Revelation 5:3

3 and no one was able in the heaven, nor upon the earth, nor under the earth, to open the scroll, nor to behold it.

Revelation 5:3 Meaning and Commentary

Revelation 5:3

And no man in heaven
Or "no one in heaven", whether angels, or the souls of departed saints; neither the one nor the other know anything of what is to come, until it is revealed unto them:

nor in earth:
among all the men on earth, even those of the greatest sagacity and penetration, the wise, the prudent, the scribe, the disputer of this world, such who are most conversant with books, and have the greatest reach into the things of nature, or of grace:

neither under the earth;
the dead buried there, good or bad; which may be said agreeably to the notions of the ancient Jews, who believed the immortality of souls, and that they were rewarded or punished, (upo cyonov) , "under the earth", according to their virtue or vice in life ^F4: or the devils in hell; or whoever on the earth are influenced by them, as magicians, sorcerers, soothsayers, and necromancers:

was able to open the book, neither to look thereon;
or in it, so as to read it, understand it, and show to John what was in it; for the sense is, there was no creature in heaven, earth, or hell, who were masters of the deepest knowledge, and made pretensions to any, that were able to foresee and foretell things to come; or to exhibit the prophecies in this book, and represent them to John in the manner they afterwards were, and much less to accomplish them.

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FOOTNOTES:

F4 Joseph. Antiqu. l. 18. c. 1. sect 3.

Revelation 5:3 In-Context

1 And I saw upon the right hand of Him who is sitting upon the throne a scroll, written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals;

2 and I saw a strong messenger crying with a great voice, `Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose the seals of it?'

3 and no one was able in the heaven, nor upon the earth, nor under the earth, to open the scroll, nor to behold it.

4 And I was weeping much, because no one was found worthy to open and to read the scroll, nor to behold it,

5 and one of the elders saith to me, `Weep not; lo, overcome did the Lion, who is of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, to open the scroll, and to loose the seven seals of it;