16. _And he had in his right hand seven stars._ Emblematic of the angels of the seven churches. _How_ he held them is not said. It may be that they seemed to rest on his open palm; or it may be that he seemed to hold them as if they were arranged in a certain order, and with some sort of attachment, so that they could be grasped. It is not improbable that, as in the case of the seven lamp-bearers (Notes, ver. 13), they were so arranged as to represent the relative position of the seven churches. ¶ _And out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword._ On the form of the ancient two-edged sword, see Notes on Ep. vi. 17. The two edges were designed to cut both ways; and such a sword is a striking emblem of the penetrating power of _truth_, or of words that proceed from the mouth; and this is designed undoubtedly to be the representation here――that there was some symbol which showed that his words, or his truth, had the power of cutting deep, or penetrating the soul. So in Is. xlix. 2, it is said of the same personage, “And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword.” {54} See Notes on that verse. So in He. iv. 12, “The word of God is quick and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword,” &c. So it is said of Pericles by Aristophanes: “His powerful speech Pierced the hearer’s soul, and left behind Deep in his bosom its keen point infixt.” A similar figure often occurs in Arabic poetry. “As arrows his words enter into the heart.” See Gesenius, _Comm. zu_, Is. xlix. 2. The only difficulty here is in regard to the apparently incongruous representation of a _sword_ seeming to proceed from the mouth; but it is not perhaps necessary to suppose that John means to say that he _saw_ such an image. He heard him speak; he felt the penetrating power of his words; and they were _as if_ a sharp sword proceeded from his mouth. They penetrated deep into the soul, and as he looked on him it seemed as if a sword came from his mouth. Perhaps it is not necessary to suppose that there was even _any_ visible representation of this――either of a sword or of the breath proceeding from his mouth appearing to take this form, as Professor Stuart supposes. It may be wholly a figurative representation, as Heinrichs and Ewald suppose. Though there were visible and impressive symbols of his majesty and glory presented to the eyes, it is not necessary to suppose that there were visible symbols of his _words_. ¶ _And his countenance._ His face. There had been before particular descriptions of some parts of his face――as of his eyes――but this is a representation of his whole aspect; of the general splendour and brightness of his countenance. ¶ _|Was| as the sun shineth in his strength._ In his full splendour when unobscured by clouds; where his rays are in no way intercepted. Comp. Ju. v. 31: “But let them that love him [the Lord] be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might;” 2 Sa. xxiii. 4, “And he shall be as the light of