Revelation 2:9

Revelation 2:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
• New International Version (NIV)I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"'I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.

Context of Revelation 2:9

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.” ’ 8‘Write this to the angel of the church at Smyrna: “This is the message to you from the one who is the first and the last. He was dead, but he became alive again. I know that bad people are making you suffer. I also know that you are poor. But really, you are rich. Some people say that they are Jews, but they tell lies about you. So they cannot be my true people. Instead, they belong to a group of Satan's people. 10I know that trouble will soon come to you. But do not be afraid. Listen! The Devil will cause some of you to go to prison. He wants to see whether you will continue to believe in me. As a result, you will suffer for ten days. But continue to trust me, even if you die. Then you will win against the Devil. I will give you a gift, as they give a crown to the winner of a race. You will have life with me for ever. 11God's Spirit is speaking to you in the churches. You should understand what the Spirit is saying to you. You have ears, so listen carefully! The second death will not hurt anyone who wins against Satan.” ’

Revelation 2:9 word by word

οἶδά σου τὴν θλῖψιν καὶ τὴν πτωχείαν, ἀλλὰ πλούσιος εἶ, καὶ τὴν βλασφημίαν ἐκ τῶν λεγόντων Ἰουδαίους εἶναι ἑαυτοὺς καὶ οὐκ εἰσίν, ἀλλὰ συναγωγὴ τοῦ σατανᾶ.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• I knowεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
• thyσύsu · youG4771
• worksὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• worksἔργονergon · workG2041
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• tribulationθλῖψιςthlipsis · pressureG2347
• povertyπτωχείαptōcheia · povertyG4432
• butδέde · thenG1161
• thou artεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• richπλούσιοςplousios · richG4145
• the blasphemyβλασφημίαblasphēmia · blasphemyG988
• of them which sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• theyἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
• JewsἸουδαῖοςIoudaios · JewG2453
• notοὐou · noG3756
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• the synagogueσυναγωγήsunagōgē · synagogueG4864
• of SatanΣατανᾶςSatanas · SatanG4567

Cross-references for Revelation 2:9

• Revelation 2:2I 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.
• Revelation 7:14I replied, ‘You surely know who they are, sir.’ He said to me, ‘They are the people who have had a time of very bad trouble. Now they have come out of that. They have washed their clothes in the blood of the Lamb. Now their clothes are white and clean.
• John 16:33I have told you these things so that you will have peace. You will be like that because you live together with me. In this world, you will have trouble. But be brave! I have destroyed the power of this world.’
• Acts 14:22In all these towns, they taught the believers to be strong. They said to them, ‘Continue to trust in the Lord Jesus! All believers will have trouble at different times. That will continue to happen in our lives. But one day we will go into the kingdom of God where he rules.’
• Romans 5:3We are happy even when we have troubles and pain. That is because we know that those troubles help us to become patient and strong.
• Romans 8:35Christ will always continue to love us. Nothing can stop that! We may have troubles. Things may make us sad or afraid. People may do bad things to us. We may have no food or no clothes. There may be great danger. People may even try to kill us. But none of these things can stop Christ from loving us.
• Romans 12:12Be happy, because you can trust God to do what he says. Be patient when you have troubles. Always continue to pray.
• 1 Thessalonians 3:4Even when we were there with you, we told you that troubles would come. We told you before the troubles came and now it has really happened. You know that it is true.
• 2 Thessalonians 1:6God will punish those people who are causing trouble for you. He will cause trouble for them. That is right and fair.
• Luke 4:18‘The Spirit of the Lord God is on me. He has chosen me to tell good news to poor people. He has sent me to tell people who are in prison, “You can go free!” I must say to people that cannot see, “See again!” I must cause people that are like slaves to become free.
• Luke 6:20Jesus looked at his disciples. He spoke this message to them: ‘Happy are you people that are poor. The kingdom of God belongs to you.
• 2 Corinthians 8:2They have had bad troubles, but they continued to be very happy. As a result, they gave a lot of money to other people. They themselves are very poor, but they still helped other people a lot.
• James 2:5My Christian friends, listen to me. God has chosen to bless people who are poor in this world. He has helped them to trust him. So really they are rich. God will give to them a place in his kingdom. He has promised to do that for all people who love him.
• Revelation 3:17You say, ‘I am rich. God has helped me to have many things. I do not need anything more.’ But you do not know how very poor you are really! You are like people who cannot see. You are like people who are without clothes. Really, other people should feel very sorry for you.
• Luke 12:21Then Jesus said, ‘Some people think only about having many things for themselves. This story shows how those people live. But God says about them, “They have nothing of value at all.” ’
• 2 Corinthians 6:10We seem to be sad, but really we are always happy. We seem to be poor, but we make many people rich. We seem to have nothing, but really we have everything.

Commentaries on Revelation 2:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9I know thy works - As he had spoken to the preceding Church, so he speaks to this: I know all that ye have done, and all that ye have suffered. The tribulation here mentioned must mean persecution, either from the Jews, the heathens, or from the heretics, who, because of their flesh-pampering doctrines might have had many partisans at Smyrna. And poverty - Stripped probably of all their temporal possessions, because of their attachment to the Gospel. But…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9I know thy works - The uniform method of introducing these epistles, implying a most intimate acquaintance with all that pertained to the church. See the notes on Revelation 2:2. And tribulation - This word is of a general signification, and probably includes all that they suffered in any form, whether from persecution, poverty, or the blasphemy of opposers. And poverty - It would seem that this church, at that time, was eminently poor, for this is not…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-11Verses 8-11 Our Lord Jesus is the First, for by him were all things made; he was before all things, with God, and is God himself. He is the Last, for he will be the Judge of all. As this First and Last, who was dead and is alive, is the believer's Brother and Friend, he must be rich in the deepest poverty, honourable amidst the lowest abasement, and happy under the heaviest tribulation, like the church of Smyrna. Many who are rich as to this world, are…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9Jesus linked material poverty with the blessing of being rich in God's Kingdom (Matthew 5:3, 10–12; Luke 6:20). Jews without faith are criticized for siding with Satan against Christianity (Revelation 3:9; see John 8:44; Acts 14:2–5; 17:13; 18:6; 20:3; Galatians 5:11; 1 Thessalonians 2:14–16). At the Jewish council of Jamnia, Jewish leaders decided that Christians were unholy and should be excluded. John was not speaking against Jewish people as a whole…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. thy works, and--omitted in two oldest manuscripts, Vulgate, and Coptic. Supported by one oldest manuscript. tribulation--owing to persecution. poverty--owing to "the spoiling of their goods." but thou art rich--in grace. Contrast Laodicea, rich in the world's eyes and her own, poor before God. "There are both poor rich-men, and rich poor-men in God's sight" [Trench]. blasphemy of them--blasphemous calumny of thee on the part of (or arising from) them…Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 2:9

• Afflictions and Adversities
• Blasphemy
• Church
• Hypocrisy
• Persecution
• Satan
• Synagogue

In the dictionaries

• Satan
• Satan, devil, evil one
• Synagogue of Satan
• Angel
• Bed
• Faithful
• Smyrna
• Alliance
• Apostolic Age
• Asia Minor

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