Revelation 3:20

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with Me.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Jesus addresses the church in Laodicea immediately after commanding them to be earnest and repent. He positions himself outside their current spiritual state, actively waiting for a response.

The words — The Greek ἕστηκα (hestēka) indicates a completed action of standing, while κρούω (krouō) denotes a persistent knocking. These terms frame the passage as a continuous, unyielding offer rather than a single momentary event.

The thread — The imagery parallels Luke 12:36, where servants wait for their master to return from a wedding banquet, and points toward Revelation 19:9, which blesses those invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb. The conditional structure mirrors John 14:21, tying the reception of Jesus to the keeping of his commandments.

Why it lands — The text states a clear sequence: hear the voice, open the door, and enter into mutual dining fellowship. It requires a direct response to the offer, not an abstract theological agreement.

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

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

Cross-references

Luke 12:36 Then you will be like servants waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks, they can open the door for him at once.
Revelation 19:9 Then the angel told me to write, “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”
John 14:21 Whoever has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me. The one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him.”
Matthew 24:33 So also, when you see all these things, you will know that He is near, right at the door.
Song of Solomon 5:2 I sleep, but my heart is awake. A sound! My beloved is knocking: “Open to me, my sister, my darling, my dove, my flawless one. My head is drenched with dew, my hair with the dampness of the night.”
Luke 17:8 Instead, won’t he tell him, ‘Prepare my meal and dress yourself to serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you may eat and drink’?