Revelation 18:23

Revelation 18:23 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
• New International Version (NIV)The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. Your merchants were the world’s important people. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray.
• English Standard Version (ESV)and the light of a lamp will shine in you no more, and the voice of bridegroom and bride will be heard in you no more, for your merchants were the great ones of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your sorcery.
• New King James Version (NKJV)The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived.

Context of Revelation 18:23

21Then a single powerful angel picked up a boulder like a great millstone and flung it into the sea, saying, “With such violence will Babylon the great city be hurled down [by the sudden, spectacular judgment of God], and will never again be found. 22And the sound of harpists and musicians and flutists and trumpeters will never again be heard in you, and no skilled artisan of any craft will ever again be found in you, and the sound of the millstone [grinding grain] will never again be heard in you [for commerce will no longer flourish, and normal life will cease]. And never again will the light of a lamp shine in you, and never again will the voice of the bridegroom and bride be heard in you; for your merchants were the great and prominent men of the earth, because all the nations were deceived and misled by your sorcery [your magic spells and poisonous charm]. 24And in Babylon was found the blood of prophets and of saints (God’s people) and of all those who have been slaughtered on the earth.”

Revelation 18:23 word by word

καὶ φῶς λύχνου οὐ μὴ φάνῃ ἐν σοὶ ἔτι, καὶ φωνὴ νυμφίου καὶ νύμφης οὐ μὴ ἀκουσθῇ ἐν σοὶ ἔτι, ὅτι οἱ ἔμποροί σου ἦσαν οἱ μεγιστᾶνες τῆς γῆς, ὅτι ἐν τῇ φαρμακείᾳ σου ἐπλανήθησαν πάντα τὰ ἔθνη.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• the lightφῶςphōs · lightG5457
• of a candleλύχνοςluchnos · lampG3088
• shall shineφαίνωphainō · to shine/appearG5316
• noοὐou · noG3756
• moreἔτιeti · stillG2089
• at allμήmē · notG3361
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• theeσύsu · youG4771
• the voiceφωνήphōnē · voice/sound: voiceG5456
• of the bridegroomνυμφίοςnumphios · bridegroomG3566
• of the brideνύμφηnumphē · brideG3565
• shall be heardἀκούωakouō · to hearG191
• forὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
• merchantsὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• merchantsἔμποροςemporos · trader/merchantG1713
• wereεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• the great menμεγιστάνmegistanes · great manG3175
• of the earthγῆgē · earth: planetG1093
• sorceriesφαρμακείαpharmakeia · sorceryG5331
• wereπλανάωplanaō · to lead astrayG4105
• allπᾶςpas · allG3956
• nationsἔθνοςethnos · GentilesG1484

Cross-references for Revelation 18:23

• Revelation 22:5And there will no longer be night; they have no need for lamplight or sunlight, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign [as kings] forever and ever.
• Job 21:17“How often [then] is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out, And that their disaster falls on them? Does God distribute pain and destruction and sorrow [to them] in His anger?
• Proverbs 4:18But the path of the just (righteous) is like the light of dawn, That shines brighter and brighter until [it reaches its full strength and glory in] the perfect day.
• Proverbs 24:20For there will be no future for the evil man; The lamp of the wicked will be put out.
• Revelation 18:22And the sound of harpists and musicians and flutists and trumpeters will never again be heard in you, and no skilled artisan of any craft will ever again be found in you, and the sound of the millstone [grinding grain] will never again be heard in you [for commerce will no longer flourish, and normal life will cease].
• Revelation 18:3For all the nations have drunk from the wine of the passion of her [sexual] immorality, and the kings and political leaders of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth and economic power of her sensuous luxury.”
• Isaiah 23:8Who has planned this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, Whose merchants were princes, whose traders were the honored of the earth?
• Ezekiel 27:24They traded with you in choice fabrics and garments, in clothes of blue or violet and embroidered work, and in [treasures of] multi-colored damask and knotted carpets bound with tightly wound cords, which were among your merchandise.
• Revelation 12:9And the great dragon was thrown down, the age-old serpent who is called the devil and Satan, he who continually deceives and seduces the entire inhabited world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
• Revelation 13:13He performs great signs (awe-inspiring acts), even making fire fall from the sky to the earth, right before peoples’ eyes.
• Revelation 17:2she with whom the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality, and the inhabitants of the earth have become intoxicated with the wine of her immorality.”
• Revelation 21:8But as for the cowards and unbelieving and abominable [who are devoid of character and personal integrity and practice or tolerate immorality], and murderers, and sorcerers [with intoxicating drugs], and idolaters and occultists [who practice and teach false religions], and all the liars [who knowingly deceive and twist truth], their part will be in the lake that blazes with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
• Revelation 22:15Outside are the dogs [the godless, the impure, those of low moral character] and the sorcerers [with their intoxicating drugs, and magic arts], and the immoral persons [the perverted, the molesters, and the adulterers], and the murderers, and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying (deception, cheating).
• 2 Kings 9:22When Joram saw Jehu, he said, “Do you come in peace, Jehu?” And he answered, “What peace [can exist] as long as the fornications of your mother Jezebel and her sorceries are so many?”
• Isaiah 47:9But these two things shall come to you abruptly, in one day: Loss of children and widowhood. They will come on you in full measure In spite of your many [claims of power through your] sorceries, In spite of the great power of your enchantments.
• Nahum 3:4All because of the many acts of prostitution of [Nineveh] the prostitute, The charming and well-favored one, the mistress of sorceries, Who betrays nations by her acts of prostitution (idolatry) And families by her sorceries.

Commentaries on Revelation 18:23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23By thy sorceries - Political arts, state tricks, counterfeit miracles, and deceptive maneuvers of every kind. This may be spoken of many great cities of the world, which still continue to flourish!Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee - Another image of desolation, as if every light were put out, and there were total darkness. And the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee - The merry and cheerful voice of the marriage procession in the streets (notes on Matthew 25:1-7), or the cheerful, glad voice of the newly-married couple in their own dwelling (notes on John 3:29). For thy merchants…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 20-24Verses 20-24 That which is matter of rejoicing to the servants of God on earth, is matter of rejoicing to the angels in heaven. The apostles, who are honoured and daily worshipped at Rome in an idolatrous manner, will rejoice in her fall. The fall of Babylon was an act of God's justice. And because it was a final ruin, this enemy should never molest them any more; of this they were assured by a sign. Let us take warning from the things which brought…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 23Compare Jeremiah 25:10–11.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2323. What a blessed contrast is Re 22:5, respecting the city of God: "They need no candle (just as Babylon shall no more have the light of a candle, but for a widely different reason), for the Lord God giveth them light." candle--Translate as Greek, "lamp." bridegroom ... bride ... no more ... in thee--Contrast the heavenly city, with its Bridegroom, Bride, and blessed marriage supper (Re 19:7, 9; 21:2, 9; Is 62:4, 5). thy merchants were--So most of the…Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 18:23

• Merchant

In the dictionaries

• Fill
• Foul
• Mighty
• Thy
• Israel, History of
• Israel, Religion of
• Judges, Period of
• Marriage
• Master
• Micah (1)

Commentaries on Revelation 18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings