New English Translation
Revelation 3:17
17Because you say, “I am rich and have acquired great wealth, and need nothing,” but do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked,
Revelation 3:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
- New International Version (NIV)You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—
Context of Revelation 3:17
15‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot! 16So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of my mouth! Because you say, “I am rich and have acquired great wealth, and need nothing,” but do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked, 18take my advice and buy gold from me refined by fire so you can become rich! Buy from me white clothing so you can be clothed and your shameful nakedness will not be exposed, and buy eye salve to put on your eyes so you can see! 19All those I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent!
Read all of Revelation 3Revelation 3:17 word by word
ὅτι λέγεις ὅτι πλούσιός εἰμι καὶ πεπλούτηκα καὶ οὐδὲν χρείαν ἔχω, καὶ οὐκ οἶδας ὅτι σὺ εἶ ὁ ταλαίπωρος καὶ ἐλεεινὸς καὶ πτωχὸς καὶ τυφλὸς καὶ γυμνός,Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Becauseὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
- thou sayestλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- I amεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- richπλούσιοςplousios · richG4145
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- increased with goodsπλουτέωplouteō · be richG4147
- haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- needχρείαchreia · needG5532
- of nothingοὐδείςoudeis · noneG3762
- knowestεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
- notοὐou · noG3756
- thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
- thouσύsu · youG4771
- wretchedταλαίπωροςtalaipōros · wretchedG5005
- miserableἐλεεινόςeleeinos · pitifulG1652
- poorπτωχόςptōchos · poorG4434
- blindτυφλόςtuphlos · blindG5185
- nakedγυμνόςgumnos · nakedG1131
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
Cross-references for Revelation 3:17
- Revelation 2:9‘I know the distress you are suffering and your poverty (but you are rich). I also know the slander against you by those who call themselves Jews and really are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
- Proverbs 13:7There is one who pretends to be rich and yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor and yet possesses great wealth.
- Hosea 12:8Ephraim boasts, “I am very rich! I have become wealthy! In all that I have done to gain my wealth, no one can accuse me of any offense that is actually sinful.”
- Zechariah 11:5Those who buy them slaughter them and are not held guilty; those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be the Lord, for I am rich.’ Their own shepherds have no compassion for them.
- Luke 1:53he has filled the hungry with good things, and has sent the rich away empty.
- Luke 6:24“But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your comfort already.
- Luke 18:11The Pharisee stood and prayed about himself like this: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: extortionists, unrighteous people, adulterers – or even like this tax collector.
- Romans 11:20Granted! They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but fear!
- Romans 12:3For by the grace given to me I say to every one of you not to think more highly of yourself than you ought to think, but to think with sober discernment, as God has distributed to each of you a measure of faith.
- 1 Corinthians 4:8Already you are satisfied! Already you are rich! You have become kings without us! I wish you had become kings so that we could reign with you!
- Deuteronomy 8:12When you eat your fill, when you build and occupy good houses,
- Proverbs 30:9lest I become satisfied and act deceptively and say, “Who is the Lord?” Or lest I become poor and steal and demean the name of my God.
- Jeremiah 2:31You people of this generation, listen to what the Lord says. “Have I been like a wilderness to you, Israel? Have I been like a dark and dangerous land to you? Why then do you say, ‘We are free to wander. We will not come to you any more?’
- Matthew 9:12When Jesus heard this he said, “Those who are healthy don’t need a physician, but those who are sick do.
- Romans 2:17But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast of your relationship to God
- Matthew 5:3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.
Commentaries on Revelation 3:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17I am rich - Thou supposest thyself to be in a safe state, perfectly sure of final salvation, because thou hast begun well, and laid the right foundation. It was this most deceitful conviction that cut the nerves of their spiritual diligence; they rested in what they had already received, and seemed to think that once in grace must be still in grace. Thou art wretched - · Most wretched. "The word signifies," according to Mintert, "being worn out and…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17Because thou sayest, I am rich - So far as the language here is concerned, this may refer either to riches literally, or to spiritual riches; that is, to a boast of having religion enough. Prof. Stuart supposes that it refers to the former, and so do Wetstein, Vitringa, and others. Doddridge, Rosenmuller, and others, understand it in the latter sense. There is no doubt that there was much wealth in Laodicea, and that, as a people, they prided themselves…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-22Verses 14-22 Laodicea was the last and worst of the seven churches of Asia. Here our Lord Jesus styles himself, "The Amen;" one steady and unchangeable in all his purposes and promises. If religion is worth anything, it is worth every thing. Christ expects men should be in earnest. How many professors of gospel doctrine are neither hot nor cold; except as they are indifferent in needful matters, and hot and fiery in disputes about things of lesser moment!…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17Christians in Laodicea believed they were prosperous and self-sufficient (see study note on Revelation 3:14). However, Jesus saw their true spiritual state as wretched, miserable, and poor.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. Self-sufficiency is the fatal danger of a lukewarm state (see on Re 3:15). thou sayest--virtually and mentally, if not in so many words. increased with goods--Greek, "have become enriched," implying self-praise in self-acquired riches. The Lord alludes to Ho 12:8. The riches on which they prided themselves were spiritual riches; though, doubtless, their spiritual self-sufficiency ("I have need of nothing") was much fostered by their worldly wealth…Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 3:17
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Revelation 3
- 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
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