Revelation 2:23

Revelation 2:23 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.
• New International Version (NIV)I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.
• English Standard Version (ESV)and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.
• New King James Version (NKJV)I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.

Context of Revelation 2:23

21I have given her time to stop doing these bad things. But she refuses to change how she lives. She does not stop having sex with other men. 22Listen to this! I will cause her to suffer on her bed, so that she cannot get up. Those who join her in her sins will also suffer very much, unless they change the way they live. I will send a terrible illness to kill those who obey her. Then all the people in the churches will know that I look deep inside them. I know what you really want. I know what you really think. I will give each of you what is right for you, as a result of what you have done. 24But I say this to you other people in Thyatira. You have not agreed with what Jezebel taught. You have not learned what they call ‘Satan's deep secrets’. So I say this to you: I will not tell you to obey any other difficult rules. 25But continue to obey my message that you have already received. Believe in me until I come.

Revelation 2:23 word by word

καὶ τὰ τέκνα αὐτῆς ἀποκτενῶ ἐν θανάτῳ, καὶ γνώσονται πᾶσαι αἱ ἐκκλησίαι ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἐραυνῶν νεφροὺς καὶ καρδίας, καὶ δώσω ὑμῖν ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα ὑμῶν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• I will killἀποκτείνωapokteinō · to killG615
• herαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• childrenὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• childrenτέκνονteknon · childG5043
• withἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• deathθάνατοςthanatos · deathG2288
• allπᾶςpas · allG3956
• the churchesἐκκλησίαekklēsia · assemblyG1577
• shall knowγινώσκωginōskō · to knowG1097
• thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• Iἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• amεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• he which searchethἐρευνάωereunaō · to look for/intoG2045
• the reinsνεφρόςnephros · mindG3510
• heartsκαρδίαkardia · heartG2588
• I will giveδίδωμιdidōmi · to giveG1325
• untoσύsu · youG4771
• every one ofἕκαστοςhekastos · eachG1538
• according toκατάkata · according toG2596
• worksἔργονergon · workG2041

Cross-references for Revelation 2:23

• Revelation 6:8I looked, and I saw a grey horse. The name of the person who was riding the horse was Death. The place for dead people, called Hades, was following near to him. They had authority to kill people in a quarter of the earth. They could kill people in different ways. They could kill them in wars. They could cause people to die because there was no food. They could cause people to become very ill so that they died. They could also cause wild animals to kill people.
• Revelation 2:7God's Spirit is now speaking to people in the churches. You should recognize that the Spirit is speaking. Everyone who knows that should listen to what he says. I will let everyone who wins against Satan eat my fruit. This fruit is from the tree that makes us alive. And this tree grows in God's garden.” ’
• Deuteronomy 13:11When you punish the false prophet with death, all Israel's people will hear about it. They will be afraid. No one will do evil things like that again.
• Deuteronomy 17:13Then all the people will hear what has happened. They will be afraid. They will no longer be too proud to obey the judge.
• Deuteronomy 19:20Then everyone else will hear what has happened. They will be afraid to do any more evil things like that.
• Deuteronomy 21:21Then all the men of the city must throw stones at the son until he is dead. In this way, you must remove all evil things like that from among you. Then all Israel's people will hear about what has happened. They will be afraid.
• Zephaniah 1:11Shout out, you who live near Jerusalem's market! Weep! The Lord will remove the traders from your town. Some people have lots of money there. But all those people will be dead then.’
• 1 Samuel 16:7But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at how handsome or how tall Eliab is. I have not chosen him. The Lord does not look at people in the way that people do. People look at the face and body of a person. But the Lord sees what they are like inside.’
• 1 Chronicles 28:9As for you, Solomon, my son, keep near to your father's God. Be happy to serve him faithfully in every way. The Lord knows what you are thinking. He understands all your thoughts. If you turn to him, you will find him. But if you turn away from him, he will leave you alone for ever.
• 1 Chronicles 29:17My God, I know that you look carefully at our thoughts. You are pleased when we want to do things that are right. And I really do want to offer all these things to you. I know that your people who have met together here are happy. I can see that they are pleased to give these things to you.
• 2 Chronicles 6:30If someone does that, please hear him from your home in heaven. Please forgive the sins of your people. Only you know what people are thinking. So please give to each person as they deserve.
• Psalms 7:9Stop wicked people from doing evil things. Keep your own people safe. You always do what is right, and you know how we think and feel.
• Psalms 44:21But if we had done that, you would have discovered it. You know even our most secret thoughts.
• Jeremiah 11:20So I said, ‘Lord Almighty, you judge people in a fair way. You know what people are thinking. You understand how they feel. I trust you to show that I have not done anything that is wrong. So please punish these people. Pay them back for their sins.’
• Jeremiah 17:10But I, the Lord, look inside a person's mind. I see what he thinks and what he feels. I see how everyone lives, and I see the things that they do. I give to each one what he deserves.
• Jeremiah 20:12Lord Almighty, you test righteous people, to see if they are faithful. You know what people think. You know their feelings. I trust you to show that I am not guilty. So punish those people who want to hurt me.

Commentaries on Revelation 2:23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23And I will kill her children with death - "That is, I will certainly destroy her offspring and memory, and thereby ruin her designs. Jezebel's two sons, being both kings were both slain; and after that, all the seventy sons of Ahab; ( 2 Kings 10:1;); in all which the hand of God was very visible. In the same manner God predicts the destruction of the heretics and heresies referred to; see Revelation 2:16. It should seem by the expression, I am he which…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23And I will kill her children with death - A strong Hebraistic mode of expression, meaning that he would certainly destroy them. It has been made a question whether the word “children” here is to be taken literally or figuratively. The word itself would admit of either interpretation; and there is nothing in the connection by which its meaning here can be determined. If it is to be taken literally, it is in accordance with what is often threatened in the…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. 22-23Christ’s judgment on this “Jezebel” and on those who follow her takes place in three stages: Jezebel will suffer on a sickbed; her followers will experience great suffering; and her children will die (compare Acts 5:5, 10; 1 Corinthians 11:30). This judgment is similar to the plagues on Egypt, which ended with the deaths of Egypt's firstborn sons (see Exodus 12:29–30). God knows people's thoughts and intentions (see Jeremiah 17:10; Acts 1:24; Hebrews…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2323. her children--(Is 57:3; Eze 23:45, 47). Her proper adherents; not those who suffer her, but those who are begotten of her. A distinct class from the last in Re 2:22 (compare Note, see on Re 2:22), whose sin was less direct, being that only of connivance. kill ... with death--Compare the disaster that overtook the literal Jezebel's votaries of Baal, and Ahab's sons, 1Ki 18:40; 2Ki 10:6, 7, 24, 25. Kill with death is a Hebraism for slay with most sure…Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 2:23

• Church
• Fellowship
• Heart
• Jesus Continued
• Judgment
• Judgments
• Lukewarmness
• Minister, Christian
• Responsibility
• Sin
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• Angel
• Bed
• Faithful
• Thyatira
• Apostolic Age
• Asia Minor
• Church Government
• Commandment, the New
• Ear
• Ephesians, Epistle to the

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