Revelation 22:19
in Revelation 22And if anyone takes away from the words of this book of prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and the holy city, which are described in this book.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book.
KJV
And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
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This verse in Revelation 22
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThe manuscripts
"Book of life" or "tree of life" — and the missing last page
The KJV's "book of life" at the very end of Revelation is not found in any Greek manuscript; it entered the printed Bible because Erasmus's only copy of Revelation was missing its final leaves and he translated the ending back from Latin. What it changes: No doctrine. The book of life is real, and Scripture teaches it plainly elsewhere: Revelation 3:5, Revelation 20:15, Philippians 4:3, Daniel 12:1.
And if any man shall take away from the prophecy of this book,.... As he may be said to do, who denies the authority of this book, which has been done by some, and which the Holy Ghost foresaw; or takes it away from, or denies the reading of it to the people, as the Papists do with respect to the whole Scripture; and who wilfully pervert the sense of it, and will not have the things in it, relating to antichrist, to belong to him.
This site's exposition
shall add unto him the plagues
on Revelation 22:18-19
The warning against adding or taking away echoes Moses' own charge over the law at Deuteronomy 4:2 and Solomon's over wisdom at Proverbs 30:6, and here it is spoken first of this book's own words, the plagues and visions John has just recorded. Add unto these things brings the plagues written in the book upon the offender, and take away from the words brings the loss of his part in the tree of life and the holy city, the same city just described in such detail. The warning guards the prophecy's own text as it stood in John's hand; it is not a verdict on later translation or on the discipline of textual criticism, which the exposition keeps distinct from the sin the verse names.
The record, by era
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy - If he shall reject the book altogether; if he shall, in transcribing it, designedly strike any part of it out.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
But A, B, Aleph, Syriac, Coptic, and ANDREAS omit "and"; then "which are written in this book" will refer to "the holy city and the tree of life." As in the beginning of this book (Re 1:3) a blessing was promised to the devout, obedient student of it, so now at its close a curse is denounced against those who add to, or take from, it.
The words behind it
35 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐάν | ean | if | G1437 → | 352 times |
| τις | tis | anyone | G5100 → | 528 times |
| ἀφέλῃ | aphele | shall take away | G851 → | |
| ἀπὸ | apo | from | G575 → | 640 times |
| τῶν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| λόγων | logon | words | G3056 → | 329 times |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| βιβλίου | bibliou | book | G975 → | 34 times |
| τῆς | tes | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| προφητείας | propheteias | prophecy | G4394 → | 19 times |
| ταύτης, | tautes | this, | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| ἀφελεῖ | aphelei | will take away | G851 → | |
| ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεὸς | theos | God | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| μέρος | meros | part | G3313 → | 42 times |
| αὐτοῦ | autou | of him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἀπὸ | apo | from | G575 → | 640 times |
| τοῦ | tou | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ξύλου | xulou | tree | G3586 → | 20 times |
| τῆς | tes | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ζωῆς | zoes | of life | G2222 → | 135 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐκ | ek | out of | G1537 → | 911 times |
| τῆς | tes | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πόλεως | poleos | city | G4172 → | 163 times |
| τῆς | tes | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἁγίας, | hagias | holy, | G40 → | 220 times |
| τῶν | ton | of those | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γεγραμμένων | gegrammenon | written | G1125 → | 189 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τῷ | to | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| βιβλίῳ | biblio | book | G975 → | 34 times |
| τούτῳ.¶ | touto | this. | G3778 → | 1381 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐάνif
eanG1437 →352 times
τιςanyone
tisG5100 →528 times
ἀφέλῃshall take away
apheleG851 →
ἀπὸfrom
apoG575 →640 times
τῶνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
λόγωνwords
logonG3056 →329 times
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
βιβλίουbook
bibliouG975 →34 times
τῆςof the
tesG3588 →19766 times
προφητείαςprophecy
propheteiasG4394 →19 times
ταύτης,this,
tautesG3778 →1381 times
ἀφελεῖwill take away
apheleiG851 →
ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
θεὸςGod
theosG2316 →1312 times
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
μέροςpart
merosG3313 →42 times
αὐτοῦof him
autouG846 →5565 times
ἀπὸfrom
apoG575 →640 times
τοῦthe
touG3588 →19766 times
ξύλουtree
xulouG3586 →20 times
τῆς<the>
tesG3588 →19766 times
ζωῆςof life
zoesG2222 →135 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐκout of
ekG1537 →911 times
τῆςthe
tesG3588 →19766 times
πόλεωςcity
poleosG4172 →163 times
τῆς<the>
tesG3588 →19766 times
ἁγίας,holy,
hagiasG40 →220 times
τῶνof those
tonG3588 →19766 times
γεγραμμένωνwritten
gegrammenonG1125 →189 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
τῷ<the>
toG3588 →19766 times
βιβλίῳbook
biblioG975 →34 times
τούτῳ.¶this.
toutoG3778 →1381 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Revelation 22:2down the middle of the main street of the city. On either side of the river stood a tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit and yielding a fresh crop for each month.…
it leads to
- Revelation 22:1
Then the angel showed me a river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb
- 1 Peter 2:24
He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. “By His stripes you are healed.”
- Revelation 2:7
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will grant the right to eat from the tree of life in the…
- Ezekiel 47:8–12
And he said to me, “This water flows out to the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah. When it empties into the Sea, the water there becomes fresh.
- Revelation 22:1
Through
Deuteronomy 4:2You must not add to or subtract from what I command you, so that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I am giving you.
it leads to
- Proverbs 30:6
Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you and prove you a liar.
- Deuteronomy 12:32
See that you do everything I command you; do not add to it or subtract from it.
- Revelation 22:18–19
I testify to everyone who hears the words of prophecy in this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book.
- Joshua 1:7
Above all, be strong and very courageous. Be careful to observe all the law that My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that…
- Proverbs 30:6
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies17
About Revelation

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
