Revelation 3:17

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

Because thou sayest, Rich, am I, and have become enriched, and, of nothing, have I need, and knowest not that, thou, art the wretched one, and pitiable, and destitute, and blind, and naked,

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
You say you are rich. You think you have become wealthy and don't need anything. But you don't know that you are really miserable, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.

Revised Standard Version
For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing; not knowing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
because thou sayst thou arte riche and incresyd wt goodes and haste nede of nothynge and knowest not howe thou arte wretched and miserable poore blinde and nakyd.

Hebrew Names Version
Because you say, 'I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing;' and don't know that you are the wretched one, miserable, poor, blind, and naked;

New American Standard Bible
'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have no need of anything," and you do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked,

New Century Version
You say, ‘I am rich, and I have become wealthy and do not need anything.' But you do not know that you are really miserable, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.

Update Bible Version
Because you say, I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing; and don't know that you are the wretched one and miserable and poor and blind and naked:

Webster's Bible Translation
Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

World English Bible
Because you say, 'I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing;' and don't know that you are the wretched one, miserable, poor, blind, and naked;

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Because thou sayst, I am rich, and have inriched myself, and have need of nothing, and knowest not, that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.

Weymouth's New Testament
You say, I am rich, and have wealth stored up, and I stand in need of nothing; and you do not know that if there is a wretched creature it is *you* -- pitiable, poor, blind, naked.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For thou seist, That Y am riche, and ful of goodis, and Y haue nede of no thing; and thou wost not, that thou art a wretche, and wretcheful, `and pore, and blynde, and nakid.

English Revised Version
Because thou sayest, I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art the wretched one and miserable and poor and blind and naked:

Berean Standard Bible
You say, 'I am rich; I have grown wealthy and need nothing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.

Contemporary English Version
You claim to be rich and successful and to have everything you need. But you don't know how bad off you are. You are pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.

Amplified Bible
'Because you say, "I am rich, and have prospered and grown wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked [without hope and in great need],

American Standard Version
Because thou sayest, I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art the wretched one and miserable and poor and blind and naked:

Bible in Basic English
For you say, I have wealth, and have got together goods and land, and have need of nothing; and you are not conscious of your sad and unhappy condition, that you are poor and blind and without clothing.

Complete Jewish Bible
For you keep saying, ‘ I am rich, I have gotten rich , I don't need a thing!' You don't know that you are the one who is wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked!

Darby Translation
Because thou sayest, I am rich, and am grown rich, and have need of nothing, and knowest not that *thou* art the wretched and the miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked;

International Standard Version
You say, "I am rich. I have become wealthy. I don't need anything." Yet you don't realize that you are miserable, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.Hosea 12:8; 1 Corinthians 4:8;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
Because thou sayest, I am rich, and have become opulent, and of nothing have need; and knowest not that thou art infirm, and miserable, and needy, and blind, and naked;

Murdock Translation
Because thou sayest, I am rich and affluent, and have no want of any thing; and thou knowest not, that thou art impotent, and miserable, and needy, and blind, and naked;

King James Version (1611)
Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and haue need of nothing: and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poore, and blinde, and naked.

New Living Translation
You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don't need a thing!' And you don't realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.

New Life Bible
You say that you are rich and that you need nothing, but you do not know that you are so troubled in mind and heart. You are poor and blind and without clothes.

New Revised Standard
For you say, ‘I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing.' You do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

English Standard Version
For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

Geneva Bible (1587)
For thou saiest, I am rich and increased with goods, and haue neede of nothing, and knowest not howe thou art wretched and miserable, and poore, and blinde, and naked.

George Lamsa Translation
Because you say, I am rich and my wealth has increased, and I need nothing; and you do not know that you are miserable, and a wanderer, and poor, and blind, and naked:

Douay-Rheims Bible
Because thou sayest: I am rich and made wealthy and have need of nothing: and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Because thou sayest, I am riche and increased with goodes, and haue neede of nothyng: & knowest not howe that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poore, and blynde, and naked.

