Gospel of Mark and the Apoca-
lypse as written by the same author, speaks of /5ov in the Apocalypse as ' ' Nachah-
mung des Prophetenstiles ..... wer mochte da das oftmalige I5o6 c. ptc. fur ein
unwillkuhrliches, zufalliges halten " ? (" Evangelium Johannis," S. 166.)
6 The Solecisms of the Apocalypse.
and the LXX of Dan. 10:16 KOI ISov o>? 6>otWt9
av6p(b7rov, the Hebrew of which is Q-JN ^2 OIDID PUPP
(Cp. also Kev. 21 : 3 tSov 97 <r/n?i^ roi) 0eoO which follows Ezek.
37 : 57). Rev. 12 : 3 /cal ISov Spd/ccov e^ow /ce(f)a\a<$ eTrra
KOI Kepara Seiea, which follows direct the Hebrew "H^ of Dan.
7:7 and iSoi> of the LXX of Dan. 7:8.
(b) Many other passages in the Apocalypse are imitations of
the LXX usage. Rev. 6 : 2, 5 and 8 /cal elSov, teal IBov ITTTTO?
Xeiwo'?; TTTTTO? irvppd? teal IS oft fonro? /-ie'Xa9
teal ISov ITTTTO? xXfi>/xfc, which are from the LXX of Zech. 1: 8
KOI ISov avr)p e7ri/3e/37)K(jt)<z eTrl ITTTTOV irvppov &c., to which pas-
sages the Apocalyptist here refers. 1
2. TlavTOKparcop. 2 The influence of the LXX explains
the use of this word. It is found in the following Apocalyptic
passages . Rev. liStcvpios 6 #eo9, (o &>v /cal 6 fy /cal
6 Travro/cpdrciyp . Rev. 4.8 a^ios #7409 ayios icvpios, 6
6 Travr/cpdrayp (o rjv /cal 6 cov /cal 6 ep^o^evo^. Rev. 11:17
Kvpie, o #eo9, o TravTo/cpdr&p (6 wv /cal 6 r]v). Rev. 15:3
(Me^aXa /cal OavfJiaara ra epya o-ou), /cvpie, 6 #eo9, o Travro-
/cpdraip. Rev. 16:7 (vat) /cvpie, 6 #eo9, 6 Travro/cpdrcop.
Rev. 16:14 (rjfiepas rfjs fjLeydXrjs) TOV Oeov TT avro/cpdrcop.
Rev. 19:6 'AXX^Xou^a, on eftaaiXevo-ev /cv)0to9, 6 #eo9, 6 irav-
ro/cpdrcop. Rev. 19 : 15 r^9 opyrjs TOV Oeov TOV 7ravTO/cp d-
T op 09. Rev. 21: 22 (/cal vabv ov/c elSov ev avTrj) 6 jap /et;/uo9, o
#eo'9, o TravTO/cpaTcop vaos avTrjs ea-Tiv. Cp., also, 2 Cor. 6: 18.
In every one of the passages just specified, the expression
6 /ci5/uo9, 6 #eo9, 6 TravTo/cpaTcop is direct from the LXX of
1 In other books of the New Testament, and especially in the Gospels, 1806 is
found in quotations from the LXX. of the Old Testament as, Matt. 1 :23 I dot i]
irapdtvos tv yaffrpl 2ei KCU T^erat vl6v, Kal Ka\taov<ri.v rb ftvopa. avrov 'E(j.fj.avovr]\. This is
the LXX from Isaiah 7 : 14 (Cp. Matt. 12 : 18 ; 21 : 5 ; Matt. 11 : 10 Idod tyu
dTroo-rAXw rbv &yye\6v ^uoy, &c., which is the LXX for Mai. 3 : 1. Cp. Mk. 1:2;
Lk. 7 : 27 ; Jno. 12 : 15 ; Kom. 9 : 33 ; Heb. 2 : 13 ; Heb. 8:8; Heb. 10 : 7, 9 :
1 Pet. 2 : 6.)
2 ILavroKpdrup is not found in John's Gospel and only once elsewhere in the
New Testament, i. e. t 2 Cor. 6 : 18, where it occurs in a quotation from the LXX.
The Solecisms of the Apocalypse. 7
Amos 4 : 13 Kvpios 6 #eo9, o TravTOKpdrwp (ovopa avTw), which, in
turn, is the translation of the Hebrew of the same passage, i. e.,
Amos 4 : 13 (1QEO nKT^ Hin v
3. In the Apocalypse, we always find the word " Jerusalem "
written 'le/jovcraX^/i (indeclinable), but in the Gospel (and
Acts, &c. , where quoted) it invariably has the form 'lepoa-oXvpa.
(Cp. Thayer's "Winer, p. 68.) But this difference is easily ac-
counted for when we note that the writing of the word in the
Apocalypse is the same as that of the LXX (from the Hebrew
D/2nT) from which the Apocalyptist so often quotes. The
Apocalyptic passages in which tbe word appears and the LXX.
passages from which they are quoted follow : Rev. 21:2 nal TTJV
7rd\iv TTjv dyfav y lepov<ra\r) /A icaivrfv elSov. This is quoted from
Isa. 52:1 KOLI av foSvfffU rrjv &dav aov, ) Iepov(ra\r) JJL, TTO\W 17
ay fa. Rev. 21 : 10 KOI eSeigev JJLOI rrjv TTO\LV TTJV dyfav 'lepovcra-
XTJ/J, &c., which follows the LXX of Isa. 52 : 1 /ecu av evSvo-cu
So'fazTc-oi;, *lepovcra\r) p , Tro'Xt? rj dyia. Rev. 3: 12 KOI
..... TO ovo/jia r?}9 TroXeoj? rov 6eov IJLOV , TT}? Kawr\s 'Iepovcra\rj JJL I
Cp. Ezek. 48:35. 2 Thus we have: Jno. 1:19 ol 'lovSaloi cf
*Ie pocro\v /JLO)V . Jno. 2:13 Kal aveflrj ew *Iepo<rd\v fjua 6
'Irjcrovs. Jno. 2:23 'H? 8e fjv ev rot? 'le/ooo-oXv/Ltot? . Jno.
4 : 20 /cal v/iet? Xeyere cm ev 'lepoo-oXv/xot? earlv 6 TOTTO?. All
the other instances in John's Gospel show the declinable
'lepoo-oXvpa. If John wrote the Apocalypse, direct and conscious
use of the LXX form is the only possible explanation of the vari-
ation of this word.
