New International Version
Revelation 21:27
27Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Revelation 21:27 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
- English Standard Version (ESV)But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.
- New King James Version (NKJV)But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
Context of Revelation 21:27
25On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. 26The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Read all of Revelation 21Revelation 21:27 word by word
καὶ οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθῃ εἰς αὐτὴν πᾶν κοινὸν καὶ ὁ ποιῶν βδέλυγμα καὶ ψεῦδος εἰ μὴ οἱ γεγραμμένοι ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τῆς ζωῆς τοῦ ἀρνίου.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- there shallεἰσέρχομαιeiserchomai · to enterG1525
- in no wiseοὐou · noG3756
- ·μήmē · notG3361
- intoεἰςeis · towardG1519
- itαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- any thingπᾶςpas · allG3956
- that defilethκοινόωkoinoō · to profaneG2840
- workethποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
- abominationβδέλυγμαbdelugma · abominationG946
- a lieψεῦδοςpseudos · lieG5579
- butεἰei · if: notG1487
- theyὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- which are writtenγράφωgraphō · to writeG1125
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- the Lamb’sἀρνίονarnion · lambG721
- bookβιβλίονbiblion · scrollG975
- of lifeζωήzōē · lifeG2222
Cross-references for Revelation 21:27
- Leviticus 13:46As long as they have the disease they remain unclean. They must live alone; they must live outside the camp.
- Numbers 5:3Send away male and female alike; send them outside the camp so they will not defile their camp, where I dwell among them.”
- Numbers 12:15So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on till she was brought back.
- Psalms 101:8Every morning I will put to silence all the wicked in the land; I will cut off every evildoer from the city of the Lord.
- Isaiah 35:8And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way. The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it.
- 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.
- Isaiah 60:21Then all your people will be righteous and they will possess the land forever. They are the shoot I have planted, the work of my hands, for the display of my splendor.
- Joel 3:17“Then you will know that I, the Lord your God, dwell in Zion, my holy hill. Jerusalem will be holy; never again will foreigners invade her.
- Matthew 13:41The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.
- 1 Corinthians 6:9Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men
- Galatians 5:19The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;
- Ephesians 5:5For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
- Hebrews 12:14Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
- Revelation 17:4The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries.
- Revelation 21:8But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
- Revelation 22:14“Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.
Commentaries on Revelation 21:27
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 27There shall in nowise enter into it any thing that defileth - See Isaiah 35:8; Isaiah 52:1. Neither an impure person - he who turns the grace of God into lasciviousness, nor a liar - he that holds and propagates false doctrines. But they which are written - The acknowledged persevering members of the true Church of Christ shall enter into heaven, and only those who are saved from their sins shall have a place in the Church militant. All Christians are…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 27And there shall in no wise - On no account; by no means. This strong language denotes the absolute exclusion of all that is specified in the verse. Anything that defileth - Literally, anything “common.” See the notes on Acts 10:14. It means here that nothing will be found in that blessed abode which is unholy or sinful. It will be a pure world, 2 Peter 3:13. Neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie - See the notes on Revelation 21:8. But…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 22-27Verses 22-27 Perfect and direct communion with God, will more than supply the place of gospel institutions. And what words can more full express the union and co-equality of the Son with the Father, in the Godhead? What a dismal world would this be, if it were not for the light of the sun! What is there in heaven that supplies its place? The glory of God lightens that city, and the Lamb is the Light thereof. God in Christ will be an everlasting Fountain…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 27unclean: Spiritual impurity is a key concern in Revelation (see Revelation 21:8). Here, evil includes idolatry and dishonesty (see Revelation 14:5; 21:8; 22:15). Those not listed in the Book of Life cannot enter the city of God. Only those with names in the Book of Life, the pure of heart (Matthew 5:8), will see God.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2727. anything that defileth--Greek, "koinoun." A and B read [koinon,] "anything unclean." in the Lamb's book of life--(See on Re 20:12; Re 20:15). As all the filth of the old Jerusalem was carried outside the walls and burnt there, so nothing defiled shall enter the heavenly city, but be burnt outside (compare Re 22:15). It is striking that the apostle of love, who shows us the glories of the heavenly city, is he also who speaks most plainly of the terrors…Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 21:27
In the dictionaries
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
New International Version — © NIV® 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica
Commentaries