New International Version
Revelation 3:17
17You 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.
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:
- 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—
- New Living Translation (NLT)You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.
Context of Revelation 3:17
15I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 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. 18I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. 19Those whom 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 2:9I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
- Proverbs 13:7One person pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.
- Hosea 12:8Ephraim boasts, “I am very rich; I have become wealthy. With all my wealth they will not find in me any iniquity or sin.”
- Zechariah 11:5Their buyers slaughter them and go unpunished. Those who sell them say, ‘Praise the Lord, I am rich!’ Their own shepherds do not spare them.
- Luke 1:53He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.
- Luke 6:24“But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort.
- Luke 18:11The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.
- Romans 11:20Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble.
- Romans 12:3For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.
- 1 Corinthians 4:8Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have begun to reign—and that without us! How I wish that you really had begun to reign so that we also might reign with you!
- Deuteronomy 8:12Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down,
- Proverbs 30:9Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.
- Jeremiah 2:31“You of this generation, consider the word of the Lord: “Have I been a desert to Israel or a land of great darkness? Why do my people say, ‘We are free to roam; we will come to you no more’?
- Matthew 9:12On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.
- Romans 2:17Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God;
- Matthew 5:3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
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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