4. 'AXXT/Xoina. In Rev. 19:1. 3, 4 and 6 we have the
word 'AXX^Xoma. This word is taken from the LXX of Pss.
106:1; 146:1; 147:1; 148:1; 149:1; 150:1 and 6.
r A XX 77X0 in a is the Greek translation of the Hebrew fV
1 For examples ofltpowaXfo in the LXX, cp. Zech. 3:2; 9:9; Josh. 10: 1 ;
Ezek. 1:2; 2:8; 2 Chron. 12 : 2, 9, 13 ; 19 : 1, 4, 8 ; 20 : 18, 27, 28, 31 ; 21 : 5 ;
13 : 20 ; 22 : 1, 2 ; 23 : 2 et al.
2 In view of the possible common authorship of the Apocalypse and John's
Gospel, it may be noted that in the Gospel the word is always written in its declin-
able form 'Iepoff6\vfM.
8 The Solecisms of the Apocalypse.
5. In Rev. 12 : 5 we have /cal eTi/cev vldv, apcrev, 05
jroipaiveiv Tcavra ra eOvrj. Cp. Isa. 66 : 7. Here vl6v is mascu-
line and apcrev is neuter. The word for "male" is either
6 apcrrjv (masc.) or TO apcrev (neut.) (Cp. Thayer's Greek
Lex.) In this verse, the writer uses the neuter form while in vs.
13 of the same chapter he employed the masc. (i. e., eSLwgev TTJV
yvvalKa -?rt9 eritcev TOV apcrev a). Since he did not use the
neuter form in both sentences, we should rather expect the mas-
culine in the first instance in connection with the masc. vldv, of
which it is an appositive (although an appositive need only agree
in case). But as Ewald suggests, "vlov, apcrev" (i. e., the
masc. and the neut. together) is " bloss Nachahmung von
*"DT P em Sonn em mannliches." (" Die Joh. Schriften." Bd. II.
S. 53).*
II.
PECULIAR PHRASES.
1. In Rev. 15:5, (Cp. Acts 7 : 44), occurs the phrase " -n}?
TOV papTvpiov" or more fully, "6 vabs TT)? o-K^vrj^ TOV
ev TQ> ovpavw." This is a very striking statement, but
it is simply the Greek translation of 1JJ1D /!""!& m such passages
as Ex, 40 : 34, the Hebrew of which is ^nKTlN pJ?H DD n l
*"1JJ1Q 9 the LXX for this is, /cal eKd\vtyev fj ve<f)e\r) TTJV cr/crjvrjv
TOV papTvptov and Rev. 15 : 5 quotes it. Cp., also, Lev. 24 : 3
(LXX) ev Ty o-Krjvf} TOV papTvpiov; Num. (LXX) 17:7 and 8
ev Ty crfcrjvfj TOV papTvpiov ; Ex. (LXX) 27 : 21 is ev Trj cr/crjvfj TOV
papTvptov ; Ex. 40 : 22 ; 40 : 24 and Num. 1 7 : 49.
It is also the LXX translation of nV"!J/n"?DEPD i
passages as Num. 1: 50 (LXX) enl Trjv crfcrjvrjv TOV
piov. Num. 1:53 (LXX) KV/C\Q) TT}? CT/CIJVTJ^ TOV fJiapTV-
piov. Num. 10:11 (LXX) f) ve<f>e\7j ano TT}? cricrjvrjs TOV
* [NOTE. Another interesting word is x<^Ko\t^avov (Eev. 1 : 15 and 2 : 18). It
is a compound word coined by the author, who here follows the Hebrew of Dan.
10 : 6. (Cp. Toy, " Quotations in the N. T., p. 254.) Notice, also, the compound
words 7rora/io06/3?7Tos (Kev. 12 : 15) and fj.e<rovpav^a (Rev. 8 : 13 ; 14 : 6 ; 19 : 17)].
The Solecisms of the Apocalypse. 9
fjiapTVpiov. Ex. 38:21 (LXX) 77 a-uvra^ TT}? a-tcrjvfj^ TOV
fjuapTvp iov.
It is further the LXX translation of nnjBT*?ftH in Num -
18 : 2 (LXX) airevavTi TT)? cr #771/779 TOV paprvpiov. 2 Chron.
24 : 6 (LXX) et? rrjv a KTJ vrjv rov paprvp iov.
2. Strings of Genitives. Strings of genitives hanging on one
noun or on one another are frequent in the Apocalypse. Rev.
19 : 15 rrjv \7jvbv TOV olvov TOV Ovpov TT}? 0/37779 TOV Oeov TOV iravTO-
tcpaTepos. Rev. 14 : 10 KOI avTos irierai etc TOV otvov TOV Ovpov TOV
6eov TOV ..... ev TO) TTOTTJPLO) TT}? 0/37779 CLVTOV. Rev. 16 : 19 TO
TTOTrjplOV TOV OLVOV TOV 0V/JLOV T1JS 0/377)9 dVTOV. ReV. 14 T 8 $) K TOV
otvov TOV Ovfjiov rr)? Tropveias. Rev. 18 : 3 ort e/c TOV otvov TOV
Ovfjiov TT)? iropveCas avTrjs, &c. (Cp., also, Rev. 22: 19 avro T<MZ/
\dycov TOV fttfiXfov rr)? 7rpo(f>7)TeLas TavTys. Cp. Rev. 21 : 6.)
The passages above are not only imitations of the LXX, but
are all more or less directly quoted from the LXX of Jer. 25 : 15
Which is, TO TTOTr)plOV TOV olvOV TOV CLKQCLTQG TOVTOV. Cp. Isa. 51 : 17.
37 Repetition of Prepositions before a series of nouns, as in
Rev. 16 : 13 teal elSov etc TOV o-To'^taT09 TOV SpdrcovTos /cal etc TOV
<7To'/iaT09 TOO 07)pfov KOi K TOV O~To'/l,aT09 TOV ^TevSoTTpO^TOV. ReV.
21 : 13 CLTTO ava,TO\ri<$ TrvX&ves T/aet9, KOI CLTTO floppa 7ru\(wz/e9 T/3et9,
fcal CLTTO VOTOV Trv\a)ve<s T)0t9, teal CLTCO ^va-fJLwv 7ru\wz/e9 T/3t9. Rev.
17:6 teal elftov TTJV <yvvaitca peOvovarav etc TOV aifAaTOS TCOV ay lew
teal etc TOV ai/u,aT09 TMV /jiapTvpcov 'lycrov. (Cp. Rev. 9 : 21.) Rev.
