Revelation 2:8
Greek (Tischendorf 8th ed.) Revelation 2:8 appears in the Greek New Testament. The text above is from the Tischendorf 8th edition. Each word links to its Strong’s number and a concise gloss. Click any word for its full Thayer’s Greek Lexicon entry."To the angel of the assembly in Smyrna write: "The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life says these things:
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Compare translations 3
The same verse in 3 English versions, stacked beneath the original-language interlinear above. Click any original word for its lexicon entry.
Each is an independent rendering of the whole verse — the interlinear is not word-aligned to these translations.
Highlighted words mark where these versions differ — a whole-verse word diff, not a word-by-word alignment.
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World English Bible Public Domain
"To the angel of the assembly in Smyrna write: "The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life says these things:
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King James Version Public Domain
And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
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unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The first and the last, who became dead but lived, says these things:
unfoldingWord Literal Text — © unfoldingWord, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Word-aligned USFM3 via Door43 (git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ult).
Show all 19 translations
Every available English version of this verse, each an independent rendering of the whole verse.
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World English Bible Public Domain
"To the angel of the assembly in Smyrna write: "The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life says these things:
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Berean Standard Bible Public Domain
To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of the First and the Last, who died and returned to life.
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Majority Standard Bible Public Domain
To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of the First and the Last, who died and returned to life.
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King James Version Public Domain
And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
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American Standard Version (1901) Public Domain
And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These things saith the first and the last, who was dead, and lived `again':
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Revised Version (1885) Public Domain
And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and lived again:
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Geneva Bible (1599) Public Domain
And vnto the Angel of the Church of the Smyrnians write, These things saith he that is first, and last, which was dead and is aliue.
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Douay-Rheims (1899) Public Domain
And to the angel of the church of Smyrna write: These things saith the First and the Last, who was dead, and is alive:
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Young's Literal Translation Public Domain
`And to the messenger of the assembly of the Smyrneans write: These things saith the First and the Last, who did become dead and did live;
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Literal Standard Version CC BY-SA 4.0
And to the messenger of the assembly of the Smyrneans write: These things says the First and the Last, who became dead and lived:
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Unlocked Literal Bible CC BY-SA 4.0
“To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: 'The words of the one who is the first and the last, the one who was dead and who became alive again:
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unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The first and the last, who became dead but lived, says these things:
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Darby Bible Public Domain
And to the angel of the assembly in Smyrna write: These things says the first and the last, who became dead, and lived:
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World Messianic Bible Public Domain
“To the angel of the assembly in Smyrna write: “The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life says these things:
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Webster's Bible Public Domain
And to the angel of the church in Smyrna, write; These things saith the first and the last, who was dead, and is alive;
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Free Bible Version CC BY-SA 4.0
Write this to the angel of the Smyrna church: This is what the first and last says, the one who was dead and came back to life:
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Bible in Basic English Public Domain
And to the angel of the church in Smyrna say: These things says the first and the last, who was dead and is living:
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Text-Critical English NT CC BY 4.0
“To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘These are the words of the first and the last, who was dead and came to life:
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Tyndale New Testament (1534) Public Domain
And vnto the angell of the congregacion of Smyrna wryte: These thynges sayth he that is fyrst and the laste which was deed and is alive.
Literal Standard Version (2020), Covenant Press — licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API (eBible.org). Unlocked Literal Bible (unfoldingWord) — licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API (eBible.org). unfoldingWord Literal Text — © unfoldingWord, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Word-aligned USFM3 via Door43 (git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ult). Free Bible Version, Dr. Jonathan Gallagher — licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API (eBible.org).
