New International Version
2 Thessalonians 2:4
4He 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.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God.
Context of 2 Thessalonians 2:4
2not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. 3Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 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. 5Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? 6And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time.
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 said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.
- Ezekiel 28:2“Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “ ‘In the pride of your heart you say, “I am a god; I sit on the throne of a god in the heart of the seas.” But you are a mere mortal and not a god, though you think you are as wise as a god.
- Daniel 7:8“While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a human being and a mouth that spoke boastfully.
- Daniel 8:9Out of one of them came another horn, which started small but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land.
- Daniel 11:36“The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place.
- Revelation 13:6It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven.
- 1 Corinthians 8:5For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”),
- Daniel 8:12Because of rebellion, the Lord’s people and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground.
- Daniel 11:45He will pitch his royal tents between the seas at the beautiful holy mountain. Yet he will come to his end, and no one will 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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