Revelation 3:14

 Revelation 3:14

And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

a. NASB 1995: “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:  [NASB95 New American Standard Bible. Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation; All Rights Reserved]

b. NKJV: “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:  [Scripture quotations marked "NKJV" are taken from the New King James Version®, Copyright© 1982, Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.]

c. Classic Amplified: And to the angel (messenger) of the assembly (church) in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the trusty and faithful and true Witness, the Origin and Beginning and Author of God’s creation: [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. Peshitta Eastern Text: And unto the angel of the church in Laod-i-ce'a write; These things says the Amen, the faithful, and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;   [HOLY BIBLE FROM THE ANCIENT EASTERN TEXT. Copyright  Ⓒ 1933 by A.J. Holmon Co.; copyright  Ⓒ renewed 1968 by A.J. Holmon Co.; All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.]

e. ESV: “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.  [Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001, 2007, 2011, 2016 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved."]

f. Unless otherwise stated, all Greek and Hebrew definitions are from Blue Letter Bible

1. “And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;”

a. And [Strong: 2532 kaí, kahee; apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:—and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

b. [unto] the [Strong: 3588. [tō] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [tō] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn, ta, tēs, tois, tais, tō, tōn, tou, hé, Hē, hē, hai, tas.]

c. angel [Strong: 32 ággelos, ang'-el-os; from ἀγγέλλω aggéllō (probably derived from G71; compare G34) (to bring tidings); a messenger; especially an "angel"; by implication, a pastor:—angel, messenger.]

1). W.A. Criswell: Now this morning we took time to turn to these verses.  I want to do it very rapidly, so just let me turn to it, just to see that in the Bible.  In Haggai 1:13: “Then spake Haggai,” the Lord’s malak, angelos,” translated here in the King James, “messenger.”  “Then spake Haggai,” the Lord’s angel, the Lord’s messenger, “in the Lord’s message unto the people, saying.”  You see that word angelos?  That is the way the Greek Septuagint translates it; the word malak in the Hebrew, or the “messenger” as I have it in this King James Version [Haggai 1:13].  In the third chapter of Malachi, I find the same thing: malak, “messenger”; malaki, “My messenger” [Malachi 3:1].  That was not doubtless the man’s name.  We do not know who the man was.  He is just designated as “My messenger, My angel” Malachi 3:1.  Now, in the second chapter of Malachi, verse 7: “For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the angelos—he is the malak—he is the “messenger” of the Lord of hosts” [Malachi 2:7].  When I turn to the third chapter: Behold, I will send My angelos, My malak, My “messenger,” and he shall prepare the way before Me—talking about John the Baptist—and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant. [Malachi 3:1] Here I think it would have been beautiful to translate it “the Angel of the covenant,” referring many times in the Bible like that—the Angel of the covenant—referring to Jesus Christ.  When I turn to the seventh chapter of the Book of Luke, the same thing: “And when the messengers of John came, when the angeloi, the messengers, the angels of John were departed, Jesus began to say…” [Luke 7:24].  And He said, “This is he of whom it is written: Behold, I send My angelos before Thy face—My messenger, My malak, before Thy face” [Luke 7:27].  Just one other: the pastor of the church at Jerusalem, James, in his letter, chapter 2 verse 25, wrote, “Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the angeloi, the messengers, and had sent them out another way?” [James 2:25].  Therefore, when I turn to the Revelation, I know exactly from the Book what these angels are.  The seven stars, the asteroi, are the angeloi, the messengers, God’s appointed servants over each one of these seven churches [Revelation 1:20]. I know these angels are men; they are pastors, they are God’s prophets, they are God’s spokesmen. 

d. [of] the [Strong: 3588. [tēs] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [tēs] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn, ta, tēs, tois, tais, tō, tōn, tou, hé, Hē, hē, hai, tas.]

e. church [Strong: 1577 ekklēsía, ek-klay-see'-ah; from a compound of G1537 and a derivative of G2564; a calling out, i.e. (concretely) a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation (Jewish synagogue, or Christian community of members on earth or saints in heaven or both):—assembly, church.]

f. [of the] Laodiceans [Strong: 2994 Laodikeús, lah-od-ik-yooce'; from G2993; a Laodicean, i.e. inhabitant of Laodicia:—Laodicean.]

g. write [Strong: 1125 gráphō, graf'-o; a primary verb; to "grave", especially to write; figuratively, to describe:—describe, write(-ing, -ten).]

h. These things [Strong: 3592 hóde, hod'-eh; from G3588 and G1161; the same, i.e. this or that one (plural these or those); often used as a personal pronoun:—he, she, such, these, thus.]

i. saith [Strong: 3004 légō, leg'-o; a primary verb; properly, to "lay" forth, i.e. (figuratively) relate (in words (usually of systematic or set discourse; whereas G2036 and G5346 generally refer to an individual expression or speech respectively; while G4483 is properly to break silence merely, and G2980 means an extended or random harangue)); by implication, to mean:—ask, bid, boast, call, describe, give out, name, put forth, say(-ing, on), shew, speak, tell, utter.] 

j. the [Strong: 3588. [ho] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [ho] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn, ta, tēs, tois, tais, tō, tōn, tou, hé, Hē, hē, hai, tas.]

k. Amen [Strong: 281 amḗn, am-ane'; of Hebrew origin (H543); properly, firm, i.e. (figuratively) trustworthy; adverbially, surely (often as interjection, so be it):—amen, verily.]

l. the [Strong: 3588. [ho] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [ho] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn, ta, tēs, tois, tais, tō, tōn, tou, hé, Hē, hē, hai, tas.]

m. faithful [Strong: 4103 pistós, pis-tos'; from G3982; objectively, trustworthy; subjectively, trustful:—believe(-ing, -r), faithful(-ly), sure, true.]

n. and [Strong: 2532 kaí, kahee; apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:—and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

o. true [Strong: 228 alēthinós, al-ay-thee-nos'; from G227; truthful:—true.]

p. [Strong: 3588. [ho] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [ho] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn, ta, tēs, tois, tais, tō, tōn, tou, hé, Hē, hē, hai, tas.]

q. witness [Strong: 3144 mártys, mar'-toos; of uncertain affinity; a witness (literally (judicially) or figuratively (genitive case)); by analogy, a "martyr":—martyr, record, witness.]

r. the [Strong: 3588. [hē] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [hē] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn, ta, tēs, tois, tais, tō, tōn, tou, hé, Hē, hē, hai, tas.]

s. beginning [Strong: 746 archḗ, ar-khay'; from G756; (properly abstract) a commencement, or (concretely) chief (in various applications of order, time, place, or rank):—beginning, corner, (at the, the) first (estate), magistrate, power, principality, principle, rule.]

t. [of] the [Strong: 3588. [tēs] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [tēs] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn, ta, tēs, tois, tais, tō, tōn, tou, hé, Hē, hē, hai, tas.]

u. creation [Strong: 2937 ktísis, ktis'-is; from G2936; original formation (properly, the act; by implication, the thing, literally or figuratively):—building, creation, creature, ordinance.]

v. [Strong: 3588. [tou] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [tou] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn, ta, tēs, tois, tais, tō, tōn, tou, hé, Hē, hē, hai, tas.]

w. [of] God [Strong: 2316 theós, theh'-os; of uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with G3588) the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very:—X exceeding, God, god(-ly, -ward).]