Word by word
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- Appears 2× in the Greek New Testament
- First appears at Revelation 1:11
- Part of Speech
- Noun
- Case
- Dative
- Number
- Singular
- Gender
- Feminine
Full Thayer's Definition
- Καὶ kaí G2532 “and” Conjunction
- τῷ ho G3588 “the” Article, Dative, Singular, Masculine
- ἀγγέλῳ ángelos G32 “angel” Noun, Dative, Singular, Masculine
- τῆς ho G3588 “the” Article, Genitive, Singular, Feminine
- ἐν en G1722 “in” Preposition
- Ζμύρνῃ Smýrna G4667 “Smyrna” Noun, Dative, Singular, Feminine
- ἐκκλησίας ekklēsía G1577 “assembly” Noun, Genitive, Singular, Feminine
- γράψον gráphō G1125 “to write” Verb, Aorist, Active, Imperative, 2nd person, Singular
- τάδε hóde G3592 “this” Demonstrative pronoun, Accusative, Plural, Neuter
- λέγει légō G3004 “to say” Verb, Present, Active, Indicative, 3rd person, Singular
- ὁ ho G3588 “the” Article, Nominative, Singular, Masculine
- πρῶτος prōtos G4413 “first” Adjective, Nominative, Singular, Masculine, Superlative
- καὶ kaí G2532 “and” Conjunction
- ὁ ho G3588 “the” Article, Nominative, Singular, Masculine
- ἔσχατος éschatos G2078 “last” Adjective, Nominative, Singular, Masculine, Superlative
- ὃς hós G3739 “who” Relative pronoun, Nominative, Singular, Masculine
- ἐγένετο gínomai G1096 “to become” Verb, Aorist, Middle deponent, Indicative, 3rd person, Singular
- νεκρὸς nekrós G3498 “dead” Adjective, Nominative, Singular, Masculine
- καὶ kaí G2532 “and” Conjunction
- ἔζησεν záō G2198 “to live” Verb, Aorist, Active, Indicative, 3rd person, Singular
About this verse
These counts appear in no published source. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged text and Lemma’s own curated glosses. What Lemma adds →
- 20
- words
- 15
- distinct lemmas
- Revelation
- section
Cross-references
4Topical passages linked to Revelation 2:8 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — connected by theme and wording, ordered by reader-vote popularity; previews shown in the World English Bible.
- Revelation 1:17–18 When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man. He laid his right hand on me, saying, "Don't be afraid. I am the first and the last,
- Revelation 1:8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."
- Revelation 1:11 saying, "What you see, write in a book and send to the seven assemblies: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and to Laodicea."
- Revelation 2:1 To the angel of the assembly in Ephesus write: "He who holds the seven stars in his right hand, he who walks among the seven golden lampstands says these things:
Cross-references courtesy of OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0).
Lesson kit
Teaching starters — assembled from the data on this page, not authored interpretation. Every prompt links to the verse data it draws on. Edit before teaching.
Revelation, in the Revelation, opens this verse with 20 words (15 distinct Greek lemmas). Its most distinctive word is Smýrna (“Smyrna”). A historical commentator’s framing appears above. Read the whole chapter for the surrounding context.
Discussion questions
- What does “Smyrna” (Smýrna) contribute to the verse as a whole?
- How does Revelation 1:11, which shares the word «Smyrna», read alongside this verse?
- What does the repetition of “the” (4× in this one verse) do in this verse?
- The translations on this page render this verse differently — a whole-verse word diff, not a word-by-word alignment. What might account for the different wordings?
- Compare how The Biblical Illustrator and Joseph Benson's Commentary read this verse. Where do they agree or differ?
Things to notice
- These translations choose different wording for 11 words in this verse.
- “the” occurs 4× in this single verse.
- 15 distinct Greek lemmas span 20 words in this verse.
Commentary
Notes on Revelation 2:8 from classic Christian and Jewish commentators (each source and its license shown beneath its notes). The classic Christian expositions comment on the surrounding passage and are grouped to its opening verse, so a note may address several verses; the Jewish commentaries on the Tanakh (Rashi and others) are per-verse, so they appear only where the commentator wrote on this verse.
Lemma curates 59 commentaries, every one of them public domain or Creative Commons licensed, each selected and text-cleaned for this edition rather than reprinted as found. About our sources →
The Biblical Illustrator
Joseph S. Exell
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Joseph Benson's Commentary
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Whedon's Commentary on the Bible
Daniel D. Whedon
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary
Joseph S. Exell (gen. ed.)
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary (gen. ed. Joseph S. Exell; Funk & Wagnalls, c. 1892) — public domain (pre-1929). A full-Bible homiletical/sermon-outline anthology covering 65 of 66 books (2 John is absent from the source module). Text from a community e-Sword module.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale Open Resources
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Meyer's Critical & Exegetical Commentary
Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer
Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Expositor's Greek Testament
ed. W. Robertson Nicoll
The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Geneva Bible (1599)
Geneva Bible translators
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.
Matthew Henry's Commentary
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Adam Clarke's Commentary
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
John Gill's Exposition
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Trapp's Complete Commentary
John Trapp
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Matthew Poole's English Annotations
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
The Pulpit Commentary
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
John Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Scofield Reference Notes
C. I. Scofield
The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Kretzmann's Popular Commentary
Paul E. Kretzmann
Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament
William Burkitt
William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Godbey's Commentary on the New Testament
William B. Godbey
William B. Godbey, Commentary on the New Testament (1896–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The People's New Testament
B. W. Johnson
B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.
unfoldingWord translationNotes
Door43 World Missions Community
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges
Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Alford’s Greek Testament
Henry Alford
Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Vincent's Word Studies in the New Testament
Marvin R. Vincent
Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.