Revelation 22:2
What does Revelation 22:2 mean?
A plain-English look at Revelation 22:2 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Revelation 22:2 means
The river runs through the city’s main street, and on both sides stands the tree of life—an image of superabundant provision and accessibility. It bears twelve kinds of fruit, yielding monthly, signaling completeness, variety, and continual supply with no seasons of scarcity. The leaves bring healing to the nations, not implying lingering illness, but the full mending of all that was broken and the removal of every fracture among peoples. The blessings of the city are not narrow or tribal; they encompass the nations in lasting wholeness. The long-closed way to life is now open, and the city is a garden where God’s life flows freely to His people.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000in the midst of the street thereof. And on this side of the river and on that was the tree of life, bearing twelve manner of fruits, yielding its fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
KJV
King James Version · 1611In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901in the midst of the street thereof. And on this side of the river and on that was the tree of life, bearing twelve manner of fruits, yielding its fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949In the middle of its street. And on this side of the river and on that was the tree of life, having twelve sorts of fruits, giving its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree give life to the nations.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862in the midst of its broad place, and of the river on this side and on that, <FI>is<Fi> a tree of life, yielding twelve fruits, in each several month rendering its fruits, and the leaves of the tree <FI>are<Fi> for the service of the nations;
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752In the midst of the street thereof, and on both sides of the river, was the tree of life, bearing twelve fruits, yielding its fruits every month: the leaves of the tree for the healing of the nations.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890In the midst of its street, and of the river, on this side and on that side, [the] tree of life, producing twelve fruits, in each month yielding its fruit; and the leaves of the tree for healing of the nations.
Context
Following the river from the throne, John sees how its life blesses the whole city. The imagery deliberately echoes and surpasses Eden and prophetic visions of a life-giving river. Verse 2 highlights abundance and reconciliation for the nations. The next verse makes explicit that the curse is gone and that God and the Lamb’s throne define the city. This frame helps the reader see the tree’s fruit and leaves as signs of total restoration under God’s reign.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Revelation 22:14
Blessed are they that wash their robes, that they may have the right to come to the tree of life, and may enter in by the gates into the city.
- Genesis 3:22
And Jehovah God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever—
- 1 Peter 2:24
who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed.
- Ezekiel 47:8
Then said he unto me, These waters issue forth toward the eastern region, and shall go down into the Arabah; and they shall go toward the sea; into the sea shall the waters go which were made to issue forth; and the waters shall be healed.
- Revelation 21:21
And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the several gates was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
- Revelation 22:19
and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book.
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