Revelation 2 · Verse 16

Revelation 2:16

Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
Revelation 2:16, King James Version

Revelation 2:16 in other translations

BSBTherefore repent! Otherwise I will come to you shortly and wage war against them with the sword of My mouth.
WEBRepent therefore, or else I am coming to you quickly and I will make war against them with the sword of my mouth.
ASVRepent therefore; or else I come to thee quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of my mouth.
YLT‘Reform! and if not, I come to thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
DARBYRepent therefore: but if not, I come to thee quickly, and I will make war with them with the sword of my mouth.
BBESee, then, that you have a change of heart; or I will come to you quickly, and will make war against them with the sword of my mouth.
WebsterRepent; or else I will come to thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

What does Revelation 2:16 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
16. The three oldest manuscripts read, "Repent, therefore." Not only the Nicolaitanes, but the whole Church of Pergamos is called on to repent of not having hated the Nicolaitane teaching and practice. Contrast Paul, Ac 20:26. I will come--I am coming. fight against them--Greek, "war with them"; with the Nicolaitanes primarily; but including also chastisement of the whole Church at Pergamos: compare "unto THEE." with the sword of my mouth--resumed from Re 1:16, but with an allusion to the drawn sword with which the angel of the Lord confronted Balaam on his way to curse Israel: an earnest of the sword by which he and the seduced Israelites fell at last. The spiritual Balaamites of John's day are to be smitten with the Lord's spiritual sword, the word or "rod of His mouth."

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 16. Repent. Rev 2:5.

Or else I will come unto thee quickly. On the word quickly, Rev 1:1. The meaning here is, that he would come against them in judgment, or to punish them.

And will fight against them. Against the Nicolaitanes. He would come against the church for tolerating them, but his opposition would be principally directed against the Nicolaitanes themselves. The church would excite his displeasure by retaining them in its bosom, but it was in its power to save them from destruction. If the church would repent, or if it would separate itself from the evil, then the Saviour would not come against them. If this were not done, they would feel the vengeance of his sword, and be subjected to punishment. The church always suffers when it has offenders in its bosom; it has the power of saving them if it will repent of its own unfaithfulness, and will strive for their conversion.

With the sword of my mouth. Rev 1:16, 2:12. That is, he would give the order, and they would be cut as if by a sword. Precisely in what way it would be done he does not say; but it might be by persecution, or by heavy judgments. To see the force of this, we are to remember the power which Christ has to punish the wicked by a word of his mouth. By a word in the last day he will turn all the wicked into hell.

(a) "and will fight" Isa 11:4

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 16 Will fight against them with the sword of my mouth - See on Rev 2:12 (note). He now speaks for their edification and salvation; but if they do not repent, he will shortly declare those judgments which shall unavoidably fall upon them.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Revelation 2:12-17

The word of God is a sword, able to slay both sin and sinners. It turns and cuts every way; but the believer need not fear this sword; yet this confidence cannot be supported without steady obedience. As our Lord notices all the advantages and opportunities we have for duty in the places where we dwell, so he notices our temptations and discouragements from the same causes. In a situation of trials, the church of…

Read the full comment on Revelation 2:12-17 →

Revelation 2:16 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

μετανόησονmetanoēsondo repentG3340
οὖν·ountherefore!G3767
εἰeilestG1487
δὲdethenG1161
μή,mēexceptG3361
ἔρχομαίerchomaiI am comingG2064
σοιsoito youG4771
ταχὺtachuquicklyG5035
καὶkaiandG2532
πολεμήσωpolemēsōI will make warG4170
μετ᾽met᾽againstG3326
αὐτῶνautōnthemG846
ἐνenwithG1722
τῇtēatheG3588
ῥομφαίᾳrhomphaiaswordG4501
τοῦtouof theG3588
στόματόςstomatosmouthG4750
μου.mouof Mine.G3165

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Revelation 2:16

  • 2 Thessalonians 2:8

    And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

  • Revelation 1:16

    And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

  • Ephesians 6:17

    And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

  • Revelation 2:5

    Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

  • Isaiah 11:4

    But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

  • Revelation 2:12

    And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;

  • Revelation 19:21

    And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

  • Revelation 19:15

    And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

  • Isaiah 49:2

    And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;

  • Acts 17:30-31

    And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

  • Revelation 3:19

    As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

  • Revelation 2:21-22

    And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Repent.
5,21,22; 3:19; 16:9; Ac 17:30,31
else.
5
will fight.
12; 1:16; 19:15,21; Isa 11:4; 49:2; Eph 6:17; 2Th 2:8

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Revelation 2:15

    So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.

  • Revelation 2:16

    Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

  • Revelation 2:17

    He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

Read all of Revelation 2

Revelation 2:16 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Arrepiéntete, porque de otra manera vendré á ti presto, y pelearé contra ellos con la espada de mi boca.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Repens-toi donc; autrement je viens à toi promptement, et je combattrai contre eux par l’épée de ma bouche.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Tue nun Buße; wenn aber nicht, so komme ich dir bald und werde Krieg mit ihnen führen mit dem Schwerte meines Mundes.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Similiter pœnitentiam age: si quominus veniam tibi cito, et pugnabo cum illis in gladio oris mei.