Revelation of John 22:15 · Bible study
Revelation 22:15 Commentary: Dogs, Sorcery, and the Love of Falsehood
Greek · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Revelation 22:15 lists those excluded from the New Jerusalem. Discover the meaning of 'dogs' and the gravity of loving falsehood.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Revelation 22:15 describes those excluded from the New Jerusalem, the morally impure (symbolised by dogs), those practicing specific sins, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
- Key words: dogs (κύνες) = impure/moral filth; sorcerers (φαρμάκοι) = magic practitioners; sexually immoral (πόρνοι) = fornicators; murderers; idolaters; falsehood (ψεῦδος) = lie/deception; loves (φιλῶν) = affectionate attachment; practices (ποιῶν) = habitual action.
- Main debate: The supplied commentaries show only minor differences: Gill emphasises the antichristian heresy context; Barnes and Vincent focus on general moral impurity. The core meaning is not disputed.
- Theological theme: The holy character of God's city requires exclusion of all impurity; the capstone of falsehood reveals that sin is rooted in a love of deception rather than the truth.
- Best use: As a warning paired with the gospel invitation (v.17), for self-examination and evangelism, always pointing to the hope of washing robes (v.14).
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
But outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
KJV King James Version 1769
For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Without are the dogs, and the sorcerers, and the fornicators, and the murderers, and the idolaters, and every one that loveth and maketh a lie.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and without are the dogs, and the sorcerers, and the whoremongers, and the murderers, and the idolaters, and every one who is loving and is doing a lie.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Without [are] the dogs, and the sorcerers, and the fornicators, and the murderers, and the idolaters, and every one that loves and makes a lie.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Without are dogs and sorcerers and unchaste and murderers and servers of idols and every one that loveth and maketh a lie.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Mas los perros estarán fuera, y los hechiceros, y los disolutos, y los homicidas, y los idólatras, y cualquiera que ama y hace mentira.
Mas de fora estarão os cães, os feiticeiros, os pecadores sexuais, os homicidas, os idólatras, e todo aquele que ama e pratica a mentira.
Dehors les chiens, les enchanteurs, les impudiques, les meurtriers, les idolâtres, et quiconque aime et pratique le mensonge!
Denn draußen sind die Hunde und die Zauberer und die Hurer und die Totschläger und die Abgöttischen und alle, die liebhaben und tun die Lüge.
Maar buiten zullen zijn de honden, en de tovenaars, en de hoereerders, en de doodslagers, en de afgodendienaars, en een iegelijk, die de leugen liefheeft, en doet.
Fuori i cani, gli stregoni, i fornicatori, gli omicidi, gli idolatri e chiunque ama e pratica la menzogna.
A na dworze będą psy i czarownicy, i wszetecznicy, i mężobójcy, i bałwochwalcy, i każdy, który miłuje i czyni kłamstwo.
А вне — псы и чародеи, и любодеи, и убийцы, и идолослужители, и всякий любящий и делающий неправду.
城外 有那些犬類、 行邪術的、 淫亂的、 殺人的、 拜偶像的，並 一切 喜好說謊言、 編造 虛謊的。
Outside are the dogs, and those who make use of evil powers, those who make themselves unclean, and the takers of life, and those who give worship to images, and everyone whose delight is in what is false.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Revelation of John 22:15
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this verse describes those barred from the New Jerusalem, contrasting with the blessed in verse 14. Barnes notes that 'dogs' symbolises the wicked, depraved, and vile, drawing on Old Testament images of uncleanness (Deut 23:18). Gill specifies that such persons are comparable to dogs for filthiness and impudence, and he identifies them with persecutors, heretics, and the antichristian party. Vincent's Word Studies observes that the Greek uses the definite article ('the dogs'), and that the term was a common Jewish reproach for Gentiles and the morally impure. Wesley remarks on the abruptness of the sentence, expressing abhorrence. The final addition, 'everyone who loves and practices falsehood,' broadens the list from specific acts to a habitual orientation. The Cambridge Bible notes that 'maketh' (ποιῶν) means doing a lie, not merely speaking it, and links this to John's language of doing the truth (1 John 1:6). All agree that these categories represent persistent, unrepented sin that excludes from God's holy city.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The verse clearly states that those who practice moral impurity and falsehood will be excluded from the New Jerusalem, while the broader context (vv.14,17) offers hope for repentance and entry.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of 'dogs' | All supplied commentators agree that 'dogs' is a metaphor for morally impure, filthy, and wicked people, drawing on Jewish and Old Testament imagery. | Gill specifies that the term includes heretics, apostates, and the antichristian party, while Barnes and Vincent apply it more broadly to all the depraved and vile. |
