Revelation 22:15

For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(15) For without are dogs and sorcerers . . .—Better, Outside are the dogs, and the sorcerers, and the fornicators, and the murderers, and the idolators, and every one loving and doing falsehood. The language is again an echo of earlier words. (See Revelation 21:8.) The allusion to the dogs outside the city is hardly appreciated by Westerns. In the East, however, “troops of hungry and semi-wild dogs used to wander about the fields and streets of the cities, devouring dead bodies and other offal (1Kings 14:11; 1Kings 16:4; 1Kings 21:19; 1Kings 22:38; 2Kings 9:10; 2Kings 9:36; Jeremiah 15:3; Psalm 59:6), and thus became such objects of dislike that fierce and cruel enemies are poetically styled dogs in Psalm 22:16; Psalm 22:20.” The dog, moreover, was an unclean animal; dogs, therefore, are represented as outside the city, because nothing unclean is allowed to enter. The sins enumerated here are similar to those mentioned in the last chapter (Revelation 22:8); it is the reiteration, therefore, of the warning that those who would enter in must break off their sins by righteousness.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

22:6-19 The Lord Jesus spake by the angel, solemnly confirming the contents of this book, particularly of this last vision. He is the Lord God faithful and true. Also by his messengers; the holy angels showed them to holy men of God. They are things that must shortly be done; Christ will come quickly, and put all things out of doubt. And by the integrity of that angel who had been the apostle's interpreter. He refused to accept religious worship from John, and reproved him for offering it. This presents another testimony against idolatrous worship of saints and angels. God calls every one to witness to the declarations here made. This book, thus kept open, will have effect upon men; the filthy and unjust will be more so, but it will confirm, strengthen, and further sanctify those who are upright with God. Never let us think that a dead or disobedient faith will save us, for the First and the Last has declared that those alone are blessed who do his commandments. It is a book that shuts out form heaven all wicked and unrighteous persons, particularly those who love and make lies, therefore cannot itself be a lie. There is no middle place or condition. Jesus, who is the Spirit of prophecy, has given his churches this morning-light of prophecy, to assure them of the light of the perfect day approaching. All is confirmed by an open and general invitation to mankind, to come and partake freely of the promises and of the privileges of the gospel. The Spirit, by the sacred word, and by convictions and influence in the sinner's conscience, says, Come to Christ for salvation; and the bride, or the whole church, on earth and in heaven, says, Come and share our happiness. Lest any should hesitate, it is added, Let whosoever will, or, is willing, come and take of the water of life freely. May every one who hears or reads these words, desire at once to accept the gracious invitation. All are condemned who should dare to corrupt or change the word of God, either by adding to it, or taking from it.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For without are dogs - The wicked, the depraved, the vile: for of such characters the dogs, an unclean animal among the Jews, was regarded as a symbol, Deuteronomy 23:18. On the meaning of the expression, see the notes on Philippians 3:2. The word "without" means that they would not be admitted into the heavenly city, the New Jerusalem, Revelation 21:8, Revelation 21:27.

And sorcerers, ... - All these characters are specified in Revelation 21:8, as excluded from heaven. See the notes on that verse. The only change is, that those who "love and make a lie" are added to the list; that is, who delight in lies, or what is false.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

15. But—so Coptic. But A, B, Hippolytus, Andreas, and Cyprian omit.

dogs—Greek, "the dogs"; the impure, filthy (Re 22:11; compare Php 3:2).

maketh—including also "whosoever practiceth a lie" [W. Kelly].

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "Revelation 22:13"

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

For without are dogs,.... That is, without the holy city are such persons who are comparable to dogs for their filthiness, impudence, and voraciousness, as are persecutors, heretics, and apostates, Matthew 7:6. Some think Sodomites are intended, as in Deuteronomy 23:18. So Abarbinel and others interpret the law; and who abound in the Roman jurisdiction, called therefore Sodom, Revelation 11:8 and indeed all wicked men, who will be cast out into outer darkness, may be signified hereby. The Jews say (k),

"when a man dies, if he be worthy (or righteous) he descends in the likeness of a lion to receive "his" soul, but if not, in the likeness of "a dog", concerning which David says, Psalm 22:20.''

And sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters; characters of the antichristian party, who will have no place in this city, or glorious kingdom of Christ; See Gill on Revelation 21:8.

And whosoever loveth and maketh a lie; who loves both to invent and tell lies, and loves to hear them told by others; meaning more especially the doctrinal lies of antichrist, which are spoken in hypocrisy by him, and his followers are given up to believe.

(k) Raya Mchimna in Zohar in Numb. fol. 95. 2.

