And when he had taken the book. "Had taken" ( ἔλαβε) is here aorist, not perfect, as in Revelation 5:7. The text should probably read, when he took the book; that is to say, the adoration offered coincides in point of time with the act of taking the book.
The four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb. The four beasts as representing animated creation; the four and twenty elders as representative of the Church (see on Revelation 4:4, Revelation 4:6).
Having every one of them harps. (On the difficulty of how each one could hold harps and bowls, see on Revelation 5:6.) It is possible that the phrase refers only to the elders; for these seem more suitably employed in offering the prayers of the saints than the representatives of all creation.
If, however, as Wordsworth considers, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders together symbolize the Church, the phrase would apply to both. The κινύρα of 1 Samuel 16:16, 1 Samuel 16:23 (the κιθάρα of this passage) was played with the hand, and the instrument indicated was probably more of the nature of a guitar than the modern harp.
And golden vials full of odours. The Revised Version "bowls" is better than "vials." The idea is, no doubt, taken from the shallow bowls which were placed upon the golden altar (Exodus 30:1-10), and in which incense was burned.
The odours are the incense. In the same chapter of Exodus directions are given concerning the preparation and use of the incense, which was always a symbol of prayer, and always offered to God alone (cf.
Psalms 141:2, "Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense;" also Luke 1:9, Luke 1:10; Isaiah 6:3, Isaiah 6:4). Which are the prayers of saints. The saints; that is, the members of the Church of God.
Some authorities consider "vials" the antecedent of" which;" but it seems best to refer "which" to "odours," though the sense is not materially different, since the former includes the latter.