9. they--rather, "(some) of the peoples."
people--Greek, "peoples."
kindreds--Greek, "tribes"; all save the elect (whence it
is not said, The peoples . . . but [some] of the
peoples . . . , or, some of the peoples
. . . may refer to those of the nations
. . ., who at the time shall hold possession of Palestine
and Jerusalem).
shall see--So Vulgate, Syriac, and Coptic. But A,
B, C, and ANDREAS, the present, "see," or rather
(Greek, "blepousin"), "look upon." The prophetic present.
dead bodies--So Vulgate, Syriac, and
ANDREAS. But A, B, C, and Coptic, singular,
as in
Re 11:8,
"dead body." Three and a half days answer to the three and a half years
(see on
Re 11:2, 3),
the half of seven, the full and perfect number.
shall not suffer--so B, Syriac, Coptic, and
ANDREAS. But A, C, and Vulgate read, "do
not suffer."
in graves--so Vulgate and PRIMASIUS.
But B, C, Syriac, Coptic, and ANDREAS,
singular; translate, "into a sepulchre," literally, "a
monument." Accordingly, in righteous retribution in kind, the
flesh of the Antichristian hosts is not buried, but given to all
the fowls in mid-heaven to eat
(Re 19:17, 18, 21).
JFB.
Picture Study Bible