Revelation 5:3

3 And no one in heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth, was able to get the book open, or to see what was in 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 in the right hand of him who was seated on the high seat, a book with writing inside it and on the back, shut with seven stamps of wax.

2 And I saw a strong angel saying in a loud voice, Who is able to make the book open, and to undo its stamps?

3 And no one in heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth, was able to get the book open, or to see what was in it.

4 And I was very sad, because there was no one able to get the book open or to see what was in it.

5 And one of the rulers said to me, Do not be sad: see, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome, and has power to undo the book and its seven stamps.