Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

Adam Clarke Commentary

Cast their crowns before the throne - Acknowledge the infinite supremacy of God, and that they have derived their being and their blessings from him alone. This is an allusion to the custom of prostrations in the east, and to the homage of petty kings acknowledging the supremacy of the emperor.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

The four and twenty elders fall down before him … - The representatives of the redeemed church in heaven (see the notes at Revelation 4:4) also unite in the praise. The meaning, if the explanation of the symbol be correct, is, that the church universal unites in praise to God for all that characterizes his administration. In the connection in which this stands here, the sense would be, that as often as there is any new manifestation of the principles of the divine government, the church ascribes new praise to God. Whatever may be thought of this explanation of the meaning of the symbols, of the fact here stated there can be no doubt. The church of God always rejoices when there is any new manifestation of the principles of the divine administration. As all these acts, in reality, bring glory and honor to God, the church, as often as there is any new manifestation of the divine character and purposes, renders praise anew. Nor can it be doubted that the view here taken is one that is every way appropriate to the general character of this book. The great design was to disclose what God was to do in future times, in the various revolutions that were to take place on the earth, until his government should be firmly established, and the principles of his administration should everywhere prevail; and there was a propriety, therefore, in describing the representatives of the church as taking part in this universal praise, and as casting every crown at the feet of Him who sits upon the throne.

And cast their crowns before the throne - They are described as “crowned” Revelation 4:4, that is, as triumphant, and as kings (compare Revelation 5:10), and they are here represented as casting their crowns at his feet, in token that they owe their triumph to Him. To his providential dealings, to his wise and merciful government, they owe it that they are crowned at all; and there is, therefore, a propriety that they should acknowledge this in a proper manner by placing their crowns at his feet.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne,.... The ministers of the Gospel begin the worship of God, and lead in it, who are the four living creatures; when the members of churches, who are the four and twenty elders, follow, and approach the divine Being in a most humble manner:

and worship him that liveth for ever and ever: in Spirit, and in truth, with faith and fervency, in every part of duty they are directed to:

and cast their crowns before the throne; signifying, that they received them, from him that sits upon it, being by the grace of God what they are; and that they are unworthy to wear them in his presence, being but unprofitable servants in all they do; and hereby also acknowledging their subjection to him as their King and lawgiver. Something like this the Jews relate of the family above; they say,

"when the holy blessed God ascends the glorious "throne of judgment", the whole family above tremble; and when they see the holy blessed God "they take their crowns from off their heads"--and pray and seek mercy for Israel; and immediately he ascends the "throne of mercy"^F23Raziel, fol. 45. 2. .'

And such like actions have been done by kings and princes to one another, in token of subjection. Thus Tigranes, king of Armenia, fell down at the feet of Pompey, and cast his crown from his head, which Pompey replaced; and having commanded him certain things, ordered him to enjoy his kingdoms^F24Cicero, Orat. pro Sextio. p. 904. : so Herod meeting Augustus Caesar at Rhode, when he entered the city took oil his crown, and after a speech made to him, with which Caesar was pleased, he set it on him again^F25Joseph. Autiqu. l. 15. c. 6. sect. 6,7. .

Saying; as follows.

Geneva Study Bible

⁹ The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

(9) Three signs of divine honour given to God, prostration or falling down, adoration and casting their crowns before God: in which the godly, though made kings by Christ, willingly empty themselves of all glory, moved with a religious respect for the majesty of God.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

fall — immediately. Greek, “shall fall down”: implying that this ascription of praise shall be repeated onward to eternity. So also, “shall worship … shall cast their crowns,” namely, in acknowledgment that all the merit of their crowns (not kingly diadems, but the crowns of conquerors) is due to Him.

Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament

Shall fall down (πεσουνται — pesountai future middle of πιπτω — piptō), shall worship (προσκυνησουσιν — proskunēsousin future active of προσκυνεω — proskuneō), shall cast their crowns (βαλουσιν τους στεπανους — balousin tous stephanous future active of βαλλω — ballō). The two actions by the two groups (living creatures, elders) are coordinated (simultaneous in the repetition). They thus acknowledge that all this kingly dignity comes from God, who is King of kings and Lord of lords. Charles takes the elders, however, to be angels, not redeemed men.

Vincent's Word Studies

Cast ( βάλλουσιν )

Read βαλοῦσιν shallcast. The casting of the crowns is an act of submission and homage. Cicero relates that when Tigranes the king of the Armenians was brought to Pompey's camp as a captive, prostrating himself abjectly, Pompey “raised him up, and replaced on his head the diadem which he had thrown down” (Oration “Pro Sestio,” xxvii.). Tacitus gives an account of the public homage paid by the Parthian Tiridates to the statue of Nero. “A tribunal placed in the center, supported a chair of state on which the statue of Nero rested. Tiridates approached, and having immolated the victims in due form, he lifted the diadem from his head and laid it at the feet of the statue, while every heart throbbed with intense emotion” (“Annals,” xv., 29).

