Rev 5:8 | JFB | STEP | 8. had taken — Greek, "took." fell down before the Lamb —who shares worship and the throne with the Father. harps —Two oldest manuscripts, A, B, Syriac and Coptic read, "a harp": a kind of guitar, played with the hand or a quill. vials —"bowls" [TREGELLES ]; censers. odours — Greek, "incense." prayers of saints —as the angel offers their prayers ( ) with incense (compare ). This gives not the least sanction to Rome's dogma of our praying to saints. Though they be employed by God in some way unknown to us to present our prayers (nothing is said of their interceding for us), yet we are told to pray only to Him ( ). Their own employment is praise (whence they all have harps ): ours is prayer.

Revelation of John 5:8

8. had taken—Greek, "took."

fell down before the Lamb—who shares worship and the throne with the Father.

harps—Two oldest manuscripts, A, B, Syriac and Coptic read, "a harp": a kind of guitar, played with the hand or a quill.

vials—"bowls" [TREGELLES]; censers.

odours—Greek, "incense."

prayers of saints—as the angel offers their prayers (Re 8:3) with incense (compare Ps 141:2). This gives not the least sanction to Rome's dogma of our praying to saints. Though they be employed by God in some way unknown to us to present our prayers (nothing is said of their interceding for us), yet we are told to pray only to Him (Re 19:10; 22:8, 9). Their own employment is praise (whence they all have harps): ours is prayer.