Revelation 3:20

Revelation 3:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
• New International Version (NIV)Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

Context of Revelation 3:20

18I counsel you to buy from Me gold that has been heated red hot and refined by fire so that you may become truly rich; and white clothes [representing righteousness] to clothe yourself so that the shame of your nakedness will not be seen; and healing salve to put on your eyes so that you may see. 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]. Behold, I stand at the door [of the church] and continually knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him (restore him), and he with Me. 21He who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God], I will grant to him [the privilege] to sit beside Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down beside My Father on His throne. 22He who has an ear, let him hear and heed what the Spirit says to the churches.’ ”

Revelation 3:20 word by word

ἰδοὺ ἕστηκα ἐπὶ τὴν θύραν καὶ κρούω. ἐάν τις ἀκούσῃ τῆς φωνῆς μου καὶ ἀνοίξῃ τὴν θύραν, καὶ εἰσελεύσομαι πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ δειπνήσω μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ καὶ αὐτὸς μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Beholdὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
• I standἵστημιhistēmi · to standG2476
• atἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• the doorὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the doorθύραthura · doorG2374
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• knockκρούωkrouō · to knockG2925
• ifἐάνean · ifG1437
• any manτιςtis · oneG5100
• hearἀκούωakouō · to hearG191
• myἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• voiceφωνήphōnē · voice/sound: voiceG5456
• openἀνοίγωanoigō · to openG455
• I will come inεἰσέρχομαιeiserchomai · to enterG1525
• toπρόςpros · to/withG4314
• himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• will supδειπνέωdeipneō · to dineG1172
• withμετάmeta · with/afterG3326

Cross-references for Revelation 3:20

• Luke 12:36Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that when he comes and knocks they may immediately open the door for him.
• John 14:21The person who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who [really] loves Me; and whoever [really] loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him [I will make Myself real to him].”
• Revelation 19:9Then the angel said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ ” And he said to me [further], “These are the true and exact words of God.”
• Luke 12:37Blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired) are those servants whom the master finds awake and watching when he arrives. I assure you and most solemnly say to you, he will prepare himself to serve, and will have them recline at the table, and will come and wait on them.
• Luke 17:8Will he not instead say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat, and appropriately clothe yourself [for service] and serve me while I eat and drink; then afterward you may eat and drink?’

Commentaries on Revelation 3:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20Behold, I stand at the door and knock - There are many sayings of this kind among the ancient rabbins; thus in Shir Hashirim Rabba, fol. 25, 1: "God said to the Israelites, My children, open to me one door of repentance, even so wide as the eye of a needle, and I will open to you doors through which calves and horned cattle may pass." In Sohar Levit, fol. 8, col. 32, it is said: "If a man conceal his sin, and do not open it before the holy King, although…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20Behold, I stand at the door, and knock - Intimating that, though they had erred, the way of repentance and hope was not closed against them. He was still willing to be gracious, though their conduct had been such as to be loathsome, Revelation 3:16. To see the real force of this language, we must remember how disgusting and offensive their conduct had been to him. And yet he was willing, notwithstanding this, to receive them to his favor; nay more, he…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-22Verses 14-22 Laodicea was the last and worst of the seven churches of Asia. Here our Lord Jesus styles himself, "The Amen;" one steady and unchangeable in all his purposes and promises. If religion is worth anything, it is worth every thing. Christ expects men should be in earnest. How many professors of gospel doctrine are neither hot nor cold; except as they are indifferent in needful matters, and hot and fiery in disputes about things of lesser moment!…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20A person or a church must listen for Jesus knocking and open the door to him. Christ offers a way for a church to revive when it has become spiritually weak and lost connection with him. Simply opening the door can renew their previous bond. dine with him, and he with Me: A shared meal represents acceptance, deep friendship, and a covenant relationship (Revelation 19:9; see Genesis 18:1–5, 16–19; Exodus 12:1–31; 18:12; Matthew 26:26–30).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. stand--waiting in wonderful condescension and long-suffering. knock--(So 5:2). This is a further manifestation of His loving desire for the sinner's salvation. He who is Himself "the Door," and who bids us "knock" that it may be "opened unto" us, is first Himself to knock at the door of our hearts. If He did not knock first, we should never come to knock at His door. Compare So 5:4-6, which is plainly alluded to here; the Spirit thus in Revelation…Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 3:20

• Backsliders
• Church
• Communion
• Faith
• Fellowship
• God
• Laodicea
• Salvation
• Seekers

In the dictionaries

• Angel
• Chasten
• Cold
• Counsel
• Dead
• Knock
• Lukewarm
• Naked
• Poor
• Rich

Commentaries on Revelation 3

• 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