James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary

CASTING THEIR CROWNS

‘The four and twenty elders fall down before Him that sat on the throne, and worship Him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne.’

Revelation 4:10

The twenty-four elders with crowns on their heads—what are they intended to represent? Not the natural forces, but human life, human life as it ought to be, as it may be, as one day it will be.

What do these crowned beings say to us? They remind us of true human greatness. They were not slaves, the insignificant or small people of the earth. They wear crowns. What a marvellous symbol is the crown! Next to the Cross, I suppose, there is none more rich in meaning than the crown, which speaks of honour, and power, and yet the responsibility that must always go along with power. But beyond all other ideas it represents most of all the idea of completeness. Like a circle it represents that which is absolutely and entirely finished. It represents the best, the completest experience of life.

What are you doing with your crown? There is only one answer that will satisfy God, or that will really satisfy ourselves. It is to know that we have cast our crowns. ‘They cast their crowns.’

I. The secret of their greatness.—They were never so great, those crowned ones in the picture, as when they cast their crowns. It is always so. The man who takes what God has given him or what through God’s help he has made for himself, and then looks up into God’s face and says, ‘It is not my own, though it looks as if it were mine. All things come of Thee, and of Thine own have we given Thee’—that moment when he seems to be parting with his crown, he is himself most crowned, that moment when he is abasing himself, and cutting himself off it seems to be from chances of worldly success, he is being swept up into the fellowship of all consecrated life. The grandest and greatest moment for him is when he forgets himself. The one who casts his crown is joined on to all who in every age have remembered others and forgotten themselves, who, like the glorious company in the vision of St. John, have cast their crowns.

II.—The attitude of human life in the presence of God.—It is the attitude of reverence. They do not only cast their crowns, but they fall down before Him. You do not always find these two things together. Very energetic people, very self-sacrificing people, are not of necessity very reverent people always. These elders were both. They cast their crowns, there is the secret of their greatness; they fell down before Him, there is the reverence that goes along with it. It is because they are so great that they are so reverent; it is because they are kings that they recognise God’s Kingship. It is because they wear crowns themselves that they recognise that there is another crown more glorious and more splendid than their own. It is a great truth that as men grow more great they grow more reverent. The more crowned they are, the more ready they are to cast their crowns, and to fall down before God.

III. The secret of the inspiration of life.—They fall down before Him, they cast their crowns. Yes, but what is the secret of it all? What was behind that prostration of themselves, what was behind that casting of their crowns? He that sat upon the Throne was the inspiration of the whole thing, for Whose sake the whole thing was done. It is the personal element entering in and inspiring all their worship, and their work. And it is always so. The secret of all unselfishness, of all surrender, of all service, of all true worship, is the Personal Christ Who sits upon the Throne. When once you have got that impulse you have got the inspiration of your life.

—Bishop F. E. Ridgeway.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

Ver. 10. The four and twenty elders] The people yield their assent, and say, Amen; the want whereof St Paul accounts no small loss, 1 Corinthians 14:16.

And cast their crowns] Canute, king of England, set his crown upon the crucifix, and proclaimed, saying, Let all the inhabitants of the world know that there is no mortal man worthy the name of a king, but he to whose beck, heaven, earth, and sea, by his laws eternal are obedient. (Hen. Huntington.) When the Great Turk cometh into his temple, he lays by all his state, and hath none to attend him all the while. Solomon’s mother set the crown upon his head (so doth the Church upon Christ’s head) in the day of his espousals, Song of Solomon 3:11.

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible

Revelation 4:10. Fall down,—and cast their crowns before the throne,— By both actions testifying their high reverence, and paying their duty to the King of kings.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

The whole church also paid an homage of reverence and adoration to the same God; acknowledging all the good done to them, or wrought in them, to proceed from God, and the glory of it to be due unto God alone. The ministers of the gospel are, by their preaching unto people their duty, an occasion, or instruments, of that homage and adoration which he hath from all his people.

Alexander MacLaren's Expositions of Holy Scripture

полагают венцы свои Осознавая, что только в Боге условие и основание для наград, которые они получили, они снимают с себя все знаки отличия и слагают их к ногам их Царя (см. пояснение к 2:10).

Justin Edwards' Family Bible New Testament

The glory and blessedness of saints in heaven, the clearness with which they discern the will of God, and the alacrity, delight, and perfection with which they obey it, no human language can fully describe, and no man on earth adequately conceive.

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable

The24elders likewise fall down before Him out of reverence. When the crowned elders prostrate themselves before God and cast their crowns at His feet, these rulers humbly acknowledge His sovereignty and His right to receive worship. Casting their crowns at His feet symbolizes the willing subjection of their power to His superior authority.

