Revelation 2:4

Revelation 2:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
• New International Version (NIV)Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

Context of Revelation 2:4

2I know everything that you do. You have worked much for me. You have continued to work patiently. I know that you do not accept bad people as your friends. Some of these bad people say that they are apostles of Jesus. You have thought carefully about what they teach people. And you have discovered that it is not true. 3You have been patient and strong in times of trouble. You have continued to serve me because you believe in me. You have not stopped when you become tired. But I have something to say against you. You loved me very much when you first believed in me. You do not love me as much now. 5Think carefully about this! You do not now live in the way you did at the beginning. So you must change the way you live. Do again the good things that you did at the beginning. If you do not change the way you live, I will come to punish you. I will take away your lampstand from its place. 6But this is something that you do well: you hate the bad things that the Nicolaitans are doing. I also hate what they do.

Revelation 2:4 word by word

ἀλλ᾽ ἔχω κατὰ σοῦ ὅτι τὴν ἀγάπην σου τὴν πρώτην ἀφῆκες.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Neverthelessἀλλάalla · butG235
• I haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• againstκατάkata · according toG2596
• theeσύsu · youG4771
• becauseὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• thou hast leftἀφίημιaphiēmi · to release: leaveG863
• firstπρῶτοςprōtos · firstG4413
• loveὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• loveἀγάπηagapē · loveG26

Cross-references for Revelation 2:4

• Revelation 2:14But I have a few things to say against you. Some people among you agree with what Balaam taught long ago. He taught Balak to do a bad thing against God's people. Balak caused the Israelite people to do wrong things. As a result, they ate food that people had given to idols. They also had sex with people who were not their husbands or wives.
• Revelation 3:14‘Write this to the angel of the church at Laodicea: “This is my message to you. I am the one whose name is ‘Amen’. I faithfully tell people God's true message. Everything that God has created starts with me.
• Jeremiah 2:2He said, ‘Go and tell this to the people in Jerusalem: “This is what the Lord says: I remember how you used to love me when you were young. You loved me as a young wife loves her husband. You followed me through the wilderness, where no crops were growing.
• Matthew 24:12More and more people everywhere will be doing very bad things. Because of this, many people will no longer love each other in the way that they did before.
• Philippians 1:9This is what I pray for you. I pray that you will continue to love each other more and more. I pray that you will know God better and better. I pray that you will understand all those things that are true.
• Philippians 3:13My Christian friends, I do not think that I have reached that place yet. But this is what I do: I do not think about past things that have already happened. Instead, I try hard to reach the things that are in front of me.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:9But I do not need to write to you about how you should love other believers. God himself has taught you how to love each other.
• 2 Thessalonians 1:3Our Christian friends, we ought always to thank God because of you. It is right that we do this, because you are learning to trust Christ more and more. All of you are also loving each other more and more.
• Hebrews 6:10God is always right and fair. He will not forget all the good things that you have done. You have shown that you love him very much, because you have helped the other believers. And you continue to help them as God's servants.

Commentaries on Revelation 2:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee - The clause should be read, according to the Greek, thus: But I have against thee that thou hast left thy first love. They did not retain that strong and ardent affection for God and sacred things which they had when first brought to the knowledge of the truth, and justified by faith in Christ.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee - Notwithstanding this general commendation, there are things which I cannot approve. Because thou hast left thy first love - Thou hast “remitted” ( ̓͂ aphēkas) or let down thy early love; that is, it is less glowing and ardent than it was at first. The love here referred to is evidently love to the Saviour; and the idea is, that, as a church, they had less of this than formerly characterized them. In this…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4You have abandoned your first love: When the church began, their love for Christ and each other was strong. Struggles with false teachers and persecution caused that original love to grow cold. Correct beliefs, action, and even suffering (Revelation 2:2–3) are only an empty form of Christian life if living and active love is missing (1 Corinthians 13).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. somewhat ... because--Translate, "I have against thee (this) that," &c. It is not a mere somewhat"; it is everything. How characteristic of our gracious Lord, that He puts foremost all He can find to approve, and only after this notes the shortcomings! left thy first love--to Christ. Compare 1Ti 5:12, "cast off their first faith." See the Ephesians' first love, Ep 1:15. This epistle was written under Domitian, when thirty years had elapsed since Paul…Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 2:4

• Affections
• Backsliders
• Church
• Ephesus
• Instability
• Love
• Lukewarmness

In the dictionaries

• Angel
• Bed
• Faithful
• Alliance
• 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