God’s Word Translation
Revelation 2:5
5Remember how far you have fallen. Return to me and change the way you think and act, and do what you did at first. I will come to you and take your lamp stand from its place if you don’t change.
Revelation 2:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
- New International Version (NIV)Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.
Context of Revelation 2:5
3You have endured, suffered trouble because of my name, and have not grown weary. 4However, I have this against you: The love you had at first is gone. Remember how far you have fallen. Return to me and change the way you think and act, and do what you did at first. I will come to you and take your lamp stand from its place if you don’t change. 6But you have this in your favor—you hate what the Nicolaitans are doing. I also hate what they’re doing. 7“Let the person who has ears listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give the privilege of eating from the tree of life, which stands in the paradise of God, to everyone who wins the victory.
Read all of Revelation 2Revelation 2:5 word by word
μνημόνευε οὖν πόθεν πέπτωκας, καὶ μετανόησον καὶ τὰ πρῶτα ἔργα ποίησον· εἰ δὲ μή, ἔρχομαί σοι καὶ κινήσω τὴν λυχνίαν σου ἐκ τοῦ τόπου αὐτῆς, ἐὰν μὴ μετανοήσῃς.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Rememberμνημονεύωmnēmoneuō · to rememberG3421
- thereforeοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
- from whenceπόθενpothen · whenceG4159
- thou art fallenἐκπίπτωekpiptō · to fall outG1601
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- repentμετανοέωmetanoeō · to repentG3340
- doποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
- theὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- theἔργονergon · workG2041
- firstπρῶτοςprōtos · firstG4413
- orδέde · thenG1161
- elseεἰei · if: elseG1487
- elseμήmē · notG3361
- I will comeἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
- unto theeσύsu · youG4771
- quicklyταχύtachu · quicklyG5035
- will removeκινέωkineō · to moveG2795
- candlestickλυχνίαluchnia · lampstandG3087
- outἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- ofτόποςtopos · placeG5117
- hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- exceptἐάνean · ifG1437
Cross-references for Revelation 2:5
- Revelation 3:3So remember what you received and heard. Obey, and change the way you think and act. If you’re not alert, I’ll come like a thief. You don’t know when I will come.
- Ezekiel 16:61Then you will remember what you have done. You will be ashamed when I return your older and younger sisters to you. I will give them to you as daughters, but not because of my promise with you.
- Ezekiel 20:43There you will remember the way you lived and everything you did to dishonor yourselves. You will be disgusted by every wrong thing that you did.
- Ezekiel 36:31Then you will remember your evil ways and the bad things that you did, and you will hate yourselves for all these wicked and disgusting things.
- 2 Peter 1:12Therefore, I will always remind you about these qualities, although you already know about them and are well-grounded in the truth that you now have.
- Isaiah 14:12How you have fallen from heaven, you morning star, son of the dawn! How you have been cut down to the ground, you conqueror of nations!
- Hosea 14:1Israel, return to the Lord your God. You have stumbled because of your sins.
- Galatians 5:4Those of you who try to earn God’s approval by obeying his laws have been cut off from Christ. You have fallen out of God’s favor.
- Jude 1:24God can guard you so that you don’t fall and so that you can be full of joy as you stand in his glorious presence without fault.
- Revelation 2:16So return to me and change the way you think and act, or I will come to you quickly and wage war against them with the sword from my mouth.
- Revelation 9:20The people who survived these plagues still did not turn to me and change the way they were thinking and acting. If they had, they would have stopped worshiping demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot see, hear, or walk.
- Revelation 16:9They were severely burned. They cursed the name of God, who has the authority over these plagues. They would not change the way they think and act and give him glory.
- Acts 17:30“God overlooked the times when people didn’t know any better. But now he commands everyone everywhere to turn to him and change the way they think and act.
- Revelation 2:19I know what you do. I know your love, faith, service, and endurance. I also know that what you are doing now is greater than what you did at first.
- Revelation 3:2Be alert, and strengthen the things that are left which are about to die. I have found that what you are doing has not been completed in the sight of my God.
- Isaiah 1:26I will give you judges like you had long ago, advisers like you had in the beginning. After that you will be called the Righteous City, the Faithful Town.”
Commentaries on Revelation 2:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Remember - Consider the state of grace in which you once stood; the happiness, love, and joy which you felt when ye received remission of sins; the zeal ye had for God's glory and the salvation of mankind; your willing, obedient spirit, your cheerful self-denial, your fervor in private prayer, your detachment from the world, and your heavenly-mindedness. Remember - consider, all these. Whence thou art fallen - Fallen from all those blessed dispositions…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen - The eminence which you once occupied. Call to remembrance the state in which you once were. The duty here enjoined is, when religion has declined in our hearts, or in the church, to call to distinct recollection the former state - the ardor, the zeal, the warmth of love which once characterized us. The reason for this is, that such a recalling of the former state will be likely to produce a happy influence…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5Christ calls those who keep the faith to return to him and repent of being cold-hearted. The warning, I will come and remove your lampstand, means they would lose their status as a church. God would treat them like he did the people who abandoned their faith within Israel (see Romans 11).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. whence--from what a height. do the first works--the works which flowed from thy first love. Not merely "feel thy first feelings," but do works flowing from the same principle as formerly, "faith which worketh by love." I will come--Greek, "I am coming" in special judgment on thee. quickly--omitted in two oldest manuscripts, Vulgate and Coptic versions: supported by one oldest manuscript. remove thy candlestick out of his place--I will take away the…Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 2:5
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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