7 : 1 iva yur) Trverj avepos errl T^9 77)9 piJTe ITT I T7}9 Qa\ao-Q-T)<s fJLiJTe
ITT I irav SeSpov. Rev. 3 : 5 teal 6fAO\oyij<rci) TO ovopa avTOv eva>7Ti,ov
TOV 7raT/?o9 ftov teal ev&TTiov T&V ayyeXcov avTOv. Rev. 7:9
eo*TWT779 evtoTTiov TOV 6povov teal evcoTTiov TOV apviov. (Cp.
4 : 5 and 4 : 10, &c.) Here is displayed not only a repetition of
prepositions, but, in the last two examples, an unusual preposition. 1
1 The preposition e v & TT i o v is very common in the LXX and is the Greek
translation of the Hebrew words TJ73 and ''JsS. Thus, for example, the word
IVUTUQV in Rev. 3:9 occurs in the LXX of Isa. 66:23 i. e., et Tracra <r<i/> rou
irpocrKvvija-ai ev&iriov tfwv ev'Iepova-aX^fj., from which it is quoted, V&TTLOV being the
LXX of 'J3S from the phrase rP7T "I3 ' J 3 S mnn^nS "l^-^D K13 of Isa. 66 : 23.
Cp. Isa. 49 : 23 ; 60 -. 14. ) (Cp. e v 6 TT i o v in Bev. 15 : 4, which is quoted from Ps.
86 : 9). Wherever this word occurs in the Apocalypse (and it occurs thirty-one
times) it is the LXX translation direct, or in imitation of the Hebrew word S J27.
10 The Solecisms of the Apocalypse.
This repetition of prepositions is in imitation of the LXX usage
which shows it constantly. Note, for example, Zech. 6:10 Aa/3e
ra eK rrjs at%^a\&>o-ta9 Trap a r&v ap%dvr(0v ical Trap a r&v xprj-
o-ifjicov avrfjs /cal Trap a r&v eTrejvcoKorcov avrrjv. Zech. 1 : 4
J A.Tro(rrpetyare arro rwv oSwv vfjiwv ra)v Trovrjp&v Kal aTrb rwv
eTrir'rjSevfjidrcov vfJL&v r&v TTOV7)pa>v. Zech. 8 : 7 TaSe \eyei Kvpios
TravroKpdra)p 'I8ou eyew o-a>fa> rov \adv /JLOV airo 7^5 avaro\wv ical
CLTTO 77}? Sva-pwv. (Cp. Isa. 43 : 5.) Zech. 1 : 6 /ca0a)<; TrapareraicTai
KVpios TravTO/cpdrcop rov Troifjo-ai rj^fav tear a ra? o8ou? f)p&v /cal
Kara ra TrLT7]^ev^ara rjpcov.
4. Repetition of Other Words. Not only are prepositions re-
peated in the Apocalypse, but other words as well. The follow-
ing examples may be given: Rev. 19:18 Iva $d<yr)Te era pic as
fiao-iXecov ical ddp ic as %i\idp%a)V ical a- d pic as ical a dp K as
K al (rap teas. (Op. Ezek. 39 : 17, 18.) Rev. 16:13 ical
elSov IK rov (no paras teal etc (rrduaros ical e/c
TOV arroparos. Rev. 8:12 /cat eTT\tjjrj TO rpirov TO
r p irov ..... TO rpirov TO rpirov TO rpirov
TO rpirov. (Cp. Rev. 8 ; 9.) Rev. 18:2 ical ical
/cal /cal. Rev. 14: 1 %ov<rai TO ovopa avrov
Kal TO ovofjua rov irarpos avrov.
This recurrence of special words is " preeminently character-
istic of Oriental expression " (Thayer's Winer, p. 606). In the
Apocalyptic passages just quoted, it is due to the influence of the
LXX which again reproduces the Hebrew original. Cp. Zech.
6 : 14 6 Be are^avos ecrrai r ois vrro/Jievovo-iv /calrols xprjaifjiois avrrjs
/cal rots eTreyvcoicocriv. (Cp. Zech. 6 : 10.) Zech. 8 : 12 97 a/^TreXo?
8 wo- e i rbv /caprrov UT^?, /cal fj 77} Scbaei ra yevijfjiara avrr)S, /cal
6 ovpavos 5c6o~et rrjv Spda-ov avrov. Zech. 8:19 \eyei icvpios
Travro/cpdrwp vrjareia rj rerpas /cal vrjo^reia f) TreuTrrij /cal
VTjareia rj efiSdfATj /cal vrjareia 77 Seicdrrj e&ovrai TO) oi/cqy 'lovba.
5. Another anomalous phrase is found in Rev. 12 : 14 /caipbv
ical Kaipovs Kal tf/jiiov Kaipov. Liicke l speaks of this phrase as
1 "Einleitung in die Offenbarung des Johanes," Bd. II, S. 455. (Cp. Toy,
' Quotations in N. T.," p. 264.)
The Solecisms of the Apocalypse. 11
" vollig eigenthiimlich und anomalisch. Hier 1st /caipoix; so viel als
zwei Zeitraume, Jahre, aber dies 1st der technische apokalyptische
Sprachgebrauch aus Daniel 7:25; 12 : 7 genommen, wo die
LXX F* durch Amjow iibersetzt."
m.
PECULIAR CONSTRUCTIONS.
1. In Rev. 2 : 14 occurs the expression 65 eSiSaa-rcev ra> fia\dtc
in which the word " teach " is followed by a Dative of person in
imitation of the Hebrew 7 ""ID/- (Q>. Thayer's Lexicon on the
word &Sao7co> ; also Job 21 : 22, i. e., HJ? 1 "! IDT 1 ^fc^i"! an( l
Ewald, "gr. Hebr.," p. 588.)
-2. The Preposition airo with the Nominative. Rev. 1 : 4 curb 6
cov KOI 6 TJV KOI 6 epxdjjievos. This solecism is striking in the
highest degree. 1 Some authors have tried to soften the expres-
sion by inserting the article roO after airo. But this would not
explain the anomaly here, " quod scriptor omnino praepositiones
cum nominative jungere soleat." 2 The phrase 6 wv /cal 6 fy /cal
is the Greek equivalent for the Hebrew name
1 Guillemard speaks of this as " an anomalous construction clearly traceable to
absence of inflexion in Hebrew nouns which made such a violation of grammar less
startling to a Jew writing Greek." (" Hebraisms in the Greek Testament, p. 116.)
2 Ewald, " Com. in Apoc.," p. 46.
3 Ebrard regards this phrase as intentional on the part of the writer, saying of
it, " die absichtliche Behandlung der ganzen Formel 6 uv KO! 6 yv Kal 6 fyx<Wi/os als
unveranderlichen nom. propr. wo das erste 6 sowie das zweite und dritte als integ-
rirender Theil des Namens betrachtet wird, liegt hier gar zu klar am Tage"
("Evangelium Johannis," S. 165-166) and Harnack, in speaking of the same
phrase, says, "the gross violations of Greek grammar are not to be explained from
ignorance."* ("Encycl. Brit." on word " Revelation.")
* The proper construction of a with the Genitive occurs in the same verse (i. e., 1 : 4),
ano rStv ema. irvev)j.a.ru>v, proving that the author did not use curb with the Nominative
through ignorance.
12 The Solecisms of the Apocalypse.
Jehovah. Liicke regards it " als ein Begriff anzusehen, wodurch
nach Rabbinscher Deutung des Namens Jehova der ewige Gott
bezeichnet wird." 1 'O tbv is directly quoted from the LXX of
Ex. 3 : 14 KOI elirev 6 #eo9 Trpbs M.cova'fjv \eycov '70) dpi o & v.
Kal elirev Oimo? e/oet? rot? viols 'Icrpafa 6 & v aTrearaX/cev pe TT/JO?
a9, the phrase o a>v being the translation of *^fc$ rPi"lN
Thus the Apocalyptist used the expression o o> v directly
from the LXX 3 and does not change the form to the Genitive
after a IT 6. Naturally the other words or parts of the phrase,
namely, 6 rjv ical 6 epxpnevos, are in the same construction as 6 &v
" da es kein Particip des Praeteritums von elvai giebt, so ist
schwer einzusehen, wie der Yerfasser das 6 fjv (der war) anders
hatte ausdriicken sollen." 4
3. The Genitive and Accusative joined by Kal, instead of two
Genitives, after a Word of Fullness. The use of the accusative after
the idea of fullness is a Hebrew idiom. Thus, Rev. 17: 46
%ovaa TTOTrjpiov xpvcrovv ev rrj ^ipl avrijs yefiov /38e\vyfid-
T(ov /cal ra a/cdOapra rfjs iropveias avrfjs. (Cp. Jer. 51 : 7).
ra a/cdOapra instead of ra>v a/caOdprcov, imitates the Hebrew. A
capital illustration of this usage is found in 2 Sam. 23:7
Even the LXX translation of this passage has followed the
Hebrew entirely, namely, /cal TT \rjpes a-iSijpov /cal %v\ov
SdpaTos. Again, the LXX of Ezek. 39 : 20 has the accusative
after the word " filled," thus : /cal jOTXi?<rdipr<F0(&r2 r^? irpaire^
fjiov) ITT 7rov Kal ava/BttTrjv Kal ytyavra. The same thing is
found in Ex. 1 : 7 DDK SIKH ^^0111, the LXX of which has
7r\rj0vvev 8e fj 77} avrovs. The accusative is the usual con-
struction after a word of fullness in Hebrew. " Worter wie J^Q
gewohnlich mit dem Accusative ..... sich verbinden." (Ewald,
"Die Joh. Schriften," S. 53.) In further proof of this, cp.
1 " Einleitung in die Offenbarung des Johannes," S. 462.
2 Cp. Isa. 41 : 4 KIH-^K
3 Cp. Thayer's Winer, p. 68.
4 Liicke, " Einleitung in die OflEenbarung des Johannes," 2 Aufl., S. 462.
The Solecisms of the Apocalypse. 13
Gesenius' "Hebrew and Eng. Lex." on the word &OD, P- 473.
Also Liicke, " Einleitung u. s. w." S. 461. Eev. 17 : 46, then,
(the passage in question) is a mixture of Greek and Hebrew
constructions, the Genitive pSeXvypdrcov after yefjiov being a
Greek construction while the accusative TO, a/cdOapra is
Hebrew.
4. A Double- Gender. The word \rjvds (wine-press) is given a
double gender in Rev. 14: 19 and 20. Thus, teal efta\ev eZ? rrjv
\rjvbv TOV dvfjLov TOV deov TOV peyav [the great wine-press] /cal
CTrarijOrj rj \rjvbs e^coOev TT}? 7ro^,ea)9 ; the feminine Trjv \rjvov
and then the masculine TOV peyav [\rjvdv]. This construction
is found in Isa. 63:3, from which this verse is suggested ; thus
^>*o DDVJNI TIN ..... na^ Tom mis
Here {O1B is feminine and 22*1*1^ is masculine. Thayer re-
marks that this is a variation in gender which can hardly be
matched in Greek though not rare in Hebrew. 1
5. Disagreement in Gender. Feminine nouns are frequently
followed by an adjective or participle in the masculine. Rev. 4 : 1
/cal 77 fywvr) rj 7Tp(x)T7) r]V rj/covaa ..... X e 7 a) v ; (jxovrj is followed
by the masculine participle \eycov. Rev. 9:13 and 14 KOI
TJKOvaa (f)(0V7jv ^iav eK T&V /cepdrcov ..... \6yovra TO) KT(o a
\eyovra instead of X^yovcrav. Rev. 11:4 al Svco e\alai
VO)7TIOV TOV KVptOV TJJS 77}? CT T O) T 9 J <TT(t>T$ instead
follows the feminine noun e\alai. Rev. 11 : 15 KCLI eyevovTo (fxoval
/jieydXcu ev TW ovpavq), Xeyoi^re? ; Xeyoi'Te? following (j>covai. Rev.
17 : 3 /cal elSov yvvai/ca /caOrj /JLCVWV eTrl Orjpiov KQKKLVOV,
ovd/JiaTa ft\aa-<f)TjfJLias. Rev. 17 : 3 fcal elSov yvval/ca
..... ye/JLOVTa ovofjiaTa ..... e%ovTa Ace<^>aXa? eTrra /cal /cepaTa
Se/ca. (Cp. Dan. 7 : 7.) Such neglect of agreement in gender, as
above described, follows the Hebrew structure. On this Green
remarks : " Masculines are often used in Hebrew when females
are spoken of or when the nouns to which they refer are femi-
nine, from a neglect to note the gender where no stress is laid
lu Greek Eng. Lex. of N. T.," p. 377; Cp., also, Green's "Heb. Gram.",
p. 359.
