I know your affliction and your poverty—though you are rich! And I am aware of the slander of those who falsely claim to be Jews, but are in fact a synagogue of Satan.
We now proceed to the second epistle sent to another of the Asian churches, where, as before, observe, I. The preface or inscription in both parts. 1. The superscription, telling us to whom it was more expressly and immediately directed: To the angel of the church in Smyrna, a place well known at this day by our merchants, a city of great trade and wealth...
Commenting on Revelation 2:8-11
I know thy works,.... Good works, as before in Rev 2:2, and tribulation; this is Christ's legacy to his people, and which lies in their way to heaven; and never was the way of any to heaven more strewed with it than was the way of the saints in this period.
Verse 9. I know thy works. The uniform method of introducing these epistles, implying a most intimate acquaintance with all that pertained to the church. . And tribulation. This word is of a general signification, and probably includes all that they suffered in any form, whether from persecution, poverty, or the blasphemy of opposers. And poverty.