And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
5. no guile ] Read, no lie.
before the throne of God ] Should be omitted; and so perhaps should “for.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And in their mouth was found no guile – No deceit, fraud, hypocrisy. They were sincerely and truly what they professed to be – the children of God. This is the last characteristic which is given of them as redeemed, and it is not necessary to say that this is always represented as one of the characteristics of the true children of God. See the notes on Joh 1:47.
For they are without fault before the throne of God – The word here rendered without fault – amomoi – means, properly, spotless, without blemish, 1Pe 1:19. See the notes on Col 1:22. This cannot be construed as meaning that they were by nature pure and holy, but only that they were pure as they stood before the throne of God in heaven – having washed their robes, and made them pure in the blood of the Lamb. See the notes on Rev 7:14. It will be certainly true that all who stand there will be, in fact, pure, for nothing impure or unholy shall enter there, Rev 21:27.
The design of this portion of the chapter was evidently to comfort those to whom the book was addressed, and, in the same way, to comfort all the children of God in times of persecution and trial. Those living in the time of John were suffering persecution, and, in the previous chapters, he had described more fearful trials yet to come on the church. In these trials, therefore, present and prospective, there was a propriety in fixing the thoughts on the final triumph of the redeemed – that glorious state in heaven where all persecution shall cease, and where all the ransomed of the Lord shall stand before his throne. What could be better suited than this view to sustain the souls of the persecuted and the sorrowful? And how often since in the history of the church in the dark times of religious declension and of persecution – has there been occasion to seek consolation in this bright view of heaven? How often in the life of each believer, when sorrows come upon him like a flood, and earthly consolation is gone, is there occasion to look to that blessed world where all the redeemed shall stand before God; where all tears shall be wiped away from every face; and where there shall be the assurance that the last pang has been endured, and that the soul is to be happy forever?
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 5. In their mouth was found no guile] When brought before kings and rulers they did not dissemble, but boldly confessed the Lord Jesus.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Not that any liveth and sinneth not against God, but it is to be understood comparatively; they are without fault in comparison of the rest of the world, they have not in them the guile of hypocrisy, they are sincere. Or, possibly by
guile is here understood a lie. All idolaters are liars, Rom 1:25, and idols are called lies, Jer 16:19; Amo 2:4. Mr. Mede expoundeth this text by Zep 3:13. The words may either more generally signify the holiness of these persons, in opposition to profaneness and hypocrisy; or more particularly, their freedom and purity from antichristian superstitions and idolatry.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
5. guileSo ANDREASin one copy. But A, B, C, ORIGEN,and ANDREAS in othercopies read, “falsehood.” Compare with English Versionreading Psa 32:2; Isa 53:9;Joh 1:47.
forSo B, Syriac,Coptic, ORIGEN, andANDREAS read. But A and Comit.
without faultGreek,“blameless”: in respect to the sincerity of their fidelityto Him. Not absolutely, and in themselves blameless; butregarded as such on the ground of His righteousness in whom alonethey trusted, and whom they faithfully served by His Spirit in them.The allusion seems to be to Psa 15:1;Psa 15:2. Compare Re14:1, “stood on Mount Sion.”
before the throne of GodA,B, C, Syriac, Coptic, ORIGEN,and ANDREAS omit thesewords. The oldest Vulgate manuscript supports them.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And in their mouth was found no guile,…. Or “a lie”, as the Complutensian edition, the Alexandrian copy, the Vulgate Latin, and all the Oriental versions read; by which may be meant idolatry, for idols and idolatrous practices are often called lies, and lying vanities; see Jer 16:19; and the sense is, that the superstition and idolatry of the church of Rome were not among them: or it may design false doctrine, and the meaning be, that they did not speak lies in hypocrisy, as the followers of antichrist do; nor were they given up to believe a lie, as they are: the generality of copies read, “no guile”; which is expressive of the sincerity of their words; there was no deceit nor hypocrisy in them; they did not speak with flattering lips to men, nor did they draw nigh to God with their mouths, when their hearts were far from him; they were Israelites indeed, like Nathanael, in whom was no guile; though not in so strict a sense, in which this phrase is used of Christ, 1Pe 1:22;
for they are without fault before the throne of God; not as considered in themselves, as if they were entirely free from sin, and never committed any; though it might be true of them, that in general they were of unblemished lives and conversations, that is, not guilty of any notorious and scandalous crimes; but rather the sense is, that they were without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, as being washed in the blood of Christ, and so cleansed from all sin, and as being justified by his righteousness from all iniquity; and so were before the throne of God, and in the sight of divine justice, unblamable and unreproveable; see #Jude 24 Col 1:22; the phrase, “before the throne of God”, is left out in the Alexandrian copy, and in the Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions, and in the Complutensian edition.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Was found no lie ( ). First aorist passive indicative of . In 1Pe 2:23 this passage (Isa 53:9) is quoted with (deceit, guile) instead of (lie), but the difference is not great.
Without blemish (). Alpha privative and (blemish, spot). As Christ the Paschal Lamb is (1Pet 1:19; Heb 9:14), so the followers of the Lamb are to be in the end (Php 2:15).
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Guile [] . Read yeudov lie.
Without fault [] . Rev., blemish. See on 1Pe 1:19.
Before the throne of God. Omit.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “And in their mouth,” (kai en to stomati auton) and in their mouth,” or in whose mouth, conversation, or testimony was Divine acceptance, Psa 19:14.
2) “Was found no guile,” (ouch heurethe pseudos) “not a single lie was found; as our Lord found in Nathaniel an Israelite, “in whom was no guile,- fickleness, deceit, or insincerity, so shall he find in this remnant (fragment) of regathered Israel in the last days, Joh 1:46-47.
