Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
And I saw (kai). No verb (eidon) in the old MSS., but clearly understood from verse Revelation 13:2.
As though it had been smitten (wv esfagmenhn). Perfect passive participle of sfazw, as in Revelation 5:6, accusative singular agreeing with mian (one of the heads), object of eidon understood, "as though slain" (so the word means in seven other instances in the book). There is a reference to the death and new life of the Lamb in Revelation 5:6.
And his death-stroke was healed (kai h plhgh autou eqerapeuqh). First aorist passive indicative of qerapeuw. "The stroke of death" (that led to death). Apparently refers to the death of Nero in June 68 A.D. by his own hand. But after his death pretenders arose claiming to be Nero redivivus even as late as 89 (Tacitus, Hist. i. 78, ii. 8, etc.). John seems to regard Domitian as Nero over again in the persecutions carried on by him. The distinction is not always preserved between the beast (Roman Empire) and the seven heads (emperors), but in Revelation 17:10 the beast survives the loss of five heads. Here it is the death-stroke of one head, while in verses Revelation 13:12, Revelation 13:14 the beast himself receives a mortal wound.
Wondered after the beast (eqaumasqh opisw tou qhriou). First aorist passive (deponent) indicative of qaumazw, to wonder at, to admire, as in Revelation 17:8. For this pregnant use of opisw see John 12:9; Acts 5:37; Acts 20:30; 1 Timothy 5:15. "All the earth wondered at and followed after the beast," that is Antichrist as represented by Domitian as Nero redivivus. But Charles champions the view that Caligula, not Nero, is the head that received the death-stroke and recovered and set up statues of himself for worship, even trying to do it in Jerusalem.
Other commentary entries containing this verse:
Revelation 5:6
Revelation 12:1
Revelation 13:12
Revelation 17:8
Revelation 17:12
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