Berean Standard Bible
Revelation 3:7
7To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
These are the words of the One who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open.1
Revelation 3:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
- New International Version (NIV)“To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: 'The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”:
Context of Revelation 3:7
5Like them, he who overcomes will be dressed in white. And I will never blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and His angels. 6He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of the One who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open. 8I know your deeds. Behold, I have placed before you an open door, which no one can shut. I know that you have only a little strength, yet you have kept My word and have not denied My name. 9As for those who belong to the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews but are liars instead, I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and they will know that I love you.
Read all of Revelation 3Revelation 3:7 word by word
Καὶ τῷ ἀγγέλῳ τῆς ἐν Φιλαδελφείᾳ ἐκκλησίας γράψον· τάδε λέγει ὁ ἅγιος, ὁ ἀληθινός, ὁ ἔχων τὴν κλεῖν Δαυίδ, ὁ ἀνοίγων καὶ οὐδεὶς κλείσει καὶ κλείων καὶ οὐδεὶς ἀνοίγει·Read the interlinear
- ·καίkai · andG2532
- Toὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- angelἄγγελοςaggelos · angelG32
- churchἐκκλησίαekklēsia · assemblyG1577
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- PhiladelphiaΦιλαδέλφειαPhiladelpheia · PhiladelphiaG5359
- writeγράφωgraphō · to writeG1125
- Theseὅδεhode hēde tode · thisG3592
- the wordsλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- holyἅγιοςhagios · holyG40
- trueἀληθινόςalēthinos · trueG228
- holdsἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- keyκλείςkleis · keyG2807
- of DavidΔαυείδ, Δαυίδ, ΔαβίδDabid · DavidG1138
- He opensἀνοίγωanoigō · to openG455
- no oneοὐδείςoudeis · noneG3762
- can shutκλείωkleiō · to shutG2808
Cross-references for Revelation 3:7
- Revelation 1:11saying, “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”
- Revelation 2:1“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of Him who holds the seven stars in His right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands.
- Revelation 4:8And each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around and within. Day and night they never stop saying: “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”
- Revelation 6:10And they cried out in a loud voice, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge those who dwell upon the earth and avenge our blood?”
- Psalms 16:10For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay.
- Psalms 89:18Surely our shield belongs to the LORD, and our king to the Holy One of Israel.
- Psalms 145:17The LORD is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His deeds.
- Isaiah 6:3And they were calling out to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts; all the earth is full of His glory.”
- Isaiah 30:11Get out of the way; turn off the road. Rid us of the Holy One of Israel!”
- Isaiah 41:14Do not fear, O Jacob, you worm, O few men of Israel. I will help you,” declares the LORD. “Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
- Isaiah 47:4Our Redeemer—the LORD of Hosts is His name— is the Holy One of Israel.
- Isaiah 48:17Thus says the LORD your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you for your benefit, who directs you in the way you should go.
- Isaiah 49:7Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel, to Him who was despised and abhorred by the nation, to the Servant of rulers: “Kings will see You and rise, and princes will bow down, because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen You.”
- Isaiah 54:5For your husband is your Maker— the LORD of Hosts is His name— the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; He is called the God of all the earth.
- Isaiah 55:5Surely you will summon a nation you do not know, and nations who do not know you will run to you. For the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, has bestowed glory on you.”
- Mark 1:24“What do You want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”
Commentaries on Revelation 3:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7He that is holy - In whom holiness essentially dwells, and from whom all holiness is derived. He that is true - He who is the fountain of truth; who cannot lie nor be imposed on; from whom all truth proceeds; and whose veracity in his Revelation is unimpeachable. He that hath the key of David - See this metaphor explained, Matthew 16:19. Key is the emblem of authority and knowledge; the key of David is the regal right or authority of David. David could…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia - See the notes on Revelation 1:20. These things saith he that is holy - This refers undoubtedly to the Lord Jesus. The appellation holy, or the holy one, is one that befits him, and is not infrequently given to him in the New Testament, Luke 1:35; Acts 2:27; Acts 3:14. It is not only an appellation appropriate to the Saviour, but well adapted to be employed when he is addressing the churches. Our impression…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-13Verses 7-13 The same Lord Jesus has the key of government and authority in and over the church. He opens a door of opportunity to his churches; he opens a door of utterance to his ministers; he opens a door of entrance, opens the heart. He shuts the door of heaven against the foolish, who sleep away their day of grace; and against the workers of iniquity, how vain and confident soever they may be. The church in Philadelphia is commended; yet with a gentle…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7Philadelphia was located in the foothills of the Timolus Mountains, with fertile plains to the east. The city often suffered from severe earthquakes, which left it weak and poor. This verse uses phrases from Isaiah 22:22. key of David: Jesus the Messiah, God's chosen one, is the successor to David’s royal line. As the gatekeeper of heaven, Jesus has the authority to open and close the way to heaven (compare Matthew 16:19).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. Philadelphia--in Lydia, twenty-eight miles southeast of Sardis, built by Attalus Philadelphus, king of Pergamos, who died A.D. 138. It was nearly destroyed by an earthquake in the reign of Tiberius [Tacitus, Annals, 2.47]. The connection of this Church with Jews there causes the address to it to have an Old Testament coloring in the images employed. It and Smyrna alone of the seven receive unmixed praise. he that is holy--as in the Old Testament, "the…Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 3:7
In the dictionaries
Notes
- 1. Revelation 3:7 See Isaiah 22:22. ↩
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
Berean Standard Bible — © Berean Bible — CC0 / Public Domain
Commentaries