New International Version
Revelation 2:20
20Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.
Revelation 2:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
- English Standard Version (ESV)But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.
- New Living Translation (NLT)“But I have this complaint against you. You are permitting that woman—that Jezebel who calls herself a prophet—to lead my servants astray. She teaches them to commit sexual sin and to eat food offered to idols.
Context of Revelation 2:20
18“To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. 21I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. 22So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways.
Read all of Revelation 2Revelation 2:20 word by word
ἀλλ᾽ ἔχω κατὰ σοῦ ὅτι ἀφεῖς τὴν γυναῖκα Ἰεζάβελ, ἡ λέγουσα ἑαυτὴν προφῆτιν καὶ διδάσκει καὶ πλανᾷ τοὺς ἐμοὺς δούλους πορνεῦσαι καὶ φαγεῖν εἰδωλόθυτα.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Notwithstandingἀλλάalla · butG235
- I haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- a few thingsὀλίγοςoligos · little/fewG3641
- againstκατάkata · according toG2596
- theeσύsu · youG4771
- becauseὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
- thou sufferestἐάωeaō · to allowG1439
- that womanὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- that womanγυνήgunē · womanG1135
- JezebelἸεζαβήλIezabēl · JezebelG2403
- which callethλέγωlegō · to say: callG3004
- herselfἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
- a prophetessπροφῆτιςprophētis · prophetessG4398
- to teachδιδάσκωdidaskō · to teachG1321
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- to seduceπλανάωplanaō · to lead astrayG4105
- myἐμόςemos · mineG1699
- servantsδοῦλοςdoulos · slaveG1401
- to commit fornicationπορνεύωporneuō · to sin sexuallyG4203
- to eatφαγεῖνphagō · to eatG5315
- things sacrificed unto idolsεἰδωλόθυτοςeidōlothuton · sacrificed to idolsG1494
Cross-references for Revelation 2:20
- Revelation 2:4Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.
- 1 Kings 16:31He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him.
- 1 Kings 17:4You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.”
- 1 Kings 19:1Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.
- 1 Kings 21:7Jezebel his wife said, “Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I’ll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
- 2 Kings 9:7You are to destroy the house of Ahab your master, and I will avenge the blood of my servants the prophets and the blood of all the Lord’s servants shed by Jezebel.
- Revelation 2:14Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality.
- Exodus 34:15“Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land; for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices.
- Numbers 25:1While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women,
- Acts 15:20Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.
- 1 Corinthians 8:10For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols?
- 1 Corinthians 10:18Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar?
Commentaries on Revelation 2:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20That woman Jezebel - There is an allusion here to the history of Ahab and Jezebel, as given in 2 Kings 9:1-10:36; and although we do not know who this Jezebel was, yet from the allusion we may take it for granted she was a woman of power and influence in Thyatira, who corrupted the true religion, and harassed the followers of God in that city, as Jezebel did in Israel. Instead of that woman Jezebel, , many excellent MSS., and almost all the ancient…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20Notwithstanding, I have a few things against thee - Compare notes on Revelation 2:4. Because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel - Thou dost tolerate, or countenance her. Compare the notes on Revelation 2:14. Who the individual here referred to by the name Jezebel was, is not known. It is by no means probable that this was her real name, but seems to have been given to her as expressive of her character and influence. Jezebel was the wife of Ahab; a woman…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-29Verses 18-29 Even when the Lord knows the works of his people to be wrought in love, faith, zeal, and patience; yet if his eyes, which are as a flame of fire, observe them committing or allowing what is evil, he will rebuke, correct, or punish them. Here is praise of the ministry and people of Thyatira, by One who knew the principles from which they acted. They grew wiser and better. All Christians should earnestly desire that their last works may be…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20-21The mention of Jezebel, who led Israel into idol worship and immoral behavior (1 Kings 16:31–33; 21:5–26), highlights a serious issue. Like the Old Testament queen who led the worship of Baal (see 1 Kings 16:31; 18:4; 19:1–3), this unknown Jezebel claimed to be a prophet but was leading God's people into immorality. This included sexual misconduct and forming idolatrous alliances and actions (Exodus 34:15–16; Psalm 106:39; Isaiah 57:7–8).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. a few things--omitted in the three oldest manuscripts. Translate then, "I have against thee that," &c. sufferest--The three oldest manuscripts read, "lettest alone." that woman--Two oldest manuscripts read, "THY wife"; two omit it. Vulgate and most ancient versions read as English Version. The symbolical Jezebel was to the Church of Thyatira what Jezebel, Ahab's "wife," was to him. Some self-styled prophetess (or as the feminine in Hebrew is often…Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 2:20
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
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