Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Revelation 4:3

καὶ ὁ καθήμενος. 1 … cop[146] arm[147] æth[148] And[149] Areth[150] Victorin. omit these words.

[146] Coptic.
[147] Armenian.
[148] Aethiopic Version.
[149] Andreas Archbishop of Caesarea.
[150] Arethas, Archbishop of Caesarea.

ἶρις. א*A æth[151] arm[152] read ἱερεις; arm[153] also read ὄμοιοι; in 3, 4 א* omits ὅμ. ὁράσει σμ … θρόνου.

[151] Aethiopic Version.
[152] Armenian.
[153] Armenian.

3. λίθῳ ἰάσπιδι καὶ σαρδίῳ. Though jasper is the same word in Hebrew, Greek, Latin and modern languages, it appears to have changed its application. The most precious jasper was a quite transparent dark green chalcedony. Our opaque jasper, pure red, pure green and black, were all used for engraving, and a rare combination of our opaque red jasper, and the transparent green was known as iasponyx. Apparently our jaspers, including the common sort, with flakes of red, green, and yellow, were all classed as agates: later on that name was limited to transparent moss agates and extended to the ribbon agates known to Theophrastus as ὀνύχιον. The sard is called from the Persian name of its colour, and was certainly the choicest kind of red carnelian, translucent and fiery in colour, but not exactly sparkling. Is the vision, like that in Exodus 24:9-14, suggested in any measure by what is seen in gazing up into the depths of an eastern sky? If so, one is taken from the intense light of noon, the other from the suffused glow of evening.

κυκλόθεν τοῦ θρόνου, i.e. forming an arch over it.

ὅμοιος ὁράσει σμαραγδίνῳ. As λίθῳ is not repeated, possibly σμαραγδίνῳ agrees with ὁράσει: so Prim. and Vulgate; the latter translates as if there were genitives in the previous clause. There is no doubt what stone is meant; we have only the question whether the rainbow was all green, or only produced the same effect on the eye as an emerald—brilliant yet not dazzling. The ancients felt very strongly the relief given to the eye by looking at it, and valued it the more because it was the only really precious stone of which they were able to bring out the full lustre. The rainbow in any case represents God’s revelation by a covenant of grace, Genesis 9:13 sqq.

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Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Revelation 4:3

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