God’s Word Translation
Revelation 21:2
2Then I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, dressed like a bride ready for her husband.
Revelation 21:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
- New International Version (NIV)I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Context of Revelation 21:2
1I saw a new heaven and a new earth, because the first heaven and earth had disappeared, and the sea was gone. Then I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, dressed like a bride ready for her husband. 3I heard a loud voice from the throne say, “God lives with humans! God will make his home with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them and be their God. 4He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There won’t be any more death. There won’t be any grief, crying, or pain, because the first things have disappeared.”
Read all of Revelation 21Revelation 21:2 word by word
καὶ τὴν πόλιν τὴν ἁγίαν Ἰερουσαλὴμ καινὴν εἶδον καταβαίνουσαν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ἡτοιμασμένην ὡς νύμφην κεκοσμημένην τῷ ἀνδρὶ αὐτῆς.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- Iἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- JohnἸωάννηςIōannēs · JohnG2491
- sawὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
- the holyἅγιοςhagios · holyG40
- cityπόλιςpolis · cityG4172
- newκαινόςkainos · newG2537
- JerusalemἹερουσαλήμHierousalēm · JerusalemG2419
- coming downκαταβαίνωkatabainō · to come/go downG2597
- fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- out ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- heavenοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772
- preparedἑτοιμάζωhetoimazō · to make readyG2090
- asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
- a brideνύμφηnumphē · brideG3565
- adornedκοσμέωkosmeō · to arrangeG2885
- for herαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- husbandἀνήρanēr · man: husbandG435
Cross-references for Revelation 21:2
- Revelation 1:1This is the revelation of Jesus Christ. God gave it to him to show his servants the things that must happen soon. He sent this revelation through his angel to his servant John.
- Revelation 3:12I will make everyone who wins the victory a pillar in the temple of my God. They will never leave it again. I will write on them the name of my God, the name of the city of my God (the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from my God), and my new name.
- Psalms 48:1The Lord is great. He should be highly praised. His holy mountain is in the city of our God.
- Psalms 87:3Glorious things are said about you, O city of God! Selah
- Isaiah 1:21How the faithful town has become a prostitute! She was full of justice, and righteousness lived in her. But now murderers live there!
- Isaiah 52:1Wake up! Wake up! Clothe yourself with strength, Zion! Put on your beautiful clothes, holy city of Jerusalem. Godless and evil people will no longer come to you.
- Jeremiah 31:23This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: When I have brought them back from captivity, they will once again use this saying in Judah and in its cities: “The Lord bless you, home of righteousness, holy mountain.
- Hebrews 11:10Abraham was waiting for the city that God had designed and built, the city with permanent foundations.
- Hebrews 12:22Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to tens of thousands of angels joyfully gathered together
- Hebrews 13:14We don’t have a permanent city here on earth, but we are looking for the city that we will have in the future.
- Revelation 21:10He carried me by his power away to a large, high mountain. He showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven.
- Galatians 4:25Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia. She is like Jerusalem today because she and her children are slaves.
- Revelation 19:7Let us rejoice, be happy, and give him glory because it’s time for the marriage of the lamb. His bride has made herself ready.
- Psalms 45:9The daughters of kings are among your noble ladies. The queen takes her place at your right hand and wears gold from Ophir.
- Isaiah 54:5Your husband is your maker. His name is the Lord of Armies. Your defender is the Holy One of Israel. He is called the God of the whole earth.
- Isaiah 61:10I will find joy in the Lord. I will delight in my God. He has dressed me in the clothes of salvation. He has wrapped me in the robe of righteousness like a bridegroom with a priest’s turban, like a bride with her jewels.
Commentaries on Revelation 21:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2And I John - The writer of this book; whether the evangelist and apostle, or John the Ephesian presbyter, has been long doubted in the Church. New Jerusalem - See the notes on Galatians 4:24-27; (note). This doubtless means the Christian Church in a state of great prosperity and purity; but some think eternal blessedness is intended. Coming down from God - It is a maxim of the ancient Jews that both the tabernacle, and the temple, and Jerusalem itself…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven - See the Analysis of the chapter. On the phrase “new Jerusalem,” see the Galatians 4:26 note, and Hebrews 12:22 note. Here it refers to the residence of the redeemed, the heavenly world, of which Jerusalem was the type and symbol. It is here represented as “coming down from God out of heaven.” This, of course, does not mean that this great city was “literally” to descend upon…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2coming down … from God: The new creation is a gift from God. At first, God created everything good. In the end, God will create a new, perfect world. This image of Jerusalem as a beautiful bride (see Isaiah 61:10) contrasts sharply with the vision of Babylon (or Rome) as the prostitute (Revelation 17:4–5; 18:2–3; see study note on Revelation 21:9–22:9).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. And I John--"John" is omitted in A, B, Vulgate, Syriac, Coptic, and Andreas; also the "I" in the Greek of these authorities is not emphatic. The insertion of "I John" in the Greek would somewhat interfere with the close connection which subsists between "the new heaven and earth," Re 21:1, and the "new Jerusalem" in this verse. Jerusalem ... out of heaven--(Re 3:12; Ga 4:26, "Jerusalem which is above"; He 11:10; 12:22; 13:14). The descent of the new…Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 21:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Revelation 21
- 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
- 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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