Good News Translation
You say, ‘I am rich and well off; I have all I need.' But you do not know how miserable and pitiful you are! You are poor, naked, and blind.

Christian Standard Bible®
For you say, ‘I’m rich; I have become wealthy and need nothing,’

King James Version
Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

Lexham English Bible
Because you are saying, "I am rich, and have become rich, and I have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and pitiable and poor and blind and naked,

Literal Translation
Because you say, I am rich, and I am made rich, and I have need of nothing, and do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.

Young's Literal Translation
because thou sayest -- I am rich, and have grown rich, and have need of nothing, and hast not known that thou art the wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
because thou saist thou art riche and incresyd with goodes and hast nede of nothinge, and knowest not how thou art wretched & miserable, poore, blynde, and nakyd.

Mace New Testament (1729)
you say you are rich, and have increased your gain, and have need of nothing; but you do not consider that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.

New English Translation
Because you say, "I am rich and have acquired great wealth, and need nothing," but do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked,

New King James Version
Because you say, "I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'--and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked--

Simplified Cowboy Version
You think you are rich and don't need anything else. But what you don't understand is you are actually poorer than dirt, blind, and naked.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,

Contextual Overview

¹⁴ And, unto the messenger of the assembly, in Laodicea, write: - These things, saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness the beginning of the creation of God: ¹⁵ I know thy works; - that neither, cold, art thou, nor hot: I would that, cold, thou hadst been, or hot. ¹⁶ Thus, because, lukewarm, thou art, and neither hot nor cold, I am about to vomit thee out of my mouth. ¹⁷ Because thou sayest, Rich, am I, and have become enriched, and, of nothing, have I need, and knowest not that, thou, art the wretched one, and pitiable, and destitute, and blind, and naked, ¹⁸ I counsel thee to buy of me, gold refined by fire, that thou mayest become rich, - and white raiment, that thou mayest array thyself, and, the shame of thy nakedness, may not be made manifest, - and eye-salve, to anoint thine eyes, that thou mayest see. ¹⁹ I, as many as I tenderly love, I convict and put under discipline: be zealous, therefore, and repent. ²⁰ Lo! I am standing at the door, and knocking; if anyone shall hearken unto my voice, and open the door, I will come in unto him, and will sup with him, and, he, with, me. ²¹ He that overcometh, I will give, unto him, to take his seat with me in my throne, as, I also, overcame, and took my seat with my Father in his throne. ²² He that hath an ear, let him hear what, the Spirit, is saying unto the assemblies.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

I am: Revelation 2:9, Proverbs 13:7, Hosea 12:8, Zechariah 11:5, Luke 1:53, Luke 6:24, Luke 18:11, Luke 18:12, Romans 11:20, Romans 11:25, Romans 12:3, 1 Corinthians 4:8-10

have need: Deuteronomy 8:12-14, Proverbs 30:9, Jeremiah 2:31, Matthew 9:12

knowest: Romans 2:17-23

wretched: Matthew 5:3, Romans 7:24

blind: Isaiah 42:19, John 9:40, John 9:41, 2 Peter 1:9

naked: Revelation 16:15, Genesis 3:7, Genesis 3:10, Genesis 3:11, Exodus 32:35

Reciprocal: Exodus 32:25 - naked 2 Chronicles 28:19 - made Judah Psalms 72:12 - For Proverbs 8:5 - General Proverbs 9:4 - General Proverbs 26:12 - a man Isaiah 42:18 - ye deaf Isaiah 46:12 - Hearken Isaiah 59:6 - neither Isaiah 64:6 - all our Jeremiah 2:23 - How canst Ezekiel 16:7 - whereas Zephaniah 1:17 - they shall Matthew 6:23 - If Matthew 7:7 - and it Matthew 25:9 - but Mark 10:24 - trust Luke 6:25 - full Luke 6:42 - see Luke 11:35 - General Luke 15:29 - Lo John 4:10 - thou wouldest Acts 2:40 - Save Acts 8:22 - pray Romans 2:19 - art confident Romans 10:3 - to establish 1 Corinthians 10:12 - General 2 Corinthians 8:7 - as 2 Corinthians 11:19 - seeing 1 Timothy 6:4 - He 1 John 1:6 - If 1 John 2:11 - because

Cross-References

Genesis 3:2
And the woman said unto the serpent, - Of the fruit of the trees of the garden, we may eat;

Genesis 3:3
but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said Ye shall not eat of it neither shall ye touch it, - lest ye die.

