American Standard Version
Revelation 2:4
4But I have this against thee, that thou didst leave thy first love.
Revelation 2:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
- New International Version (NIV)Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.
- English Standard Version (ESV)But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
Context of Revelation 2:4
2I know thy works, and thy toil and patience, and that thou canst not bear evil men, and didst try them that call themselves apostles, and they are not, and didst find them false; 3and thou hast patience and didst bear for my name’s sake, and hast not grown weary. But I have this against thee, that thou didst leave thy first love. 5Remember therefore whence thou art fallen, and repent and do the first works; or else I come to thee, and will move thy candlestick out of its place, except thou repent. 6But this thou hast, that thou hatest the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Read all of Revelation 2Revelation 2:4 word by word
ἀλλ᾽ ἔχω κατὰ σοῦ ὅτι τὴν ἀγάπην σου τὴν πρώτην ἀφῆκες.Read the interlinear
Cross-references for Revelation 2:4
- Revelation 2:14But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there some that hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication.
- Revelation 3:14And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God:
- Jeremiah 2:2Go, and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith Jehovah, I remember for thee the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals; how thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown.
- Matthew 24:12And because iniquity shall be multiplied, the love of the many shall wax cold.
- Philippians 1:9And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment;
- Philippians 3:13Brethren, I count not myself yet to have laid hold: but one thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before,
- 1 Thessalonians 4:9But concerning love of the brethren ye have no need that one write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another;
- 2 Thessalonians 1:3We are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren, even as it is meet, for that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the love of each one of you all toward one another aboundeth;
- Hebrews 6:10for God is not unrighteous to forget your work and the love which ye showed toward his name, in that ye ministered unto the saints, and still do minister.
Commentaries on Revelation 2:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee - The clause should be read, according to the Greek, thus: But I have against thee that thou hast left thy first love. They did not retain that strong and ardent affection for God and sacred things which they had when first brought to the knowledge of the truth, and justified by faith in Christ.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee - Notwithstanding this general commendation, there are things which I cannot approve. Because thou hast left thy first love - Thou hast “remitted” ( ̓͂ aphēkas) or let down thy early love; that is, it is less glowing and ardent than it was at first. The love here referred to is evidently love to the Saviour; and the idea is, that, as a church, they had less of this than formerly characterized them. In this…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4You have abandoned your first love: When the church began, their love for Christ and each other was strong. Struggles with false teachers and persecution caused that original love to grow cold. Correct beliefs, action, and even suffering (Revelation 2:2–3) are only an empty form of Christian life if living and active love is missing (1 Corinthians 13).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. somewhat ... because--Translate, "I have against thee (this) that," &c. It is not a mere somewhat"; it is everything. How characteristic of our gracious Lord, that He puts foremost all He can find to approve, and only after this notes the shortcomings! left thy first love--to Christ. Compare 1Ti 5:12, "cast off their first faith." See the Ephesians' first love, Ep 1:15. This epistle was written under Domitian, when thirty years had elapsed since Paul…Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 2:4
In the dictionaries
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
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries