《Greek Testament Critical Exegetical Commentary - Revelation》(Henry Alford)

Commentator

Henry Alford (7 October 1810 - 12 January 1871) was an English churchman, theologian, textual critic, scholar, poet, hymnodist, and writer.

Alford was born in London, of a Somerset family, which had given five consecutive generations of clergymen to the Anglican church. Alford's early years were passed with his widowed father, who was curate of Steeple Ashton in Wiltshire. He was a precocious boy, and before he was ten had written several Latin odes, a history of the Jews and a series of homiletic outlines. After a peripatetic school course he went up to Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1827 as a scholar. In 1832 he was 34th wrangler and 8th classic, and in 1834 was made fellow of Trinity.

He had already taken orders, and in 1835 began his eighteen-year tenure of the vicarage of Wymeswold in Leicestershire, from which seclusion the twice-repeated offer of a colonial bishopric failed to draw him. He was Hulsean lecturer at Cambridge in 1841-1842, and steadily built up a reputation as scholar and preacher, which might have been greater if not for his excursions into minor poetry and magazine editing.

In 1844, he joined the Cambridge Camden Society (CCS) which published a list of do's and don'ts for church layout which they promoted as a science. He commissioned A.W.N. Pugin to restore St Mary's church. He also was a member of the Metaphysical Society, founded in 1869 by James Knowles.

In September 1853 Alford moved to Quebec Chapel, Marylebone, London, where he had a large congregation. In March 1857 Lord Palmerston advanced him to the deanery of Canterbury, where, till his death, he lived the same energetic and diverse lifestyle as ever. He had been the friend of most of his eminent contemporaries, and was much beloved for his amiable character. The inscription on his tomb, chosen by himself, is Diversorium Viatoris Hierosolymam Proficiscentis ("the inn of a traveler on his way to Jerusalem").

Alford was a talented artist, as his picture-book, The Riviera (1870), shows, and he had abundant musical and mechanical talent. Besides editing the works of John Donne, he published several volumes of his own verse, The School of the Heart (1835), The Abbot of Muchelnaye (1841), The Greek Testament. The Four Gospels (1849), and a number of hymns, the best-known of which are "Forward! be our watchword," "Come, ye thankful people, come", and "Ten thousand times ten thousand." He translated the Odyssey, wrote a well-known manual of idiom, A Plea for the Queen's English (1863), and was the first editor of the Contemporary Review (1866 - 1870).

His chief fame rests on his monumental edition of the New Testament in Greek (4 vols.), which occupied him from 1841 to 1861. In this work he first produced a careful collation of the readings of the chief manuscripts and the researches of the ripest continental scholarship of his day. Philological rather than theological in character, it marked an epochal change from the old homiletic commentary, and though more recent research, patristic and papyral, has largely changed the method of New Testament exegesis, Alford's work is still a quarry where the student can dig with a good deal of profit.

His Life, written by his widow, appeared in 1873 (Rivington).

Introduction

CHAPTER VIII

REVELATION

SECTION I

AUTHORSHIP, AND CANONICITY

1. THE Author of this book calls himself in more places than one by the name John, ch. Revelation 1:1; Revelation 1:4; Revelation 1:9, Revelation 22:8. The general view has been, that this name represents St. John the son of Zebedee, the Writer of the Gospel and the three Epistles, the disciple whom Jesus loved.

2. This view rests on external, and on internal evidence. I shall first specify both these, and then pass on to other views respecting the authorship. And in so doing, I shall at present cite merely those testimonies which bear more or less directly on the authorship. The most ancient are the following:

3. Justin Martyr, Dial. 81, p. 179 (written between A.D. 139 and 161): καὶ … παρʼ ἡμῖν ἀνήρ τις, ᾧ ὄνομα ἰωάννης, εἷς τῶν ἀποστόλων τοῦ χριστοῦ, ἐν ἀποκαλύψει γενομένῃ αὐτῷ χίλια ἔτη ποιήσειν ἐν ἱερουσαλὴμ τοὺς τῷ ἡμετέρῳ χριστῷ πιστεύσαντας προεφήτευσε, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα τὴν καθολικὴν καὶ συνελόντι φάναι αἰωνίαν ὁμοθυμαδὸν ἅμα πάντων ἀνάστασιν γενήσεσθαι καὶ κρίσιν.

