Revised Literal Translation
Revelation 2:20
20Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
Revelation 2:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
- New International Version (NIV)Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.
- English Standard Version (ESV)But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.
Context of Revelation 2:20
18And unto the angel of the Assembly in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass; 19I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. 21And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. 22Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.
Read all of Revelation 2Revelation 2:20 word by word
ἀλλ᾽ ἔχω κατὰ σοῦ ὅτι ἀφεῖς τὴν γυναῖκα Ἰεζάβελ, ἡ λέγουσα ἑαυτὴν προφῆτιν καὶ διδάσκει καὶ πλανᾷ τοὺς ἐμοὺς δούλους πορνεῦσαι καὶ φαγεῖν εἰδωλόθυτα.Read the interlinear
- Notwithstandingἀλλάalla · butG235
- I haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- a few thingsὀλίγοςoligos · little/fewG3641
- againstκατάkata · according toG2596
- theeσύsu · youG4771
- becauseὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
- thou sufferestἐάωeaō · to allowG1439
- that womanὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- that womanγυνήgunē · womanG1135
- JezebelἸεζαβήλIezabēl · JezebelG2403
- which callethλέγωlegō · to say: callG3004
- herselfἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
- a prophetessπροφῆτιςprophētis · prophetessG4398
- to teachδιδάσκωdidaskō · to teachG1321
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- to seduceπλανάωplanaō · to lead astrayG4105
- myἐμόςemos · mineG1699
- servantsδοῦλοςdoulos · slaveG1401
- to commit fornicationπορνεύωporneuō · to sin sexuallyG4203
- to eatφαγεῖνphagō · to eatG5315
- things sacrificed unto idolsεἰδωλόθυτοςeidōlothuton · sacrificed to idolsG1494
Cross-references for Revelation 2:20
- Revelation 2:4Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
- 1 Kings 16:31And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him.
- 1 Kings 17:4And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.
- 1 Kings 19:1And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.
- 1 Kings 21:7And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.
- 2 Kings 9:7And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab thy master, that I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of Yhwh, at the hand of Jezebel.
- Revelation 2:14But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
- Exodus 34:15Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice;
- Numbers 25:1And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.
- Acts 15:20But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
- 1 Corinthians 8:10For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol’s temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols;
- 1 Corinthians 10:18Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?
Commentaries on Revelation 2:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20That woman Jezebel - There is an allusion here to the history of Ahab and Jezebel, as given in 2 Kings 9:1-10:36; and although we do not know who this Jezebel was, yet from the allusion we may take it for granted she was a woman of power and influence in Thyatira, who corrupted the true religion, and harassed the followers of God in that city, as Jezebel did in Israel. Instead of that woman Jezebel, , many excellent MSS., and almost all the ancient…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20Notwithstanding, I have a few things against thee - Compare notes on Revelation 2:4. Because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel - Thou dost tolerate, or countenance her. Compare the notes on Revelation 2:14. Who the individual here referred to by the name Jezebel was, is not known. It is by no means probable that this was her real name, but seems to have been given to her as expressive of her character and influence. Jezebel was the wife of Ahab; a woman…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-29Verses 18-29 Even when the Lord knows the works of his people to be wrought in love, faith, zeal, and patience; yet if his eyes, which are as a flame of fire, observe them committing or allowing what is evil, he will rebuke, correct, or punish them. Here is praise of the ministry and people of Thyatira, by One who knew the principles from which they acted. They grew wiser and better. All Christians should earnestly desire that their last works may be…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20-21The mention of Jezebel, who led Israel into idol worship and immoral behavior (1 Kings 16:31–33; 21:5–26), highlights a serious issue. Like the Old Testament queen who led the worship of Baal (see 1 Kings 16:31; 18:4; 19:1–3), this unknown Jezebel claimed to be a prophet but was leading God's people into immorality. This included sexual misconduct and forming idolatrous alliances and actions (Exodus 34:15–16; Psalm 106:39; Isaiah 57:7–8).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. a few things--omitted in the three oldest manuscripts. Translate then, "I have against thee that," &c. sufferest--The three oldest manuscripts read, "lettest alone." that woman--Two oldest manuscripts read, "THY wife"; two omit it. Vulgate and most ancient versions read as English Version. The symbolical Jezebel was to the Church of Thyatira what Jezebel, Ahab's "wife," was to him. Some self-styled prophetess (or as the feminine in Hebrew is often…Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 2:20
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Revelation 2
- 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
Revised Literal Translation — © 2018 Michael W. Jones, Sr. — GPL
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