Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
They worshipped the dragon (prosekunhsan tw drakonti). First aorist active indicative of proskunew, with dative case drakonti (from drakwn). They really worshipped Satan (the dragon) when "they worshipped the beast" (prosekunhsan tw qhriw) or any one of the heads (like Caligula, Nero, Domitian) of the beast. The beast is merely the tool of the devil for worship. Recall the fact that the devil even proposed that Jesus worship him. Emperor-worship, like all idolatry, was devil-worship. The same thing is true today about self-worship (humanism or any other form of it).
Who is like unto the beast? (tiv omoiov tw qhriw). Associative-instrumental case after omoiov. An echo, perhaps parody, of like language about God in Exodus 15:11; Psalms 35:10; Psalms 113:5. "The worship of such a monster as Nero was indeed a travesty of the worship of God" (Swete).
And who is able to war with him? (kai tiv dunatai polemhsai met autou). Worship of the devil and the devil's agent is justified purely on the ground of brute force. It is the doctrine of Nietzsche that might makes right.
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing Revelation 13:4:
Revelation 2:16
Revelation 12:7
Revelation 13:5
Revelation 13:8
Revelation 14:14
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