Genesis 3:5
For God doth know, that in the day ye eat thereof, then shall your eyes be opened, - and ye shall become like God, knowing good and evil.

Genesis 3:6
And, when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was desirable to the eyes and the tree was pleasant to make one knowing, then took she of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and she gave to her husband also, along with her, and he did eat.

Genesis 3:7
Then were opened the eyes of them both, and they knew that, naked, they were, - so they tacked together fig-leaves, and made for themselves girdles,

Genesis 3:9
And Yahweh God called unto the man, - and said to him, Where art thou?

Genesis 3:11
And he said, Who told thee that, naked, thou wast? Of the tree whereof I commanded thee not to eat, hast thou eaten?

Genesis 3:13
Then said Yahweh God to the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, the serpent, deceived me, so I did eat.

Genesis 3:14
Then said Yahweh God unto the serpent - Because thou hast done this, Accursed, art thou above every tame-beast, and above every wild-beast of the field, - on thy belly, shall thou go, and dust, shalt thou eat all the days of thy life.

Genesis 3:16
Unto the woman, he said, I will, increase, thy pain of pregnancy, In pain, shalt thou year children, - Yet, unto thy husband, shall be thy hinging, Though, he, rule over thee.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Because thou sayest, I am rich,.... In worldly goods, which occasioned her lukewarmness, as riches often do, and her vanity, pride, and arrogance, afterwards expressed. Laodicea was a very rich city, and so will be this church state, through the accession of kings and princes, and great men of the earth unto it, in the former period: riches seldom do any good to the churches of Christ, they did not in Constantine's time; and it seems that even at the close of the spiritual reign of Christ they will be of bad consequence, since they will usher in the Laodicean church state: or her meaning is, that she was rich in spiritual things; not in grace, but in external gifts, which still remained, upon the very great pouring forth of the Spirit in the last church state; and in good works, on which she too much trusted for salvation, placing her righteousness in them: she is one whom the Jews c call עשיר בתורה, "rich in the law":

and increased with goods: with outward peace and prosperity, with much natural and divine light and knowledge, with the purity of Gospel ordinances, even beyond the former church state in her own imagination:

and have need of nothing: contenting herself with these external things: true believers, as considered in Christ, stand in need of nothing indeed, they are complete in him, and have everything in him; but, as considered in themselves, they are daily in need of daily food for their souls, as for their bodies, of fresh light and life, strength and comfort, and of new supplies of grace; wherefore this church shows great ignorance of herself, as well as great pride and arrogance to express herself in this manner:

and knowest not that thou art wretched; as all men are in a state of nature and unregeneracy; which may be the case of many professors, and they be ignorant of it; as to be under a sentence of wrath, obnoxious to the curses of the law, in danger of hell and destruction, lost and undone, and unable to extricate themselves out of such a state: true believers account themselves wretched, as the Apostle Paul did, on account of indwelling sin, and the plague of their own hearts, which the members of this church, the greater part of them, were ignorant of:

and miserable; a miserable man is one that is attended with outward afflictions, but this was not the case of this church; and with spiritual poverty, blindness, and nakedness, and this was her case; some persons neither know their misery, nor their need of mercy:

and poor; not in purse, nor in spirit, nor with respect to outward afflictions, nor as to her church state, but in a spiritual sense; one whom the Jews call a d רש בתורה, "poor in the law"; as such may be said to be who have nothing to eat that is fit to eat; nothing to wear but rags, and have no money to buy either; who are in debt, and not able to pay, nor to help themselves on any account; and this may be the case of professors, and yet not known and considered by them:

and blind; natural men are blind as to a saving knowledge of God in Christ, as to the way of salvation by Christ, as to the plague of their own hearts, as to the work of the Spirit of God upon the soul, and as to the truths of the Gospel, in the power of them; but here it regards blindness with respect to her church state, and its imperfection:

and naked; sin has stripped man of his moral clothing; man's own righteousness will not cover his nakedness; and whoever is destitute of the righteousness of Christ is a naked person.

