The Meaning of Revelation 2:22 Explained

Revelation 2:22

KJV: Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

YLT: lo, I will cast her into a couch, and those committing adultery with her into great tribulation -- if they may not repent of their works,

Darby: Behold, I cast her into a bed, and those that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works,

ASV: Behold, I cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of her works.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Behold,  I  will cast  her  into  a bed,  and  them that commit adultery  with  her  into  great  tribulation,  except  they repent  of  their  deeds. 

What does Revelation 2:22 Mean?

Context Summary

Revelation 2:18-29 - "hold Fast Till I Come"
Note that Jesus does not hesitate to appropriate the sublime title-the Son of God. His eyes penetrate profoundest secrets, and His advent leaves a trail of purity like fire behind Him. He recognizes the many good qualities of His church at Thyatira, but accuses her of having raised no protest against the woman Jezebel. She had actually permitted the promulgation of soul-destroying error, with most disastrous results.
This Jezebel apparently taught that there were deep philosophies in the heathen system around them, and the result was that the professing servants of Christ were led into complicity with the outward corruption of heathendom. An evident attempt was being made to graft on to Christianity the mysteries of darkness, which were in direct antagonism to the purity of the teachings of Christ.
Notice the contrast between her works and my works, Revelation 2:22; Revelation 2:26. The saints who are true to Christ shall be associated with Him in His Kingdom, but best of all they are made to possess the Morning Star, that is, they now stand with their Lord in the dawn of a new era. Already the day has dawned and the Day Star has arisen in their hearts, 2 Peter 1:19. [source]

Chapter Summary: Revelation 2

1  What is commanded to be written to the angels, that is, the ministers of the churches of Ephesus,
8  Smyrna,
12  Pergamos,
18  Thyatira, and what is commended and lacking in them

Greek Commentary for Revelation 2:22

I do cast [βαλλω]
Futuristic present active indicative rather than the future βαλω — balō since judgment is imminent. [source]
Into a bed [εις κλινην]
“A bed of sickness in contrast with the bed of adultery” (Beckwith).Them that commit adultery with her (τους μοιχευοντας μετ αυτης — tous moicheuontas met' autēs). Present active articular participle accusative plural of μοιχευω — moicheuō The actual paramours of the woman Jezebel, guilty of both πορνεια — porneia (fornication, Revelation 2:21) and μοιχεια — moicheia (adultery), works of Jezebel of old and of this Jezebel. There may be also an allusion to the spiritual adultery (2 Corinthians 11:2) towards God and Christ as of old (Jeremiah 3:8; Jeremiah 5:7; Ezekiel 16:22).Except they repent Condition of first class with εαν μη — ean mē and the future active indicative of μετανοεω — metanoeō put in this vivid form rather than the aorist subjunctive Αυτης — Autēs (her) correct rather than αυτων — autōn (their). Jezebel was chiefly responsible. [source]
Them that commit adultery with her [τους μοιχευοντας μετ αυτης]
Present active articular participle accusative plural of μοιχευω — moicheuō The actual paramours of the woman Jezebel, guilty of both πορνεια — porneia (fornication, Revelation 2:21) and μοιχεια — moicheia (adultery), works of Jezebel of old and of this Jezebel. There may be also an allusion to the spiritual adultery (2 Corinthians 11:2) towards God and Christ as of old (Jeremiah 3:8; Jeremiah 5:7; Ezekiel 16:22). [source]
Except they repent [εαν μη μετανοησουσιν]
Condition of first class with εαν μη — ean mē and the future active indicative of μετανοεω — metanoeō put in this vivid form rather than the aorist subjunctive Αυτης — Autēs (her) correct rather than αυτων — autōn (their). Jezebel was chiefly responsible. [source]
Of her works [εκ των εργων αυτης]
Αυτης — Autēs (her) correct rather than αυτων — autōn (their). Jezebel was chiefly responsible. [source]
Into a bed []
Of anguish. The scene of the sin is also the scene of the punishment. [source]
Commit adultery [μοιχεύοντας]
A wider term than πορνεῦσαι tocommit fornication. Compare the metaphorical meaning expressing the rebellion and idolatry of Israel (Jeremiah 3:8; Jeremiah 5:7; Ezekiel 16:32). [source]
With her [μετ ' αὐτῆς]
Not with her as the conjux adulteri, but who share with her in her adulteries. [source]
Of their deeds [ἐκ τῶν ἔργων αὐτῶν]
Read αὐτῆς her(deeds). Repent out of ( ἐκ ) as in Revelation 2:21. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Revelation 2:22

