Albert Barnes Commentary Revelation 13:16

"And he causeth all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the bond, that there be given them a mark on their right hand, or upon their forehead;" — Revelation 13:16 (ASV)

And he caused all. He claims jurisdiction, in the matters here referred to, over all classes of persons and compels them to do his will. This is the second beast, and, according to the interpretation given above, it relates to the Papal power and to its claim of universal jurisdiction.

Both small and great. All these expressions are designed to denote universality—referring to various divisions into which the human family may be regarded as divided. One of those divisions is into "small and great;" that is, into young and old; those small in stature and those large in stature; those of humble and those of elevated rank.

Rich and poor. This is another way of dividing the human race, denoting here, as in the former case, all—for it is a common method, in speaking of humankind, to describe them as "the rich and poor."

Free and bond. This is yet another method of dividing the human race, embracing all—for all the dwellers on the earth are either free or bond. These various forms of expression, therefore, are designed merely to denote, in an emphatic manner, universality.

The idea is that, in the matter referred to, none were exempt, either on account of their exalted rank or their humble condition, or because they were so mighty as to be beyond control, or so lowly and humble as to be beneath notice.

If this refers to the Papacy, everyone will see the propriety of the description. The jurisdiction set up by that power has been as absolute over kings as over the feeble and the poor, over masters and their slaves, alike over those in the humblest and in the most elevated walks of life.

To receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads. The word translated here as mark—charagma—occurs in only one place in the New Testament besides the book of Revelation (Acts 17:29), where it is translated as graven. In all the other places where it is found (Revelation 13:16–17; Revelation 14:9, 11; Revelation 15:2; Revelation 16:2; Revelation 19:20; Revelation 20:4), it is translated as mark and is applied to the same thing—the "mark of the beast." The word properly means something engraved or sculptured; hence:

1. A graving, sculpture, or sculptured work, such as images or idols.
2. A mark cut in or stamped, such as the stamp on a coin. Applied to people, it was used to denote some stamp or mark on the hand or elsewhere—as in the case of a servant on whose hand or arm the master's name was impressed, or of a soldier on whom some mark was impressed denoting the company or phalanx to which he belonged.

It was not an uncommon practice to mark slaves or soldiers in this way. The purpose was either to denote their ownership or rank, or to prevent them from escaping and not being detected.

For example, among the Romans, slaves were stigmatized with the master's name or mark on their foreheads. Valerius Maximus speaks of the custom for slaves "literatum notis inuri;" and Plautus calls a slave "literatus." Ambrose (De Obit. Valentin.) says: Charactere Domini inscribuntur servuli. Petronius mentions the forehead as the place of the mark: Servitia ecce in frontibus cernitis. In many cases, soldiers bore the emperor's name or mark imprinted on the hand. Actius says: Stigmata vocant quae in facie, vel in alia parte corporis, inscribuntur; qualia sunt militum in manibus. Ambrose also says: Nomine imperatoris signantur milites. (Compare the notes on Galatians 6:17).

Most of us have seen such marks made on the hands or arms of sailors, in which, by a voluntary tattooing, their names, or the names of their vessels, were written, or the figure of an anchor, or some other device, was indelibly made by punctures in the skin and by inserting some kind of coloring matter.

The thing which it is here said was engraved on the hand or the forehead was the "name" of the beast, or the "number" of his name (Revelation 13:17). That is, the "name" or the "number" was so indelibly inscribed either on the hand or the forehead as to show that the one who bore it belonged to the "beast" and was subject to his authority—as a slave is to his master, or a soldier to his commander.

Applied to the Papacy, the meaning is that there would be some mark of distinction, some indelible sign, something which would designate with entire certainty those persons who belonged to it and who were subject to it. It is hardly necessary to say that, in point of fact, this has eminently characterized the Papacy. All possible care has been taken to designate with accuracy those who belong to that communion, and all over the world it is easy to distinguish those who render allegiance to the Papal power. (Compare the notes on Revelation 7:3).