God & Savior

Revelation 21:4

‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.”
Revelation 21:4
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Study notes

God will wipe every tear from their eyes; there will be no more death, mourning, crying or pain, because the old order has passed away.

Explanation

John sees a new heaven and a new earth, and God living with His people (21:1-3). The things that make this life painful will be gone for good. The words echo Isaiah 25:8.

Original language
  • ἐξαλείψει (exaleipsei): to blot out
    Greek · Verb, future, active, indicative, 3rd person singular · Strong's G1813 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    He will wipe away.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Revelation 21:4, word 2

  • δάκρυον (dakruon): teardrop
    Greek · Noun, accusative, singular, neuter · Strong's G1144 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Tear.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Revelation 21:4, word 4

  • θάνατος (thanatos): death
    Greek · Noun, nominative, singular, masculine · Strong's G2288 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Death.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Revelation 21:4, word 11

  • πένθος (penthos): grief
    Greek · Noun, nominative, singular, neuter · Strong's G3997 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Mourning, grief.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Revelation 21:4, word 16

  • κραυγή (kraugē): shouting
    Greek · Noun, nominative, singular, feminine · Strong's G2906 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Crying.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Revelation 21:4, word 18

  • πόνος (ponos): travail
    Greek · Noun, nominative, singular, masculine · Strong's G4192 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Pain.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Revelation 21:4, word 20

  • πρῶτα (prōta): first
    Greek · Adjective, nominative, plural, neuter · Strong's G4413H · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Former things.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Revelation 21:4, word 26

  • ἀπῆλθαν (apēlthan): to go away
    Greek · Verb, 2nd aorist, active, indicative, 3rd person plural · Strong's G0565 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Have passed away.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Revelation 21:4, word 27

Cross-references
  • Isaiah 25:8 · Background

    He will swallow up death forever; the Lord GOD will wipe away the tears.

  • Revelation 21:3 · Surrounding passage

    God's dwelling place is with man.

  • Revelation 7:17 · Same theme

    God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

Sources

Original language and places

Reference data from open datasets, shown as published by their sources. Word-by-word English is a literal guide, not a translation.

Original language (Greek)

καὶ ἐξαλείψει πᾶν δάκρυον ἐκ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτῶν, καὶ ὁ θάνατος οὐκ ἔσται ἔτι οὔτε πένθος οὔτε κραυγή, οὔτε πόνος οὐκ ἔσται ἔτι· ὅτι τὰ πρῶτα ἀπῆλθαν.

  1. καὶkai“And”
    Conjunction · from καί · “and” · Strong's G2532
  2. ἐξαλείψειexaleipsei“He will wipe away”
    Verb, future, active, indicative, 3rd person singular · from ἐξαλείφω · “to blot out” · Strong's G1813
  3. πᾶνpan“every”
    Adjective, accusative, singular, neuter · from πᾶς · “all” · Strong's G3956
  4. δάκρυονdakruon“tear”
    Noun, accusative, singular, neuter · from δάκρυ, δάκρυον · “teardrop” · Strong's G1144
  5. ἐκek“from”
    Preposition · “out from” · Strong's G1537
  6. τῶνtōn“the”
    Article, genitive, plural, masculine · from ὁ · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  7. ὀφθαλμῶνophthalmōn“eyes”
    Noun, genitive, plural, masculine · from ὀφθαλμός · “eye” · Strong's G3788
  8. αὐτῶν,autōn“of them,”
    Personal pronoun, genitive, plural, masculine · from αὐτός · “he/she/it/self” · Strong's G0846
  9. καὶkai“and”
    Conjunction · from καί · “and” · Strong's G2532
  10. ὁho“<the>”
    Article, nominative, singular, masculine · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  11. θάνατοςthanatos“death”
    Noun, nominative, singular, masculine · “death” · Strong's G2288
  12. οὐκouk“not”
    Particle, negative · from οὐ · “no” · Strong's G3756
  13. ἔσταιestai“will be”
    Verb, future, middle (deponent), indicative, 3rd person singular · from εἰμί · “to be” · Strong's G1510
  14. ἔτιeti“any longer”
    Adverb · “still” · Strong's G2089
  15. οὔτεoute“nor”
    Conjunction, nominative · “neither” · Strong's G3777
  16. πένθοςpenthos“mourning”
    Noun, nominative, singular, neuter · “grief” · Strong's G3997
  17. οὔτεoute“nor”
    Conjunction, nominative · “neither” · Strong's G3777
  18. κραυγή,kraugē“crying”
    Noun, nominative, singular, feminine · from κραυγή · “shouting” · Strong's G2906
  19. οὔτεoute“nor”
    Conjunction, nominative · “neither” · Strong's G3777
  20. πόνοςponos“pain”
    Noun, nominative, singular, masculine · “travail” · Strong's G4192
  21. οὐκouk“not”
    Particle, negative · from οὐ · “no” · Strong's G3756
  22. ἔσταιestai“they will be”
    Verb, future, middle (deponent), indicative, 3rd person singular · from εἰμί · “to be” · Strong's G1510
  23. ἔτι·eti“any longer;”
    Adverb · from ἔτι · “still” · Strong's G2089
  24. ὅτιhoti“because”
    Conjunction · “that/since” · Strong's G3754H
  25. τὰta“the”
    Article, nominative, plural, neuter · from ὁ · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  26. πρῶταprōta“former things”
    Adjective, nominative, plural, neuter · from πρῶτος · “first” · Strong's G4413H
  27. ἀπῆλθαν.apēlthan“have passed away.”
    Verb, 2nd aorist, active, indicative, 3rd person plural · from ἀπέρχομαι · “to go away” · Strong's G0565
  • Prepared by the God & Savior team. Not yet reviewed by an editor.
  • Greek words: STEP Bible (STEPBible.org), based on work at Tyndale House, Cambridge. CC BY 4.0. Source (version ed476a8)