We may mention by the way, that this testimony of Justin is doubly important, as referred to by Eusebius, himself no believer in the apostolic authorship: H. E. iv. 18: μέμνηται δὲ καὶ τῆς ἰωάννου ἀποκαλύψεως σαφῶς τοῦ ἀποστόλου αὐτὴν εἶναι λέγων.

The authenticity and value of the passage of Justin has been discussed at considerable length and with much candour by Lücke, Einl. pp. 548–56. He, himself a disbeliever in St. John’s authorship, confesses that it is a genuine and decided testimony in its favour.

4. Melito, bishop of Sardis (+ cir. 171), is said by Euseb. H. E. iv. 26, to have written treatises (or a treatise, but the plural is more likely: and so Jer(219) Catal. 24, vol. ii. p. 867: “de diabolo librum unum, de Apocalypsi Joannis librum unum”) on the devil, and on the Apocalypse of John: καὶ τὰ περὶ τοῦ διαβόλου, καὶ τῆς ἀποκαλύψεως ἰωάννου. It is fairly reasoned that Eusebius would hardly have failed to notice, supposing him to have seen Melito’s work, any view of his which doubted the apostolic origin: and that this may therefore be legitimately taken as an indirect testimony in its favour. See Lücke, p. 564; Stuart, p. 258; Davidson, Introd. iii. 540.

5. Of a similar indirect nature are the two next testimonies. Theophilus, bishop of Antioch (+ cir. 180), whose Libri ad Autolycum are still extant, is said by Euseb. iv. 24 to have written a book πρὸς τὴν αἵρεσιν ἑρμογένους τὴν ἐπιγραφὴν ἔχον, ἐν ᾧ ἐκ τῆς ἀποκαλύψεως ἰωάννου κέχρηται μαρτυρίαις.

6. And similarly Eusebius, H. E. Revelation 22:18, says of Apollonius (of Ephesus? so in the treatise Prædestinatus, cent. v.: see Lücke, p. 567), who flourished in Asia Minor at the end of cent. ii., and wrote against the Montanists, thereby making his testimony more important: κέχρηται δὲ καὶ μαρτυρίαις ἀπὸ τῆς ἰωάννου ἀποκαλύψεως· καὶ νεκρὸν δὲ δυνάμει θείᾳ πρὸς αὐτοῦ ἰωάννου ἐν τῇ ἐφέσῳ ἐγηγέρθαι ἱστορεῖ. From this latter sentence there can be no doubt that Apollonius regarded the Apocalypse as the work of John the Apostle.

7. We now come to the principal second century witness, Irenæus (+ cir. 180). Respecting the value of his testimony, it may suffice to remind the student that he had been a hearer of Polycarp, the disciple of St. John. And this testimony occurs up and down his writings in great abundance, and in the most decisive terms. “Joannes domini discipulus” is stated to have written the Apocalypse in Hær. iv. 20. 11; 30. 4; v. 26. 1; 35. 2, pp. 256, 268, 323, 336: and “Joannes” in iv. 21. 3; v. 36. 3, pp. 258, 337. And this John can be no other than the Apostle: for he says, iii. 1. 1, p. 174, ἰωάννης ὁ μαθητὴς τοῦ κυρίου (in the Latin, as above) ὁ καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ στῆθος αὐτοῦ ἀναπεσών, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐξέδωκε τὸ εὐαγγέλιον, ἐν ἐφέσῳ τῆς ἀσίας διατρίβων. But the most remarkable testimony, and one which will come before us again and again during the course of these Prolegomena, is in v. 30. 1–3, pp. 328 ff. There, having given certain reasons for the number of Antichrist’s name being 666, he proceeds, τούτων δὲ οὕτως ἐχόντων, καὶ ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς σπουδαίοις καὶ ἀρχαίοις ἀντιγράφοις τοῦ ἀριθμοῦ τούτου κειμένου, καὶ μαρτυρούντων αὐτῶν ἐκείνων τῶν κατʼ ὄψιν τὸν ἰωάννην ἑωρακότων.… Then, after some remarks, and stating two names current as suiting the number, he concludes, ἡμεῖς οὖν οὐκ ἀποκινδυνεύομεν περὶ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ ἀντιχριστοῦ, ἀποφαινόμενοι βεβαιωτικῶς· εἰ γὰρ ἔδει ἀναφανδὸν τῷ νῦν καιρῷ κηρύττεσθαι τοὔνομα αὐτοῦ διʼ ἐκείνου ἂν ἐῤῥέθη τοῦ καὶ τὴν ἀποκάλυψιν ἑωρακότος. οὐδὲ γὰρ πρὸ πολλοῦ χρόνου ἑωράθη, ἀλλὰ σχεδὸν ἐπὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας γενεᾶς, πρὸς τῷ τέλει τῆς δομετιανοῦ ἀρχῆς.

