Commentaries:
Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown
drew—Greek, present tense, "draweth," "drags down." His dragging down the stars with his tail (lashed back and forward in his fury) implies his persuading to apostatize, like himself, and to become earthy, those angels and also once eminent human teachers who had formerly been heavenly (compare Revelation 12:1; Revelation 1:20; Isaiah 14:12).
stood—"stands" [ALFORD]: perfect tense, Greek, "hesteken."
ready to be delivered—"about to bring forth."
for to devour, etc.—"that when she brought forth, he might devour her child." So the dragon, represented by his agent Pharaoh (a name common to all the Egyptian kings, and meaning, according to some, crocodile, a reptile like the dragon, and made an Egyptian idol), was ready to devour Israel's males at the birth of the nation. Antitypically the true Israel, Jesus, when born, was sought for destruction by Herod, who slew all the males in and around Bethlehem.
Other Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown entries containing Revelation 12:4:
Daniel 8:10
Micah 5:3
Revelation 1:20
Revelation 11:15
Revelation 17:1
Revelation 17:6
Revelation 19:8
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