In John"s vision the woman was about to give birth and cried out in labor pains. Evidently this represents Israel"s pain before Jesus Christ"s appearing at His first coming. [1][source]
Context Summary
Revelation 12:1-6 - "he Shall Reign For Ever And Ever"
The kingdom is even now Christ's, but it is hidden, even as He is. One day it will be manifested. For a long time David was the anointed king of Israel, but Saul sat on the throne until the predestined hour came when the tribes of Israel made David their chosen monarch. This surely is a type of that which will one day become apparent to the whole creation. The kingdom of the world will wholly and permanently become Christ's. Suffering and sorrow will then flee away, as birds of ill omen at dawn. War will cease to the end of the world. The glad populations of mankind will walk in the light of life, and the long night and travail of nature will be ended. It may be that each great era of human history ends with a scene of judgment; or that these series of visions are concurrent, viewing the earth-order from different standpoints.
What comfort is derived from this vision of the Ark of God's Covenant, which abides in the inner sanctuary! He is true to us. His word cannot alter, neither will He recede from His pledge to overthrow our enemies, to undo the devastation they have caused, and to realize His original purpose in man's creation. [source]
Chapter Summary: Revelation 12
1A woman clothed with the sun travails 4The great red dragon stands before her, ready to devour her child; 6when she is delivered she flees into the desert 7Michael and his angels fight with the dragon, and prevail 13The dragon, being cast down into the earth, persecutes the woman
Greek Commentary for Revelation 12:2
And she was with child [και εν γαστρι εχουσα] Perhaps εστιν estin to be supplied or the participle used as a finite verb as in Revelation 10:2. This is the technical idiom for pregnancy as in Matthew 1:18,Matthew 1:23, etc. [source]
Travailing in birth [ωδινουσα] Present active participle of ωδινω ōdinō old verb (from ωδιν ōdin birth-pangs 1 Thessalonians 5:3), in N.T. only here and Galatians 4:27.And in pain (και βασανιζομενη kai basanizomenē). “And tormented” (present passive participle of βασανιζω basanizō for which see note on Revelation 9:5 and note on Revelation 11:10), only here in N.T. in sense of childbirth.To be delivered Second aorist active infinitive of τικτω tiktō to give birth, epexegetical use. Also in Revelation 12:4. [source]
And in pain [και βασανιζομενη] “And tormented” (present passive participle of βασανιζω basanizō for which see note on Revelation 9:5 and note on Revelation 11:10), only here in N.T. in sense of childbirth. [source]
To be delivered [τεκειν] Second aorist active infinitive of τικτω tiktō to give birth, epexegetical use. Also in Revelation 12:4. [source]
Galatians 4:19I travail in birth again [πάλιν ὠδίνω] Better as Rev. of whom I am again in travail. Ὡδίνω only here and Revelation 12:2. Galatians 4:27is a quotation. The metaphorical use of the word is frequent in O.T. See Psalm 7:14; 31:5; 43:17; Micah href="/desk/?q=mic+4:10&sr=1">Micah 4:10; Isaiah 26:18; Isaiah 66:8. Paul means that he is for the second time laboring and distressed for the Galatian converts, with the same anguish which attended his first efforts for their conversion. The metaphor of begetting children in the gospel is found in 1 Corinthians 4:15; Philemon 1:10. It was a Jewish saying: “If one teaches the son of his neighbor the law, the Scripture reckons this the same as though he had begotten him.” [source]
Revelation 10:2And he had [και εχων] This use of the participle in place of ειχεν eichen (imperfect) is like that in Revelation 4:7.; Revelation 12:2; Revelation 19:12; Revelation 21:12,Revelation 21:14, a Semitic idiom (Charles), or as if καταβαινων katabainōn (nominative) had preceded in place of καταβαινοντα katabainonta little book A diminutive of βιβλαριον biblarion (papyri), itself a diminutive of βιβλιον biblion (Revelation 5:1) and perhaps in contrast with it, a rare form in Hermas and Revelation 10:2,Revelation 10:9,Revelation 10:10. In Revelation 10:8 Tischendorf reads βιβλιδαριον biblidarion diminutive of βιβλιδιον biblidion (Aristophanes) instead of βιβλιον biblion (Westcott and Hort). The contents of this little book are found in Revelation 11:1-13. [source]
Revelation 9:5But that they should be tormented [αλλ ινα βασανιστησονται] Sub-final clause again with ινα hina but this time with the first future passive indicative (like Revelation 3:9; Revelation 6:4; Revelation 8:3; Revelation 13:12) of βασανιζω basanizō old verb, to test metals (from βασανος basanos Matthew 4:24) by touchstone, then to torture like Matthew 8:29, further in Revelation 11:10; Revelation 12:2; Revelation 14:10; Revelation 20:10.Five months (μηνας πεντε mēnas pente). Accusative of extent of time. The actual locust is born in the spring and dies at the end of summer (about five months).Torment Late word for torture, from βασανιζω basanizō in N.T. only in Revelation 9:5; Revelation 14:11; Revelation 18:7,Revelation 18:10,Revelation 18:15. The wound of the scorpion was not usually fatal, though exceedingly painful.When it striketh a man (οταν παισηι αντρωπον hotan paisēi anthrōpon). Indefinite temporal clause with οταν hotan and the first aorist active subjunctive of παιω paiō (Matthew 26:51), old verb, to smite, “whenever it smites a man.” [source]
What do the individual words in Revelation 12:2 mean?
