Tree of Life Version
Revelation 2:14
14“But I have a few things against you. You have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who was teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before Bnei-Yisrael, to eat food sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality.
Revelation 2:14 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But 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.
- New International Version (NIV)Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality.
- English Standard Version (ESV)But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality.
- New King James Version (NKJV)But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.
Context of Revelation 2:14
12To the angel of Messiah’s community in Pergamum write: “Thus says the One who has the sharp two-edged sword: 13I know where you live—where satan’s throne is. Yet you continue to hold firm to My name, and you did not deny your faith in Me even in the days of Antipas, My faithful witness, who was killed among you, where satan resides. “But I have a few things against you. You have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who was teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before Bnei-Yisrael, to eat food sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality. 15Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16Repent then! If not, I will come to you soon and make war against them with the sword of My mouth.
Read all of Revelation 2Revelation 2:14 word by word
ἀλλ᾽ ἔχω κατὰ σοῦ ὀλίγα ὅτι ἔχεις ἐκεῖ κρατοῦντας τὴν διδαχὴν Βαλαάμ, ὃς ἐδίδασκεν τῷ Βαλὰκ βαλεῖν σκάνδαλον ἐνώπιον τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ φαγεῖν εἰδωλόθυτα καὶ πορνεῦσαι.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Butἀλλάalla · butG235
- I haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- a few thingsὀλίγοςoligos · little/fewG3641
- againstκατάkata · according toG2596
- theeσύsu · youG4771
- becauseὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
- thereἐκεῖekei · thereG1563
- them that holdκρατέωkrateō · to grasp/seizeG2902
- the doctrineὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the doctrineδιδαχήdidachē · teachingG1322
- of BalaamΒαλαάμBalaam · BalaamG903
- whoὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- taughtδιδάσκωdidaskō · to teachG1321
- BalacΒαλάκBalak · BalakG904
- to castβάλλωballō · to throw: putG906
- a stumblingblockσκάνδαλονskandalon · stumbling blockG4625
- beforeἐνώπιονenōpion · beforeG1799
- the childrenυἱόςuihos · sonG5207
- of IsraelἸσραήλIsraēl · IsraelG2474
- to eatφαγεῖνphagō · to eatG5315
- things sacrificed unto idolsεἰδωλόθυτοςeidōlothuton · sacrificed to idolsG1494
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- to commit fornicationπορνεύωporneuō · to sin sexuallyG4203
Cross-references for Revelation 2:14
- Revelation 2:4“But this I have against you, that you have forsaken your first love.
- Numbers 24:14Now, behold, I am going back to my people. Come, let me counsel you what these people will do to your people in the latter days.
- Numbers 25:1While Israel was staying in Shittim, the people began to have immoral sexual relations with women from Moab.
- Numbers 31:8Among the slain they also killed the Midianite kings: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba, the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword.
- Joshua 24:9Then Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, rose and fought against Israel. He even sent and called for Balaam son of Beor to curse you.
- 2 Peter 2:15They have abandoned the straight way. They have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness.
- Jude 1:11Woe to them! For they went the way of Cain; they were consumed for pay in Balaam’s error; and in Korah’s rebellion they have been destroyed.
- Isaiah 57:14Then it will be said: “Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove every stumbling block out of the way of My people.”
- Jeremiah 6:21Therefore thus says Adonai: “Look, I am laying before this people stumbling blocks— and against them they will stumble— fathers and the sons together, a neighbor and his friend, and they will perish.”
- Ezekiel 3:20When a righteous person turns from his righteousness and acts perversely, I will lay a stumbling block before him and he will die. Because you have not warned him, he will die in his sin. His righteous deeds that he has done will not be remembered—but I will require his blood at your hand.
- Ezekiel 44:12Because they ministered to them before their idols, and became a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel, therefore I have lifted up My hand against them”—it is a declaration of Adonai. “They will bear their iniquity.
- Matthew 18:7Woe to the world because of snares! For snares must come, but woe to that man through whom the snare comes!
- Romans 9:32Why? Because they pursued it not by faith, but as if it were from works. They stumbled over the stone of stumbling,
- Romans 11:9And David says, “Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them.
- Romans 14:13Therefore let us not judge one another from now on, but rather decide this—not to put a stumbling block or a trap in the way of a brother.
- 1 Corinthians 1:23but we proclaim Messiah crucified—a stumbling block to Jewish people and foolishness to Gentile people,
Commentaries on Revelation 2:14
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14I have a few things against thee - Their good deeds are first carefully sought out and commended; what was wrong in them is touched with a gentle but effectual hand. The followers of Balaam, the Nicolaitanes, and the Gnostics, were probably all the same kind of persons; but see on Revelation 2:6; (note). What the doctrine of Balaam was, see the notes on Numbers 24:1; (note) through Numbers 25:18; and Numbers 31:1-54 (note). It appears that there were some…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14But I have a few things against thee - As against the church at Ephesus, Revelation 2:4. The charge against this church, however, is somewhat different from that against the church at Ephesus. The charge there was, that they had “left their first love”; but it is spoken in commendation of them that they “hated the deeds of the Nicolaitanes,” Revelation 2:6. Here the charge is, that they tolerated that sect among them, and that they had among them also…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-17Verses 12-17 The word of God is a sword, able to slay both sin and sinners. It turns and cuts every way; but the believer need not fear this sword; yet this confidence cannot be supported without steady obedience. As our Lord notices all the advantages and opportunities we have for duty in the places where we dwell, so he notices our temptations and discouragements from the same causes. In a situation of trials, the church of Pergamos had not denied the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14-15Some people in Pergamum mixed Christianity with pagan beliefs and took part in immoral activities. John compares them to Balaam, who led Israel into sin (see Numbers 25:1–3; 2 Peter 2:15; Jude 1:11). Nicolaitans: see study note on Revelation 2:6.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1414. few--in comparison of the many tokens of thy faithfulness. hold the doctrine of Balaam--"the teaching of Balaam," namely, that which he "taught Balak." Compare "the counsel of Balaam," Nu 31:16. "Balak" is dative in the Greek, whence Bengel translates, "taught (the Moabites) for (that is, to please) Balak." But though in Numbers it is not expressly said he taught Balak, yet there is nothing said inconsistent with his having done so; and Josephus…Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 2:14
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
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