3) “For they are without fault before the throne of God,” (amomoi eisin) “they (the remnant of Israel on earth) are not even blemished,” have not a blemish of offence for Divine acceptance or approval, before the throne of God. Isa 1:9; Rom 11:5.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
5. No guile Greek, no lie. Contrast with the “great wonders” of the second beast, “the false prophet,” who “deceiveth them that dwell on the earth,” (Rev 13:13-14,) “with all signs and lying wonders,” “with all deceivableness of unrighteousness,” “that they should believe a lie.” 2Th 1:9-11. And the work of the reappearing dragon is to “deceive the nations,” Rev 20:3; Rev 20:8. The song of this holy throng bodes no good to the powers of darkness. And still clearer omens now appear in the mid-sky.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
Ver. 5. And in their mouth ] Children they are that will not lie,Isa 63:8Isa 63:8 , neither is a deceitful tongue found in their mouth, Zep 3:13 . They will rather die than lie. The officers of Merindol answered the bishop that moved them to abjure, that they marvelled much that he would go about to persuade them to lie to God and the world; affirming that they punished their children very sharply when they took them with a lie, even as if they had committed a robbery, for the devil is a liar. (Acts and Mon. fol. 866.)
For they are without fault ] 1. By imputation; 2. By inchoation.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Rev 14:5 . , “unblemished” (a ritual term), possibly contains a sacrificial tinge, like in some of the inscriptions (= gift to deity), cf. Thieme’s Inschriften von Magnesia , 26. These adherents are redeemed. But in another aspect their qualities of purity and guilelessness form a sweet sacrifice to God. A Christian not only may be redeemed but may sacrifice himself in the interests of the Redeemer. . In view of Rev 21:8 ; Rev 21:27 , Rev 22:15 it is superfluous to think of prophets or teachers specially (Weinel, 146 148) in this connexion, although the gifts of utterance and prophecy were particularly associated with asceticism (En. lxxxiii., cviii., etc.) in the early church of the first century; e.g. , “the whole yoke of the Lord” in Did. vi. may refer to celibacy (in which case would be equivalent to here). Cf. the discussion of reasons, in a Babylonian incantation (Zimmern, die Beschwrungstafeln Shurpu , 5, 6), why the sufferer was punished. “Has he for ‘no’ said ‘yes’, | For ‘yes’ said ‘no’? Was he frank in speaking | but false in heart? | Wasit ‘yes’ with his mouth | but ‘no’ in his heart?” The Assyrian idiom for loyalty is “true speech in the mouth of the people,” neither rebellious nor seditious talk.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
was . . . guile = was not found (the) lie, as the texts.
without fault. See Eph 1:4.
before . . . God. The texts omit.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Rev 14:5. ) ,[155] the text according to Andreas in Cod. Reuchl., which Erasmus follows, and in the Augustan. But the text in Andreas himself, as edited by Sylburgius, and Copt, (according to Wolf, who however defends the word ), together with all the copies, is . That expression of Peter, , plainly refers to Isa 53:9. But the phrase of the Apocalypse, although it supports itself, has something parallel in Mal 2:6, respecting the priest: , . The word , with its derivatives and compounds, is of very frequent occurrence in all the writings of John.- ) [156] was first added by the more recent Latin editions. See App. Crit. Ed. ii. on this passage. This interpolation is unsuitable to the passage. For the description of these first-fruits is beautifully fashioned like a canticle; and so these two clauses have a kind of rhythm, where, as we remark in passing, the particle appears to be extended from the preceding to the latter clause. Moreover, they are virgins, with reference to their following the Lamb; they are , not with reference to their being before the throne of God, but with reference to the fact, that they are redeemed, as first-fruits to God and the Lamb. Why should I enlarge on this? No one in Greece, Asia, Syria, or Africa, nor do I hesitate to add Italy and ancient Armenia, has in this passage read the clause, before the throne of God. They had not the editions which are in common use at the present day; they had the genuine reading.
[155] ABC Vulg. Orig. read : Rec. Text, without good authority, .-E.
[156] ABC Orig. omit these words. Rec. Text has them, with Vulg. Amiat. MS. alone of the oldest authorities.-E.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
in: Psa 32:2, Psa 34:13, Psa 55:11, Pro 8:8, Isa 53:9, Zep 3:13, Mat 12:34, Joh 1:47, 1Pe 3:10
without: Son 4:7, Dan 6:4, Hos 10:2, Luk 23:4, Eph 5:27, Col 1:22, Jud 1:24
Reciprocal: Psa 125:4 – upright Mal 2:6 – law Mar 10:14 – for Rom 8:4 – That 1Pe 2:1 – guile 1Pe 2:22 – guile
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Here St. John closes the description of the fore-mentioned followers of the Lamb,
1. With the character of their integrity; like the Lamb, no guile is found in their mouth, as there was none in his, 1Pe 2:22 they were free from that hypocrisy which was found amongst anti-christ’s followers, who profess to worship God, but adore their idols; sincerity and uprightness of heart towards God and man was found with them.
2. They are said to be without fault before God; which may be understood comparatively; they have no such faults as antichrist’s followers are guilty of; they worship God aright, and are approved by him: or, if absolutely, we must understand it of their glorification in heaven, where all the saints are without spot, and blameless before the throne of God, perfectly like unto God and the Lamb, as well in purity as in immortality.
Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament
Furthermore, they spoke the truth even though deception abounded (Rev 13:14; cf. Isa 53:9; Zep 3:13; Joh 8:44; 1Pe 2:22). In short, they were blameless, that is, perfectly acceptable to God as firstfruit sacrifices (cf. Php 2:15; Heb 9:14; 1Pe 1:19; Jud 1:24).