Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
Fled into the wilderness (efugen eiv thn erhmon). Second aorist active indicative of feugw. Here, of course, not Mary, but "the ideal woman" (God's people) of the preceding verses, who fled under persecution of the dragon. God's people do not at once share the rapture of Christ, but the dragon is unable to destroy them completely. The phrases used here seem to be reminiscent of Deuteronomy 8:2 ff. (wanderings of Israel in the wilderness), 1 Kings 17:2 f. and Revelation 19:3 f. (Elijah's flight), I Macc. 2:29 (flight of the Jews from Antiochus Epiphanes), Matthew 2:13 (flight of Joseph and Mary to Egypt), Mark 13:14 (the flight of Christians at the destruction of Jerusalem).
Where (opou--ekei). Hebrew redundancy (where--there) as in Revelation 3:8; Revelation 8:9; Revelation 13:8, Revelation 13:12; Revelation 17:9; Revelation 20:8.
Prepared (htoimasmenon). Perfect passive predicate participle of etoimazw, for which verb see Matthew 20:23; Revelation 8:6; Revelation 9:7, Revelation 9:15; Revelation 16:12; Revelation 19:7; Revelation 21:2, and for its use with topov John 14:2 f. and for the kind of fellowship meant by it (Psalms 31:21; 2 Corinthians 13:13; Colossians 3:3; 1 John 1:3).
Of God (apo tou qeou). "From (by) God," marking the source as God (Revelation 9:18; James 1:13). This anticipatory symbolism is repeated in Revelation 12:13 f.
That there they may nourish her (ina ekei trefwsin authn). Purpose clause with ina and the present for continued action: active subjunctive according to A P though C reads trefousin, present active indicative, as is possible also in Revelation 13:17 and certainly so in 1 John 5:20 (Robertson, Grammar, p. 984), a solecism in late vernacular Greek. The plural is indefinite "they" as in Revelation 10:11; Revelation 11:9. One MSS. has trefetai (is nourished). The stereotyped phrase occurs here, as in Revelation 11:2 f., for the length of the dragon's power, repeated in Revelation 12:14 in more general terms and again in Revelation 13:5.
Other commentary entries containing this verse:
Revelation 9:15
Revelation 11:2
Revelation 12:14
Revelation 13:16
Revelation 16:12
Revelation 17:9
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