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.
• 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.
• New Living Translation (NLT)And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

Context of Revelation 21:2

1Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

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 from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,
• Revelation 3:12The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name.
• Psalms 48:1Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise, in the city of our God, his holy mountain.
• Psalms 87:3Glorious things are said of you, city of God:
• Isaiah 1:21See how the faithful city has become a prostitute! She once was full of justice; righteousness used to dwell in her— but now murderers!
• Isaiah 52:1Awake, awake, Zion, clothe yourself with strength! Put on your garments of splendor, Jerusalem, the holy city. The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again.
• Jeremiah 31:23This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “When I bring them back from captivity, the people in the land of Judah and in its towns will once again use these words: ‘The Lord bless you, you prosperous city, you sacred mountain.’
• Hebrews 11:10For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
• Hebrews 12:22But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly,
• Hebrews 13:14For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.
• Revelation 21:10And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.
• Galatians 4:25Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children.
• Revelation 19:7Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.
• Psalms 45:9Daughters of kings are among your honored women; at your right hand is the royal bride in gold of Ophir.
• Isaiah 54:5For your Maker is your husband— the Lord Almighty is his name— the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth.
• Isaiah 61:10I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself 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

• 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