| Inclusion of falsehood | The phrase 'everyone who loves and practices falsehood' is understood as a climactic category encompassing all who habitually love and produce lies. | Gill ties this specifically to the doctrinal lies of antichrist; the Cambridge Bible emphasises the Johannine concept of doing truth versus doing a lie as a life orientation. |
| Relationship to Revelation 21:8 | The list in 22:15 closely parallels 21:8 and is seen as a reiteration of the same warning about exclusion from God's presence. | No significant debate among supplied sources; both passages serve as complementary lists, with 22:15 adding the category of falsehood. |
| Whether these sins are unforgivable | The context of the open invitation (v.17) and the blessing for those who wash their robes (v.14) indicates that repentance and grace are available. | The supplied commentaries do not debate this directly; the consistent implication is that these describe persistent, unrepented sin, not unforgivable acts. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The term 'dogs' (οἱ κύνες) carried deep cultural stigma. In Jewish tradition, dogs were unclean animals, and calling someone a dog was a severe insult. Vincent cites Lightfoot's description of Eastern dogs as homeless, scavenging, and dangerous, an apt image for moral impurity. Adam Clarke references Pirkey Elieser, noting that Jews called all uncircumcised 'dogs.' The Mosaic law (Deut 23:18) used the word to denounce the profligacies of heathen worship. Paul later uses the term for false teachers (Phil 3:2; compare Matt 7:6). The other terms in the list similarly reflect first-century realities. 'Sorcerers' (φαρμάκοι) refers to practitioners of magic and sorcery, rampant in Greco-Roman religion and condemned in the Old Testament (Isa 47:9,12). 'Sexually immoral' (πόρνοι) includes all forms of unlawful sexual relations, often tied to pagan temple practices. 'Murderers' and 'idolaters' complete the catalogue, echoing the vices listed in Revelation 21:8. The setting is the New Jerusalem, whose gates stand open (v.14) but not for the impure. The Greek phrasing, with the repeated definite articles ('the dogs, the sorcerers…'), individualises each group. Wesley notes the abrupt syntax, conveying the speaker's revulsion. The addition of 'everyone who loves and practices falsehood' draws on a Johannine theme: to do the truth or a lie is a matter of one's whole life (John 3:21; 1 John 1:6). The verse thus functions as a solemn boundary marker, warning that the holy city excludes not only specific acts but a character shaped by deception.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note a few textual variants. The conjunction at the start of the verse: the KJV reads "For without," while the WEB, BSB, and critical texts omit the conjunction (Cambridge Bible, JFB). The article "the" before "dogs" is present in the Greek (οἱ κύνες) and in most modern translations (WEB, BSB), but the KJV and ASV omit it in English. The phrase "whosoever loveth and maketh a lie" (KJV) vs. "everyone who loves and practices falsehood" (WEB) reflects translation choices for the participles φιλῶν and ποιῶν. No other significant variants are mentioned in the consulted sources.
Reception History
This verse has been read throughout church history as a sober warning that not all will enter the New Jerusalem. Early Christian moral instruction drew on the list to define practices incompatible with the kingdom. In the medieval period, it was often cited in sermons on the last judgment. Protestant commentators, particularly Gill and the Geneva Bible, applied the terms to the Roman Church and its leaders, reading 'sorcerers' and 'idolaters' as references to Catholic practices they saw as corrupt. In modern scholarship, the focus has shifted to the ethical and symbolic meaning: the term 'dogs' is illuminated by Jewish cultural background (Vincent, Lightfoot), and the phrase 'love and practice falsehood' is connected to the Johannine theme of truth versus deception (Cambridge Bible). The verse remains a key text for discussions of the final separation of the righteous and the wicked.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Exclusion of the Impure. "Outside are the dogs" paints a stark boundary. The term draws on Old Testament imagery of unclean animals and Jewish epithets for the morally impure (Vincent, Barnes). This exclusion reflects the holy character of God's city.
- The Specific Sins Listed. Sorcerers, the sexually immoral, murderers, idolaters, these echo the vices condemned throughout Scripture and in Revelation 21:8. They represent both pagan practices and any rebellion against God.
- The Final Category: Love and Practice of Falsehood. This capstone extends the list to all who habitually love and produce lies, not merely false words but a life built on deception, doctrinal errors (Gill), and a refusal to do the truth (Cambridge Bible).
Five-point outline
- The Setting: The New Jerusalem and its open gates (v.14).
- The Warning: "Outside are the dogs", the morally filthy and impudent (Wesley, Gill).
- The Catalogue of Vices: sorcery, sexual immorality, murder, idolatry.
- The Climax: "everyone who loves and practices falsehood" (ποιῶν ψεῦδος).
