What Does Revelation 22:1 Mean in the King James?
And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The river comes out from the throne toward you: life is already flowing from its source.
THE MEANING
You are shown a river of life flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb, clear and shining. Life comes from this source as movement outward, not as a stagnant reserve.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The belief that you must create the source of the life you need is undone: here, the river proceeds from God’s throne.
THE ROOT
ζωῆς
zōēs
GROWS FROM
ζάω
zaō
To live, to be alive.
The Greek phrase joins water with ζωή, life: this is a river carrying life outward from its source. The same life-root appears in John’s phrase “living water,” making the river’s movement part of the meaning.
ALSO GROWS
zaō: To live, be alive.
ζάω
The verb beneath the noun keeps life active, not merely possessed.
zōn: Living, alive.
ζῶν
This form from the same word family describes the “living water” in John 7:38.
ἐκπορευόμενον
ekporeuomenon
GROWS FROM
πορεύομαι
poreuomai
To go, move, or journey; with ἐκ (ek), to go out or come forth.
“proceeding” in this verse is ekporeuomenon. The river is not simply located near the throne; the verb pictures it coming forth from there. Its source is the beginning of its movement outward.
ALSO GROWS
poreuomai: To go or journey.
πορεύομαι
The base verb gives the river motion rather than stillness.
ekporeuomai: To go out, come forth.
ἐκπορεύομαι
This compound makes the river’s outward emergence from the throne explicit.
λαμπρόν
lampron
GROWS FROM
λάμπω
lampō
To shine, give light.
“clear” in this verse is lampron. The Greek word carries brightness alongside the crystal image’s clarity. The water is presented as both transparent and radiant.
ALSO GROWS
lampō: To shine.
λάμπω
The related verb gives the river’s description a quality of visible radiance.
lampros: Bright, shining, splendid.
λαμπρός
This related form preserves the brightness within the description of the water.
THE PATTERN
Life flows outward from its source and brings life wherever its waters reach.
And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh.He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.THE THREAD
He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.“Living” in John and “life” here share the Greek ζάω (zaō) word family. John shows rivers of living water flowing from within; Revelation shows the river’s source at the throne of God and the Lamb.
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