Revelation 2:16

Revelation 2:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
• New International Version (NIV)Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.

Context of Revelation 2:16

14But I have a few things against you, because you have there some [among you] who are holding to the [corrupt] teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, [enticing them] to eat things that had been sacrificed to idols and to commit [acts of sexual] immorality. 15You also have some who in the same way are holding to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, your sinful behavior—seek God’s will]; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war and fight against them with the sword of My mouth [in judgment]. 17He who has an ear, let him hear and heed what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God], to him I will give [the privilege of eating] some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone with a new name engraved on the stone which no one knows except the one who receives it.’ 18“And to the angel (divine messenger) of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, who has eyes [that flash] like a flame of fire [in righteous judgment], and whose feet are like burnished [white-hot] bronze:

Revelation 2:16 word by word

μετανόησον οὖν· εἰ δὲ μή, ἔρχομαί σοι ταχὺ καὶ πολεμήσω μετ᾽ αὐτῶν ἐν τῇ ῥομφαίᾳ τοῦ στόματός μου.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Repentμετανοέωmetanoeō · to repentG3340
• orεἰei · if: elseG1487
• elseμήmē · notG3361
• ·δέde · thenG1161
• I will comeἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
• unto theeσύsu · youG4771
• quicklyταχύtachu · quicklyG5035
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• will fightπολεμέωpolemeō · to fightG4170
• againstμετάmeta · with/afterG3326
• themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• withἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the swordὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the swordῥομφαίαrhomphaia · swordG4501
• ofστόμαstoma · mouthG4750
• myἐγώegō · I/weG1473

Cross-references for Revelation 2:16

• Revelation 2:5So remember the heights from which you have fallen, and repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, your sinful behavior—seek God’s will] and do the works you did at first [when you first knew Me]; otherwise, I will visit you and remove your lampstand (the church, its impact) from its place—unless you repent.
• Revelation 3:19Those whom I [dearly and tenderly] love, I rebuke and discipline [showing them their faults and instructing them]; so be enthusiastic and repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, your sinful behavior—seek God’s will].
• Revelation 16:9People were [severely] burned by the great heat; and they reviled the name of God who has power over these plagues, but they did not repent [of their sin] and glorify Him.
• Acts 17:30Therefore God overlooked and disregarded the former ages of ignorance; but now He commands all people everywhere to repent [that is, to change their old way of thinking, to regret their past sins, and to seek God’s purpose for their lives],
• Revelation 2:12“And to the angel (divine messenger) of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of Him who has and wields the sharp two-edged sword [in judgment]:
• Revelation 1:16In His right hand He held seven stars, and from His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword [of judgment]; and His face [reflecting His majesty and the Shekinah glory] was like the sun shining in [all] its power [at midday].
• Revelation 19:15From His mouth comes a sharp sword (His word) with which He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He will tread the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty [in judgment of the rebellious world].
• Isaiah 11:4But with righteousness and justice He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the downtrodden of the earth; And He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.
• Isaiah 49:2He has made My mouth like a sharp sword, In the shadow of His hand He has kept Me hidden; And He has made Me a sharpened arrow, In His quiver He has hidden Me.
• Ephesians 6:17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
• 2 Thessalonians 2:8Then the lawless one [the Antichrist] will be revealed and the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of His mouth and bring him to an end by the appearance of His coming.

Commentaries on Revelation 2:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Will fight against them with the sword of my mouth - See on Revelation 2:12; (note). He now speaks for their edification and salvation; but if they do not repent, he will shortly declare those judgments which shall unavoidably fall upon them.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16Repent - See Revelation 2:5. Or else I will come unto thee quickly - On the word “quickly,” see the notes on Revelation 1:1. The meaning here is, that he would come against them in judgment, or to punish them. And will fight against them - Against the Nicolaitanes. He would come against the church for tolerating them, but his opposition would be principally directed against the Nicolaitanes themselves. The church would excite his displeasure by retaining…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-17Verses 12-17 The word of God is a sword, able to slay both sin and sinners. It turns and cuts every way; but the believer need not fear this sword; yet this confidence cannot be supported without steady obedience. As our Lord notices all the advantages and opportunities we have for duty in the places where we dwell, so he notices our temptations and discouragements from the same causes. In a situation of trials, the church of Pergamos had not denied the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12-17The letter to the church in Pergamum describes Christians facing temptations to compromise their morals and loyalty to God. Pergamum was the first capital of the Roman province of Asia. The city had a famous library, and its people developed the use of animal skins for writing.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. The three oldest manuscripts read, "Repent, therefore." Not only the Nicolaitanes, but the whole Church of Pergamos is called on to repent of not having hated the Nicolaitane teaching and practice. Contrast Paul, Ac 20:26. I will come--I am coming. fight against them--Greek, "war with them"; with the Nicolaitanes primarily; but including also chastisement of the whole Church at Pergamos: compare "unto THEE." with the sword of my mouth--resumed from Re…Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 2:16

• Church
• Fellowship
• Impenitence
• Lukewarmness
• Pergamos

In the dictionaries

• Angel
• Bed
• Faithful
• Alliance
• Apostolic Age
• Asia Minor
• Church Government
• Commandment, the New
• Ear
• Ephesians, Epistle to the

Commentaries on Revelation 2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings