Revelation 21:2

“And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.”
Revelation 21:2 · direct translation from the Greek

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John sees a new heaven and a new earth, and God living with peopleCreation John sees the new Jerusalem: God dwells with his people and there is no more weepingThe Kingdom of God John sees a new heaven and a new earth, with God dwelling among his peopleHope

With the Greek beneath

AndκαὶI sawεἶδονthe holyτὴν ἁγίανcity,τὴν πόλινnewκαινὴνJerusalem,Ἰερουσαλὴμcoming downκαταβαίνουσανout ofἐκheavenτοῦ οὐρανοῦfromἀπὸGod,τοῦ θεοῦpreparedἡτοιμασμένηνlikeὡςa brideνύμφηνadornedκεκοσμημένηνfor herαὐτῆςhusband.τῷ ἀνδρὶ

Allusion · Isaiah 61:10

Go to Isaiah 61:10

Both texts speak of an adorned bride.

They share words that are rare in the original, without a quotation.

νύμφηνnymphēnG3565כַּלָּהkalaH3618“bride”
κεκοσμημένηνkekosmēmenēnG2885תַּעְדֶּהtadeH5710“adorn”

Revelation 21:2, word by word

I sawεἶδονeidon

see

To perceive with sight, to look and notice what is in front.

Where else “eidon” appears

the holyἁγίανhagian

holy place

Places and things set apart for God.

Where else “hagian” appears

cityπόλινpolin

city, town

City, town.

Where else “polin” appears

newκαινὴνkainēn

new

New, different from what was before.

Where else “kainēn” appears

JerusalemἸερουσαλὴμIerousalēm

Jerusalem

See it on the map Where else “Ierousalēm” appears

coming downκαταβαίνουσανkatabainousan

go down, come down

Go down, come down, descend.

Where else “katabainousan” appears

heavenοὐρανοῦouranou

heaven

God's dwelling, above all that is created.

Where else “ouranou” appears

Godθεοῦtheou

God

The Creator and Lord of all, the one God of Israel.

Where else “theou” appears

preparedἡτοιμασμένηνhētoimasmenēn

prepare

Prepare, make ready.

Where else “hētoimasmenēn” appears

a brideνύμφηνnymphēn

bride

The woman who is marrying.

Where else “nymphēn” appears

adornedκεκοσμημένηνkekosmēmenēn

adorn

To embellish something, make it beautiful.

Where else “kekosmēmenēn” appears

husbandἀνδρὶandri

husband

The married man, his wife's partner.

Where else “andri” appears

Translation note

It recalls Isaiah 61:10.

Places in this verse

Approximate location. A “?” means it is not known for sure where it was.

Jerusalem
Today: Old City of Jerusalem
A city in the hills of Judea, about 22 miles (35 km) west of the Dead Sea and 35 miles (55 km) east of the Mediterranean.
David took it and made it his city (2 Sam 5:7); Solomon built the temple there (1 Kgs 8:1). Jesus was presented there, and the apostles' witness began from it (Luke 2:22; Acts 1:8).
2 Samuel 5:6 1 Kings 8:1 Luke 2:22 Acts 1:8

The context

1And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea is no more.

2 · This verse (above)

3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look, the tent of God is with humanity, and he will pitch his tent with them, and they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them.

Read all of Revelation 21

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