This is beyond question the most important evidence which has yet come before us. And we may observe that it is in no way affected by any opinion which we may have formed respecting Irenæus’s exegetical merits, nor by any of his peculiar opinions. He here merely asserts what, if he were a man of ordinary power of collecting and retaining facts, he must very well have known for certain.

8. Keeping at present to the direct witnesses for the authorship by St. John, we next come to Tertullian (+ cir. 220). His testimonies are many and decisive.

Adv. Marcion. iii. 14, vol. ii. p. 340: “Nam et apostolus Johannes in apocalypsi ensem describit ex ore Domini prodeuntem.…”

Ib. 24, p. 356: “Hanc (cœlestem civitatem) et Ezekiel novit, et apostolus Joannes vidit.”

De Pudicitia 19, p. 1017: “Sed quoniam usque de Paulo, quando etiam Joannes nescio quid diversæ parti supplaudere videatur, quasi in apocalypsi manifeste fornicationi posuerit pœnitentiæ auxilium, ubi ad angelum Thyatirenorum,” &c.

See also de Resurr. 27, p. 834; de Anima, 8, p. 658; adv. Judæos, 9, p. 620; de Cor. Militis, 13, p. 96; adv. Gnosticos, 12, p. 147.

9. The fragment on the Canon called by the name of Muratori, and written cir. 200, says, “et Joannes enim in Apocalypsi licet septem ecclesiis scribat, tamen omnibus dicit …,” where the context shews that the Apostle John must be intended.

10. Hippolytus, bishop of Ostia (Portus Romanus), cir. 240, in his writings very frequently quotes the Apocalypse, and almost always with ἰωάννης λέγει. Whom he meant by ἰωάννης is evident from one passage, De antichristo, c. 36, Migne, Patr. Gr., vol. x. p. 756: λέγε μοι, μακάριε ἰωάννη, ἀπόστολε καὶ μαθητὰ τοῦ κυρίου, τί εἶδες καὶ ἤκουσας περὶ βαβυλῶνος. And then he proceeds to quote ch. Revelation 17:1-18. Multitudes of other citations will be found by consulting the index to Lagarde’s edition(220). And one of his principal works, as specified in the catalogue found inscribed on his statue, was ἀπολογία (or τά, for the word has become obliterated, only A being now legible) ὑπὲρ τοῦ κατὰ ἰωάννην εὐαγγελίου καὶ ἀποκαλύψεως: mentioned also by Jerome, Catal. 61, vol. ii. p. 901.

11. Clement of Alexandria (cir. 200), in his Strom. vi. 13 (106), p. 793 P., says of the faithful presbyter, οὗτος πρεσβύτερος … ἐν τοῖς εἴκοσι καὶ τέσσαρσι καθεδεῖται θρόνοις, ὥς φησιν ἐν τῇ ἀποκαλύψει ἰωάννης. And elsewhere he fixes this name as meaning the Apostle, by saying in his Quis dives salv. § 42, p. 959: ἄκουσον μῦθον, οὐ μῦθον ἀλλʼ ὄντα λόγον, περὶ ἰωάννου τοῦ ἀποστόλου παραδεδομένον … ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τοῦ τυράννου τελευτήσαντος ἀπὸ τῆς πάτμου τῆς νήσου μετῆλθεν ἐπὶ τὴν ἔφεσον.…: and then he proceeds to tell the well-known story of St. John and the young robber.

