God’s Word Translation
2 Thessalonians 1:8
8He will take revenge on those who refuse to acknowledge God and on those who refuse to respond to the Good News about our Lord Jesus.
2 Thessalonians 1:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
- New International Version (NIV)He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
- English Standard Version (ESV)in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
- New King James Version (NKJV)in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Context of 2 Thessalonians 1:8
6Certainly, it is right for God to give suffering to those who cause you to suffer. 7It is also right for God to give all of us relief from our suffering. He will do this when the Lord Jesus is revealed, ⌞coming⌟ from heaven with his mighty angels in a blazing fire. He will take revenge on those who refuse to acknowledge God and on those who refuse to respond to the Good News about our Lord Jesus. 9They will pay the penalty by being destroyed forever, by being separated from the Lord’s presence and from his glorious power. 10⌞This will happen⌟ on that day when he comes to be honored among all his holy people and admired by all who have believed in him. This includes you because you believed the testimony we gave you.
Read all of 2 Thessalonians 12 Thessalonians 1:8 word by word
ἐν πυρὶ φλογός, διδόντος ἐκδίκησιν τοῖς μὴ εἰδόσιν θεὸν καὶ τοῖς μὴ ὑπακούουσιν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν ἸησοῦRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- flamingφλόξphlox · flameG5395
- fireπῦρpur · fireG4442
- takingδίδωμιdidōmi · to giveG1325
- vengeanceἐκδίκησιςekdikēsis · vengeanceG1557
- on them that knowεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
- notμήmē · notG3361
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- that obeyὑπακούωhupakouō · to obeyG5219
- the gospelεὐαγγέλιονeuaggelion · gospelG2098
- of ourἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
- JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
- ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
Cross-references for 2 Thessalonians 1:8
- Genesis 3:24After he sent the man out, God placed angels and a flaming sword that turned in all directions east of the Garden of Eden. He placed them there to guard the way to the tree of life.
- Deuteronomy 4:11So you came and stood at the foot of the mountain, which was on fire with flames shooting into the sky. It was dark, cloudy, and gloomy.
- Deuteronomy 5:5I stood between the Lord and you to tell you the Lord’s word, because you were afraid of the fire and didn’t go up on the mountain. The Lord said:
- Psalms 21:8Your hand will discover all your enemies. Your powerful hand will find all who hate you.
- Psalms 50:2God shines from Zion, the perfection of beauty.
- Daniel 7:10A river of fire flowed. It came from him. Thousands and thousands served him. Ten thousand times ten thousand were stationed in front of him. The court convened, and the books were opened.
- Matthew 25:41“Then the king will say to those on his left, ‘Get away from me! God has cursed you! Go into everlasting fire that was prepared for the devil and his angels!
- Hebrews 10:27All that is left is a terrifying wait for judgment and a raging fire that will consume God’s enemies.
- Hebrews 12:29After all, our God is a destructive fire.
- 2 Peter 3:7By God’s word, the present heaven and earth are designated to be burned. They are being kept until the day ungodly people will be judged and destroyed.
- Revelation 20:10The devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet were also thrown. They will be tortured day and night forever and ever.
- Revelation 21:8But cowardly, unfaithful, and detestable people, murderers, sexual sinners, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars will find themselves in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
- Deuteronomy 32:35I will take revenge and be satisfied. In due time their foot will slip, because their day of disaster is near. Their doom is coming quickly.
- Psalms 2:9You will break them with an iron scepter. You will smash them to pieces like pottery.”
- Psalms 94:1O Lord, God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, appear!
- Isaiah 61:2⌞He has sent me⌟ to announce the year of the Lord’s good will and the day of our God’s vengeance, to comfort all those who grieve.
Commentaries on 2 Thessalonians 1:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8In flaming fire - · In thunder and lightning, taking vengeance - inflicting just punishment on them that know not God - the heathen who do not worship the true God, and will not acknowledge him, but worship idols; and on them that obey not the Gospel - the Jews, particularly who have rejected the Gospel, and persecuted Christ and his messengers; and all nominal Christians who, though they believe the Gospel as a revelation from God, yet do not obey it as…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8In flaming fire - This is a circumstance which is not noticed in the account of his appearing in the parallel place in 1 Thessalonians 4:16. The object of the apostle here seems to be to represent him as coming amidst vivid flashes of lightning. He is commonly described as coming in clouds, and to that common description there is here added the image of incessant lightnings, as if the whole heavens were illuminated with a continued blaze. Taking vengeance…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-10Verses 5-10 Religion, if worth anything, is worth every thing; and those have no religion, or none worth having, or know not how to value it, cannot find their hearts to suffer for it. We cannot by all our sufferings, any more than by our services, merit heaven; but by our patience under sufferings, we are prepared for the promised joy. Nothing more strongly marks a man for eternal ruin, than a spirit of persecution and enmity to the name and people of…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-10After thanking God for the Thessalonian church, the apostle Paul writes about persecution (1:3–4). This had become worse since his first letter (1 Thessalonians 1:6; 2:14; 3:3–4). God will ease their suffering and judge those who persecute the church (2 Thessalonians 1:5–10).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. In flaming fire--Greek, "In flame of fire"; or, as other oldest manuscripts read, "in fire of flame." This flame of fire accompanied His manifestation in the bush (Ex 3:2); also His giving of the law at Sinai (Ex 19:18). Also it shall accompany His revelation at His advent (Da 7:9, 10), symbolizing His own bright glory and His consuming vengeance against His foes (He 10:27; 12:29; 2Pe 3:7, 10). taking--literally, "giving" them, as their portion…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Thessalonians 1:8
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Thessalonians 1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- 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
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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