Christian Standard Bible
2 Thessalonians 2:4
4He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits in God’s temple, proclaiming that he himself is God.
2 Thessalonians 2:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
- New International Version (NIV)He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
- English Standard Version (ESV)who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.
- New King James Version (NKJV)who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
Context of 2 Thessalonians 2:4
2not to be easily upset or troubled, either by a prophecy or by a message or by a letter supposedly from us, alleging that the day of the Lord has come. 3Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way. For that day will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits in God’s temple, proclaiming that he himself is God. 5Don’t you remember that when I was still with you I used to tell you about this? 6And you know what currently restrains him, so that he will be revealed in his time.
Read all of 2 Thessalonians 22 Thessalonians 2:4 word by word
ὁ ἀντικείμενος καὶ ὑπεραιρόμενος ἐπὶ πάντα λεγόμενον θεὸν ἢ σέβασμα ὥστε αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν ναὸν τοῦ θεοῦ καθίσαι ἀποδεικνύντα ἑαυτὸν ὅτι ἐστὶν θεός.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Who opposethὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Who opposethἀντίκειμαιantikeimai · be an opponentG480
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- exalteth himselfὑπεραίρωhuperairomai · be haughtyG5229
- aboveἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
- allπᾶςpas · allG3956
- that is calledλέγωlegō · to say: callG3004
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- orἤē · orG2228
- that is worshippedσέβασμαsebasma · object of worshipG4574
- so thatὥστεhōste · soG5620
- heαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
- sittethκαθίζωkathizō · to seatG2523
- inεἰςeis · towardG1519
- the templeναόςnaos · templeG3485
- shewingἀποδείκνυμιapodeiknumi · to displayG584
- himselfἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
- thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
- he isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
Cross-references for 2 Thessalonians 2:4
- Isaiah 14:13You said to yourself, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will set up my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of the gods’ assembly, in the remotest parts of the North.
- Ezekiel 28:2“Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, ‘This is what the Lord God says: Your heart is proud, and you have said, “I am a god; I sit in the seat of gods in the heart of the sea.” Yet you are a man and not a god, though you have regarded your heart as that of a god.
- Daniel 7:8“While I was considering the horns, suddenly another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. And suddenly in this horn there were eyes like the eyes of a human and a mouth that was speaking arrogantly.
- Daniel 8:9From one of them a little horn emerged and grew extensively toward the south and the east and toward the beautiful land.
- Daniel 11:36“Then the king will do whatever he wants. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god, and he will say outrageous things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, because what has been decreed will be accomplished.
- Revelation 13:6It began to speak blasphemies against God: to blaspheme his name and his dwelling — those who dwell in heaven.
- 1 Corinthians 8:5For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth — as there are many “gods” and many “lords” —
- Daniel 8:12In the rebellion, the army was given up, together with the regular sacrifice. The horn threw truth to the ground and was successful in what it did.
- Daniel 11:45He will pitch his royal tents between the sea and the beautiful holy mountain, but he will meet his end with no one to help him.
Commentaries on 2 Thessalonians 2:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Who opposeth and exalteth - He stands against and exalts himself above all Divine authority, and above every object of adoration, and every institution relative to Divine worship, , himself being the source, whence must originate all the doctrines of religion, and all its rites and ceremonies; so that sitting in the temple of God - having the highest place and authority in the Christian Church, he acts as God - taking upon himself God's titles and…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Who opposeth - That is, he is distinguished as an opposer of the great system which God has revealed for human salvation, and of those who would serve God in purity in the gospel of his Son. No Protestant will doubt that this has been the character of the papacy. The opposition of the general system to the gospel; the persecution of Wycliffe, of John Huss, of Jerome of Prague, of the Waldenses and the Reformers; the Inquisition, the cruelties in the reign…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4exalt himself: Like other Roman cities, Thessalonica built temples to worship the emperor (king). This religion (cult) was the model for the worship described here. he will seat himself in the temple of God: Antiochus Epiphanes polluted the temple in Jerusalem in 167 BC (see Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11). This might have anticipated the event prophesied here (Matthew 24:15; Mark 13:14). It could also refer to Emperor Caligula's attempt to place his image in…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. Da 11:36, 37 is here referred to. The words used there as to Antiochus Epiphanes, Paul implies, shall even be more applicable to the man of sin, who is the New Testament actual Antichrist, as Antiochus was the Old Testament typical Antichrist. The previous world kingdoms had each one extraordinary person as its representative head and embodiment (thus Babylon had Nebuchadnezzar, Da 2:38, end; Medo-Persia had Cyrus; Greece had Alexander, and Antiochus…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Thessalonians 2:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Thessalonians 2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- 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
Christian Standard Bible — © 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Commentaries