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J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

Revelation 22:2

in the midst of the broadway thereof. And, on this side of the river and on that, was a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, every several month, yielding its fruit; and, the leaves of the tree, were for the healing of the nations,

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Church;   Heaven;   Jesus Continued;   Medicine;   Readings, Select;   Righteousness;   River;   Symbols and Similitudes;   Types;   Vision;   Thompson Chain Reference - Degrees of Fruitfulness;   Disease, Spiritual;   Fruitfulness;   Future, the;   Healing;   Health-Disease;   Heaven;   Heavenly;   Home;   Life;   Living Water;   Spiritual;   Tree of Life;   Water;   Water of Life;   Wells;   The Topic Concordance - Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ;   Servants;   Tree of Life;   Truth;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Months;   Trees;   Types of Christ;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Trees;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Apocalyptic literature;   Disease;   Eschatology;   Evil;   Healing;   Heaven;   Mission;   Paradise;   Revelation, book of;   Temple;   Vision;   Water;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Drink;   Life;   New Jerusalem;   Prophet, Prophetess, Prophecy;   Water;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Obedience;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Tree of Life;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Adam (1);   Garden;   Manna;   Paradise;   Revelation of John, the;   Wilderness of the Wanderings;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Fall;   Fountain;   Gentiles;   Heaven;   Heavenly City, the;   Leaf, Leaves;   Number Systems and Number Symbolism;   Revelation, the Book of;   Tree of Life;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Life;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Fellowship (2);   Fig-Tree ;   Fruit;   Minister Ministry;   New Jerusalem;   Paradise;   River ;   River (2);   Sanctify, Sanctification;   Street;   Time;   Tree ;   Tree (2);   Tree of Life;   Type;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Medicine;   Revelation, the;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Christ;   Tree;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Eden;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Christ;   Leaf;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Either;   Filth;   Jerusalem, New;   Leaf;   Life;   Medicine;   Revelation of John:;   Tree of Life;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Adam;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Eden, Garden of;   Paradise;   Tree of Life;  

Devotionals:

- Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for August 28;  

