John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 8. But the fearful , etc.] Not the timorous sheep and lambs of Christ, the dear children of God, who are sometimes of a fearful heart, on account of sin, temptation, and unbelief; but such who are of cowardly spirits, and are not valiant for the truth, but who, through fear of men, either make no profession of Christ and his Gospel, or having made it, drop it, lest they should be exposed to tribulation and persecution; these are they that are afraid of the beast, and live in servile bondage to him. And unbelieving ; meaning not merely atheists, who do not believe there is a God, or deists only, that do not believe in Christ; but such who profess his name, and are called by it, and yet do not truly believe in him, nor embrace his Gospel and the truths of it, but believe a lie; these are condemned already, and on them the wrath of God abides, and they will be damned at last; though it may have a regard to such also who are infidels as to the second coming of Christ to judgment, and who are scoffers and mockers at it: and the abominable : every sinful man is so in the sight of God; but here it denotes such who are the worst of sinners, given up to sinning; who are abominable, and to every good work reprobate; who are addicted to the worst of crimes, as were the Sodomites and others; the Ethiopic version renders it, who pollute themselves with unnatural lusts. The Syriac and Arabic versions express it by two words, sinners and polluted, filthy sinners; the character well agrees with Babylon, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth, and to all that adhere to her, and join with her in her abominable idolatries. And murderers ; of the saints, and prophets, and martyrs of Jesus, with whose blood Babylon, or the whore of Rome, has made herself drunk, and in whom it will be found. And whoremongers ; all unclean persons, that indulge themselves in impure lusts, in fornication, adultery, and all lewdness; as the clergy of the church of Rome, who being forbidden to marry, and being under a vow of celibacy, and making great pretensions to chastity and singular holiness, give up themselves to all lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. And sorcerers ; conjurers, dealers with familiar spirits, necromancers, and such as use the magic art, as many of the popes did to get into the chair, and poisoners of kings and princes; whoredoms and witchcrafts go together sometimes, as they did in Jezebel, an emblem of the Romish antichrist. And idolaters ; that worship devils, idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, representing God, and Christ, and the virgin Mary, and saints departed, ( Revelation 9:20). And all liars ; in common, and particularly such who speak lies in hypocrisy, as the followers of the man of sin, and who are given up to believe a lie, that they might be damned; all lies being of the devil, and abominable to God. All and each of these shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone .
The Jews speak of several distinct places in hell, for several sorts of sinners, as particularly for sabbath breakers, adulterers, and liars; and say of the wicked, that when he is condemned he shall take wqlj , his part in hell f460 ; (See Gill on Revelation 19:20) which is the second death ; (See Gill on Revelation 2:11).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-8 - The new heaven and the new earth will not be separate from each other the earth of the saints, their glorified, bodies, will be heavenly. The old world, with all its troubles and tumults, will have passed away There will be no sea; this aptly represents freedom from conflictin passions, temptations, troubles, changes, and alarms; from whatever can divide or interrupt the communion of saints. This new Jerusalem is the church of God in its new and perfect state, the church triumphant. It blessedness came wholly from God, and depends on him. The presence of God with his people in heaven, will not be interrupt as it is on earth he will dwell with them continually. All effects of former troubl shall be done away. They have often been in tears, by reason of sin, or affliction, of the calamities of the church; but no signs, n remembrance of former sorrows shall remain. Christ makes all thing new. If we are willing and desirous that the gracious Redeemer shoul make all things new in order hearts and nature, he will make all thing new in respect of our situation, till he has brought us to enjo complete happiness. See the certainty of the promise. God gives his titles, Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, as a pledge for the full performance. Sensual and sinful pleasures are muddy and poisone waters; and the best earthly comforts are like the scanty supplies of cistern; when idolized, they become broken cisterns, and yield onl vexation. But the joys which Christ imparts are like waters springin from a fountain, pure, refreshing, abundant, and eternal. The sanctifying consolations of the Holy Spirit prepare for heavenl happiness; they are streams which flow for us in the wilderness. The fearful durst not meet the difficulties of religion, their slavish fea came from their unbelief; but those who were so dastardly as not to dare to take up the cross of Christ, were yet so desperate as to ru into abominable wickedness. The agonies and terrors of the first deat will lead to the far greater terrors and agonies of eternal death.
Greek Textus Receptus
δειλοις 1169 A-DPM δε 1161 CONJ και 2532 CONJ απιστοις 571 A-DPM και 2532 CONJ εβδελυγμενοις 948 5772 V-RPP-DPM και 2532 CONJ φονευσιν 5406 N-DPM και 2532 CONJ πορνοις 4205 N-DPM και 2532 CONJ φαρμακευσιν 5332 N-DPM και 2532 CONJ ειδωλολατραις 1496 N-DPM και 2532 CONJ πασιν 3956 A-DPM τοις 3588 T-DPM ψευδεσιν 5571 A-DPM το 3588 T-NSN μερος 3313 N-NSN αυτων 846 P-GPM εν 1722 PREP τη 3588 T-DSF λιμνη 3041 N-DSF τη 3588 T-DSF καιομενη 2545 5746 V-PPP-DSF πυρι 4442 N-DSN και 2532 CONJ θειω 2303 N-DSN ο 3739 R-NSN εστιν 2076 5748 V-PXI-3S δευτερος 1208 A-NSM θανατος 2288 N-NSM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
8. The fearful (deiloiv). The dative case. Hence, as Rev., for the fearful. Only here, Matt. viii. 26, and Mark iv. 40.Abominable (ebdelugmenoiv). See on abomination, Matt. xxiv. 15. Properly, defiled with abominations.
Whoremongers (pornoiv). Much better, as Rev., fornicators.
Sorcerers. See on sorceries, ch. ix. 21.
Shall have their part (to merov autwn). Lit., the whole passage reads: to the fearful, etc., their part. shall be is supplied.
