Revelation 3:17 kjv

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:

Revelation 3:17 nkjv

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?

Revelation 3:17 niv

You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.

Revelation 3:17 esv

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

Revelation 3:17 nlt

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.

Revelation 3 verses

Revelation 3 17 Meaning

Revelation 3:17 exposes the profound spiritual disconnect and self-deception of the church in Laodicea. While they perceived themselves as self-sufficient, rich, and lacking nothing, Christ's diagnosis reveals their true state as utterly wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. This verse highlights the spiritual danger of mistaking material prosperity or perceived self-sufficiency for genuine spiritual health and wealth in the eyes of God. It is a severe warning against spiritual complacency and pride.

Revelation 3 17 Context

Revelation 3:17 is part of the letter to the church in Laodicea, the seventh and final of the seven churches of Asia addressed in Revelation 2-3. Historically, Laodicea was a very wealthy commercial city in the Roman province of Asia (modern Turkey). It was renowned for its banking industry, its textile production of a glossy black wool, and a famous medical school, particularly known for an eye salve (collyrium) made from Phrygian powder. Spiritually, the church in Laodicea mirrored the city's self-sufficiency and affluence, but in a negative way. Unlike other churches facing persecution or moral issues, Laodicea's primary problem was spiritual apathy, pride, and complacency. Christ condemns their "lukewarm" (Rev 3:16) state and exposes their severe spiritual poverty beneath a veneer of worldly success and self-assuredness. This verse sets the stage for Christ's remedies offered in Rev 3:18.

Revelation 3 17 Word analysis

• Because you say (Ὅτι λέγεις): This highlights the core issue: the church's internal declaration and perception of themselves. legō (λέγεις) means "to say, speak," emphasizing their active verbalization or internalized belief. Their assessment is stated as fact.
• ‘I am rich’ (ὅτι πλούσιός εἰμι): plousios (πλούσιος) means "rich, wealthy." Laodicea was a hub for finance and known for its vast wealth. This refers to their material prosperity, which they incorrectly equated with spiritual well-being.
• ‘have become wealthy’ (καὶ πεπλούτηκα): plouteō (πλουτέω) means "to be rich, to grow rich." This implies a continuous state or an ongoing accumulation of wealth, reinforcing their perceived financial success. It also subtly suggests an emphasis on their own efforts in achieving this state, fostering a spirit of independence.
• ‘and have need of nothing’ (καὶ οὐδὲν χρείαν ἔχω): ouden chreian echō means literally "nothing need I have." This is the pinnacle of their self-deception and complacency. They felt complete and satisfied, demonstrating absolute self-reliance and no perceived dependence on God, directly contrasting true spiritual hunger and need.
• —and do not know (καὶ οὐκ οἶδας): ouk oidas ("you do not know"). This is a stark revelation of their spiritual ignorance and lack of self-awareness. Their problem was not just spiritual sickness, but a failure to recognize it. It could suggest willful ignorance or a profound spiritual dullness caused by their prosperity.
• that you are wretched (ὅτι σὺ εἶ ταλαίπωρος): talaipōros (ταλαίπωρος) means "distressed, wretched, miserable, experiencing hardship." It denotes a state of profound affliction or enduring labor, despite their perception of ease. In a spiritual sense, it describes one who is miserable due to being weary of evil or struggling against spiritual forces, or one whose state causes pity.
• miserable (καὶ ἐλεεινὸς): eleeinos (ἐλεεινός) means "pitiable, lamentable, deserving of compassion." Often linked with talaiporos, it emphasizes the pitiful aspect of their spiritual wretchedness, evoking sympathy for their condition despite their arrogance.
• poor (καὶ πτωχὸς): ptōchos (πτωχός) signifies extreme poverty, someone utterly destitute, reliant on begging, not just lacking resources but possessing nothing. This sharply contrasts their boast of being plousios. Spiritually, it means being devoid of saving grace, righteousness, and heavenly treasures.
• blind (καὶ τυφλὸς): typhlos (τυφλός) means "blind, without physical or spiritual sight." Laodicea was known for its eye salve. This condemns their spiritual discernment—they could not see their own desperate spiritual state or the truths of God.
• and naked (καὶ γυμνὸς): gymnos (γυμνός) means "naked, exposed, unclad." Laodicea was famed for its black wool. Spiritually, nakedness represents shame, disgrace, and a lack of righteousness before God (they had no "wedding garment" of Christ's righteousness). It signifies having no spiritual covering for their sins.

Revelation 3 17 Bonus section

The profound irony in Rev 3:17 lies in Laodicea's famed industries providing direct symbolic parallels for their spiritual failings. Their wealth (banking) masked spiritual poverty. Their acclaimed textiles (black wool) failed to cover their spiritual nakedness. And their renowned eye salve could not cure their spiritual blindness. This precise use of local context makes the condemnation exceptionally pointed for the original recipients. Furthermore, the progression of descriptors from "wretched" to "naked" suggests a deepening downward spiral in their spiritual state, indicating not merely isolated issues but a comprehensive spiritual illness. Their condition was not just about lacking "some" things; it was a total deficit of essential spiritual life.

Revelation 3 17 Commentary

Revelation 3:17 unveils the quintessential problem of spiritual delusion rooted in material success and self-reliance. The Laodicean church boasted of their abundance, directly reflecting their city's material wealth and famed industries—banking, black wool textiles, and medical eye salves. Their declaration, "I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," revealed a dangerous spiritual complacency. They believed they were complete and lacked nothing from God, seeing their earthly prosperity as a sign of divine favor and spiritual maturity.

However, Christ's pronouncement ("and do not know") rips away their self-deception, revealing a jarring reality. They were not only spiritually ignorant of their true state but were in complete antithesis to their self-assessment. Christ exposes them as:

1. Wretched: Burdened by spiritual misery, despite outward appearance.
2. Miserable: Pitiable in their wretched state, deserving of compassion from God, not self-applause.
3. Poor: Utterly destitute, lacking true spiritual riches from God, having only worldly treasures.
4. Blind: Spiritually unable to discern their true condition or the Lord's perspective, ironically in a city famous for eye medicine.
5. Naked: Uncovered by the righteousness of Christ, exposed in their shame, without spiritual garment, contrasting with the city's renown for its textiles.

This verse serves as a timeless warning that external prosperity can breed internal spiritual bankruptcy and a profound lack of reliance on Christ. It teaches that true spiritual wealth, vision, and covering come only from humble dependence on Christ, not from worldly accumulation or self-sufficiency. This indictment sets the stage for Christ's compassionate call in Rev 3:18, offering a way out of their spiritual destitution.