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
It flows down the middle of the street of the city. The tree of life is on each side of the river, and it produces fruit every month, twelve times a year. The leaves of the tree are for healing the nations.
Revised Standard Version
through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
In the myddes of the strete of it and of ether syde of ye ryver was there wode of lyfe: which bare xii maner of frutes: and gave frute every moneth: and the leves of the wodde served to heale the people with all.
Hebrew Names Version
in the midst of its street. On this side of the river and on that was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruits, yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
New American Standard Bible
in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
New Century Version
down the middle of the street of the city. The tree of life was on each side of the river. It produces fruit twelve times a year, once each month. The leaves of the tree are for the healing of all the nations.
Update Bible Version
in the midst of the street thereof. And on this side of the river and on that was the tree of life, bearing twelve [manner of] fruits, yielding its fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Webster's Bible Translation
In the midst of the street of it, and on each side of the river, [was there] the tree of life, which bore twelve [kinds of] fruits, [and] yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree [were] for the healing of the nations.
World English Bible
in the midst of its street. On this side of the river and on that was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruits, yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river is the tree of life, bearing twelve sorts of fruits, yielding its fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
Weymouth's New Testament
On either side of the river, midway between it and the main street of the city, was the Tree of Life. It produced twelve kinds of fruit, yielding a fresh crop month by month, and the leaves of the tree served as medicine for the nations.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
in the myddil of the street of it. And on ech side of the flood, the tree of lijf, bryngynge forth twelue fruytis, yeldinge his fruit bi ech monethe; and the leeues of the tree ben to heelthe of folkis.
English Revised Version
in the midst of the street thereof. And on this side of the river and on that was the tree of life, bearing twelve manner of fruits, yielding its fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Berean Standard Bible
down 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. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
Contemporary English Version
Then it flowed down the middle of the city's main street. On each side of the river are trees that grow a different kind of fruit each month of the year. The fruit gives life, and the leaves are used as medicine to heal the nations.
Amplified Bible
in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
American Standard Version
in the midst of the street thereof. And on this side of the river and on that was the tree of life, bearing twelve manner of fruits, yielding its fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Bible in Basic English
In the middle of its street. And on this side of the river and on that was the tree of life, having twelve sorts of fruits, giving its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree give life to the nations.
Complete Jewish Bible
Between the main street and the river was the Tree of Life producing twelve kinds of fruit, a different kind every month; and the leaves of the tree were for healing the nations —
Darby Translation
In the midst of its street, and of the river, on this side and on that side, [the] tree of life, producing twelve fruits, in each month yielding its fruit; and the leaves of the tree for healing of the nations.
International Standard Version
Between the street of the city and the river there was the tree of life visible from both sides. It produced twelve kinds of fruit, each month having its own fruit. The leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.Genesis 2:9; Ezekiel 47:12; Revelation 2:7;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
In the midst of the wide street of it, and by the river, here and there, (was) the tree of life, which produced twelve fruits, in every month giving each one its fruit. And the leaves of the tree (are) for the healing of the nations.
Murdock Translation
And in the middle of its broad avenue, and near the river, on this side and on that, [fn] the tree of life; which bore twelve [fn] fruits yielding one of its fruits each month: and the leaves of the tree [fn] for the healing of the nations.
King James Version (1611)
In the middest of the street of it, and of either side of the riuer, was there the tree of life, which bare twelue manner of fruits, and yeelded her fruit euery moneth: and the leaues of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
New Living Translation
It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations.
New Life Bible
It runs down the center of the street in the city. On each side of the river was the tree of life. It gives twelve different kinds of fruit. It gives this fruit twelve times a year, new fruit each month. Its leaves are used to heal the nations.
New Revised Standard
through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
English Standard Version
through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Geneva Bible (1587)
In the middes of the street of it, and of either side of ye riuer, was the tree of life, which bare twelue maner of fruits, and gaue fruit euery moneth: and the leaues of the tree serued to heale the nations with.
George Lamsa Translation
In the midst of the great street of the city, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve kind of fruits, and each month it yielded one of its fruits; and the leaves of the trees were for the healing of the people.
Douay-Rheims Bible
In the midst of the street thereof, and on both sides of the river, was the tree of life, bearing twelve fruits, yielding its fruits every month: the leaves of the tree for the healing of the nations.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
In the middes of the streate of it, and of either side of the ryuer, was there wood of lyfe, which bare twelue maner of fruites, and gaue fruite euery moneth: and the leaues of the wood serued to heale the people withall.
Good News Translation
and flowing down the middle of the city's street. On each side of the river was the tree of life, which bears fruit twelve times a year, once each month; and its leaves are for the healing of the nations.
Christian Standard Bible®
down the middle of the city’s main street. The tree of life was on each side of the river, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree are for healing the nations,
King James Version
In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Lexham English Bible
in the middle of its street, and on both sides of the river is the tree of life, producing twelve fruits—yielding its fruit according to every month—and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
Literal Translation
In the midst of its street and of the river, from here and from there, was a tree of life producing twelve fruits: according to one month each yielding its fruit. And the leaves of the tree were for healing of the nations.
Young's Literal Translation
in the midst of its broad place, and of the river on this side and on that, [is] a tree of life, yielding twelve fruits, in each several month rendering its fruits, and the leaves of the tree [are] for the service of the nations;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
in the myddes of the strete of it, and of ether syde of the ryuer was there wod of life: which bare twolue maner of frutes: and gaue frute euery moneth: and the leaues of the wodd serued to heale the people withall.
Mace New Testament (1729)
in the midst of the area, surrounded by the river, was the tree of life, which had twelve fruit-seasons, yielding its fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
New English Translation
flowing down the middle of the city's main street. On each side of the river is the tree of life producing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month of the year. Its leaves are for the healing of the nations.
New King James Version
In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Simplified Cowboy Version
It flowed down the middle of the street. On each side of the street grew a tree of life that makes fruit twelve times a year. Its leaves will heal the nations.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

