Revelation 21:2

Revelation 21:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
• New International Version (NIV)I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Context of Revelation 21:2

1And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea exists no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of the heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice out of the heaven, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God [is] with men, and he shall tabernacle with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, their God. 4And he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall not exist any more, nor grief, nor cry, nor distress shall exist any more, for the former things have passed away.

Revelation 21:2 word by word

καὶ τὴν πόλιν τὴν ἁγίαν Ἰερουσαλὴμ καινὴν εἶδον καταβαίνουσαν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ἡτοιμασμένην ὡς νύμφην κεκοσμημένην τῷ ἀνδρὶ αὐτῆς.Read the interlinear

• sawὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
• holyἅγιοςhagios · holyG40
• cityπόλιςpolis · cityG4172
• newκαινόςkainos · newG2537
• JerusalemἹερουσαλήμHierousalēm · JerusalemG2419
• comingκαταβαίνωkatabainō · to come/go downG2597
• heavenοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• preparedἑτοιμάζωhetoimazō · to make readyG2090
• brideνύμφηnumphē · brideG3565
• adornedκοσμέωkosmeō · to arrangeG2885
• husbandἀνήρanēr · man: husbandG435

Cross-references for Revelation 21:2

• Revelation 1:1Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him, to shew to his bondmen what must shortly take place; and he signified [it], sending by his angel, to his bondman John,
• Revelation 3:12He that overcomes, him will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more at all out; and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven, from my God, and my new name.
• Psalms 48:1Great is Jehovah, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the hill of his holiness.
• Psalms 87:3Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah.
• Isaiah 1:21How is the faithful city become a harlot! It was full of judgment; righteousness used to lodge in it, but now murderers.
• Isaiah 52:1Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.
• Jeremiah 31:23Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: They shall again use this speech, in the land of Judah and in the cities thereof, when I shall turn their captivity: Jehovah bless thee, O habitation of righteousness, mountain of holiness!
• Hebrews 11:10for he waited for the city which has foundations, of which God is [the] artificer and constructor.
• Hebrews 12:22but ye have come to mount Zion; and to [the] city of [the] living God, heavenly Jerusalem; and to myriads of angels,
• Hebrews 13:14for we have not here an abiding city, but we seek the coming one.
• Revelation 21:10And he carried me away in [the] Spirit, [and set me] on a great and high mountain, and shewed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of the heaven from God,
• Galatians 4:25For Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which [is] now, for she is in bondage with her children;
• Revelation 19:7Let us rejoice and exult, and give him glory; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife has made herself ready.
• Psalms 45:9Kings' daughters are among thine honourable women; upon thy right hand doth stand the queen in gold of Ophir.
• Isaiah 54:5For thy Maker is thy husband: Jehovah of hosts is his name, and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: the God of the whole earth shall he be called.
• Isaiah 61:10I will greatly rejoice in Jehovah, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with the priestly turban, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

Commentaries on Revelation 21:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2And I John - The writer of this book; whether the evangelist and apostle, or John the Ephesian presbyter, has been long doubted in the Church. New Jerusalem - See the notes on Galatians 4:24-27; (note). This doubtless means the Christian Church in a state of great prosperity and purity; but some think eternal blessedness is intended. Coming down from God - It is a maxim of the ancient Jews that both the tabernacle, and the temple, and Jerusalem itself…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven - See the Analysis of the chapter. On the phrase “new Jerusalem,” see the Galatians 4:26 note, and Hebrews 12:22 note. Here it refers to the residence of the redeemed, the heavenly world, of which Jerusalem was the type and symbol. It is here represented as “coming down from God out of heaven.” This, of course, does not mean that this great city was “literally” to descend upon…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2coming down … from God: The new creation is a gift from God. At first, God created everything good. In the end, God will create a new, perfect world. This image of Jerusalem as a beautiful bride (see Isaiah 61:10) contrasts sharply with the vision of Babylon (or Rome) as the prostitute (Revelation 17:4–5; 18:2–3; see study note on Revelation 21:9–22:9).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. And I John--"John" is omitted in A, B, Vulgate, Syriac, Coptic, and Andreas; also the "I" in the Greek of these authorities is not emphatic. The insertion of "I John" in the Greek would somewhat interfere with the close connection which subsists between "the new heaven and earth," Re 21:1, and the "new Jerusalem" in this verse. Jerusalem ... out of heaven--(Re 3:12; Ga 4:26, "Jerusalem which is above"; He 11:10; 12:22; 13:14). The descent of the new…Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 21:2

• Bride
• Church
• Heaven
• Jerusalem
• Readings, Select
• Restoration
• Types

In the dictionaries

• God
• Jerusalem
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• New Jerusalem
• holy city
• Jacinth
• Solomon, Song of
• Tabernacle
• Unbelieving
• Citizenship

Commentaries on Revelation 21

• 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
• 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