Revelation 3:9
in Revelation 3Look at those who belong to the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews but are liars instead. I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and they will know that I love you.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Behold, I give of the synagogue of Satan, of them that say they are Jews, and they are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
KJV
Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
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This verse in Revelation 3
Commentary
10 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Behold, I will make - Greek, “I give” - δίδωμι didōmi; that is, I will arrange matters so that this shall occur. The word implies that he had power to do this, and consequently proves that he has power over the heart of man, and Call secure such a result as he chooses. Them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews - Who profess to be Jews, but are really of the synagogue of Satan. See the notes on Rev 2:
This site's exposition
the synagogue of Satan
Those who claim to be Jews but are liars instead are a local hostile party, like those of 2:9. The words bow down at your feet borrow Isaiah 60:14, where nations bow at Zion's feet, and turn them toward a persecuted church.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"Behold, those from the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie: behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and learn that I have loved you." At that time he promised to the universal …
The Medieval Church2 voices
Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not. He promised this to the whole Church at that time, because not only in Philadelphia did they believe from the synagogue of the Jews, as we find …
Behold, I will bring of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie. Behold, I will make them to come and adore before thy feet. And they shall know that I have loved thee. In this passage is …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Thirdly, This will, by the grace of Christ, soften the hearts of their enemies, and make them desirous to be admitted into communion with them. (2.) Another instance of favour that Christ promises to this church is persevering grace in the most trying times (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
I will make them come and bow down before thy feet - Pay thee the lowest homage. And know - At length, that all depends on my love, and that thou hast a place therein. O how often does the judgment of the people turn quite round, when the Lord looketh upon them!
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
I will make--Greek present, "I make," literally, "I give" (see on Re 3:8). The promise to Philadelphia is larger than that to Smyrna. To Smyrna the promise was that "the synagogue of Satan" should not prevail against the faithful in her: to Philadelphia, that she should even win over some of "the synagogue of Satan" to fall on their faces and confess God is in her of a truth.
I will make them - Show them to be, of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews, pretending thereby to be of the synagogue of God, and consequently his true and peculiar children. I will make them to come and worship - I will so dispose of matters in the course of my providence, that the Jews shall be obliged to seek unto the Christians for toleration, support, and protection, which they shall be obliged to sue for in the most humble and abject manner. To know that I have loved thee - That the love which was formerly fixed on the Jews is now removed, and transferred to the Gentiles.
The words behind it
34 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἰδοὺ | idou | Behold | G2400 → | 200 times |
| διδῶ | dido | I may give | G1325 → | 412 times |
| ἐκ | ek | [those] from | G1537 → | 911 times |
| τῆς | tes | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| συναγωγῆς | sunagoges | synagogue | G4864 → | |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| σατανᾶ | satana | of Satan — | G4567 → | 36 times |
| τῶν | ton | those | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| λεγόντων | legonton | declaring | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| ἑαυτοὺς | he'autous | themselves | G1438 → | 322 times |
| Ἰουδαίους | ioudaious | Jews | G2453 → | |
| εἶναι | einai | to be | G1511 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| οὐκ | ouk | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| εἰσίν, | eisin | are, | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ἀλλὰ | alla | but | G235 → | 635 times |
| ψεύδονται, | pseudontai | they lie — | G5574 → | |
| ἰδοὺ | idou | behold | G2400 → | 200 times |
| ποιήσω | poieso | I will cause | G4160 → | 569 times |
| αὐτοὺς | autous | them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἵνα | ina | that | G2443 → | 668 times |
| ἥξουσιν | hexousin | they will come | G2240 → | 26 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| προσκυνήσουσιν | proskunesousin | they will worship | G4352 → | 60 times |
| ἐνώπιον | enopion | before | G1799 → | 94 times |
| τῶν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ποδῶν | podon | feet | G4228 → | 93 times |
| σου | sou | of you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| γνῶσιν | gnosin | they may know | G1097 → | 221 times |
| ὅτι | hoti | that | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| ἐγὼ | ego | I myself | G1473 → | 839 times |
| ἠγάπησά | egapesa | loved | G25 → | 143 times |
| σε. | se | you. | G4771 → | 2973 times |
ἰδοὺBehold
idouG2400 →200 times
διδῶI may give
didoG1325 →412 times
ἐκ[those] from
ekG1537 →911 times
τῆςthe
tesG3588 →19766 times
συναγωγῆςsynagogue
sunagogesG4864 →
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
σατανᾶof Satan —
satanaG4567 →36 times
τῶνthose
tonG3588 →19766 times
λεγόντωνdeclaring
legontonG3004 →1325 times
ἑαυτοὺςthemselves
he'autousG1438 →322 times
ἸουδαίουςJews
ioudaiousG2453 →
εἶναιto be
einaiG1511 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
οὐκnot
oukG3756 →1664 times
εἰσίν,are,
eisinG1510 →2333 times
ἀλλὰbut
allaG235 →635 times
ψεύδονται,they lie —
pseudontaiG5574 →
ἰδοὺbehold
idouG2400 →200 times
ποιήσωI will cause
poiesoG4160 →569 times
αὐτοὺςthem
autousG846 →5565 times
ἵναthat
inaG2443 →668 times
ἥξουσινthey will come
hexousinG2240 →26 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
προσκυνήσουσινthey will worship
proskunesousinG4352 →60 times
ἐνώπιονbefore
enopionG1799 →94 times
τῶνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
ποδῶνfeet
podonG4228 →93 times
σουof you
souG4771 →2973 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
γνῶσινthey may know
gnosinG1097 →221 times
ὅτιthat
hotiG3754 →1292 times
ἐγὼI myself
egoG1473 →839 times
ἠγάπησάloved
egapesaG25 →143 times
σε.you.
seG4771 →2973 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
Isaiah 49:23Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow to you facedown and lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD;…
it leads to
- Isaiah 45:14
This is what the LORD says: “The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush, along with the Sabeans, men of stature, will come over to you and will be yours; they will trudge…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 60:16
You will drink the milk of nations and nurse at the breasts of royalty; you will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
- Isaiah 60:14
The sons of your oppressors will come and bow down to you; all who reviled you will fall facedown at your feet and call you the City of the LORD, Zion of the Holy…
- Isaiah 60:3
Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
- Micah 7:17
They will lick the dust like a snake, like reptiles slithering on the ground. They will crawl from their holes in the presence of the LORD our God; they will tremble in fear of…
- Isaiah 45:14
Through
Isaiah 60:14The sons of your oppressors will come and bow down to you; all who reviled you will fall facedown at your feet and call you the City of the LORD, Zion of the Holy…
it leads to
- Isaiah 49:23
Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow to you facedown and lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD;…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 49:23
Through
Isaiah 43:4Because you are precious and honored in My sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you and nations in place of your life.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 7:6–8
For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His prized possession out of all peoples on the face of…
- Deuteronomy 7:6–8
Through
Revelation 2:9I know your affliction and your poverty—though you are rich! And I am aware of the slander of those who falsely claim to be Jews, but are in fact a synagogue of Satan.
it leads to
- James 2:5–6
Listen, my beloved brothers: Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him?
- James 2:5–6
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies9
About Revelation
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Alcuin of York, COMMENTARY ON REVELATION; Bede, Commentary on Revelation; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Ticonius, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 3:9.