andinwombhavingshe cries outbeing in travailbeing in painto bring forth
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle or Passive, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: βασανίζω
Sense: to test (metals) by the touchstone, which is a black siliceous stone used to test the purity of gold or silver by the colour of the streak produced on it by rubbing it with either metal.
Greek Commentary for Revelation 12:2
Perhaps εστιν estin to be supplied or the participle used as a finite verb as in Revelation 10:2. This is the technical idiom for pregnancy as in Matthew 1:18, Matthew 1:23, etc. [source]
Present active participle of ωδινω ōdinō old verb (from ωδιν ōdin birth-pangs 1 Thessalonians 5:3), in N.T. only here and Galatians 4:27.And in pain (και βασανιζομενη kai basanizomenē). “And tormented” (present passive participle of βασανιζω basanizō for which see note on Revelation 9:5 and note on Revelation 11:10), only here in N.T. in sense of childbirth.To be delivered Second aorist active infinitive of τικτω tiktō to give birth, epexegetical use. Also in Revelation 12:4. [source]
“And tormented” (present passive participle of βασανιζω basanizō for which see note on Revelation 9:5 and note on Revelation 11:10), only here in N.T. in sense of childbirth. [source]
Second aorist active infinitive of τικτω tiktō to give birth, epexegetical use. Also in Revelation 12:4. [source]
See on sorrows, Mark 13:9, and see on pains, Acts 2:24. [source]
Lit., being tormented. See on Revelation 11:10, and references. For the imagery compare Isaiah 66:7, Isaiah 66:8; John 16:21. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Revelation 12:2
In every case but one where the word ἐκβάλλω occurs in John, it is used of casting out from a holy place or society. See John 2:15; John 9:34, John 9:3; 3 John 1:10; Revelation 12:2. Compare John 10:4. [source]
Better as Rev. of whom I am again in travail. Ὡδίνω only here and Revelation 12:2. Galatians 4:27is a quotation. The metaphorical use of the word is frequent in O.T. See Psalm 7:14; 31:5; 43:17; Micah href="/desk/?q=mic+4:10&sr=1">Micah 4:10; Isaiah 26:18; Isaiah 66:8. Paul means that he is for the second time laboring and distressed for the Galatian converts, with the same anguish which attended his first efforts for their conversion. The metaphor of begetting children in the gospel is found in 1 Corinthians 4:15; Philemon 1:10. It was a Jewish saying: “If one teaches the son of his neighbor the law, the Scripture reckons this the same as though he had begotten him.” [source]
I am in birth pangs. Old word for this powerful picture of pain. In N.T. only here, Galatians 4:27; Revelation 12:2. [source]
This use of the participle in place of ειχεν eichen (imperfect) is like that in Revelation 4:7.; Revelation 12:2; Revelation 19:12; Revelation 21:12, Revelation 21:14, a Semitic idiom (Charles), or as if καταβαινων katabainōn (nominative) had preceded in place of καταβαινοντα katabainonta little book A diminutive of βιβλαριον biblarion (papyri), itself a diminutive of βιβλιον biblion (Revelation 5:1) and perhaps in contrast with it, a rare form in Hermas and Revelation 10:2, Revelation 10:9, Revelation 10:10. In Revelation 10:8 Tischendorf reads βιβλιδαριον biblidarion diminutive of βιβλιδιον biblidion (Aristophanes) instead of βιβλιον biblion (Westcott and Hort). The contents of this little book are found in Revelation 11:1-13. [source]
Sub-final clause again with ινα hina but this time with the first future passive indicative (like Revelation 3:9; Revelation 6:4; Revelation 8:3; Revelation 13:12) of βασανιζω basanizō old verb, to test metals (from βασανος basanos Matthew 4:24) by touchstone, then to torture like Matthew 8:29, further in Revelation 11:10; Revelation 12:2; Revelation 14:10; Revelation 20:10.Five months (μηνας πεντε mēnas pente). Accusative of extent of time. The actual locust is born in the spring and dies at the end of summer (about five months).Torment Late word for torture, from βασανιζω basanizō in N.T. only in Revelation 9:5; Revelation 14:11; Revelation 18:7, Revelation 18:10, Revelation 18:15. The wound of the scorpion was not usually fatal, though exceedingly painful.When it striketh a man (οταν παισηι αντρωπον hotan paisēi anthrōpon). Indefinite temporal clause with οταν hotan and the first aorist active subjunctive of παιω paiō (Matthew 26:51), old verb, to smite, “whenever it smites a man.” [source]