14 The Solecisms of the Apocalypse.
upon it." ("Heb. Gram.," p. 359.) 1 The Apocalyptist imi-
tates this Hebrew construction in the passages just given. His
defiance of grammar in those instances was intentional. He
knew, for example, that the feminine adjective should agree with
the feminine noun, as a number of texts show. This is seen
in Rev. 6 : 9 and 10, where there is a feminine noun followed by a
masculine participle and also a feminine noun followed by a
feminine adjective, namely, (jxovfj fjLeydXrj. The same expression
occurs also in Rev. 7:2; 14:7 and 18. Cp. 16:1, 3, 17;
18 : 2, 4, &c. The disagreement in gender is clearly due to
Hebrew influence and Liicke in speaking of such constructions
says, " Diese Anomalien losen sich grosstentheils durch die
Annahme einer constructio ad sensum, wie sie auch den besten
Schriftstellern nicht fremd ist." 2
6. Disagreement in Case. (1) A Nominative replaced by an
Accusative. Rev. 7:9 ecrroiTe? evcoTriov TOV dpovov /cal evcoTriov
TOV apviov, 7repi/3eft\7j (Aevovs (rroXa? \evicds. Again Rev.
11:3 teal 7rpo(f)7)Tevaov(7LV (they) rjfjuepas %i\tas ..... 7re/u/3e/3-
\r}/jievov<;. Rev. 10 : 8 teal f) tfxovr) ..... \a\ova-av /aer' e'/LtoO
/cal \eyovo-av.
(2) An Accusative replaced by a Nominative. Rev. 5 . 6 /cal
apviov ..... e%cov /cepara eTrra ..... Rev. 14:
1 Neglect of gender is very frequent (a) in pronouns referring to females. Thus
Kuth 1 : 8 HDjn D'JlDn-Djr DIVE^ "W&O 1DH DDD.P nirr TWy. The word DDDy
(masc.) is used although the reference is to Kuth and Orpah ; also DJVBfJ? (masc.),
reference still being to Ruth and Orpah. This is illustrated again in Exodus 1 : 21.
DTD on 1 ? tyjn DTiSurrrw rnVnn IRT-O ^n^i, the word mVnn being feminine
and DnS masculine. Cp., also, Ex. 2:17; Num. 36 : 6 ; Jud. 11 : 34 ; 19 : 24 ;
1 Sam. 6 : 7 ; 2 Sam 6 : 22 ; Jud. 21 : 12.
(b) Neglect of gender is most frequent in pronouns (masc.) referring to feminine
nouns, as Ex. 11:6 IHDDI ..... 1HD3 *\vnK ..... nSi: Hp^V nnTP. Here the word
71pJ? is feminine and 1HDD (referring to np^Y) is masculine. Levit. 27 : 9
Bnp-rVJT nirrS UDD }n s 1K SD ..... nDm-DKI. Here the word nnrD is femi-
nine and 13DD is masculine.*
2 " Einleitung in die Oflenbarung des Johannes," S. 463.
* Cp. for similar disagreement in gender, the Hebrew of Ex. 22 : 25 ; Lev. 6:8; 27 : 9 ;
Num. 3 : 27, 33 ; Deut. 27 : 5 ; 1 Sam. 10 : 18 : Isa. 34 : 17, &c., and for further lack of agreement
in adjectives and participles, cp. 1 Kings 22 : 13 ; Ps. 119 : 137 and 2 Chron. 3 : 11. Cp. Green's
" Heb. Gram.," pp. 357-359.
The Solecisms of the Apocalypse. 15
6 and 7 a teal elSov a\\ov ayyeXov ..... \eya>v ..... Rev.
19 : 14 fcal ra a-rparev/jLaTa ..... rjicoKovdet, avrat ..... e vSe-
bvp^voi ftvcro-ivov \evicov tcadapov. Cp., also, Rev. 13 : 1 ; 14 :14 ;
17:3 and 20:4. This neglect of agreement in case is common
enough in Hebrew. Especially when clauses intervened, accurate
constructions were thus neglected. 1
7. Anomalous Use of Apposition. The well-known rule that
an appositive agrees with its noun in case, is broken many times
by the language of the Apocalypse.
(1) Nominative in Apposition with Genitive. Rev. 1 : 5 /cal airo
'I^croO ^pto-ToO, o (j,dpTV<; 6 TricrTds. The phrase 6 /jLaprvs 6 TTICTO?
is directly quoted from the LXX of Ps. 89 :37. (Cp. Prov. 14:5).
Ebrard says of this, " das scheint mir beabsichtigt, scheint mir
Manier zu sein," 2 and Liicke (speaking of this and similar anom-
alies) says, " sie scheinen ihren Grund ..... in dem rhetorischen
charakter der Apokalypse zu haben." 3
This occurs again in Rev. 3:12 TO ovopa TT}? TroXew? TOU
6eov fiov , TT}? /caivfjs 'Iepovcra\ijfjLj rj KcnaftaivovGa e/c TOV ovpavov ;
f) Karapaivovcra, instead of a Genitive, in apposition with TT}?
Kcuvrp y Iepovo-a\rifjL. Another instance of this is found in Rev.
14 :12 wSe 97 VTTOJJLOVTJ ro)v dytcov ecrriv, ol rijpovvres ra? eWoXa?, &c.,
ol TTJ povvres where we should expect ra>v rrjpovvrcov in ap-
position with TWV dyicov.
(2) Nominative in Apposition with Dative. Rev. 9:14 \eyovra
TO) e/cro) ayyeXw, 6 %cov rrjv (raXTriyya.
(3) Nominative in Apposition with Accusative. Rev. 2:20
a\\a %co Kara aov OTL ac^efc Trjv yvval/ca 'Iefa/5eX, rj \eyovo-a
eavrrjv Trpo^rfTLV. Rev. 20 :2 /cal efcpdrrjo-ev rov Spafeovra, 6 o
(4) Nominative in Apposition with Vocative. Rev. 16:7 Nat,
icvpie, 6 0eo'?, o TravroKpaTcop. (Cp. Rev. 16:5). Rev. 11:7.
1 Cp. Green's '-Hebrew Gram.." p. 357. Cp., also, Ewald, "Die Job.
Schriften," Bd. II., S. 53.
2 " Evangelium Johannis," S. 165.
3 ' Einleitung in die Offenbarung des Johannes," Bd. II, 2 AufL, S. 459. Cp.
Toy's " Quotation in the N. T.," p. 253.
