2 Thessalonians 2:8
What does 2 Thessalonians 2:8 mean?
A plain-English look at 2 Thessalonians 2:8 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What 2 Thessalonians 2:8 means
Once the restraint is removed, “then shall be revealed the lawless one.” Yet his rise is short-lived, because “the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth, and bring to nought by the manifestation of his coming.” The image emphasizes the effortless supremacy of Christ: His mere appearing ends the pretender. The breath of His mouth recalls the power of His word—He conquers not by human force but by divine authority. For believers, the certainty of this outcome reorients fear: the climax of evil only stages the display of the Lord’s glory. The same coming that gathers His people also exposes and destroys the counterfeit rule.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000And then shall be revealed the lawless one, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth, and bring to nought by the manifestation of his coming;
KJV
King James Version · 1611And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901And then shall be revealed the lawless one, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth, and bring to nought by the manifestation of his coming;
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And then will come the revelation of that evil one, whom the Lord Jesus will put to death with the breath of his mouth, and give to destruction by the revelation of his coming;
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862and then shall be revealed the Lawless One, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the manifestation of his presence,
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And then that wicked one shall be revealed: whom the Lord Jesus shall kill with the spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: him
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890and then the lawless one shall be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus shall consume with the breath of his mouth, and shall annul by the appearing of his coming;
Context
After establishing the restrainer and the present working of lawlessness (vv6–7), Paul reveals the sequence’s next step: the unveiling of the lawless one and his immediate defeat. The narrative arc now turns from the timing of evil to the nature of its deception (vv9–10) and the moral reasons some perish. By placing Christ’s victory first, Paul frames all that follows as limited and doomed within the larger certainty of the Lord’s return.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- 1 John 2:13
I write unto you, fathers, because ye know him who is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the evil one. I have written unto you, little children, because ye know the Father.
- Hebrews 10:27
but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which shall devour the adversaries.
- Psalms 18:15
Then the channels of waters appeared, And the foundations of the world were laid bare, At thy rebuke, O Jehovah, At the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.
- 2 Timothy 1:10
but hath now been manifested by the appearing of our Saviour Christ Jesus, who abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,
- Daniel 7:10
A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousands of thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
- Job 4:9
By the breath of God they perish, And by the blast of his anger are they consumed.
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