English Standard Version
Revelation 21:23
23And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.
Revelation 21:23 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
- New International Version (NIV)The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.
- New King James Version (NKJV)The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.
- New Living Translation (NLT)And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light.
Context of Revelation 21:23
21And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. 22And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there.
Read all of Revelation 21Revelation 21:23 word by word
καὶ ἡ πόλις οὐ χρείαν ἔχει τοῦ ἡλίου οὐδὲ τῆς σελήνης ἵνα φαίνωσιν αὐτῇ· ἡ γὰρ δόξα τοῦ θεοῦ ἐφώτισεν αὐτήν, καὶ ὁ λύχνος αὐτῆς τὸ ἀρνίον.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- the cityπόλιςpolis · cityG4172
- hadἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- noοὐou · noG3756
- needχρείαchreia · needG5532
- of the sunἥλιοςhēlios · sunG2246
- neitherοὐδέoude · norG3761
- of the moonσελήνηselēnē · moonG4582
- toἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
- shineφαίνωphainō · to shine/appearG5316
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- itαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- forγάρgar · forG1063
- the gloryδόξαdoxa · gloryG1391
- of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- did lightenφωτίζωphōtizō · to illuminateG5461
- the Lambἀρνίονarnion · lambG721
- the lightλύχνοςluchnos · lampG3088
Cross-references for Revelation 21:23
- Revelation 21:11having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.
- Revelation 22:5And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.
- Isaiah 24:23Then the moon will be confounded and the sun ashamed, for the Lord of hosts reigns on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and his glory will be before his elders.
- Isaiah 60:19The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give you light; but the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.
- Revelation 18:1After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory.
- Isaiah 2:10Enter into the rock and hide in the dust from before the terror of the Lord, and from the splendor of his majesty.
- Habakkuk 3:3God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah His splendor covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise.
- Matthew 16:27For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.
- Mark 8:38For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."
- John 17:24Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
- Acts 22:11And since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus.
- Luke 2:32a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel."
- John 1:4In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
- John 5:23that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.
Commentaries on Revelation 21:23
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23No need of the sun - This is also one of the traditions of the ancient Jews, that "in the world to come the Israelites shall have no need of the sun by day, nor the moon by night." - Yalcut Rubeni, fol. 7, 3. God's light shines in this city, and in the Lamb that light is concentrated, and from him everywhere diffused.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it - This imagery seems to be derived from Isaiah 9:19-20. See notes on those verses. No language could give a more striking or beautiful representation of the heavenly state than what is here employed. For the glory of God did lighten it - By the visible splendor of his glory. See the notes on Revelation 21:11. That supplied the place of the sun and the moon. And the Lamb is the light…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 22-27Verses 22-27 Perfect and direct communion with God, will more than supply the place of gospel institutions. And what words can more full express the union and co-equality of the Son with the Father, in the Godhead? What a dismal world would this be, if it were not for the light of the sun! What is there in heaven that supplies its place? The glory of God lightens that city, and the Lamb is the Light thereof. God in Christ will be an everlasting Fountain…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 23The city's vitality, energy, and life come from the glory of God and the Lamb, not from institutions or physical sources of power and light. The sun and moon were part of the first creation (Genesis 1:14–19; see Isaiah 60:19–20). The Lamb is its lamp: Jesus is the light of the world (see John 8:12; 9:5; 12:35–36).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2323. in it--so Vulgate. But A, B, and Andreas read, "(shine) on it," or literally, "for her." the light--Greek, "the lamp" (Is 60:19, 20). The direct light of God and the Lamb shall make the saints independent of God's creatures, the sun and moon, for light.Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 21:23
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Revelation 21
- 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
- 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
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries