Rev 2:3 | JFB | STEP | 3. borne ... patience-- The oldest manuscripts transpose these words. Then translate as Greek, "persevering endurance ... borne." "Thou hast borne" My reproach, but "thou canst not bear the evil" ( ). A beautiful antithesis. and ... hast laboured, and hast not fainted-- The two oldest manuscripts and oldest versions read, "and ... hast not labored," omitting "and hast fainted." The difficulty which transcribers by English Version reading tried to obviate, was the seeming contradiction, "I know thy labor ... and thou hast not labored." But what is meant is, "Thou hast not been wearied out with labor."

‏ Revelation of John 2:3

3. borne ... patience--The oldest manuscripts transpose these words. Then translate as Greek, "persevering endurance ... borne." "Thou hast borne" My reproach, but "thou canst not bear the evil" (Re 2:2). A beautiful antithesis.

and ... hast laboured, and hast not fainted--The two oldest manuscripts and oldest versions read, "and ... hast not labored," omitting "and hast fainted." The difficulty which transcribers by English Version reading tried to obviate, was the seeming contradiction, "I know thy labor ... and thou hast not labored." But what is meant is, "Thou hast not been wearied out with labor."