New Living Translation
Revelation 3:7
7“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Philadelphia. This is the message from the one who is holy and true, the one who has the key of David. What he opens, no one can close; and what he closes, no one can open:
Revelation 3:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
- New International Version (NIV)“To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: 'The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”:
Context of Revelation 3:7
5All who are victorious will be clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine. 6“Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Philadelphia. This is the message from the one who is holy and true, the one who has the key of David. What he opens, no one can close; and what he closes, no one can open: 8“I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me. 9Look, I will force those who belong to Satan’s synagogue—those liars who say they are Jews but are not—to come and bow down at your feet. They will acknowledge that you are the ones I love.
Read all of Revelation 3Revelation 3:7 word by word
Καὶ τῷ ἀγγέλῳ τῆς ἐν Φιλαδελφείᾳ ἐκκλησίας γράψον· τάδε λέγει ὁ ἅγιος, ὁ ἀληθινός, ὁ ἔχων τὴν κλεῖν Δαυίδ, ὁ ἀνοίγων καὶ οὐδεὶς κλείσει καὶ κλείων καὶ οὐδεὶς ἀνοίγει·Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- to the angelὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- to the angelἄγγελοςaggelos · angelG32
- of the churchἐκκλησίαekklēsia · assemblyG1577
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- PhiladelphiaΦιλαδέλφειαPhiladelpheia · PhiladelphiaG5359
- writeγράφωgraphō · to writeG1125
- These thingsὅδεhode hēde tode · thisG3592
- saithλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- he that is holyἅγιοςhagios · holyG40
- he that is trueἀληθινόςalēthinos · trueG228
- he that hathἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- the keyκλείςkleis · keyG2807
- of DavidΔαυείδ, Δαυίδ, ΔαβίδDabid · DavidG1138
- he that openethἀνοίγωanoigō · to openG455
- no manοὐδείςoudeis · noneG3762
- shuttethκλείωkleiō · to shutG2808
Cross-references for Revelation 3:7
- Revelation 1:11It said, “Write in a book everything you see, and send it to the seven churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”
- Revelation 2:1“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Ephesus. This is the message from the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lampstands:
- Revelation 4:8Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day after day and night after night they keep on saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty— the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.”
- Revelation 6:10They shouted to the Lord and said, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you judge the people who belong to this world and avenge our blood for what they have done to us?”
- Psalms 16:10For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.
- Psalms 89:18Yes, our protection comes from the Lord, and he, the Holy One of Israel, has given us our king.
- Psalms 145:17The Lord is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness.
- Isaiah 6:3They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!”
- Isaiah 30:11Forget all this gloom. Get off your narrow path. Stop telling us about your ‘Holy One of Israel.’”
- Isaiah 41:14Though you are a lowly worm, O Jacob, don’t be afraid, people of Israel, for I will help you. I am the Lord, your Redeemer. I am the Holy One of Israel.’
- Isaiah 47:4Our Redeemer, whose name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, is the Holy One of Israel.
- Isaiah 48:17This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is good for you and leads you along the paths you should follow.
- Isaiah 49:7The Lord, the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel, says to the one who is despised and rejected by the nations, to the one who is the servant of rulers: “Kings will stand at attention when you pass by. Princes will also bow low because of the Lord, the faithful one, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”
- Isaiah 54:5For your Creator will be your husband; the Lord of Heaven’s Armies is his name! He is your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of all the earth.
- Isaiah 55:5You also will command nations you do not know, and peoples unknown to you will come running to obey, because I, the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, have made you glorious.”
- Mark 1:24“Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
Commentaries on Revelation 3:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7He that is holy - In whom holiness essentially dwells, and from whom all holiness is derived. He that is true - He who is the fountain of truth; who cannot lie nor be imposed on; from whom all truth proceeds; and whose veracity in his Revelation is unimpeachable. He that hath the key of David - See this metaphor explained, Matthew 16:19. Key is the emblem of authority and knowledge; the key of David is the regal right or authority of David. David could…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia - See the notes on Revelation 1:20. These things saith he that is holy - This refers undoubtedly to the Lord Jesus. The appellation holy, or the holy one, is one that befits him, and is not infrequently given to him in the New Testament, Luke 1:35; Acts 2:27; Acts 3:14. It is not only an appellation appropriate to the Saviour, but well adapted to be employed when he is addressing the churches. Our impression…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-13Verses 7-13 The same Lord Jesus has the key of government and authority in and over the church. He opens a door of opportunity to his churches; he opens a door of utterance to his ministers; he opens a door of entrance, opens the heart. He shuts the door of heaven against the foolish, who sleep away their day of grace; and against the workers of iniquity, how vain and confident soever they may be. The church in Philadelphia is commended; yet with a gentle…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7Philadelphia was located in the foothills of the Timolus Mountains, with fertile plains to the east. The city often suffered from severe earthquakes, which left it weak and poor. This verse uses phrases from Isaiah 22:22. key of David: Jesus the Messiah, God's chosen one, is the successor to David’s royal line. As the gatekeeper of heaven, Jesus has the authority to open and close the way to heaven (compare Matthew 16:19).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. Philadelphia--in Lydia, twenty-eight miles southeast of Sardis, built by Attalus Philadelphus, king of Pergamos, who died A.D. 138. It was nearly destroyed by an earthquake in the reign of Tiberius [Tacitus, Annals, 2.47]. The connection of this Church with Jews there causes the address to it to have an Old Testament coloring in the images employed. It and Smyrna alone of the seven receive unmixed praise. he that is holy--as in the Old Testament, "the…Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 3:7
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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