Revelation 2:7 Of the tree [ἐκ ξύλου]
The preposition ἐκ outof occurs one hundred and twenty-seven times in Revelation, and its proper signification is almost universally out of; but this rendering in many of the passages would be so strange and unidiomatic, that the New Testament Revisers have felt themselves able to adopt it only forty-one times out of all that number, and employ of, from, by, with, on, at, because of, by reason of, from among. See, for instance, Revelation 2:7, Revelation 2:21, Revelation 2:22; Revelation 6:4, Revelation 6:10; Revelation 8:11; Revelation 9:18; Revelation 14:13; Revelation 15:2; Revelation 16:21. Compare John 3:31; John 4:13, John 6:13, John 6:39, John 6:51; John 8:23, John 8:44; John 9:6; John 11:1; John 12:3, John 12:27, John 12:32; John 17:5. Tree, lit., wood. See on Luke 23:31; see on 1 Peter 2:24. Dean Plumptre notes the fact that, prominent as this symbol had been in the primeval history, it had remained unnoticed in the teaching where we should most have looked for its presence - in that of the Psalmist and Prophets of the Old Testament. Only in the Proverbs of Solomon had it been used, in a sense half allegorical and half mystical (Proverbs 3:18; Proverbs 13:12; Proverbs 11:30; Proverbs 15:4). The revival of the symbol in Revelation is in accordance with the theme of the restitution of all things. “The tree which disappeared with the disappearance of the earthly Paradise, reappears with the reappearance of the heavenly.” To eat of the tree of life expresses participation in the life eternal. The figure of the tree of life appears in all mythologies from India to Scandinavia. The Rabbins and Mohammedans called the vine the probation tree. The Zend Avesta has its tree of life called the Death-Destroyer. It grows by the waters of life, and the drinking of its sap confers immortality. The Hindu tree of life is pictured as growing out of a great seed in the midst of an expanse of water. It has three branches, each crowned with a sun, denoting the three powers of creation, preservation, and renovation after destruction. In another representation Budha sits in meditation under a tree with three branches, each branch having three stems. One of the Babylonian cylinders discovered by Layard, represents three priestesses gathering the fruit of what seems to be a palm-tree with three branches on each side. Athor, the Venus of the Egyptians, appears half-concealed in the branches of the sacred peach-tree, giving to the departed soul the fruit, and the drink of heaven from a vial from which the streams of life descend upon the spirit, a figure at the foot of the tree, like a hawk, with a human head and with hands outstretched. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
In the Norse mythology a prominent figure is Igdrasil, the Ash-tree of Existence; its roots in the kingdom of Eels or Death, its trunk reaching to heaven, and its boughs spread over the whole universe. At its foot, in the kingdom of Death, sit three Nornas or Fates, the Past, the Present, and the Future, watering its roots from the sacred well. Compare Revelation 22:2, Revelation 22:14, Revelation 22:19. Virgil, addressing Dante at the completion of the ascent of the Purgatorial Mount, says:“That apple sweet, which through so many branchesThe care of mortals goeth in pursuit of, Today shall put in peace thy hungerings.”“Purgatorio,” xxvii., 115-117. ParadiseSee on Luke 23:43. Omit in the midst of. Παράδεισος Paradise“passes through a series of meanings, each one higher than the last. From any garden of delight, which is its first meaning, it comes to be predominantly applied to the garden of Eden, then to the resting-place of separate souls in joy and felicity, and lastly to the very heaven itself; and we see eminently in it, what we see indeed in so many words, how revealed religion assumes them into her service, and makes them vehicles of far higher truth than any which they knew at first, transforming and transfiguring them, as in this case, from glory to glory” (Trench). [source]

Revelation 2:23 Children [τέκνα]
Emphatic. Distinguished from the participators of Revelation 2:22, as her proper adherents, “who are begotten of her and go to constitute her.” Others, however, deny any distinction (Milligan), and others (as Trench) explain as the less forward and prominent members of the wicked company, deceived where the others were the deceivers. [source]
Revelation 2:21 That she should repent [ινα μετανοησηι]
Sub-final use of ινα — hina with first aorist active subjunctive of μετανοεω — metanoeō she willeth not “And she is not willing.” Blunt and final like Matthew 23:37.To repent of (μετανοησαι εκ — metanoēsai ek). First aorist (ingressive) active infinitive with εκ — ek “to make a change out of,” the usual construction with μετανοεω — metanoeō in this book (Revelation 2:22; Revelation 9:20.; Revelation 16:11), with απο — apo in Acts 8:22. Πορνεια — Porneia (fornication) here, but μοιχευω — moicheuō (to commit adultery) in Revelation 2:22. [source]
Revelation 2:21 To repent of [μετανοησαι εκ]
First aorist (ingressive) active infinitive with εκ — ek “to make a change out of,” the usual construction with μετανοεω — metanoeō in this book (Revelation 2:22; Revelation 9:20.; Revelation 16:11), with απο — apo in Acts 8:22. Πορνεια — Porneia (fornication) here, but μοιχευω — moicheuō (to commit adultery) in Revelation 2:22. [source]

What do the individual words in Revelation 2:22 mean?

Behold I will cast her into a sickbed and those committing adultery with her tribulation great if not they shall repent of the deeds of her
Ἰδοὺ βάλλω αὐτὴν εἰς κλίνην καὶ τοὺς μοιχεύοντας μετ’ αὐτῆς θλῖψιν μεγάλην ἐὰν μὴ μετανοήσωσιν ἐκ τῶν ἔργων αὐτῆς

Ἰδοὺ  Behold 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: ἰδού  
Sense: behold, see, lo.
βάλλω  I  will  cast 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: βάλλω 
Sense: to throw or let go of a thing without caring where it falls.
αὐτὴν  her 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Accusative Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
εἰς  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: εἰς  
Sense: into, unto, to, towards, for, among.
κλίνην  a  sickbed 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: κλινάριον 
Sense: a small bed, a couch.
τοὺς  those 
Parse: Article, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
μοιχεύοντας  committing  adultery 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: μοιχεύω  
Sense: to commit adultery.
αὐτῆς  her 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
θλῖψιν  tribulation 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: θλῖψις  
Sense: a pressing, pressing together, pressure.
μεγάλην  great 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: μέγας  
Sense: great.
μετανοήσωσιν  they  shall  repent 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: μετανοέω  
Sense: to change one’s mind, i.
ἔργων  deeds 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Neuter Plural
Root: ἔργον  
Sense: business, employment, that which any one is occupied.
αὐτῆς  of  her 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.