Revelation 21:2

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

1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had ceased to exist, and the sea existed no more. And I saw the holy city – the new Jerusalem – descending out of heaven from God, made ready like a bride adorned for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Look! The residence of God is among human beings. He will live among them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them. 4He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will not exist any more – or mourning, or crying, or pain, for the former things have ceased to exist.”

Revelation 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 1:1The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must happen very soon. He made it clear by sending his angel to his servant John,
• Revelation 3:12The one who conquers I will make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will never depart from it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God (the new Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven from my God), and my new name as well.
• Psalms 48:1The Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise in the city of our God, his holy hill.
• Psalms 87:3People say wonderful things about you, O city of God. (Selah)
• Isaiah 1:21How tragic that the once-faithful city has become a prostitute! She was once a center of justice, fairness resided in her, but now only murderers.
• Isaiah 52:1Wake up! Wake up! Clothe yourself with strength, O Zion! Put on your beautiful clothes, O Jerusalem, holy city! For uncircumcised and unclean pagans will no longer invade you.
• Jeremiah 31:23The Lord God of Israel who rules over all says, “I will restore the people of Judah to their land and to their towns. When I do, they will again say of Jerusalem, ‘May the Lord bless you, you holy mountain, the place where righteousness dwells.’
• Hebrews 11:10For he was looking forward to the city with firm foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
• Hebrews 12:22But you have come to Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the assembly
• Hebrews 13:14For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.
• Revelation 21:10So he took me away in the Spirit to a huge, majestic mountain and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.
• Galatians 4:25Now Hagar represents Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.
• Revelation 19:7Let us rejoice and exult and give him glory, because the wedding celebration of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.
• Psalms 45:9Princesses are among your honored guests, your bride stands at your right hand, wearing jewelry made with gold from Ophir.
• Isaiah 54:5For your husband is the one who made you – the Lord who commands armies is his name. He is your protector, the Holy One of Israel. He is called “God of the entire earth.”
• Isaiah 61:10I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; I will be overjoyed because of my God. For he clothes me in garments of deliverance; he puts on me a robe symbolizing vindication. I look like a bridegroom when he wears a turban as a priest would; I look like a bride when she puts on her jewelry.

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

• Bride
• Church
• Heaven
• Jerusalem
• Readings, Select
• Restoration
• Types

In the dictionaries

• God
• Jerusalem
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• New Jerusalem
• holy city
• Jacinth
• Solomon, Song of
• Tabernacle
• Unbelieving
• Citizenship

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