New King James Version
2 Thessalonians 2:4
4who 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.
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.
- New International Version (NIV)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.
- 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 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 be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 3Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 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. 5Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own 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 14:13For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north;
- Ezekiel 28:2“Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Because your heart is lifted up, And you say, ‘I am a god, I sit in the seat of gods, In the midst of the seas,’ Yet you are a man, and not a god, Though you set your heart as the heart of a god
- Daniel 7:8I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.
- Daniel 8:9And out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land.
- Daniel 11:36“Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done.
- Revelation 13:6Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.
- 1 Corinthians 8:5For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords),
- Daniel 8:12Because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered.
- Daniel 11:45And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall 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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries