Bible Strands
2 Thessalonians 1:9
They will suffer the penalty of eternal destruction, separated from the presence of the Lord and the glory of His might,
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Paul writes to the Thessalonian believers, describing God's judgment on those who reject the gospel (v.8), framed by Christ's coming to be glorified in His saints (v.10).
The words — dikēn (δικην) is the same word used for "righteousness" elsewhere; here it means the just penalty owed. Olethron (ὄλεθρον) is total ruin, not mere death.
The thread — Matthew 25:46 pairs "eternal punishment" with "eternal life" as the two final destinations; Revelation 14:10 describes unending torment in fire.
Why it lands — The verse defines the penalty as separation from God's presence, not merely pain; it asks the reader to take the gospel's claim seriously enough to choose a side.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
Cross-references
- Matthew 25:41 Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
- Matthew 25:46 And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
- Revelation 14:10 he too will drink the wine of God’s anger, poured undiluted into the cup of His wrath. And he will be tormented in fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of His mouth and annihilate by the majesty of His arrival.
- Revelation 21:8 But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.”
- Isaiah 2:21 They will flee to caverns in the rocks and crevices in the cliffs, away from the terror of the LORD and from the splendor of His majesty, when He rises to shake the earth.
- Philippians 3:19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and their glory is in their shame. Their minds are set on earthly things.
- Matthew 7:23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’
- Matthew 16:27 For the Son of Man will come in His Father’s glory with His angels, and then He will repay each one according to what he has done.
- Isaiah 2:10 Go into the rocks and hide in the dust from the terror of the LORD and the splendor of His majesty.