Contextual Overview

1 And he pointed out to me a river of water of life, bright as crystal, issuing forth out of the throne of God and of the Lamb, 2 in the midst of the broadway thereof. And, on this side of the river and on that, was a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, every several month, yielding its fruit; and, the leaves of the tree, were for the healing of the nations, 3 And, no curse, shall there be, any more; and, the throne of God and of the Lamb, shall be, therein, - and his servants will render divine service unto him, 4 and they shall see his face, and, his name, shall be upon their foreheads. 5 And, night, shall be, no more; and they have no need of the light of a lamp or the light of a sun, because, the Lord, God, will give them light, - and they shall reign unto the ages of ages.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the midst: Revelation 22:1, Revelation 21:21, Ezekiel 47:1, Ezekiel 47:12

the tree of life: Rather, the definite article not being in the original, "a tree of life;" for there were three trees; one in the street, and one on each side of the river. Revelation 22:14, Revelation 2:7, Genesis 2:9, Genesis 3:22-24, Proverbs 3:18

healing: Revelation 21:24, Psalms 147:3, Isaiah 6:10, Isaiah 57:18, Isaiah 57:19, Jeremiah 17:14, Ezekiel 47:8-11, Hosea 14:4, Malachi 4:2, Luke 4:18, 1 Peter 2:24

Reciprocal: Exodus 15:27 - Elim Deuteronomy 33:14 - moon 2 Kings 2:21 - I have healed Psalms 1:3 - tree Proverbs 12:18 - but Proverbs 13:12 - a tree Song of Solomon 2:3 - his fruit Isaiah 33:24 - the inhabitant Jeremiah 30:17 - For I Ezekiel 47:7 - many Joel 3:18 - and a Zechariah 14:8 - living Matthew 13:15 - and I Matthew 19:28 - the twelve Luke 20:36 - can John 4:10 - living 2 Timothy 1:10 - and hath Revelation 22:19 - out of the book of life

Cross-References

Genesis 17:19
And God said - Truly, Sarah thy wife, is about to bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name, Isaac, - and I will establish my covenant with him as an age-abiding covenant, to his seed after him.
Genesis 21:12
And God said unto Abraham Let it not be grievous in thine eyes concerning the boy and concerning thy bondwoman, In all that Sarah may say unto thee, hearken to her voice, - For in Isaac, shall there be called to thee - a seed.
Genesis 22:9
Then came they into the place which God had named to him, and Abraham built there the altar, and aid in order the pieces of wood, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, above the pieces of wood.
Genesis 22:10
And Abraham put forth his hand, and took the knife, - to slay his son.
Genesis 22:12
Then he said, Do not put forth thy hand unto the young man, neither do to him - anything at all, - for, now, know I that one who reverest God, thou art, when thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only one, from me.
Genesis 22:16
and said, By myself, have I sworn is the oracle of Yahweh, - Because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only one,
Judges 11:31
then shall it be, that, whosoever cometh forth out of the doors of my house, to meet me, when I return successful, from the sons of Ammon, shall belong unto Yahweh, and I will offer him up, as an ascending-sacrifice.
Judges 11:39
And it came to pass, at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, and he fulfilled on her his vow which he had vowed, - she not having known man. And it became a statute, in Israel: -
2 Kings 3:27
So he took his firstborn son who was to have reigned in his stead, and offered him up as an ascending-sacrifice upon the wall. And so it came to pass that there was great indignation against Israel. And they brake up from against him, and returned to their own land.
2 Chronicles 3:1
Then began Solomon, to build the house of Yahweh, in Jerusalem, in Mount Moriah, where he had appeared unto David his father, - -in the place which David had prepared, in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

