New King James Version
Revelation 3:20
20Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
Revelation 3:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
- New International Version (NIV)Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
- New Living Translation (NLT)“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.
Context of Revelation 3:20
18I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. 21To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 22“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’ ”
Read all of Revelation 3Revelation 3:20 word by word
ἰδοὺ ἕστηκα ἐπὶ τὴν θύραν καὶ κρούω. ἐάν τις ἀκούσῃ τῆς φωνῆς μου καὶ ἀνοίξῃ τὴν θύραν, καὶ εἰσελεύσομαι πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ δειπνήσω μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ καὶ αὐτὸς μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Beholdὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
- I standἵστημιhistēmi · to standG2476
- atἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
- the doorὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the doorθύραthura · doorG2374
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- knockκρούωkrouō · to knockG2925
- ifἐάνean · ifG1437
- any manτιςtis · oneG5100
- hearἀκούωakouō · to hearG191
- myἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- voiceφωνήphōnē · voice/sound: voiceG5456
- openἀνοίγωanoigō · to openG455
- I will come inεἰσέρχομαιeiserchomai · to enterG1525
- toπρόςpros · to/withG4314
- himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- will supδειπνέωdeipneō · to dineG1172
- withμετάmeta · with/afterG3326
Cross-references for Revelation 3:20
- Luke 12:36and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately.
- John 14:21He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”
- Revelation 19:9Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.”
- Luke 12:37Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them.
- Luke 17:8But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’?
Commentaries on Revelation 3:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20Behold, I stand at the door and knock - There are many sayings of this kind among the ancient rabbins; thus in Shir Hashirim Rabba, fol. 25, 1: "God said to the Israelites, My children, open to me one door of repentance, even so wide as the eye of a needle, and I will open to you doors through which calves and horned cattle may pass." In Sohar Levit, fol. 8, col. 32, it is said: "If a man conceal his sin, and do not open it before the holy King, although…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20Behold, I stand at the door, and knock - Intimating that, though they had erred, the way of repentance and hope was not closed against them. He was still willing to be gracious, though their conduct had been such as to be loathsome, Revelation 3:16. To see the real force of this language, we must remember how disgusting and offensive their conduct had been to him. And yet he was willing, notwithstanding this, to receive them to his favor; nay more, he…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. 20A person or a church must listen for Jesus knocking and open the door to him. Christ offers a way for a church to revive when it has become spiritually weak and lost connection with him. Simply opening the door can renew their previous bond. dine with him, and he with Me: A shared meal represents acceptance, deep friendship, and a covenant relationship (Revelation 19:9; see Genesis 18:1–5, 16–19; Exodus 12:1–31; 18:12; Matthew 26:26–30).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. stand--waiting in wonderful condescension and long-suffering. knock--(So 5:2). This is a further manifestation of His loving desire for the sinner's salvation. He who is Himself "the Door," and who bids us "knock" that it may be "opened unto" us, is first Himself to knock at the door of our hearts. If He did not knock first, we should never come to knock at His door. Compare So 5:4-6, which is plainly alluded to here; the Spirit thus in Revelation…Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 3:20
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries