3. borne . . . patience--The oldest manuscripts
transpose these words. Then translate as Greek, "persevering
endurance . . . borne." "Thou hast borne" My reproach, but
"thou canst not bear the evil"
(Re 2:2).
A beautiful antithesis.
and . . . hast laboured, and hast not fainted--The two
oldest manuscripts and oldest versions read, "and . . . hast
not labored," omitting "and hast fainted." The difficulty which
transcribers by English Version reading tried to obviate, was
the seeming contradiction, "I know thy labor . . . and
thou hast not labored." But what is meant is, "Thou hast not
been wearied out with labor."
JFB.
Picture Study Bible