Revelation 3:7 BSB — MannaFest

Revelation 3:7

To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of the One who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth and none shall shut, and that shutteth and none openeth:

KJV

And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;

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Commentary

5 voices

Ticonius

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 3:7 (390)

"Who has the key of David," that is, royal authority. He says "the key of David" either because Christ was born from his family or because David himself foretold many things concerning Christ. Through the dispensation of Christ, as though by a key, the secrets …

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

John Gill

1697–1771

Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748)

And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write,.... Of the city of Philadelphia; see Gill on Rev 1:11; According to the Apostolical Constitutions (m), one Demetrius was ordained bishop of this church by the Apostle John; but this is not to be depended on; nor is it known who this angel was: however, certain it is there was a church in this place in the "second" century, in the times of Ignatius, who wrote an epistle to it, and which then had a bishop or pastor over it, whom he mentions (n), though not his name.

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

The holy one, the true one - Two great and glorious names He that hath the key of David - A master of a family, or a prince, has one or more keys, wherewith he can open and shut all the doors of his house or palace. So had David a key, a token of right and sovereignty, which was afterward adjudged to Eliakim, Isaiah xxii, 22.

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

Albert Barnes

1798–1870

Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)

And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia - See the notes on Rev 1:20. These things saith he that is holy - This refers undoubtedly to the Lord Jesus. The appellation holy, or the holy one, is one that befits him, and is not infrequently given to him in the New Testament, Luk 1:35; Act 2:27; Act 3:14. It is not only an appellation appropriate to the Saviour, but well adapted to be employed when he is addressing the churches.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

None but God is absolutely holy (Greek, "hagios," separate from evil and perfectly hating it). In contrast to "the synagogue of Satan" (Re 3:9). true--Greek, "alethinos": "VERY God," as distinguished from the false gods and from all those who say that they are what they are not (Re 3:9): real, genuine.

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

29 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
Καὶ	Kai	And	G2532 →
τῷ	tō	to the	G3588 →
ἀγγέλῳ	angelō	angel	G32 →
τῆς	tēs	of the	G3588 →
ἐν	en	in	G1722 →
Φιλαδελφείᾳ	Philadelpheia	Philadelphia	G5359 →
ἐκκλησίας	ekklēsias	church	G1577 →
γράψον·	grapson	do write:	G1125 →
τάδε	tade	These things	G3592 →
λέγει	legei	says	G3004 →
ὁ	ho	the	G3588 →
ἅγιος,	hagios	Holy [One],	G40 →
ὁ	ho	the	G3588 →
ἀληθινός,	alēthinos	True [One],	G228 →
ὁ	ho	who	G3588 →
ἔχων	echōn	is having	G2192 →
τὴν	tēn	the	G3588 →
κλεῖν	klein	key	G2807 →
Δαυίδ,	Dauid	of David,	G1138 →
ὁ	ho	who	G3588 →
ἀνοίγων	anoigōn	is opening	G455 →
καὶ	kai	and	G2532 →
οὐδεὶς	oudeis	no [one]	G3762 →
κλείσει	kleisei	will shut	G2808 →
καὶ	kai	and	G2532 →
κλείων	kleiōn	shutting	G2808 →
καὶ	kai	and	G2532 →
οὐδεὶς	oudeis	no [one]	G3762 →
ἀνοίγει·	anoigei	opens;	G455 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
John 14:6
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
leads to
- Acts 4:12
  Salvation exists in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
- John 10:9
  I am the gate. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture.
- Ephesians 2:18
  For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
- John 11:25–26
  Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies.
- John 1:4
  In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.
Through
Matthew 16:19
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
leads to
- Matthew 18:18
  Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
- Isaiah 22:22
  I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.
Through
Revelation 1:18
the Living One. I was dead, and behold, now I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of Death and of Hades.
leads to
- Romans 6:9
  For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has dominion over Him.

Featured studies on this passage

On Revelation 3:7

The Seven Churches of Revelation

Asia Minor, late 1st century. Seven cities along a clockwise postal route — Ephesus to Laodicea — each receiving a letter from the risen Christ. Praises, rebukes, promises. A Matt-13 parallel reading discoverable for those who want it.

Open the study →