Revelation 22:19

And if anyone takes away from the words of this book of prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and the holy city, which are described in this book.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The speaker, identified as the one testifying to these visions, addresses all who hear or read the book of Revelation at the conclusion of the apocalyptic narrative.

The words — ἀφελῃ (aphelē) literally means “shall take away,” and λόγων (logōn) means “words,” forming the grammatical core of the warning against textual alteration.

The thread — This prohibition mirrors Deuteronomy 4:2’s command against adding to or subtracting from divine instruction, while Revelation 22:18 establishes the direct parallel warning against adding to the prophecy. The threatened forfeiture of inheritance directly references the tree of life and holy city described in Revelation 22:2.

Why it lands — The verse demands exact preservation of the prophetic text, plainly stating that anyone who removes from its words will lose his share in the promised eternal inheritance.

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

And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

Cross-references

Deuteronomy 4:2 You must not add to or subtract from what I command you, so that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I am giving you.
Luke 11:52 Woe to you experts in the law! For you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.”
Revelation 22:2 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.
Psalms 69:28 May they be blotted out of the Book of Life and not listed with the righteous.
Revelation 1:3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and obey what is written in it, because the time is near.
Revelation 21:2 I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Revelation 21:22 But I saw no temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
Exodus 32:33 The LORD replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot out of My book.
Revelation 3:4 But you do have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments, and because they are worthy, they will walk with Me in white.
Revelation 3:12 The one who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will never again leave it. Upon him I will write the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God (the new Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven from My God), and My new name.