Lexical Summary biblaridion: Little book, small scroll Original Word: βιβλαρίδιον Strong's Exhaustive Concordance little book. A diminutive of biblion; a booklet -- little book. see GREEK biblion NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina dim. of biblos Definition a little book NASB Translation little book (3). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 974: βιβλαρίδιονβιβλαρίδιον, βιβλαριδιου, τό (diminutive of the diminutive βιβλάριον from ἡ βίβλος), a little book: Revelation 10:2, 8 (L Tr WH βιβλίον, Tdf. 2 and 7 βιβλιδάριον, which see), 9, 10. Not found in secular authors (Hermas, vis. 2, 4, 3 [ET]); cf. Winer's Grammar, 96 (91). STRONGS NT 974a: βιβλιδάριονβιβλιδάριον, βιβλιδαριου, τό (from βιβλίδιον, like ἱματιδαριον, from ἱματίδιον), a little book: Revelation 10:8 Tdf. (editions 2 and) 7. (Aristophanes fragment 596.) The term biblaridion designates a small scroll. In Revelation it functions as a vivid literary device, drawing attention to the reception, internalization, and proclamation of God’s prophetic message. Occurrences in the New Testament 1. Revelation 10:2 – The mighty angel descends “with a little scroll open in his hand.” Symbolic Significance in Revelation • Open disclosure: The scroll is already “open,” underscoring divine intent to reveal, not conceal, the contents of upcoming judgments and consolations. Old Testament Parallels and Background Ezekiel 2:9–10; 3:1-3 – A scroll written on both sides containing “lamentations, mourning, and woe,” which the prophet must eat. Jeremiah 15:16 – “Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word became to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart.” These passages illuminate John’s experience: inward appropriation precedes outward proclamation. Theological Themes • Revelation is meant for consumption: Scripture is not merely studied; it is ingested, affecting the whole person. Practical Ministry Implications • Preachers and teachers must internalize Scripture before speaking it; private meditation fuels public proclamation. Historical and Manuscript Witness Early papyri (e.g., P47) and the Codices Sinaiticus and Alexandrinus uniformly attest the term, confirming its authenticity. Patristic commentators such as Irenaeus and Hippolytus linked the little scroll to the prophetic corpus and interpreted it as the disclosure of final events, reinforcing its place in the church’s eschatological hope. Intertestamental and Early Christian Usage While biblaridion is unique to Revelation within extant Greek Scriptures, smaller covenant documents appear in Jewish literature (e.g., jubilees, legal contracts at Qumran). The diminutive nuance suggests accessibility—God’s word is not only majestic (megá biblíon) but also intimate and personally apprehended. Summary Biblaridion signifies God’s approachable yet profound revelation. By eating the little scroll, John models every believer’s calling: receive the full message of God, find delight in it, bear its burdens, and speak it faithfully to the nations. Englishman's Concordance Revelation 10:2 N-ANSGRK: χειρὶ αὐτοῦ βιβλαρίδιον ἠνεῳγμένον καὶ NAS: in his hand a little book which was open. KJV: his hand a little book open: and INT: hand of him a little scroll open And Revelation 10:9 N-ANS Revelation 10:10 N-ANS |