In the midst of the street of it,.... That is, of the city described in the preceding chapter, which shows that this vision belongs to that, and is a continuation of it, and which street was all of pure gold, Revelation 21:21

and on either side of the river was there the tree of life; not that it stood either in the midst of the street of the city, which being a pavement of gold, a tree could not well stand there; nor on both sides of the river, which is impossible, unless the tree of life is put for many trees of the same kind, as in Ezekiel's vision, to which the allusion is; and so some were on one side of the river, and some on the other, as there; see Ezekiel 47:7 or unless it can be thought that such a solution of the difficulty is sufficient, that the root of it was on one side, and the branches grew over to the other; though the words may be better rendered, and the difficulty will be removed, and the sense be clear, "between the street of it", the city, "and the river, on this side, and on that side"; that is, the street on one side, and the river on the other, was the tree of life; compare with this John 19:18. So the Jews say e, that the tree of life is in the midst of paradise, and its body covers all the garden; and that there is in it five hundred thousand different tastes; and that there is no likeness and smell like it. By the tree of life is meant not the Gospel, nor godliness, nor eternal life, nor any other of the divine Persons, but Christ, who is the author of life, natural, spiritual, and eternal;

John 19:18- : and its situation between the street of the city, where the saints commune and converse together, and the river of God's everlasting love, which in this state will appear in its fulness and glory, shows that Christ will be seen and enjoyed by all in the most delightful and comfortable manner that can be wished for:

which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month; not one sort of fruit one month, and another sort another month, and so on, but twelve sorts every month; which is expressive of the fruits and spiritual blessings of grace from Christ, enjoyed by saints in the present state, and of that variety of happiness and pleasures to be had in this glorious state, and of the continuance of them; they being always ever fresh and new, and will be always sufficient for the twelve tribes of the true Israel of God, and for all that have embraced the doctrine of the twelve apostles of the Lamb; whose drink in this state will be the everlasting love of God, and whose food will be the fruit of the tree of life; both which they shall enjoy in great abundance:

and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations; not for the curing of diseases, or repairing of health; which in the present state of things is done by the application of the blood of Christ for the pardon of sin, which is a healing of diseases, and by the discoveries of the love of God; through the ministration of the Gospel, and the doctrines of it, which might be thought to be signified by leaves; for there will be no disease either of body or mind in this state; besides, the nations that will walk in the light of this city will be saved perfectly and completely, Revelation 21:4 but these leaves will be for the preserving and continuing the health of the people of God in this state, as the tree of life in Eden's garden was for the preservation of the health and life of Adam, had he continued in a state of innocence; and it denotes that everything in Christ will contribute to the comfort, health, and happiness of the saints. The Jews interpret the passage in Ezekiel 47:12 to which this refers, of future time, or the world to come f; and speak of various trees and herbs of great fragrancy and medicinal virtues, which grow quite round on the sides of a laver that stands in paradise g.

e Yalkut Simeoni, par. 1. fol. 7. 1. f Shirhashirim Rabba, fol. 19. 1. g Sepher Avodah Hakkodesh, fol. 46. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

In the midst of the street of it - Prof. Stuart renders this, “between the street thereof and the river”; and says that “the writer conceives of the river as running through the whole city; then of streets parallel to it on either side; and then, on the banks of the river, between the water and the street, the whole stream is lined on either side with two rows of the tree of life.” The more common interpretation, however, is doubtless admissible, and would give a more beautiful image; that in the street, or streets of the city, as well as on the banks of the river, the tree of life was planted. It abounded everywhere. The city had not only a river passing through it, but it was pervaded by streets, and all those streets were lined and shaded with this tree. The idea in the mind of the writer is that of Eden or Paradise; but it is not the Eden of the book of Genesis, or the Oriental or Persian Paradise: it is a picture where all is combined, that in the view of the writer would constitute beauty, or contribute to happiness.

And on either side of the river - As well as in all the streets. The writer undoubtedly conceives of a single river running through the city - probably as meandering along - and that river lined on both sides with the tree of life. This gives great beauty to the imagery.