16 The Solecisms of the Apocalypse.
XapLo-rovfjiev COL, /cvpie, 6 #eo'?, o Travro/cpdrcop. Rev. 15:3 /cvpie, 6
fleo'?, o TravTO/cpdrcop, as in the LXX of Zech, 3 :8 a/cove 77, 'I^troO?
o lepovs 6 fieyas, crv /cal, &c. In the above examples, we find the
Nominative in apposition with every single oblique case. In each
of these examples (except Nominative in apposition with Vocative),
the connection between the preceding substantive and the adjec-
tive clause describing it, is a loose one. This is especially true
of the first two examples under (1) and the second, under (3).
Of these constructions Ewald writes, " Cujus dictionis causa licet
in hebraismo casus non distinguente quaerenda sit." 1 In regard
to the examples under (4), we may say that the name Jehovah
appears in the Nominative as in apposition to the Vocative /cvpie
perhaps because it is a direct translation of a Hebrew proper
name, the author having in mind the appositive construction of
the Hebrew, where a more extended use is made of it than in
occidental languages ; 2 or, again, this construction may have been
used because the Greek article has no form for the Vocative case.
This is Ewald's view who says " denn da die Hebraer keine
Interjection fur den Vokativ haben, so steht das Nomen in
Anredeton ganz ungeandert ; " 3 or, further, the writer in these
two instances may have had in mind the Aramaic construction
which has no case endings. 4
8. The Absolute Use of the Participle \ejcov. Eev. 11:1 /cal
eBoOr) fJLOi KakajJio^ X e <y co v, eyeipe /cal (jLerprjaov K. r. \. Rev.
19 : 6 /cal tf/covora o>9 (frtovrjv /cal cb? (frcovrjv ffpovT&v
\eryovres K.T.\. This is LXX usage, corresponding to
as the following examples show: Gen. 15 : 1 pera Be ra
ravra eyevrjOrj prjfjia icvpiov 717309 'Aftpaa/u, ev opd^aTi Xeycov, &C.
Gen. 22:20 /cal avrjyye\r) TO> 'A/3/oaayu, Xeyovres K.T.\. Gen.
38 : 13 /cal aTrrjyjeXrj OdfjLap \eyovres /c. r. \. Gen. 40:16
1 " Commentarius in Apocalypsin, " p. 44.
2 Cp. Green, Heb. Gram.," p. 281.
3 " Gram. d. heb. Sprache," S. 568. Cp. Zech. 3 : 8.
4 Cp. Salmon, " Introd, to N. T.," p. 240.
5 Cp. Thayer's Winer, p. 536.
The Solecisms of the Apocalypse. 17
KOI Sie/So^Or) f] (f)cov7) et? rbv OIKOV <&apaa> \e<yovTes K. r. X. Gen.
48: 2 a7rrjyj\rj Se TO> 'Ia/c&>/3 Xeyovres K. r. \. Josh. 10: 17
KOI 7777776X77 TO> 'Irjaov \eyovres K. r. X. Judges 16:2 KOI
az/7777e'X77 rot? Fafat'ot? \6yovres /c. r. X. 1 Sam. 15:12 KOI
7777776X77 TW 2aoi>X \eyovres K. T. X.
9. In Hebrew, very often the emphasized word stands at the
beginning of a sentence without any grammatical connection
with any word in that sentence. The accustomed order is re-
stored by a demonstrative pronoun placed later in the sen-
tence. Examples of this are numerous, as in
Gen. 47:21 1PK
Jer. 25:31 miT'DKJ
Gen. 2:17 UDQ b^n tib jm 21D HJ?Tn
1 Sam. 25:29 y^pn ^D ^inD ftij^p' "]^^
The Apocalypse reproduces this peculiarity of structure : Rev.
2:26 teal 6 VIK&V teal 6 rrjpwv a^pi reXov? ra epya /AOV, Scoo-o)
avrw K. T. X. Rev. 3:12 o VLKWV TTOLIJO-Q) avrov arvXov K. T. X.
Rev. 3:21 6 VIKMV Saxrco avra> KaQlvai K. T. X.Rev. 6:8 ical 6
eirdvw (avrov) ovojjLa avrca [6] ddvaros.
10. Sentences Joined by /ecu. Rev. 11:3 teal Sao-co rot? Svcrlv
LV fiov /cal 7rpo<f)r)TV(Tovcriv. (Cp. Rev. 20:4; 9:4, 5.)
Rev. 3:9 has the same kind of a sentence, but with iva 1 and a
/cat following. Thus, ISoi) TTOLT^O-O) airrovs iva rj^ovaiv KOI TTpoo-fcv-
vijcrovcriv evooTriov TMV TroSwv crov. This follows the Hebrew of
isaiah 44:14 which is i^erv "]*6K Tinner "]^^ my* 2
11. real (Hebrew ^) in the Apodosis.* It is similar to the
German " so." The following examples may be given : Rev.
10:7 aXX' ev rat? rj]j,pai<; TT)? (frcovfjs TOV e/BSo/jLOV a<yye\ov , orav
1 A similar example of the use of Iva. is found in Rev. 13 : 12 Kal iroiei TTJV ?V
Kal TOJ)S tv avTT) KaTOtKovvras Iva irpoa'KVV'fiffovffiv rb 6~qpiov rb vpGrrov. Also,
Rev. 13 : 16 Kal TTOIC? iravTas, rous /itxpous <al roi/s /ueydXous iva 5t6<r ovrotj
(Cp. Rev. 22 : 14.) *
2 Cp. Isa. 49 : 23 and 60 : 14 ; Toy, " Quotations in the N. T.", p. 257.
3 Cp. Thayer's "Greek Eng. Lex.", p. 316 a f.
* Cp. Ewald, ' Die Joh. Schriften," Bd. H, S. 53.
18 The Solecisms of the Apocalypse.
/jLe\\rj o-a\7r{eiv, /cal erekeadr] TO fAv<TTijpt,ov TOV 6eov. Rev. 14 :
9 and 10 ei TL<$ irpocricvvel TO Bripiov ..... KOI az/ro? TrteVat e/c TOU
oivov K. T. \. Rev. 3 :20 edv rt? aicovcrrj TT}? (fxovijs /JLOV ..... teal
elaekeva-opai Trpo? aroz> ..... This use of K a I in the apodosis
is exactly similar to *) in such Hebrew passages as Gen. 3:5,
DD^K DV3 ^ DTI 1 ?** JTP ^D DD\TJ?
