Revelation 5:2
in Revelation 5And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a great voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?
KJV
And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?
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This verse in Revelation 5
Commentary
16 notes on this verseA strong angel - One of the chief of the angelic host. Proclaiming - As the herald of God. To open the book, and to loose the seals - To loose the seals that he may open the book. Who can tell what this book contains? Who can open its mysteries? The book may mean the purposes and designs of God relative to his government of the world and the Church; but we, whose habitation is in the dust, know nothing of such things. We are, however, determined to guess.
This site's exposition
a scroll in the right hand
on Revelation 5:1-2
The scroll has writing on both sides and was sealed with seven seals, and Ezekiel 2:9-10 shows a scroll written front and back. The angel asks, Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?
This site's exposition
Who is worthy to break the seals
Wesley holds that the call was too great for a man to make and unfitting for the Lamb Himself, so a mighty angel makes it. Clarke reads the question as asking who can open God's purposes for the world and the church. Worthy here means having the standing to act.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
who is worthy.... It is because Christ opened the book when he undertook the work of the Father's will, was conceived, and was born. The He broke its seals when He was slain for the human race.
a strong angel. this should be interpreted as the chorus of holy fathers who, having lived in divine friendship, and seeing with the eyes of faith that the arrangement of the present times and the order of all things were entirely sealed by the providence …
He says, I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?" No one, he says, is worthy, O most divine angel, to speak to it, except the God who became man, who took …
A commentator
Victorinus of PettauCommentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John · Written before 304.
proposed
"And I saw an angel full of strength proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no one was found worthy, neither in the earth nor under the earth, to open the book." Now to open the book is to overcome death for man.
[Daniel 12:4] "But Thou, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, even to the time appointed. Many shall pass over, and knowledge shall be manifold." He who had revealed manifold truth to Daniel now signifies that the things he has said are matters of secrecy, and he orders him to roll up the scroll containing his words and set a seal upon the book, with the result that many shall read it and inquire as to its fulfilment in history, differing in their opinions because of its great obscurity. And as for the statement, "Many shall pass over" or "go through," this indicates that it will be read by many people. For it is a familiar expression to say: "I have gone through a book," or, "I have passed through an historical account." Indeed this is the idea which Isaiah also expressed in regard to the obscurity of his own book: "And the sayings of that book shall be like the words of a book that is sealed. And if they shall give it to an illiterate man, saying, 'Read it,' he will reply, 'I do not know how to read.' But if they give it to a man who does know how to read and say, 'Read the book,' he will reply, 'I cannot read it, because it is sealed up'" (Isaiah 29:11-12). Also in the Revelation of John, there is a book seen which is sealed with seven seals inside and outside. And when no one proves able to break its seals, John says, "I wept sore; and a voice came to me, saying, 'Weep not: behold the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the book and break its seals'" (Revelation 5:1-5). But that book can be opened by one who has learned the mysteries of Scripture and understands its hidden truths, and its words which seem dark because of the greatness of the secrets they contain. He it is who can interpret the parables and transmute the letter which killeth into the spirit which quickeneth.
8 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church4 voices
who is worthy to open the book. That is, to reveal the mystery of God. and to loose the seals: That is, to show how each seal proceeds from the divine will.
a strong angel. This seems to have been Gabrial who is interpreted as God's might.
And I saw a strong angel, proclaiming with a loud voice: Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? By the strong angel we should understand a herald of the law, for the lips of the priest keep knowledge, and …
And I heard a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice: Who is worthy to open the book? This signifies the preaching of the law. For many prophets and righteous men desired to see what the apostles saw (Matt. 13). And about this salvation, as …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
And I saw a strong angel - This proclamation to every creature was too great for a man to make, and yet not becoming the Lamb himself. It was therefore made by an angel, and one of uncommon eminence.
And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice,....