- The Contrast: The invitation of the Spirit and the Bride (v.17) and the command to wash robes (v.14).
Illustration hooks
- The image of stray dogs scavenging in ancient cities, unclean and dangerous, helps modern listeners grasp the repulsion and danger of sin.
- Consider how a gated community keeps out threats; the New Jerusalem is secure, but the gates are not for those who persist in rebellion.
- The phrase "loves and practices falsehood" can be illustrated by someone who not only tells lies but builds their identity around deception.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Is this saying that people who commit these sins are beyond forgiveness? (Point to v.14 and v.17 as offer of repentance.)
- What about Christians who struggle with lying or lust, are they "dogs"?
- Does "falsehood" include believing false teaching, or only deliberate deception?
Leading a Discussion
Revelation 22:15 serves as a sobering boundary marker around the New Jerusalem. Alongside the invitation for the thirsty to come (v.17), this verse warns that not all will enter. The list concludes with 'everyone who loves and practices falsehood', a category that challenges us to examine our relationship with truth.
Discussion questions
- Read Revelation 22:14-15 together. What contrast do you see between those who enter and those left outside?
- The term "dogs" carried strong cultural meaning. How does understanding its background as a term for the morally impure change your reading of this verse?
- The list includes sorcerers, sexually immoral, murderers, idolaters. Do you see these as a complete list or representative examples? Why?
- Verse 15 ends with "everyone who loves and practices falsehood." What does it mean to "practice" falsehood, as opposed to occasionally telling a lie? (See 1 John 1:6.)
- How does the open invitation in verse 17 ("let him who is thirsty come") relate to the warning in verse 15?
- In what ways might Christians today be tempted to "love and practice falsehood" without realizing it?
- What hope does this passage offer to those who recognize themselves in this list? (See v.14, v.17, and 1 John 1:9.)
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| I Kings 22:8 | The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of Yahweh, Micaiah the son of Imlah; but I hate him, for he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil.” Jehoshaphat said, “Don’t let the king say so.” |
| I Kings 22:21 | A spirit came out and stood before Yahweh, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ |
| I Kings 22:23 | Now therefore, behold, Yahweh has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; and Yahweh has spoken evil concerning you.” |
| Isaiah 9:15 | The elder and the honorable man is the head, and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail. |
| Isaiah 9:16 | For those who lead this people lead them astray; and those who are led by them are destroyed. |
| Isaiah 47:9 | But these two things will come to you in a moment in one day: the loss of children and widowhood. They will come on you in their full measure, in the multitude of your sorceries, and the great abundance of your enchantments. |
| Isaiah 47:12 | “Stand now with your enchantments and with the multitude of your sorceries, in which you have labored from your youth, as if you might profit, as if you might prevail. |
| Isaiah 57:3 | “But draw near here, you sons of a sorceress, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke identifies "dogs" as those who are uncircumcised in heart, drawing from Jewish tradition that labels all uncircumcised persons as dogs. He links this understanding to the broader designation of those excluded from God's holy city.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes identifies "dogs" as a Jewish symbol for wicked, depraved people, not literal animals. He explains that "without" refers to exclusion from the heavenly city, and notes this list matches an earlier passage but adds those who love and practice falsehood.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator stresses that the Greek word translated “maketh” or “doeth” (the same one used in 1 John 1:6) means to practice, not merely to profess. For them, a false Christian’s lie is in what they do, not in the privileges they claim—those would be genuine if their life matched their words.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note emphasizes that Christ applies these three parallel titles to Himself to declare His eternal deity and absolute authority. He is not merely a prophet or messenger, but the very God who spans all of time and rules over all things.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill identifies the "dogs" outside the holy city as persecutors, heretics, and apostates, comparing them to dogs for their filthiness and impudence. He applies the list especially to the antichristian party, including those who love and spread doctrinal lies. For Gill, these descriptions characterize all who are excluded from Christ's glorious kingdom.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB points out that the Greek text says "the dogs," emphasizing a specific class defined by impurity and filth. The phrase "maketh a lie" is also taken to mean anyone who actively practices lying, not merely tells an occasional falsehood.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent highlights that the word “dogs” in this verse was a Jewish term of reproach aimed at Gentiles, branding them impure. Drawing on a contemporary scholar, he compares these people to the homeless, scavenging street dogs of Eastern cities—a vivid image of moral defilement and shamelessness that bars them from the New Jerusalem.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley observes that the Greek sentence structure is deliberately abrupt, conveying strong abhorrence. He interprets "dogs" as fierce and rapacious people, noting that while the gates of the city are always open, they remain closed to such individuals.