The Meaning of Revelation 3:16 Explained

Revelation 3:16

KJV: So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

YLT: So -- because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to vomit thee out of my mouth;

Darby: Thus because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spue thee out of my mouth.

ASV: So because thou art lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spew thee out of my mouth.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

So  then because  thou art  lukewarm,  and  neither  cold  nor  hot,  I will  spue  thee  out of  my  mouth. 

What does Revelation 3:16 Mean?

Context Summary

Revelation 3:14-22 - "i Stand At The Door And Knock"
It is better to be cold than lukewarm, for in the latter case all that God's love can do for the soul has only produced a moderate result, while if we are cold, our soul has yet to be tried. The Gospel has a better chance with the openly profane and godless than with those who have been brought up under its influence and are so far unaffected. The mischief with men generally is that they do not know themselves, and do not want to know; and they are equally ignorant of the rich stores of blessedness that Christ waits to bestow. We think that we abound in gift and grace, when in Christ's eyes we are most pitiable. Yet, at this moment, He is standing at the door, laden with the gifts of heaven. Admit Him, or at least lift the latch of the will, so that He may push the door back and enter. Do not attempt to deal with the squalor within; He will see to that, and cleanse, keep, and enrich. Do not try to provide supper; He will bring thee His own flesh and blood.
Ponder that last beatitude, which promises to all believers that if they share with Him His age-long conflict against the evil of the world, they shall share His rule and power, which they shall use with Him for the uplift and blessing of mankind. Complete and continually renewed self-surrender to Christ will admit into our hearts the royalty and power of Christ. [source]

Chapter Summary: Revelation 3

1  The angel of the church of Sardis is reproved and exhorted to repent
7  The angel of the church of Philadelphia is approved for his diligence and patience;
14  the angel of Laodicea rebuked for being neither hot nor cold
20  Christ stands at the door and knocks

Greek Commentary for Revelation 3:16

Lukewarm [χλιαρος]
Tepid. Old adjective from χλιω — chliō to liquefy, to melt, here alone in N.T. [source]
I will [μελλω]
“I am about to,” on the point of. Spew thee (σε εμεσαι — se emesai). First aorist active infinitive of εμεω — emeō old verb to vomit, to reject with extreme disgust, here alone in N.T. [source]
Spew thee [σε εμεσαι]
First aorist active infinitive of εμεω — emeō old verb to vomit, to reject with extreme disgust, here alone in N.T. [source]
I will [μέλλω]
I am about or have in mind. Not a declaration of immediate and inexorable doom, but implying a possibility of the determination being changed. [source]
Lukewarm [χλιαρός]
Only here in the New Testament. Foremost and most numerous among the lost, Dante places those who had been content to remain neutral in the great contest between good and evil.“Master, what is this which now I hear?What folk is this, which seems by pain so vanquished? And he to me: “This miserable mode-DIVIDER-
Maintain the melancholy souls of those-DIVIDER-
Who lived withouten infamy or praise. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
Commingled are they with that caitiff choir. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
Of angels, who have not rebellious been,-DIVIDER-
Nor faithful were to God, but were for self. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
The heavens expelled them, not to be less fair;-DIVIDER-
Nor them the nethermore abyss receives,-DIVIDER-
For glory none the damned would have from them.”“Inferno,” iii., 33-42. [source]

Spue [ἐμέσαι]
Only here in the New Testament. Compare Leviticus 18:28; Leviticus 20:22. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Revelation 3:16