c Yalkut Simeoni, par. 2. fol. 106. 2. d Vajikra Rabba, sect. 34. fol. 173. 4. vid. Targum in Cant. viii. 9.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Because thou sayest, I am rich - So far as the language here is concerned, this may refer either to riches literally, or to spiritual riches; that is, to a boast of having religion enough. Prof. Stuart supposes that it refers to the former, and so do Wetstein, Vitringa, and others. Doddridge, Rosenmuller, and others, understand it in the latter sense. There is no doubt that there was much wealth in Laodicea, and that, as a people, they prided themselves on their riches. See the authorities in Wetstein on Colossians 2:1, and Vitringa, p. 160. It is not easy to determine which is the true sense; but may it not have been that there was an allusion to both, and that, in every respect, they boasted that they had enough? May it not have been so much the characteristic of that people to boast of their wealth, that they carried the spirit into everything, and manifested it even in regard to religion? Is it not true that they who have much of this world’s goods, when they make a profession of religion, are very apt to suppose that they are well off in everything, and to feel self-complacent and happy? And is not the possession of much wealth by an individual Christian, or a Christian church, likely to produce just the lukewarmness which it is said existed in the church at Laodicea? If we thus understand it, there will be an accordance with the well-known fact that Laodicea was distinguished for its riches, and, at the same time, with another fact, so common as to be almost universal, that the possession of great wealth tends to make a professed Christian self-complacent and satisfied in every respect; to make him feel that, although he may not have much religion, yet he is on the whole well off; and to produce, in religion, a state of just such lukewarmness as the Saviour here says was loathsome and odious.

And increased with goods - πεπλουτηκα peploutēka - “am enriched.” This is only a more emphatic and intensive way of saying the same thing. It has no reference to the kind of riches referred to, but merely denotes the confident manner in which they affirmed that they were rich.

And have need of nothing - Still an emphatic and intensive way of saying that they were rich. In all respects their needs were satisfied; they had enough of everything. They felt, therefore, no stimulus to effort; they sat down in contentment, self-complacency, and indifference. It is almost unavoidable that those who are rich in this world’s goods should feel that they have need of nothing. There is no more common illusion among people than the feeling that if one has wealth he has everything; that there is no want of his nature which cannot be satisfied with that; and that he may now sit down in contentment and ease. Hence, the almost universal desire to be rich; hence the common feeling among those who are rich that there is no occasion for solicitude or care for anything else. Compare Luke 12:19.

And knowest not - There is no just impression in regard to the real poverty and wretchedness of your condition.

That thou art wretched - The word “wretched” we now use to denote the actual consciousness of being miserable, as applicable to one who is sunk into deep distress or affliction. The word here, however, refers rather, to the condition itself than to the consciousness of that condition, for it is said that they did not know it. Their state was, in fact, a miserable state, and was suited to produce actual distress if they had had any just sense of it, though they thought that it was otherwise.

And miserable - This word has, with us now, a similar signification; but the term used here - ἐληινὸς elēinos - rather means a pitiable state than one actually felt to be so. The meaning is, that their condition was one that was suited to excite pity or compassion; not that they were actually miserable. Compare the notes on 1 Corinthians 15:19.

And poor - Notwithstanding all their boast of having enough. They really had not what was necessary to meet the actual needs of their nature, and, therefore, they were poor. Their worldly property could not meet the needs of their souls; and, with all their pretensions to piety, they had not religion enough to meet the necessities of their nature when calamities should come, or when death should approach; and they were, therefore, in the strictest sense of the term, poor.