Ps. 78:34 iniETm D^H"D^ Judges 4:8
12. TTie Demonstrative auro? Redundantly Used in Relative
Sentences. The Hebrew relative pronoun, which always stands at
the beginning of its clause, has only the one simple form-*") ?$>$-
which admits of no inflection to represent case. Consequently,
when this relative " is governed by a verb, noun or preposition,
this is shown by appending an appropriate pronominal suffix to
the governing word", 1 as for example, ir6t^ *) VI N or Ijm "Ifc^K
This use in Hebrew may be seen in the following examples :
Dpjr ^ny htiw nn^ -nmm n^
sni ^nnnn isa. 41 : g ^npinn n^^. A
splendid illustration is found in Amos 9:12 i)E^np3 "1?K
Dn* 1 ^ The LXX follows the Hebrew exactly here, namely, KOI
irdvTa TO, eQvr\ e<$> ov? liriKetcK^Tai TO ovofjid /JLOV evr* a^rou?. 2
This Hebraism very often occurs 3 in the LXX. 4
Examples of this redundant use of CLVTOS in relative sen-
tences are found in the following Apocalyptic passages : Rev.
3:8 i)v ovSels StWrat K\elaaL avTTJv. Rev. 7:2 ol? eSodrj aurot?
Trjv yrjv K. T. X. Rev. 7:9 ov api& /juijaai, avTOV
1 Green, " Heb. Gram.", p. 367; Cp. p. 106.
* This LXX passage is directly quoted in Acts 15 : 17, thus proving that the
writer of Acts employed Hebraisms when quoting from the LXX.
3 Cp. Thayer's " Grk. Eng. Lex.", p. 86 (5) ; Bousset, " Offenbarung Johan-
nis," S. 184. Cp. Ewald, "gr. hebr.", ss. 647-648; Green, "Hebrew Gram.",
p. 368.
4 Cp., for example, Ex. 3:5; Eccl. 10:17; Deut. 4:7, 8, 19, 32; Deut
14:9; 19:17; Josh. 2: 10.
The Solecisms of the Apocalypse. 19
e&vvaro. Rev. 13:8 ov ov yeypaTrrai TO OVO/JLCL avTOv ev TOJ
/8t/3\to>. Rev. 13:12 ov eOepajrevdrj rj 77X77777 TOV Oavdrov avTOv.
Rev. 20:8 &v 6 apid/ibs avT&v &>9 r) afjL/j,o<$ TT}<? da\dao-T]^. Cp.
Rev. 17:9.
13. Pleonastic etc el. "Where a preceding adverb (or relative
pronoun) has "already attracted the verb, e/cel is added to this
verb pleonastically." 1 Examples of this in Hebrew may be found
in Deut. 4:5 HptST^ HOB? D^3 DHK "lEM th ^ LXX
translation of which is e 1 9 ^z> v/tefc e 1 5 7ropevea-6e e/cei K\tjpovo-
pelv avrjv. Deut. 4:14 PinCH^ hftV D^DJ? DH^ "1^^, the
LXX of which has 69 fjv v/jLeis elo-TropevecrOe e/cel K\rjpovoiJLelv
aintv. Deut. 4:26 nn^nb HD pTiTPK 0^3 DHN 1^^
and the LXX is et? ^z/ u/iet9 Sia/Saivere rbv 'lopSdvrjv efcel K\rjp-
Examples of this Hebraism in the Apocalypse are : Rev.
12:6 KOI r) <yvvrj efayev ek rrjv eprjjjLOV, oirov e%et e/cel TOTTOV
airo TOV Oeov. Rev. 12 :14 ew TOV TOTTOV at>T?)9, OTTOV
e/cel K. T. \. (Cp. Rev. 17:9.)
14. The Present Tense Passes into the Future. The present
and future tenses are found coordinately in the same clause or
sentence where, according to the usage of the language, we should
expect the future of both verbs. Rev. 1:7 ISov ep^eTai ftera
Twv v&t>\&v, Kal o^freTai avrov 7ra9 6<f)0a\ijuk. Ewald remarks
u oratio continuata in futurum tempus abit, ut ISov e/>%erat KOI
prorsus hebraeum HX*)! H/H JUH-" 2 Rev. 2:5 el 8e /JLTJ,
crot, Kal /civrja-G) TTJV \v)(yiav crov e/c TOV TOTTOV
Rev. 2:16 el Se i*,^, ep^o^ai o-ot ra^u, /col TTO\ ep TJCTCO
avT&v K. T. \. Rev. 2:22 ISov j3d\\a) avrrjv et9 K\IVJ]V .....
Kal TO, Teicva airn)9 aTTOKTevo) ev OavaTO). Cp. Rev. 3:9; 17:13
14. Examples of this breach of grammar in LXX passages are :
Zech. 2:9 SIOTI ISov eyo) ein^epco TTJV %elpd /JLOV ITT aurou9, Kal
1 Thayer, "Greek Eng. Lex.", p. 194; Bousset, " Offenbarung Johannis,"
S. 184.
1 " Commentarius in Apocalypsin," p. 39.
20 The Solecisms of the Apocalypse.
ecrovrai ovcuXa rot9 SovXevovcnv avrols. Zech. 2:10 StoVt ISov
eyob e p % o /x a i /cal KaracrKr]va)cr(i) ev pecra) crov.
15. Neuter Plural Subject with Plural Verb. In the Apoca-
lypse, neuter plural nouns are very frequently followed by plural
verbs. 1 Rev. 4:5 a e I cr i v ra errrd rrvevpara rov deov. Rev. 4 : 8
/cat ra recrcre pa^wa <yepovcriv 6<j>Oa\fJLO)v. Rev. 4:9
Kal orav Scocrovcriv ra fa>a K. r. \. Rev. 5:14 Kal ra recraepa
fa>a e\e<yov 'Aft^y. Rev. 9 :20 a ovre (B\erreLV S vva vrai K.r.\.
Rev. 11:13 /cat aTre/crdvOrjo-av bvopara /c. r. \. Rev.
18:23 e7r\avr)@r) a av rcavra ra edvrj. Rev. 16: 20 /cat oprj
ovx evpeOrjo-av. Rev. 20:12 /cat /#t/3Xt'a 77^0 i^Or] crav
(quoted from Dan. 7:10 (Hebrew)). Cp. Rev. 3: 2, 4; 11 : 2 ;
16:14; 17:12; 17:15; 21:4, &c. The neuter pleural with
plural verb is also LXX usage, as may be seen in Zech. 2 :11 /cat
Karatfrevgovrai eO vrj TroXXa e-TTt rov Kvpiov ev ry rj^epa
e/ceivfj. Zech. 10 : 7 /cat ra re/cva avra>v 6 -x/r o v r a i Kal ev (f) pav-
OijcrovraL. Ezek. 39:7 /cat yvtocrovrat, ra eOvrj on,
dpi icvpios. Nahum 3:10 /cat ra v^ma avrrjs eSa
Cp., also, LXX passages quoted by Justin Martyr in U II/>09
Tpv<j)a>va 'lovSatov At 1X0709." (Otto's Edition, Vol. I,
pp. 408, 426, 434, 444, 480, &c.) But what is of special interest
here, is the fact that this anomaly often occurs in passages quoted
directly from the LXX. This is true of the following: Rev.
