{Therefore} (dia touto). Because of the washing described
in verse 14 . {They serve him} (latreuousin aut(9369)). Dative
case with latreu(935c) (present active indicative, old verb,
originally to serve for hire latron, then service in general,
then religious service to God, Mt 4:10 , then in particular
ritual worship of the priests, Heb 8:5 ). All the redeemed are
priests ( Re 16:5,10 ) in the heavenly temple ( 6:9 ) as here.
But this service is that of spiritual worship, not of external
rites ( Ro 12:1 Php 3:3 ). {Day and night} (h(886d)eras kai
nuktos). Genitive of time, "by day and night," as in 4:8 of
the praise of the four living creatures. {Shall spread his
tabernacle over them} (sk(886e)(9373)ei ep' autous). Future (change of
tense from present in latreuousin) active of sk(886e)o(935c), old verb
from sk(886e)os (tent, tabernacle), used in Joh 1:14 of the
earthly life of Christ, elsewhere in N.T. only in Rev. ( 7:14 12:12 13:6 21:3 ). In 12:12 13:6 of those who dwell in
tents, here of God spreading his tent "over" (ep' autous) the
redeemed in heaven, in 21:3 of God tabernacling "with" (met'
aut(936e)) the redeemed, in both instances a picture of sacred
fellowship, and "the further idea of God's Presence as a
protection from all fear of evil" (Swete) like the overshadowing
of Israel by the Shekinah and a possible allusion also to the
tents (sk(886e)ai) of the feast of tabernacles and to the tent of
meeting where God met Moses ( Ex 33:7-11 ).
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