Christ, as man and Mediator, is subordinate to God the Father, but is nearer to him than all the creatures; for in him all the fulness of the Godhead dwells bodily. The ministers stand between God and the people. Christ stands as the Mediator between God and both ministers and people.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And I saw a strong angel - An angel endowed with great strength, as if such strength was necessary to enable him to give utterance to the loud voice of the inquiry. “Homer represents his heralds as powerful, robust men, in order consistently to attribute to them deep-toned and powerful voices” (Prof. Stuart). The inquiry to be made was one of vast importance; it was to be made of all in heaven, all on the earth, and all under the earth, and hence an angel is introduced so mighty that his voice could be heard in all those distant worlds. Proclaiming with a loud voice - That is, as a herald or crier. He is rather introduced here as appointed to this office than as self-moved. The design undoubtedly is to impress the mind with a sense of the importance of the disclosures about to be made, and at the same time with a sense of the impossibility of penetrating the future by any created power. That one of the highest angels should make such a proclamation would sufficiently show its importance; that such an one, by the mere act of making such a proclamation, should practically confess his own inability, and consequently the inability of all of similar rank, to make the disclosures, would show that the revelations of the future were beyond mere created power. Who is worthy to open the book, ... - That is, who is “worthy” in the sense of having a rank so exalted, and attributes so comprehensive, as to authorize and enable him to do it. In other words, who has the requisite endowments of all kinds to enable him to do it? It would require moral qualities of an exalted character to justify him in approaching the seat of the holy God, to take the book from his hands; it would require an ability beyond that of any created being to penetrate the future, and disclose the meaning of the symbols which were employed. […]
The words behind it
18 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| εἶδον | eidon | I saw | G1492 → | 374 times |
| ἄγγελον | angelon | an angel | G32 → | 175 times |
| ἰσχυρὸν | ischuron | strong | G2478 → | 29 times |
| κηρύσσοντα | kerussonta | proclaiming | G2784 → | |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| φωνῇ | phonea | a voice | G5456 → | 139 times |
| μεγάλῃ· | megale | loud; | G3173 → | 243 times |
| τίς | tis | Who | G5101 → | 563 times |
| ἄξιος | axios | worthy | G514 → | 41 times |
| ἀνοῖξαι | anoixai | to open | G455 → | 77 times |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| βιβλίον | biblion | scroll | G975 → | 34 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| λῦσαι | lusai | to break | G3089 → | 42 times |
| τὰς | tas | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| σφραγῖδας | sphragidas | seals | G4973 → | 16 times |
| αὐτοῦ; | autou | of it? | G846 → | 5565 times |
ΚαὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
εἶδονI saw
eidonG1492 →374 times
ἄγγελονan angel
angelonG32 →175 times
ἰσχυρὸνstrong
ischuronG2478 →29 times
κηρύσσονταproclaiming
kerussontaG2784 →
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
φωνῇa voice
phoneaG5456 →139 times
μεγάλῃ·loud;
megaleG3173 →243 times
τίςWho
tisG5101 →563 times
ἄξιοςworthy
axiosG514 →41 times
ἀνοῖξαιto open
anoixaiG455 →77 times
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
βιβλίονscroll
biblionG975 →34 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
λῦσαιto break
lusaiG3089 →42 times
τὰςthe
tasG3588 →19766 times
σφραγῖδαςseals
sphragidasG4973 →16 times
αὐτοῦ;of it?
autouG846 →5565 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Revelation 5:5Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
it leads to
- Isaiah 11:1
Then a shoot will spring up from the stump of Jesse, and a Branch from his roots will bear fruit.
- Jeremiah 23:5–6
Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land.
- Revelation 22:16
“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright Morning Star.”
- Romans 15:12
And once more, Isaiah says: “The Root of Jesse will appear, One who will arise to rule over the Gentiles; in Him the Gentiles will put their hope.”
- Romans 1:3
regarding His Son, who was a descendant of David according to the flesh,
- Isaiah 11:1
Through
Psalms 103:20Bless the LORD, all His angels mighty in strength who carry out His word, who hearken to the voice of His command.
it leads to
- Hebrews 1:14
Are not the angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?
- Psalms 148:2
Praise Him, all His angels; praise Him, all His heavenly hosts.
- Luke 1:19
“I am Gabriel,” replied the angel. “I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.
- Hebrews 1:14
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies21
On this verse
About Revelation
This page draws on 14 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Alcuin of York, COMMENTARY ON REVELATION; Apringius of Beja, Commentary (church-history corpus); Bede, Commentary on Revelation; Caesarius of Arles, Commentary (church-history corpus); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER TWELVE; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Nicholas of Lyra, Commentary (church-history corpus); Oecumenius, Commentary on Revelation and Victorinus of Pettau, Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John.