15:4 ort rrdvra ra e 9 v 77 e^ovcnv /cat rrpocricvvr)crova-i,v evcoTrtov
(TOV. Kal ra SiKaitb pard crov e^>avepa>Oj](T av a direct quo*
tation from the LXX of Ps. 86: 9 T dvra ra eOvrj (ocra err operas')
r}%ovcrt,v Kal rrpoo-KWijcrovcriv evamov crov. (Cp. Isa. 66:23.)
Rev. 18:3 rrerrrw Kav (or rrerrtoKav) rrdvra ra e0vr). This is
LXX of Jer. 51:7 (28:7) aTro rov oivov avrr\^ erriocrav eOvrj
Sta TOVTO eora\ev6rj(Tav. Rev. 21:24 /cat irep ire arrj cr ouor iv ra
e6v7j 8ta TOU (/>&)T09 auT7}9. This is from the LXX of Isa. 60 :3
/cat TT o pevcr ovrai y8acrtXet9 ra) (fxorl crov, Kal e VTJ rfj Xaft-
TT p 6 r f] r i aov. Rev. 11 :18 /cat ra eQvrj & p 7 ia rj cr a v. The
1 The neuter plural is often found, however, with singular verbs, as in Rev.
Kev. 2 : 27 ; 8:3; 13 : 14 ; 14 : 13 ; 16 : 14 ; 18 : 14 ; 19 : 14 ; 20 : 3, 5, 7, 12 ; 21 : 12.
The Solecisms of the Apocalypse. 21
LXX of Ps. 46 (45): 6 is erapaxOijcrav eQvr), e/cXivav
patritetai. Cp. Ps. (LXX) '2:1, i. e., ri eQpvagav e0vij. Rev.
19 :21 real Trdvra opvea e^opTaOrjaav ex r&v aapicwv avrcov. This is
from the LXX of Ezek. 39:1721, i. e., elwov jravrl bpvew Trereivy
fcal Trpbs irdma ra dypid rov TreSiov d^drjre KOI ep%(r6e
<t>dyecr0e Trieade efJLTrXrjo'Oija'eo-Oe Such pas-
sages show conclusively the influence of the LXX upon the writer.
This completes our examination of the Solecisms of the Apoca-
lypse, 1 which, as we have shown, are clearly due to the influence
which the prophetic writings of the Old Testament, either in their
Hebrew form or in that of their translation into Greek the
Septuagint exerted upon the Author.
1 See Corollaries on next page.
22 The Solecisms of the Apocalypse.
COBOLLARIES.
We present the following corollaries which grow out of the
preceding discussions :
1. Since the solecisms of the Apocalypse are to be accounted
for in the manner just described, they form no argument in favor
of the " Early Date " * for the composition of the Apocalypse as
maintained by Westcott, 2 Lightfoot 3 and Salmon. 4
2. The Solecisms of the Apocalypse do not invalidate the
testimony of Irenaeus 5 as to the composition 6 of the Apocalypse.
3. Those writers 7 who hold that John's Gospel and the
Apocalypse were written by the same author, need not infer that
an interval of from twenty to thirty years intervened between the two
compositions.
4. Viewing the evidence as a whole, the impression is strong
that the author of the Apocalypse made use of the LXX and
Hebrew idiom in a conscious effort to reproduce the manner and
spirit of the ancient Prophets ; it was not through ignorance of
correct Greek usage.
NOTE. The difference between the language of John's Gospel
and the Apocalypse, due mainly to the solecisms of the latter, has
1 About the year 68 A. D.
J "The Gospel According to St. John," p. Ixxxvi of the Introduction.
3 " St. Paul's Epistle to the Galatians," Sixth Edition, p. 363.
4 "A Historical Introduction to the Study of the Books of the New Testament,"
Edition 1889, pp. 241-242.
5 Cp. his treati.-e entitled "'E\tyx ov Kc " &va-Tp6irr}s TTJS \f/evduvv/j.ov 7Pi6<rews," (the
more familiar title of which is, "Contra Haereses "), where he says, "El yhp e5et
dva<f>av56v T vvv /ccu/xp KijpvTTetrdai roivo/Jia avrov, 5i' eKelvov &v tpptdr) TOV KCU rrjv ATTO-
Kd\v\fsit> ea>/>cuc6Tos. Ou5d yap irpb TroXXoG xpt> vov f^padrj, d\Xa <rxe86v tirl r^s rjfur^pas
'yewas, irpbs T< r^Xet TTJS Ao/urtciJ'oD dpx^ s -" Lib. V. 30, 3.
6 The Irenaean date (about 96 A. D ) is usually spoken of as the " Late Date "
for the composition of the Apocalypse.
7 Referred to in corollary 1.
The Solecisms of the Apocalypse. 23
led to very different opinions as to the Authorship l of the two
writings. Thus besides Dionysius 2 of the third century A. D.,
the following writers, Schleiermacher, Credner, De Wette,
Neander (David Mendel), Liicke, Bleek, Ewald and Diisterdieck,
hold that the Apostle John wrote the Gospel, hut not the Apoc-
alypse ; other writers, such as Kostliu, Zeller, Schwegler, Baur,
Davidson and Hilgenfeld, maintain that the Apostle wrote the
Apocalypse but not the Gospel. 3
1 The Authorship of the Apocalypse is discussed at length by Bousset in " Die
Offenbarung Johannis," SS. 33-51 and by Milligan in his "Discussions on the
Apocalypse," pp. 148-179.
2 Eusebius, " Eccl. Hist.", Lib. VII. 25.
3 Still other writers, for a different reason, or reasons, such as Keim, Volkmar,
Scholten, Lipsius, Harnack, Pfleiderer, Weizsacker and Bousset, regard the Apostle
John as the author of neither the Gospel nor the Apocalypse.*
* Cp., for example, Bousset, in " Die Offenbarung Johannis," SS. 33-51.
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