Luke 7:2 Dear to him [αρχης]
Held in honour, prized, precious, dear (Luke 14:8; 1 Peter 2:4; Philemon 2:29), common Greek word. Even though a slave he was dear to him.Was sick (αυτωι εντιμος — kakōs echōn). Having it bad. Common idiom. See note on Matthew 4:24; Matthew 8:16; Mark 2:17; Luke 5:31, etc. Matthew 8:6 notes that the slave was a paralytic.And at the point of death Imperfect active of ημελλεν τελευταιν — mellō (note double augment μελλω — ē) which is used either with the present infinitive as here, the aorist (Revelation 3:16), or even the future because of the future idea in η — mellō (Acts 11:28; Acts 24:15). He was about to die. [source]
Luke 7:2 And at the point of death [κακως εχων]
Imperfect active of ημελλεν τελευταιν — mellō (note double augment μελλω — ē) which is used either with the present infinitive as here, the aorist (Revelation 3:16), or even the future because of the future idea in η — mellō (Acts 11:28; Acts 24:15). He was about to die. [source]
Galatians 4:14 Ye despised not nor rejected [οὐκ ἐξουθενήσατε οὐδὲ ἐξεπτύσατε]
Commonly explained by making both verbs govern your temptation. Thus the meaning would be: “You were tempted to treat my preaching contemptuously because of my bodily infirmity; but you did not despise nor reject that which was a temptation to you.” This is extremely far fetched, awkward, and quite without parallel in Paul's writings or elsewhere. It does not suit the following but received me, etc. It lays the stress on the Galatians' resistance of a temptation to despise Paul; whereas the idea of a temptation is incidental. On this construction we should rather expect Paul to say: “Ye did despise and repudiate this temptation.” Better, make your temptation, etc., dependent on ye know (Galatians 4:13); place a colon after flesh, and make both verbs govern me in the following clause. Rend. “Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel to you the first time, and (ye know) your temptation which was in my flesh: ye did not despise nor reject me, but received me.” The last clause thus forms one of a series of short and detached clauses beginning with Galatians 4:10. Ὁυκ ἐξουθενήσατε yedid not set at nought, from οὐδέν nothingThe form οὐθέν occurs Luke 22:35; Luke 23:14; Acts 19:27; Acts 26:26; 1 Corinthians 13:2; 2 Corinthians 11:8. For the compound here, comp. Luke 18:9; Luke 23:11; Acts 4:11; 2 Corinthians 10:10. oClass. Ἑξεπτύσατε spurnedN.T.oLit. spat out. A strong metaphor, adding the idea of contempt to that of setting at nought. Comp. Hom. Od. v. 322; Aristoph. Wasps, 792. The two verbs express contemptuous indifference. Ἑμέσαι tovomit, as a figure of contemptuous rejection, is found in Revelation 3:16. The simple πτύειν tospit only in the literal sense in N.T. Mark 7:33; Mark 8:23; John 9:6, and no other compound occurs. [source]
Revelation 3:19 Be zealous [ζήλευε]
The verb is akin to ζεστός hotin Revelation 3:16, on which see note. [source]
Revelation 1:20 Angels [ἄγγελοι]
The exact meaning of the term here is uncertain. The following are the principal interpretations: 1. The officials known as angels or messengers of the synagogue, transferred to the Christian Church. These were mere clerks or readers; so that their position does not answer to that of the angels presiding over the churches. There is, besides, no trace of the transfer of that office to the Christian Church. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
2. Angels proper Heavenly guardians of the churches. This is urged on the ground that the word is constantly used in Revelation of a heavenly being; by reference to the angels of the little ones (Matthew 18:10), and to Peter's angel (Acts 12:15). It is urged that, if an individual may have a guardian angel, so may a Church. Reference is also made to the tutelar national angels of Daniel 10:21; Daniel 12:1. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
But why should the seer be instructed to write to heavenly messengers, with exhortations to repentance and fidelity, and describing them as “rich,” “poor,” “lukewarm,” etc. (Revelation 2:4; Revelation 3:1, Revelation 3:16)?-DIVIDER-
3. The angels are a personification of the churches themselves: the Church being spoken of as if concentrated in its angel or messenger. But in Revelation 1:20, they are explicitly distinguished from the golden candlesticks, the churches. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
4. The rulers ard teachers of the congregation. These are compared by Daniel (Daniel 12:3) to stars. See Malachi 2:7, where the priest is called the messenger (angel) of the Lord; and Malachi 3:1, where the same word is used of the prophet. See also Haggai 1:13. Under this interpretation two views are possible. (a) The angels are Bishops; the word ἄγγελος sometimes occurring in that sense (as in Jerome and Socrates). This raises the question of the existence of episcopacy towards the close of the first century. (b) The word is used of the ministry collectively; the whole board of officers, including both presbyters and deacons, who represented and were responsible for the moral condition of the churches. See Acts 20:17, Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:1-5. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
Dr. Schaff says: “This phraseology of the Apocalypse already looks towards the idea of episcopacy in its primitive form, that is, to a monarchical concentration of governmental form in one person, bearing a patriarchal relation to the congregation, and responsible in an eminent sense for the spiritual condition of the whole … . But even in this case we must insist on an important distinction between the 'angels' of the Book of Revelation and the later diocesan Bishops. For aside from the very limited extent of their charges, as compared with the large territory of most Greek, Roman Catholic, and Anglican Bishops, these angels stood below the Apostles and their legates, and were not yet invested with the great power (particularly the right to confirm and ordain) which fell to the later Bishops after the death of the Apostles … . The angels, accordingly, if we are to understand by them single individuals, must be considered as forming the transition from the presbyters of the apostolic age to the Bishops of the second century” (“History of the Apostolic Church”). -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
[source]