Was there the tree of life - Not a single tree, but it abounded everywhere - on the banks of the river, and in all the streets. It was the common tree in this blessed Paradise - of which all might partake, and which was everywhere the emblem of immortality. In this respect, this new Paradise stands in strong contrast with that in which Adam was placed at his creation, where there seems to have been a single tree that was designated as the tree of life, Genesis 3:22-23. In the future state of the blessed, that tree will abound, and all may freely partake of it; the emblem, the pledge of immortal life, will be constantly before the eyes, whatever part of the future abode may be traversed, and the inhabitants of that blessed world may constantly partake of it.

Which bare twelve manner of fruits - “Producing twelve fruit-harvests; not (as our version) twelve manner of fruits” (Prof. Stuart). The idea is not that there are twelve kinds of fruit on the same tree, for that is not implied in the language used by John. The literal rendering is, “producing twelve fruits” - ποιοῦν καρποὺς δώδεκα poioun karpous dōdeka. The word “manner” has been introduced by the translators without authority. The idea is, that the tree bore every month in the year, so that there were twelve fruit-harvests. It was not like a tree that bears but once a year, or in one season only, but it constantly bore fruit - it bore every month. The idea is that of abundance, not variety. The supply never fails; the tree is never barren. As there is but a single class of trees referred to, it might have been supposed, perhaps, that, according to the common method in which fruit is produced, there would be sometimes plenty and sometimes want; but the writer says that, though there is but one kind, yet the supply is ample. The tree is everywhere; it is constantly producing fruit.

And yielded her fruit every month - The word “and” is also supplied by the translators, and introduces an idea which is not in the original, as if there was not only a succession of harvests, which is in the text, but that each one differed from the former, which is not in the text. The proper translation is, “producing twelve fruits, yielding or rendering its fruit in each month.” Thus there is, indeed, a succession of fruit-crops, but it is the same kind of fruit. We are not to infer, however, that there will not be variety in the occupations and the joys of the heavenly state, for there can be no doubt that there will be ample diversity in the employments, and in the sources of happiness, in heaven; but the single thought expressed here is, that the means of life will be abundant: the trees of life will be everywhere, and they will be constantly yielding fruit.

And the leaves of the tree - Not only the fruit will contribute to give life, but even the leaves will be salutary. Everything about it will contribute to sustain life.

Were for the healing - That is, they contribute to impart life and health to those who had been diseased. We are not to suppose that there will be sickness, and a healing process in heaven, for that idea is expressly excluded in Revelation 21:4; but the meaning is, that the life and health of that blessed world will have been imparted by partaking of that tree; and the writer says that, in fact, it was owing to it that they who dwell there had been healed of their spiritual maladies, and had been made to live forever.

Of the nations - Of all the nations assembled there, Revelation 21:24. There is a close resemblance between the language used here by John and that used by Ezekiel Ezekiel 47:12, and it is not improbable that both these writers refer to the same thing. Compare also in the Apocrypha, 2 Esdras 2:12; 8:52-54.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Revelation 22:2. In the midst of the street of it — That is, of the city which was described in the preceding chapter.

The tree of life — An allusion to Genesis 2:9. As this tree of life is stated to be in the streets of the city, and on each side of the river, tree must here be an enallage of the singular for the plural number, trees of life, or trees which yielded fruit by which life was preserved. The account in Ezekiel is this: "And by the river, upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade-it shall bring forth new fruit, according to his months - and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine;" Ezekiel 47:12.

Twelve manner of fruits — καρπους δωδεκα Twelve fruits; that is, fruit twelve times in the year, as is immediately explained, yielded her fruit every month. As this was a great and spacious city, one fountain was not sufficient to provide water for it, therefore a river is mentioned; a great river, by which it was sufficiently watered. Some think that by this tree of life the Gospel is indicated; the twelve fruits are the twelve apostles; and the leaves are Gospel doctrines by which the nations-the Gentiles, are healed of the disease of sin. But this seems to be a fanciful interpretation.


 
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