2:1. ‘Ephesus’

Greek # 2181, ēphĕsŏs.  Perhaps the Revelator used the Hebrew form of this word.  Many Hebrew words had an alternate with an aleph or an ayin as a beginning letter which could be lost by the process called ‘aphaeresis’ in certain contexts or be permanently lost by historic development of the word. As these sounds had no exact equivalent in Greek, transliteration and back translation would prove difficult.  See Ges. Lexicon page 1b and 597-8 on the letter ayin.

2:4. ‘Cause’ (“Something Against You”)

Greek # 156, aitia, ‘legal case’, ’cause’.

‘Indictment’

Hebrew #7379 rîb from #7378 rîyb, ‘a contest or controversy’, personal or legal, ‘a lawsuit’, ‘contend,’ ’cause.’

 

2:7. ‘Overcomes/Conquers’

Greek # 3528 nikaō, ‘to subdue’, ‘conquer’, ‘overcome’, ‘prevail’, ‘get the victory’.

 

2:9. ‘Jews’

Greek #3064 Ioudaios.  Bullinger, Lexicon, 424: “Jew(s)… Jewish one of the tribe or country of Judah, later applied to all the inhabitants of Judaea, Palestine, and their descendants.  A Jew in his national distinction from a Gentile.”  The term ‘Jewry’ was used, after the return from the captivity, of the whole of Palestine.

            “Israelite….a descendant of Israel.  The grand title of the Jew as a member of the theocracy and heir of the promises, theocratic privileges and glorious vocation” (ibid., 420).

2:9. ‘Blaspheme’

Greek #988 blasphēmia, ‘vilification’ ‘evil speaking’.

 

Hebrew châlal, ‘to pollute, defile’.  One form of the word is used in Ezek. 36:23: “…my great name is profaned among the nations,” and in Ezek. 39:7 a form of the word is used in: “…I will no more let my holy name be profaned.  It means ‘to pollute, defile’; for example, the name of God: Lev. 18:21; 19:12; 20:3; 21:6; 22:2, 32.

 

2:10. ‘Crown of Life’

Greek #4735 stĕphanŏs, ‘a badge of royalty’, ‘a prize in the public games’, ‘a symbol of honor generally’, metaphorically ‘the eternal blessedness which will be given as a prize to the genuine servants of God and Christ: the crown, (wreath), which is the reward of the righteous; that which is an ornament and honour to one’.

 

Hebrew #05849 ‛âtar, ‘crown’, as found in Psalm 8:5, quoted in Heb. 2:7-9.

 

2:11. ‘Hurt’

Greek #91 adikĕō, as found in Revelation 2:11; 6:6; 7:2-3; 9:4, 10, 19; 11:5, ‘to be unjust’, i.e. ‘(act) do wrong’, (morally, socially, physically), ‘hurt, injure’, ‘be an offender’, ‘be unjust’, ‘(do, suffer, take) wrong’.

 

2:17. ‘White Stone’

Greek #4973 sphragis, ‘a signet ring’, at 5:1 ‘Seal’.

 

2:23. ‘Death’

Greek #2288 thanatŏs ‘death’, literally or figuratively.

 

Hebrew #06757 tsalmâveth, (from #06738 and #04194), ‘shade of death’, i.e. the grave, figuratively, ‘calamity’.  #04194 mâveth … concretely, ‘the dead, their place or state (hades)’; figuratively, ‘pestilence, ruin’.

 

2:24. ‘Mystery’

Greek #3466 mustēriŏn, ‘mystery,’ ‘the silence imposed by initiation into secret religious rites’.

 

Hebrew #7328 râz, ‘mystery’, ‘a secret’, as in Daniel 2.

 

2:27. ‘Rule’

Greek #4165 pŏimainō, ‘to tend as a shepherd’, ‘rule’.

 

Hebrew perhaps #8269 sar ‘a head person’, ‘captain’, ‘chief’, ‘keeper’, ‘ruler’, ‘steward’.

 

2:27. ‘Rod’

Greek #4464 rhabdŏs, ‘stick, cane, or baton of royalty’, a rod, scepter, or staff.

 

Perhaps Hebrew #7626 shêbet, ‘a rod used for chastening, the sceptre of a king, a measuring rod.

 

2:27. ‘broken in pieces’

Greek #4937, suntribō , ‘to crush completely’, ‘to shatter’.

 

Perhaps Hebrew #5310 nâphats, ‘to break in pieces, ‘to scatter a flock or people,’ Isaiah 11:12, reflexive, ‘to disperse selves’, ‘to be dispersed (of a people)’ Gen. 9:19.

 

2:28. ‘Morning Star’

Greek #792 astēr, ‘a star’, akin to #798 astrŏn, ‘a constellation’.

Greek #5459, phōsphŏrŏs, (2 Peter 1:19 ‘Day star’), specifically, ‘the morning star’.

 

Contrast: Hebrew #1966 hêylêl, ‘the morning star’; ‘Lucifer (Isaiah 14:12), ‘son of the morning.’

From root #1984 hâlal ‘praise, renowned, to shine’.