God’s Word Translation
2 Thessalonians 2:4
4He opposes every so-called god or anything that is worshiped and places himself above them, sitting in God’s temple and claiming to be God.
2 Thessalonians 2:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
- New International Version (NIV)He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
- English Standard Version (ESV)who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.
- New King James Version (NKJV)who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
Context of 2 Thessalonians 2:4
2Don’t get upset right away or alarmed when someone claims that we said through some spirit, conversation, or letter that the day of the Lord has already come. 3Don’t let anyone deceive you about this in any way. ⌞That day cannot come unless⌟ a revolt takes place first, and the man of sin, the man of destruction, is revealed. He opposes every so-called god or anything that is worshiped and places himself above them, sitting in God’s temple and claiming to be God. 5Don’t you remember that I told you about these things when I was still with you? 6You know what it is that now holds him back, so that he will be revealed when his time comes.
Read all of 2 Thessalonians 22 Thessalonians 2:4 word by word
ὁ ἀντικείμενος καὶ ὑπεραιρόμενος ἐπὶ πάντα λεγόμενον θεὸν ἢ σέβασμα ὥστε αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν ναὸν τοῦ θεοῦ καθίσαι ἀποδεικνύντα ἑαυτὸν ὅτι ἐστὶν θεός.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Who opposethὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Who opposethἀντίκειμαιantikeimai · be an opponentG480
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- exalteth himselfὑπεραίρωhuperairomai · be haughtyG5229
- aboveἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
- allπᾶςpas · allG3956
- that is calledλέγωlegō · to say: callG3004
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- orἤē · orG2228
- that is worshippedσέβασμαsebasma · object of worshipG4574
- so thatὥστεhōste · soG5620
- heαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
- sittethκαθίζωkathizō · to seatG2523
- inεἰςeis · towardG1519
- the templeναόςnaos · templeG3485
- shewingἀποδείκνυμιapodeiknumi · to displayG584
- himselfἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
- thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
- he isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
Cross-references for 2 Thessalonians 2:4
- Isaiah 14:13You thought, “I’ll go up to heaven and set up my throne above God’s stars. I’ll sit on the mountain far away in the north where the gods assemble.
- Ezekiel 28:2“Son of man, tell the ruler of Tyre, ‘This is what the Almighty Lord says: In your arrogance you say, “I’m a god. I sit on God’s throne in the sea.” But you’re only human and not a god, although you think you are a god.
- Daniel 7:8While I was thinking about the horns, another horn, a little horn, came up among them. It uprooted three of the other horns. This horn had eyes like human eyes and a mouth that spoke impressive things.
- Daniel 8:9Out of one of the horns came a small horn. It gained power over the south, the east, and the beautiful land.
- Daniel 11:36“The king will do as he pleases. He will highly honor himself above every god. He will say amazing things against the God of gods. He will succeed until God’s anger is over, because what has been decided must be done.
- Revelation 13:6It opened its mouth to insult God, to insult his name and his tent—those who are living in heaven.
- 1 Corinthians 8:5People may say that there are gods in heaven and on earth—many gods and many lords, as they would call them.
- Daniel 8:12In its rebelliousness it was given an army to put a stop to the daily burnt offering. It threw truth on the ground. The horn was successful in everything it did.
- Daniel 11:45He will pitch his royal tents between the seas at a beautiful holy mountain. When he comes to his end, there will be no one to help him.”
Commentaries on 2 Thessalonians 2:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Who opposeth and exalteth - He stands against and exalts himself above all Divine authority, and above every object of adoration, and every institution relative to Divine worship, , himself being the source, whence must originate all the doctrines of religion, and all its rites and ceremonies; so that sitting in the temple of God - having the highest place and authority in the Christian Church, he acts as God - taking upon himself God's titles and…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Who opposeth - That is, he is distinguished as an opposer of the great system which God has revealed for human salvation, and of those who would serve God in purity in the gospel of his Son. No Protestant will doubt that this has been the character of the papacy. The opposition of the general system to the gospel; the persecution of Wycliffe, of John Huss, of Jerome of Prague, of the Waldenses and the Reformers; the Inquisition, the cruelties in the reign…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4exalt himself: Like other Roman cities, Thessalonica built temples to worship the emperor (king). This religion (cult) was the model for the worship described here. he will seat himself in the temple of God: Antiochus Epiphanes polluted the temple in Jerusalem in 167 BC (see Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11). This might have anticipated the event prophesied here (Matthew 24:15; Mark 13:14). It could also refer to Emperor Caligula's attempt to place his image in…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. Da 11:36, 37 is here referred to. The words used there as to Antiochus Epiphanes, Paul implies, shall even be more applicable to the man of sin, who is the New Testament actual Antichrist, as Antiochus was the Old Testament typical Antichrist. The previous world kingdoms had each one extraordinary person as its representative head and embodiment (thus Babylon had Nebuchadnezzar, Da 2:38, end; Medo-Persia had Cyrus; Greece had Alexander, and Antiochus…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Thessalonians 2:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Thessalonians 2
- 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
- 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
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