Christian Standard Bible
Revelation 2:20
20But I have this against you: You tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and teaches and deceives my servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat meat sacrificed to idols.
Revelation 2:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
- New International Version (NIV)Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.
- English Standard Version (ESV)But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.
Context of Revelation 2:20
18“Write to the angel of the church in Thyatira: Thus says the Son of God, the one whose eyes are like a fiery flame and whose feet are like fine bronze: 19I know your works — your love, faithfulness, service, and endurance. I know that your last works are greater than the first. But I have this against you: You tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and teaches and deceives my servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat meat sacrificed to idols. 21I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to repent of her sexual immorality. 22Look, I will throw her into a sickbed and those who commit adultery with her into great affliction. Unless they repent of her works,
Read all of Revelation 2Revelation 2:20 word by word
ἀλλ᾽ ἔχω κατὰ σοῦ ὅτι ἀφεῖς τὴν γυναῖκα Ἰεζάβελ, ἡ λέγουσα ἑαυτὴν προφῆτιν καὶ διδάσκει καὶ πλανᾷ τοὺς ἐμοὺς δούλους πορνεῦσαι καὶ φαγεῖν εἰδωλόθυτα.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Notwithstandingἀλλάalla · butG235
- I haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- a few thingsὀλίγοςoligos · little/fewG3641
- againstκατάkata · according toG2596
- theeσύsu · youG4771
- becauseὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
- thou sufferestἐάωeaō · to allowG1439
- that womanὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- that womanγυνήgunē · womanG1135
- JezebelἸεζαβήλIezabēl · JezebelG2403
- which callethλέγωlegō · to say: callG3004
- herselfἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
- a prophetessπροφῆτιςprophētis · prophetessG4398
- to teachδιδάσκωdidaskō · to teachG1321
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- to seduceπλανάωplanaō · to lead astrayG4105
- myἐμόςemos · mineG1699
- servantsδοῦλοςdoulos · slaveG1401
- to commit fornicationπορνεύωporneuō · to sin sexuallyG4203
- to eatφαγεῖνphagō · to eatG5315
- things sacrificed unto idolsεἰδωλόθυτοςeidōlothuton · sacrificed to idolsG1494
Cross-references for Revelation 2:20
- Revelation 2:4But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first.
- 1 Kings 16:31Then, as if following the sin of Jeroboam son of Nebat were not enough, he married Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and then proceeded to serve Baal and bow in worship to him.
- 1 Kings 17:4You are to drink from the wadi. I have commanded the ravens to provide for you there.”
- 1 Kings 19:1Ahab told Jezebel everything that Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.
- 1 Kings 21:7Then his wife Jezebel said to him, “Now, exercise your royal power over Israel. Get up, eat some food, and be happy. For I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
- 2 Kings 9:7You are to strike down the house of your master Ahab so that I may avenge the blood shed by the hand of Jezebel — the blood of my servants the prophets and of all the servants of the Lord.
- Revelation 2:14But I have a few things against you. You have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block in front of the Israelites: to eat meat sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality.
- Exodus 34:15“Do not make a treaty with the inhabitants of the land, or else when they prostitute themselves with their gods and sacrifice to their gods, they will invite you, and you will eat their sacrifices.
- Numbers 25:1While Israel was staying in the Acacia Grove, the people began to prostitute themselves with the women of Moab.
- Acts 15:20but instead we should write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from eating anything that has been strangled, and from blood.
- 1 Corinthians 8:10For if someone sees you, the one who has knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, won’t his weak conscience be encouraged to eat food offered to idols?
- 1 Corinthians 10:18Consider the people of Israel. Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar?
Commentaries on Revelation 2:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20That woman Jezebel - There is an allusion here to the history of Ahab and Jezebel, as given in 2 Kings 9:1-10:36; and although we do not know who this Jezebel was, yet from the allusion we may take it for granted she was a woman of power and influence in Thyatira, who corrupted the true religion, and harassed the followers of God in that city, as Jezebel did in Israel. Instead of that woman Jezebel, , many excellent MSS., and almost all the ancient…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20Notwithstanding, I have a few things against thee - Compare notes on Revelation 2:4. Because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel - Thou dost tolerate, or countenance her. Compare the notes on Revelation 2:14. Who the individual here referred to by the name Jezebel was, is not known. It is by no means probable that this was her real name, but seems to have been given to her as expressive of her character and influence. Jezebel was the wife of Ahab; a woman…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-29Verses 18-29 Even when the Lord knows the works of his people to be wrought in love, faith, zeal, and patience; yet if his eyes, which are as a flame of fire, observe them committing or allowing what is evil, he will rebuke, correct, or punish them. Here is praise of the ministry and people of Thyatira, by One who knew the principles from which they acted. They grew wiser and better. All Christians should earnestly desire that their last works may be…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20-21The mention of Jezebel, who led Israel into idol worship and immoral behavior (1 Kings 16:31–33; 21:5–26), highlights a serious issue. Like the Old Testament queen who led the worship of Baal (see 1 Kings 16:31; 18:4; 19:1–3), this unknown Jezebel claimed to be a prophet but was leading God's people into immorality. This included sexual misconduct and forming idolatrous alliances and actions (Exodus 34:15–16; Psalm 106:39; Isaiah 57:7–8).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. a few things--omitted in the three oldest manuscripts. Translate then, "I have against thee that," &c. sufferest--The three oldest manuscripts read, "lettest alone." that woman--Two oldest manuscripts read, "THY wife"; two omit it. Vulgate and most ancient versions read as English Version. The symbolical Jezebel was to the Church of Thyatira what Jezebel, Ahab's "wife," was to him. Some self-styled prophetess (or as the feminine in Hebrew is often…Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 2:20
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
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