Verse 12:[1] And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith (Rev. 1:16) he which hath the sharp sword with two edges…
[To the Angel in Pergamos] Pergamos was a most illustrious city of Troas (Menochius), royal seat of the Attalids[2] (Menochius).
Pergamos was a famous city of Troas; we read of Pergamos no where else in Scripture, but of Troas we read of Paul’s being there, Acts 16:8, 11; 20:5, 6, and preaching Christ there, 2 Corinthians 2:12.
[Who has romphæam, the long spear, etc.] That is, the Sword. He says this having regard to that in verse 16, I will fight with the sword, etc. (Ribera). [The sense:] He who does a most exact dissection even of all the most intimate things in a man, and searches all things. See Revelation 1:16 and the things said there (Grotius). He who is able to dismember and destroy soul and body by His long spear. Fear ye, therefore, this Christ, not persecutors (Menochius). This sword is the word of God (Gagnæus, Durham, Cluverus, Menochius), Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12 (Durham), as in Revelation 1:16 (Durham, Menochius), by which Christ pierces and kills his enemies with spiritual punishments (Durham).
These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges: see the notes on Revelation 1:16.
[1] Greek: Καὶ τῷ ἀγγέλῳ τῆς ἐν Περγάμῳ ἐκκλησίας γράψον, Τάδε λέγει ὁ ἔχων τὴν ῥομφαίαν τὴν δίστομον τὴν ὀξεῖαν·
[2] After the death of Lysimachus, one of Alexander the Great’s generals, and the collapse of the Lysimachian Empire, the Attalids, beginning with Philetærus (one of Lysimachus’ officers), ruled the city of Pergamos from 282 to 133 BC.
William Tong (for Matthew Henry): 'Here also we are to consider...The inscription of this message. 1. To whom it was sent: To the angel of the church of Pergamos. Whether this was a city raised up out of the ruins of old Troy, a Troy nouveau (as our London was once called), or some other city of the same name, is neither certain nor material; it was a place where Christ had called and constituted a gospel church, by the preaching of the gospel and the grace of his Spirit making the word effectual. 2. Who it was that sent this message to Pergamos: the same Jesus who here describes himself as one that hath the sharp sword with tw…