When a victorious athlete returned home from the games and participated in a final celebration, he would ceremoniously offer the wreath or crown that he had earned to his deity. [Note: Ibid, p349.] The Apostle Paul said he wanted to make sure he did nothing that would result in his losing his reward ( 1 Corinthians 9:27). He also used rewards as a motivation to urge Christians to serve Jesus Christ faithfully ( 1 Corinthians 3:10-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10; et al.), as Jesus did ( Matthew 6:19-21). These factors have created problems for some believers. Is it not selfish to want to gain a reward? Is this not an unworthy motive for living the Christian life? I believe the answer lies in this verse. Here the24elders cast their crowns at the feet of the Father in worship. If a crown is something we will give back to the Lord in worship, the desire for a crown need not be a selfish motivation. Indeed the desire to present one"s life work of faithful service as a gift to the Savior is a very unselfish and God-honoring motive.

A victor"s crown is symbolic of the fact that the judge has declared the athlete victorious. Anyone can go out and buy a trophy in a store, but a trophy received as a reward for victory in competition has much greater value because of what it represents. Christians will receive crowns for finishing the race set before us faithfully, not first (i.e, before others). We do not compete against fellow believers, but we compete to overcome our spiritual enemies, namely, the world, the flesh, and the devil.

Schaff's Popular Commentary on the New Testament

Revelation 4:10. The four and twenty elders shall fall down before him that sitteth on the throne, and shall worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and shall cast their crowns before the throne, saying. Three acts of worship and homage on the part of the elders are described, ‘falling down,’ ‘worshipping,’ and ‘casting their crowns before the throne.’ It is not necessary to ask whether the crowns thus cast down are again resumed, for it is simply the act of homage that is described. The song of the Church follows.

George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

is so well adapted to give us an idea of the infinite majesty of God, and of the sovereign respect which is due to him, as this description. How ought Christians to appear in the presence of the God of armies, if what is most august and most elevated in heaven acknowledges its lowness and nothing before this tremendous Majesty? (Calmet)

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

fall = shall fall.

worship = shall worship.

cast = shall cast.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged

The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

Fall - immediately. 'Shall fall down:' this ascription of praise shall be repeated onward to eternity. So 'shall worship ... shall cast their crowns,' in acknowledgment that they owe their crowns (not kingly diadems, but crowns of conquerors) wholly to Him.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

fall

5:8,14; 19:4; Job 1:20; Psalms 72:11; Matthew 2:11

worship

9; 7:11; 15:4; 22:8,9; 1 Chronicles 29:20; 2 Chronicles 7:3; Psalms 95:6; Matthew 4:9,10; Luke 24:52

cast

4; 1 Chronicles 29:11-16; Psalms 115:1; 1 Corinthians 15:10

Reciprocal: Numbers 14:5 - General;  1 Chronicles 29:14 - that we should;  2 Chronicles 23:11 - put upon;  Isaiah 6:1 - sitting;  Ezekiel 3:23 - and I fell;  Ezekiel 16:11 - and a;  Daniel 4:34 - him;  Daniel 6:26 - for;  Zechariah 3:5 - fair;  Mark 14:35 - and fell;  Luke 4:7 - worship me;  Luke 17:16 - fell;  Romans 11:36 - to whom;  1 Corinthians 9:25 - but;  Philippians 2:10 - every;  1 Thessalonians 2:19 - crown;  2 Timothy 2:5 - is he;  2 Timothy 4:8 - a crown;  1 Peter 4:19 - a faithful;  Revelation 3:11 - thy;  Revelation 5:5 - one;  Revelation 5:11 - the throne;  Revelation 7:13 - one;  Revelation 11:16 - General;  Revelation 14:11 - for;  Revelation 19:1 - Salvation;  Revelation 19:10 - worship

E.M. Zerr's Commentary on Selected Books of the New Testament

The four and twenty elders are explained at Revelation 4:4. Cast their crowns is not a movement as if discarding the crowns for all the circumstances are against anything that unfavorable. It was a gesture of respect, recognizing the Lord as the one to whom they owed all the honor that was being enjoyed in possessing crowns.

Hanserd Knollys' Commentary on Revelation

Revelation 4:10

Revelation 4:10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

The four and twenty elders fall down, etc. and worship

they joined with the four living creatures, and all the rest of the members of the church in worshipping God;

And they cast their crowns before the throne

See Revelation 4:4. They do acknowledge that they received all their ecclesiastical authority, power, and dignity from Christ.

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

10.Fall down—It is remarkable that all the Greek verbs of this verse are in the future tense, and should have been so rendered. The seer tells what will be according to divine rule. The verse reads like a rubric to the celestial liturgy.

Cast’ crowns before’ throne—In token that they belonged to him who sat thereon, and are worn by themselves in fealty to him. This was the custom of petty kings toward their superior sovereigns. Thus, Tacitus tells us that Tiridates laid down his crown before the statue of Nero, in token that he held his throne in subjection to the emperor.

 

The Expositor's Greek Testament

Revelation 4:10_{. To cast a crown before the throne was a token that the wearer disclaimed independence; an Oriental (Parthian) token of respect for royalty (reff.). Cf. Spenser’s Hymne of Heavenly Beautie (141–154) and the pretty fancy in Slav. En. xiv. 2 where the sun’s crown is taken from him as he passes through the fourth heaven (before God) and given to God.}