Revelation 3:17

Revelation 3:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
• New International Version (NIV)You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—

Context of Revelation 3:17

15I know everything that you do. I know that you are neither cold nor hot. It would be better if you were either cold or hot. 16But you are only warm. Because you are neither cold nor hot, I am ready to throw you away completely. You 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. 18So I tell you that you should buy gold from me. With my gold, you would be really rich. My gold is the best, because it has been through fire. You should also buy white clothes from me to dress yourselves. Then you will not be ashamed because you have no clothes. You should also buy medicine from me to put on your eyes. Then you will be able to see well. 19I help everyone that I love. When they have done wrong things, I tell them, ‘You have done a wrong thing.’ I show them the right thing that they should do. So be serious about how you live. Stop doing wrong things and turn to me.

Revelation 3:17 word by word

ὅτι λέγεις ὅτι πλούσιός εἰμι καὶ πεπλούτηκα καὶ οὐδὲν χρείαν ἔχω, καὶ οὐκ οἶδας ὅτι σὺ εἶ ὁ ταλαίπωρος καὶ ἐλεεινὸς καὶ πτωχὸς καὶ τυφλὸς καὶ γυμνός,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Becauseὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
• thou sayestλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• I amεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• richπλούσιοςplousios · richG4145
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• increased with goodsπλουτέωplouteō · be richG4147
• haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• needχρείαchreia · needG5532
• of nothingοὐδείςoudeis · noneG3762
• knowestεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
• notοὐou · noG3756
• thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• thouσύsu · youG4771
• wretchedταλαίπωροςtalaipōros · wretchedG5005
• miserableἐλεεινόςeleeinos · pitifulG1652
• poorπτωχόςptōchos · poorG4434
• blindτυφλόςtuphlos · blindG5185
• nakedγυμνόςgumnos · nakedG1131
• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588

Cross-references for Revelation 3:17

• Revelation 2:9I 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.
• Proverbs 13:7Somebody who has nothing may still pretend to be rich. Somebody else may pretend to be poor, but he is very rich.
• Hosea 12:8Ephraim's people proudly say, ‘We are rich! We have become very rich! In all the ways that we have found riches, nobody can accuse us. We have not really done anything that is a sin!’
• Zechariah 11:5Those men who buy the sheep will kill them. Nobody will punish them. They will sell them. And they will say, “Thank you Lord, because I am a rich man.” Their own shepherds do not give the sheep any help.’
• Luke 1:53He has fed hungry people with good things to eat. But he has sent rich people away with nothing.
• Luke 6:24Listen, you that are rich. You have a comfortable life now, but it will be very bad for you.
• Luke 18:11The Pharisee stood there by himself. He prayed like this: “Thank you, God, that I am different from all these other people. They are bad people. They rob other people. They have sex with women who are not their wife. Thank you, God, that I am not like this man who takes taxes on behalf of the government.
• Romans 11:20That is true. God broke them off because they did not believe in Christ. God has accepted you as part of the tree because you do believe in Christ. So do not become proud. Instead, be afraid.
• Romans 12:3God has been kind to me so that I can serve him. Because of that, I say this to every one of you: Do not think that you are better than you really are. Instead, think about yourself carefully. Decide how much God has helped you to trust him. Then you will know how to serve him well.
• 1 Corinthians 4:8You already have everything that you need, do you? You think that you are very rich already! You are ready to rule as kings. You no longer need us to help you. I think it would be good if you had really become kings. Then we could also rule together with you!
• Deuteronomy 8:12When you are living in the land, you will have plenty of food to eat. You will build beautiful houses to live in.
• Proverbs 30:9If I have more than enough, I might say that I do not know you. I might say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ But if I am poor, I might rob people. That would insult my God's good name.
• Jeremiah 2:31Listen to the Lord's message, you people who are alive today: ‘People of Israel, why do you not trust me? Have I become like a desert for you? Have I become a dark and dangerous land for you to live in? No! But you say, “We are free to go where we like. We do not need to serve you any more.”
• Matthew 9:12Jesus heard what the Pharisees were saying. He said to them, ‘People who are well do not need a doctor. It is people who are ill that need a doctor.
• Romans 2:17Do you say that you are a Jew? Maybe you trust in the Law that God gave to Moses. You are proud that you belong to God.
• Matthew 5:3‘Happy are the people who know that they need God very much. The kingdom of heaven belongs to people like that.

Commentaries on Revelation 3:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17I am rich - Thou supposest thyself to be in a safe state, perfectly sure of final salvation, because thou hast begun well, and laid the right foundation. It was this most deceitful conviction that cut the nerves of their spiritual diligence; they rested in what they had already received, and seemed to think that once in grace must be still in grace. Thou art wretched - · Most wretched. "The word signifies," according to Mintert, "being worn out and…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17Because thou sayest, I am rich - So far as the language here is concerned, this may refer either to riches literally, or to spiritual riches; that is, to a boast of having religion enough. Prof. Stuart supposes that it refers to the former, and so do Wetstein, Vitringa, and others. Doddridge, Rosenmuller, and others, understand it in the latter sense. There is no doubt that there was much wealth in Laodicea, and that, as a people, they prided themselves…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-22Verses 14-22 Laodicea was the last and worst of the seven churches of Asia. Here our Lord Jesus styles himself, "The Amen;" one steady and unchangeable in all his purposes and promises. If religion is worth anything, it is worth every thing. Christ expects men should be in earnest. How many professors of gospel doctrine are neither hot nor cold; except as they are indifferent in needful matters, and hot and fiery in disputes about things of lesser moment!…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17Christians in Laodicea believed they were prosperous and self-sufficient (see study note on Revelation 3:14). However, Jesus saw their true spiritual state as wretched, miserable, and poor.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. Self-sufficiency is the fatal danger of a lukewarm state (see on Re 3:15). thou sayest--virtually and mentally, if not in so many words. increased with goods--Greek, "have become enriched," implying self-praise in self-acquired riches. The Lord alludes to Ho 12:8. The riches on which they prided themselves were spiritual riches; though, doubtless, their spiritual self-sufficiency ("I have need of nothing") was much fostered by their worldly wealth…Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 3:17

• Backsliders
• Blindness
• Church
• Depravity of Man
• Laodicea
• Pride
• Salvation
• Security
• Self-Delusion
• Self-Righteousness
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• Angel
• Chasten
• Cold
• Counsel
• Dead
• Lukewarm
• Naked
• Poor
• Rich
• Apocrypha

Commentaries on Revelation 3

• 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