Albert Barnes Commentary Revelation 2:17

"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. To him that overcometh, to him will I give of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, which no one knoweth but he that receiveth it." — Revelation 2:17 (ASV)

He that hath an ear, etc.

To him that overcometh.

Will I give to eat of the hidden manna. The true spiritual food; the food that nourishes the soul. The idea is that the souls of those who "overcame," or who gained the victory in their conflict with sin and in the persecutions and trials of the world, would be permitted to partake of that spiritual food which is laid up for the people of God, and by which they will be nourished forever.

The Hebrews were supported by manna in the desert (Exodus 16:16–35); a pot of that manna was laid up in the most holy place to be preserved as a memorial (Exodus 16:32–34). It is called angel's food (Psalms 78:25) and corn of heaven (Psalms 78:24), and it would seem to have been emblematic of that spiritual food by which the people of God are to be fed from heaven in their journey through this world.

By the word hidden, it would seem there is an allusion to that which was laid up in the pot before the ark of the testimony. The blessing promised here is that they would be nourished as if they were sustained by that manna thus laid up before the ark: by food from the immediate presence of God.

The language thus explained would mean that those who overcome will be nourished through this life as if by that "hidden manna"; that is, they will be supplied all along through the "wilderness of this world" by that food from the immediate presence of God which their souls require.

However, as the parallel places in the epistles to the churches refer rather to the heavenly world and to the rewards which those who are victors shall have there, it seems probable that this also has immediate reference to that world. The meaning is that, as the most holy place was a type of heaven, they will be admitted into the immediate presence of God and nourished forever by the food of heaven—that which the angels have, that which the soul will need to sustain it there. Even in this world their souls may be nourished with this "hidden manna"; in heaven it will be their constant food forever.

And will give him a white stone. There has been a great variety of opinion regarding the meaning of this expression, and almost no two expositors agree. Illustrations of its meaning have been sought from Grecian, Hebrew, and Roman customs, but none of these have removed all difficulty from the expression.

The general sense of the language seems plain, even though the allusion on which it is founded is obscure or even unknown. It is that the Savior would give him who overcame a token of His favor which would have some word or name inscribed on it, and which would be of use to him alone, or intelligible to him only: that is, some secret token which would make him sure of the favor of his Redeemer, and which would be unknown to other men.

The idea here would find a correspondence in the evidences of His favor granted to the soul of the Christian himself; in the pledge of heaven thus made to him, which he would understand, but which no one else would understand. The things, then, that we are to look for in the explanation of the emblem are two: that which would thus be a token of His favor, and that which would explain the fact that it would be intelligible to no one else.

The question is whether there is any known thing pertaining to ancient customs that would convey these ideas. The word rendered stone—qhfon—properly means a small stone, as worn smooth by water—a gravel-stone, a pebble; then any polished stone, the stone of a gem, or ring.—Rob. Lex. Such a stone was used among the Greeks for various purposes, and the word came to have a signification corresponding to these uses.

The following uses are enumerated by Dr. Robinson, Lex.: the stones or counters for reckoning; dice, lots, used in a kind of magic; a vote, spoken of the black and white stones or pebbles anciently used in voting—that is, the white for approval, and the black for condemning. Regarding the use of the word here, some have supposed that the reference is to a custom of the Roman emperors who, in the games and spectacles they gave to the people in imitation of the Greeks, are said to have thrown among the populace dice or tokens inscribed with the words, "Frumentum, vestes," etc. (that is, "corn, clothing," etc.); and whoever obtained one of these received from the emperor whatever was marked upon it.

Others suppose that allusion is made to the mode of casting lots, in which dice or tokens were sometimes used with names inscribed on them, and the lot fell to him whose name first came out. The "white stone" was a symbol of good fortune and prosperity; and it is a remarkable circumstance that, among the Greeks, persons of distinguished virtue were said to receive a qhfon—stone—from the gods, i.e., as an approving testimonial of their virtue.

See Robinson's Lex., and the authorities there referred to; Wetstein, New Testament, in loc., and Stuart, in loc. Professor Stuart supposes that the allusion is to the fact that Christians are said to be kings and priests to God. He suggests that as the Jewish high priest had a mitre or turban, on the front of which was a plate of gold inscribed Holiness to the Lord, so those who were kings and priests under the Christian dispensation would have that by which they would be known; but that, instead of a plate of gold, they would have a pellucid stone, on which the name of the Savior would be engraved as a token of His favor.

It is possible, regarding the explanation of this phrase, that there has been too much effort to find all the circumstances alluded to in some ancient custom. Some well-understood fact or custom may have suggested the general thought, and then the details may have been applicable to this case alone.

It is quite clear, I think, that none of the customs to which reference has supposedly been made correspond fully with what is stated here. Although there may have been a general allusion of that kind, yet some particularity in the circumstances may be regarded as peculiar to this alone. In accordance with this view, perhaps the following points will embody all that needs to be said:

1. A white stone was regarded as a token of favor, prosperity, or success everywhere—whether considered as a vote, or as given to a victor, etc. As such, it would denote that the Christian to whom it is said to be given would meet with the favor of the Redeemer and would have a token of His approval.

2. The name written on this stone would also be designed as a token or pledge of His favor—as a name engraved on a signet or seal would be a pledge of friendship to him who received it. It would be not merely a white stone—emblematic of favor and approval—but would be so marked as to indicate its origin, with the name of the giver on it. This would appropriately denote, when explained, that the victorious Christian would receive a token of the Redeemer's favor, as if His name were engraved on a stone and given to him as a pledge of His friendship; that is, that he would be as certain of His favor as if he had such a stone. In other words, the victor would be assured from the Redeemer, who distributes rewards, that his welfare would be secure.

3. This would be to him as if he should receive a stone so marked that its letters were invisible to all others, but apparent to him who received it. It is not necessary to suppose that in the Olympic games, or in the prizes distributed by Roman emperors, or in any other custom, such a case had actually occurred; but it is conceivable that a name might be so engraved—with characters so small, or in letters so unknown to all others, or with marks so unintelligible to others—that no other person into whose hands it might fall would understand it.

   The meaning then probably is that to the true Christian—the victor over sin—there is given some pledge of the Divine favor which has to him all the effect of assurance, and which others do not perceive or understand. This consists of favors shown directly to the soul: the evidence of pardoned sin, joy in the Holy Ghost, peace with God, clear views of the Savior, the possession of a spirit which is properly that of Christ, and which is the gift of God to the soul.

   The true Christian understands this; the world does not perceive it. The Christian receives it as a pledge of the Divine favor and as an evidence that he will be saved; to the world, that on which he relies seems to be enthusiasm, fanaticism, or delusion. The Christian bears it about with him as he would a precious stone given to him by his Redeemer, on which the name of his Redeemer is engraved as a pledge that he is accepted by God and that the rewards of heaven shall be his; the world does not understand it or attach any value to it.

And in the stone a new name written. A name indicating a new relation, new hopes, and triumphs. Probably the name referred to here is the name of the Redeemer, the name Christian, or some such appellation. It would be some name that he would understand and appreciate, and which would be a pledge of acceptance.

Which no man knoweth, etc. That is, no one would understand its import, as no one but the Christian estimates the value of that on which he relies as the pledge of his Redeemer's love.

"hidden manna" (Psalms 25:14); "new name" (Revelation 3:12; Revelation 19:12–13; Isaiah 55:4–5; Isaiah 65:15).