Revelation 12:6

Fled into the wilderness

(εφυγεν εις την ερημον). Second aorist active indicative of φευγω. Here, of course, not Mary, but "the ideal woman" (God's people) of the preceding verses, who fled under persecution of the dragon. God's people do not at once share the rapture of Christ, but the dragon is unable to destroy them completely. The phrases used here seem to be reminiscent of Deuteronomy 8:2 (wanderings of Israel in the wilderness), 1 Kings 17:2 and Revelation 19:3 (Elijah's flight), I Macc. 2:29 (flight of the Jews from Antiochus Epiphanes), Matthew 2:13 (flight of Joseph and Mary to Egypt), Mark 13:14 (the flight of Christians at the destruction of Jerusalem).Where

(οπου--εκε). Hebrew redundancy (where--there) as in Revelation 3:8; Revelation 8:9; Revelation 8:9; Revelation 13:8; Revelation 13:12; Revelation 17:9; Revelation 20:8.Prepared

(ητοιμασμενον). Perfect passive predicate participle of ετοιμαζω, for which verb see Matthew 20:23; Revelation 8:6; Revelation 9:7; Revelation 9:15; Revelation 16:12; Revelation 19:7; Revelation 21:2, and for its use with τοπος John 14:2 and for the kind of fellowship meant by it (Psalms 31:21; 2 Corinthians 13:13; Colossians 3:3; 1 John 1:3).Of God

(απο του θεου). "From (by) God," marking the source as God (Revelation 9:18; James 1:13). This anticipatory symbolism is repeated in Revelation 12:13.That there they may nourish her

(ινα εκε τρεφωσιν αυτην). Purpose clause with ινα and the present for continued action: active subjunctive according to A P though C reads τρεφουσιν, present active indicative, as is possible also in Revelation 13:17 and certainly so in 1 John 5:20 (Robertson, Grammar, p. 984), a solecism in late vernacular Greek. The plural is indefinite "they" as in Revelation 10:11; Revelation 11:9. One MSS. has τρεφετα (is nourished). The stereotyped phrase occurs here, as in Revelation 11:2, for the length of the dragon's power, repeated in Revelation 12:14 in more general terms and again in Revelation 13:5.