And blind - That is, in a spiritual respect. They did not see the reality of their condition; they had no just views of themselves, of the character of God, of the way of salvation. This seems to be said in connection with the boast which they made in their own minds - that they had everything; that they wanted nothing. One of the great blessings of life is clearness of vision, and their boast that they had everything must have included that; but the speaker here says that they lacked that indispensable thing to completeness of character and to full enjoyment. With all their boasting, they were actually blind - and how could one who was in that state say that he “had need of nothing?”

And naked - Of course, spiritually. Salvation is often represented as a garment Matthew 22:11-12; Revelation 6:11; Revelation 7:9, Revelation 7:13-14; and the declaration here is equivalent to saying that they had no religion. They had nothing to cover the nakedness of the soul, and in respect to the real needs of their nature they were like one who had no clothing in reference to cold, and heat, and storms, and to the shame of nakedness. How could such an one be regarded as rich? We may learn from this instructive verse:

(1) That people may think themselves to be rich, and yet, in fact, be miserably poor. They may have the wealth of this world in abundance, and yet have nothing that really will meet their needs in disappointment, bereavement, sickness, death; the needs of their never-dying soul; their needs in eternity. What had the “rich fool,” as he is commonly termed, in the parable, when he came to die? Luke 12:16 ff. What had “Dives,” as he is commonly termed, to meet the needs of his nature when he went down to hell? Luke 16:19 ff.

(2) People may have much property, and think that they have all they want, and yet be wretched. In the sense that their condition is a wretched condition, this is always true; and in the sense that they are consciously wretched, this may be, and often is, true also.

(3) People may have great property, and yet be miserable. This is true in the sense that their condition is a pitiable one, and in the sense that they are actually unhappy. There is no more pitiable condition than that where one has great property, and is self-complacent and proud, and who has nevertheless no God, no Saviour, no hope of heaven, and who perhaps that very day may “lift up his eyes in hell, being in torments”; and it need not be added that there is no greater actual misery in this world than what sometimes finds its way into the palaces of the rich. He greatly errs who thinks that misery is confined to the cottages of the poor.

(4) People may be rich, and think they have all that they want, and yet be blind to their condition. They really have no distinct vision of anything. They have no just views of God, of themselves, of their duty, of this world, or of the next. In most important respects they are in a worse condition than the inmates of an asylum for the blind, for they may have clear views of God and of heaven. Mental darkness is a greater calamity than the loss of natural vision; and there is many an one who is surrounded by all that affluence can give, who never yet had one correct view of his own character, of his God, or of the reality of his condition, and whose condition might have been far better if he had actually been born blind.

(5) There may be gorgeous robes of adorning, and yet real nakedness. With all the decorations that wealth can impart, there may be a nakedness of the soul as real as that of the body would be if, without a rag to cover it, it were exposed to cold, and storm, and shame. The soul destitute of the robes of salvation, is in a worse condition than the body without raiment; for how can it bear the storms of wrath that shall beat upon it forever, and the shame of its exposure in the last dread day?

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Revelation 3:17. I am rich — Thou supposest thyself to be in a safe state, perfectly sure of final salvation, because thou hast begun well, and laid the right foundation. It was this most deceitful conviction that cut the nerves of their spiritual diligence; they rested in what they had already received, and seemed to think that once in grace must be still in grace.

Thou art wretched — ταλαιπωρος Most wretched. "The word signifies," according to Mintert, "being worn out and fatigued with grievous labours, as they who labour in a stone quarry, or are condemned to the mines." So, instead of being children of God, as they supposed, and infallible heirs of the kingdom, they were, in the sight of God, in the condition of the most abject slaves.

And miserable — ο ελεεινος Most deplorable, to be pitied by all men.

And poor — Having no spiritual riches, no holiness of heart. Rich and poor are sometimes used by the rabbins to express the righteous and the wicked.

And blind — The eyes of thy understanding being darkened, so that thou dost not see thy state.

And naked — Without the image of God, not clothed with holiness and purity. A more deplorable state in spiritual things can scarcely be imagined than that of this Church. And it is the true picture of many Churches, and of innumerable individuals.