Geneva Study Bible

For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

κύνες, an archaic metaphor, coloured by the nomad’s hatred of hounds; cf. Arabia Deserta, i. 337, 339 (“only the dog has no citizenship in the nomad life”. “It is the only life mishandled by the gentle Arab, who with spurns and blows cast out these profane creatures from the tent.”) Here κύνες are not merely impure pagans, but the impudently impure, possibly in the special and darker sense of “sodomites” (cf. 1 Timothy 1:10; Deuteronomy 23:19-20, collated with πόρνη and βδέλυγμα). cf. on Revelation 21:8 and Cooke’s North Sem. Inscriptions, p. 68. Such loathsome practices were not uncommon in the Oriental cults.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

15. For] should be omitted.

dogs &c.] The articles should be expressed, “the dogs, and the sorcerers (see on Revelation 9:21, Revelation 21:8), and the fornicators, and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone that loveth &c.”

maketh] Or doeth: the word is the same as in St John’s I Ephesians 1:6. To do the truth or a lie is a great deal more, for good or evil, than merely to say it. In that passage, the false Christian’s falsehood lies altogether in what he does, not in the privileges he claims, which would be truly his, if not belied by his life.

Bengel's Gnomen

Revelation 22:15. [247] ΦΙΛῶΝ ΨΕῦΔΟς) A good mind loves the truth, a bad one loves falsehood. That saying of Aristotle may in a certain sense be accommodated to this passage: ΤΟῦΤʼ ἜΣΤΙΝ Ἡ ΚΑΤʼ ἈΛΉΘΕΙΑΝ ΕὐΦΫΊΑ, ΤῸ ΔΎΝΑΣΘΑΙ ΚΑΛῶς ἙΛΈΣΘΑΙ Τʼ ἈΛΗΘῈς ΚΑῚ ΦΥΓΕῖΝ ΤῸ ΨΕῦΔΟς· ὍΠΕΡ ΟἹ ΠΕΦΥΚΌΤΕς Εὖ, ΔΎΝΑΝΤΑΙ ΠΟΙΕῖΝ Εὖ· ΟἹ ΓᾺΡ ΦΙΛΟῦΝΤΕς ΚΑῚ ΜΙΣΟῦΝΤΕς ΤῸ ΠΡΟΣΦΈΡΟΜΕΝΟΝ Εὖ, ΚΡΊΝΟΥΣΙ ΤῸ ΒΈΛΤΙΣΤΟΝ: lib. viii. Topic. cap. 14. Let this be transferred to spiritual things. It is the part of a good disposition to love the truth, and to hate falsehood: of a bad disposition, to hate the truth, and to love falsehood. Such indeed we all are by nature; but one receives the truth, an other continues to imitate the deaf adder: Psalm 58:4-5. Hence the hearing of many is averse from the harmony of the truth, especially from that of the Apocalypse. The things which are set forth are plain from the words themselves and from the parallelism, but σωφροσύνη must be applied.

[247] τοῖς πυλῶσιν, through the gates) namely, as those who are invested with legitimate power.—V. g.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 15. - For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie; without (omit "for") are the dogs, and the sorcerers, and the fornicaters, etc. The article renders each term general in its signification (see on Revelation 4:11). "The dogs" are those who are described in ver. 11 as "the filthy;" the term is proverbial amongst Eastern nations as an expression for what is most degraded. The epithets in this verse occur (with others) in Revelation 21:8. A contrast is forcibly presented between these wicked ones here indicated, and those who have (in the preceding verse) the right to enter the city, owing to their purity obtained by washing their robes. Revelation 22:15

Vincent's Word Studies

Dogs (οἱ κύνες)

The A.V. omits the article "the dogs." Compare Philippians 3:2. This was the term of reproach with which the Judaizers stigmatized the Gentiles as impure. In the Mosaic law the word is used to denounce the moral profligacies of heathen worship (Deuteronomy 23:18). Compare Matthew 15:26. Here the word is used of those whose moral impurity excludes them from the New Jerusalem. "As a term of reproach, the word on the lips of a Jew, signified chiefly impurity; of a Greek, impudence. The herds of dogs which prowl about Eastern cities, without a home and without an owner, feeding on the refuse and filth of the streets, quarreling among themselves, and attacking the passer-by, explain both applications of the image" (Lightfoot, on Philippians 3:2).

Sorcerers

See on Revelation 9:21, and compare Revelation 21:8.

Whoremongers (πόρνοι)

Rev., better, fornicators.

Maketh (ποιῶν)

Or doeth. Compare doeth the truth, John 3:21; 1 John 1:6. See on John 3:21.