Revelation 10:10

And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.

And {G2532} I took {G2983} the little book {G974} out of {G1537} the angel's {G32} hand {G5495}, and {G2532} ate {G2719} it {G846} up {G2719}; and {G2532} it was {G2258} in {G1722} my {G3450} mouth {G4750} sweet {G1099} as {G5613} honey {G3192}: and {G2532} as soon as {G3753} I had eaten {G5315} it {G846}, my {G3450} belly {G2836} was bitter {G4087}.

I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it; and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; but after I had swallowed it, my stomach turned bitter.

So I took the small scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it; and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned bitter.

And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and when I had eaten it, my belly was made bitter.

Commentary

Revelation 10:10 vividly describes the Apostle John's symbolic act of internalizing a divine message, a scene rich with prophetic meaning and spiritual insight. This verse is central to understanding the nature of God's revelation and the experience of those called to proclaim it.

Context

This verse occurs during a pivotal moment in John's vision, following the sounding of the sixth trumpet and preceding the full revelation of the seventh. In Revelation chapter 10, a mighty angel descends with a "little book" (or scroll) open in his hand. John is commanded by a voice from heaven to take the book and eat it, a symbolic action that echoes similar prophetic experiences in the Old Testament, most notably that of the prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 2:8; Ezekiel 3:3). Unlike the larger, sealed scroll of judgment from Revelation 5:1, this "little book" seems to contain a specific, perhaps more immediate, prophetic message concerning future events that John must then proclaim.

Key Themes

  • Divine Revelation and Internalization: The act of eating the book symbolizes the profound absorption of God's word and prophetic truth into one's very being. It is not merely an intellectual understanding but a complete assimilation of the divine message.
  • The Dual Nature of Prophecy: The experience of the book being "sweet as honey" in the mouth but "bitter" in the belly highlights the paradoxical nature of God's prophetic message. While the reception of God's truth can be delightful and comforting, its content—often involving judgment, suffering, or difficult truths about humanity's sin—can be painful or challenging to fully grasp and deliver.
  • The Cost of Bearing God's Word: For a prophet, internalizing God's message means not only understanding its glory but also feeling the weight of its solemn pronouncements, especially those concerning divine judgment or the tribulations of the end times.

Linguistic Insights

  • The phrase "little book" translates the Greek word biblaridion, a diminutive form of biblion (book or scroll). This suggests a specific or smaller scroll compared to the larger one mentioned earlier in Revelation, emphasizing its particular focus.
  • "Sweet as honey" is a common biblical metaphor for the pleasantness and spiritual nourishment derived from God's word. Psalm 119:103 proclaims, "How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" This reflects the initial joy and delight in receiving a message directly from God.
  • The subsequent "bitter" experience in the belly signifies the difficult, often painful, consequences or implications of the divine message. This bitterness can stem from the message of judgment, the suffering it foretells, or the personal cost of proclaiming unpopular truth.

Practical Application

Revelation 10:10 offers profound lessons for believers today. It reminds us that truly engaging with God's word involves more than just reading; it means internalizing its truths, allowing them to shape our innermost being. This process can be sweet, bringing comfort, joy, and hope, but it can also be bitter, confronting us with our own sin, the world's brokenness, or the challenging call to endure hardship for Christ's sake. Like John, we are called to embrace the full spectrum of God's truth, understanding that even the difficult aspects are part of His perfect plan. This verse encourages us to be prepared to receive and share God's message, even when it requires courage and resilience in the face of bitterness.

Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Ezekiel 3:3

    And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat [it]; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.

  • Proverbs 16:24

    ¶ Pleasant words [are as] an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.

  • Psalms 119:103

    ¶ How sweet are thy words unto my taste! [yea, sweeter] than honey to my mouth!

  • Psalms 19:10

    More to be desired [are they] than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

  • Psalms 104:34

    My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD.

  • Ezekiel 3:14

    So the spirit lifted me up, and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the LORD was strong upon me.

  • Ezekiel 2:10

    And he spread it before me; and it [was] written within and without: and [there was] written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.
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