12. Origen, the scholar of Clement (+ cir. 233), who so diligently enquired into and reported any doubts or disputes about the canonicity and genuineness of the books of the N. T., appears not to have known of any which regarded the Apocalypse. In a passage of his Commentary on St. Matt. preserved by Euseb. H. E. vi. 25, he says, τί δεῖ περὶ τοῦ ἀναπεσόντος λέγειν ἐπὶ τὸ στῆθος τοῦ ἰησοῦ, ἰωάννου, ὃς εὐαγγέλιον ἓν καταλέλοιπεν, ὁμολογῶν δύνασθαι τοσαῦτα ποιήσειν ἃ οὐδὲ ὁ κόσμος χωρῆσαι ἐδύνατο; ἔγραψε δὲ καὶ τὴν ἀποκάλυψιν, κελευσθεὶς σιωπῆσαι καὶ μὴ γράψαι τὰς τῶν ἑπτὰ βροντῶν φωνὰς.

We have also this remarkable testimony in his Commentary on Matt. tom. xvi. 6, vol. v. p. 719 f.: καὶ τὸ βάπτισμα ἐβαπτίσθησαν οἱ τοῦ ζεβεδαίου υἱοί, ἐπείπερ ἡρώδης μὲν ἀπέκτεινεν ἰάκωβον τὸν ἰωάννου μαχαίρᾳ, ὁ δὲ ῥωμαίων βασιλεύς, ὡς ἡ παράδοσις διδάσκει, κατεδίκασε τὸν ἰωάννην μαρτυροῦντα διὰ τὸν τῆς ἀληθείας λόγον εἰς πάτμον τὴν νῆσον. διδάσκει δὲ τὰ περὶ τοῦ μαρτυρίου αὐτοῦ ἰωάννης, μὴ λέγων τίς αὐτὸν κατεδίκασε, φάσκων ἐν τῇ ἀποκαλύψει ταῦτα, ἐγὼ ἰωάννης … τοῦ θεοῦ (Revelation 1:9), καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. καὶ ἔοικε τὴν ἀποκάλυψιν ἐν τῇ νήσῳ τεθεωρηκέναι.

And Origen again repeatedly cites the Apocalypse without the least indication of doubt as to its author: as may be seen by consulting any of the indices to the editions. His procedure in this case forms a striking contrast to that in the case of the Epistle to the Hebrews: see Prolegg. to this vol. ch. i. § i. 16–23.

13. Still keeping to those Fathers who give definite testimony as to the authorship, we come to Victorinus, bishop of Pettau in Pannonia, who suffered martyrdom under Diocletian in 303. His is the earliest extant commentary on the Apocalypse. On ch. Revelation 10:4, he says (see Migne, Patr. Lat., vol. v. p. 333), “Sed quia dicit se scripturum fuisse (Joannes) quanta locuta fuissent tonitrua, id est, quæcunque in veteri testamento erant obscura prædicata, vetatur ea scribere sed relinquere ea signata, quia est Apostolus.…”

And afterwards, on “oportet autem te iterum prophetare,” “Hoc est, propterea quod quando hæc Joannes vidit, erat in insula Pathmos, in metallo damnatus a Domitiano Cæsare. Ibi ergo vidit Apocalypsin: et cum jam senior putaret se per passionem accepturum receptionem, interfecto Domitiano omnia judicia ejus soluta sunt, et Joannes de metallo dimissus, sic postea tradidit hanc eandem quam acceperat a Deo Apocalypsin.”

14. Ephrem Syrus (+ cir. 378), the greatest Father in the Syrian church, repeatedly in his numerous writings cites the Apocalypse as canonical, and ascribes it to John: see the reff. in Stuart’s Introduction, p. 271. In the Greek translation of his works, we read in the second Homily on the Second Advent of the Lord, καθὼς ἀκούομεν τοῦ ἀποστόλου λέγοντος, and then he quotes Revelation 21:4-5; vol. ii. p. 248, ed. Assem. See Lücke, Einl. p. 598, note.

Now these citations are the more remarkable, because the old Syriac or Peschito version does not contain the Apocalypse: as neither indeed apparently did the later or Philoxenian version originally, nor its republication by Thomas of Harkel (see Lücke, p. 598). It may fairly be asked then, How came Ephrem by his Syriac version of the Apocalypse (for he seems not to have been acquainted with Greek)? And, How came the Peschito to want the Apocalypse, if it was held to be written by the Apostle?