Revelation 3:17 Miserable [ελεεινος]
Pitiable as in 1 Corinthians 15:19.Poor (πτωχος — ptōchos). See Revelation 2:9 for spiritual poverty. Perhaps some local example of self-complacency is in mind.Blind Spiritual blindness as often (Matthew 23:17), and note “eye-salve” in Revelation 3:18.Naked (γυμνος — gumnos). “The figure completes the picture of actual poverty” (Beckwith). See Revelation 3:15, Revelation 3:16. [source]
Revelation 3:17 Blind [τυπλος]
Spiritual blindness as often (Matthew 23:17), and note “eye-salve” in Revelation 3:18.Naked (γυμνος — gumnos). “The figure completes the picture of actual poverty” (Beckwith). See Revelation 3:15, Revelation 3:16. [source]
Revelation 3:17 Have gotten riches [πεπλουτηκα]
Perfect active indicative of πλουτεω — plouteō old verb from πλουτος — ploutos used here of imagined spiritual riches which the church did not possess, just the opposite of church in Smyrna (poor in wealth, rich in grace). This church was in a rich city and was rich in pride and conceit, but poor in grace and ignorant of its spiritual poverty Old adjective from τλαω — tlaō to endure, and πωρος — pōros a callus, afflicted, in N.T. only here and Romans 7:24. Note the one article in the predicate with all these five adjectives unifying the picture of sharp emphasis on “thou” (συ — su), “thou that boastest.”Miserable Pitiable as in 1 Corinthians 15:19.Poor (πτωχος — ptōchos). See Revelation 2:9 for spiritual poverty. Perhaps some local example of self-complacency is in mind.Blind Spiritual blindness as often (Matthew 23:17), and note “eye-salve” in Revelation 3:18.Naked (γυμνος — gumnos). “The figure completes the picture of actual poverty” (Beckwith). See Revelation 3:15, Revelation 3:16. [source]
Revelation 3:17 Naked [γυμνος]
“The figure completes the picture of actual poverty” (Beckwith). See Revelation 3:15, Revelation 3:16. [source]

What do the individual words in Revelation 3:16 mean?

So because lukewarm you are and neither hot nor cold I am about you to spit out of the mouth of Me
οὕτως ὅτι χλιαρὸς εἶ καὶ οὔτε ζεστὸς οὔτε ψυχρός μέλλω σε ἐμέσαι ἐκ τοῦ στόματός μου

οὕτως  So 
Parse: Adverb
Root: οὕτως  
Sense: in this manner, thus, so.
ὅτι  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
χλιαρὸς  lukewarm 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: χλιαρός  
Sense: tepid, lukewarm.
εἶ  you  are 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
οὔτε  neither 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: οὔτε  
Sense: neither, and not.
ζεστὸς  hot 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ζεστός  
Sense: boiling hot, hot.
οὔτε  nor 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: οὔτε  
Sense: neither, and not.
ψυχρός  cold 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ψυχρός  
Sense: cold, cool.
μέλλω  I  am  about 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: μέλλω  
Sense: to be about.
ἐμέσαι  to  spit 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: ἐμέω  
Sense: to vomit, vomit forth, throw up.
ἐκ  out  of 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐκ 
Sense: out of, from, by, away from.
στόματός  mouth 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root: στόμα  
Sense: the mouth, as part of the body: of man, of animals, of fish, etc.
μου  of  Me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.

What are the major concepts related to Revelation 3:16?

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