New English Translation
Revelation 21:11
11The city possesses the glory of God; its brilliance is like a precious jewel, like a stone of crystal-clear jasper.
Revelation 21:11 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
- New International Version (NIV)It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.
- English Standard Version (ESV)having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.
- New King James Version (NKJV)having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.
Context of Revelation 21:11
9Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven final plagues came and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb!” 10So he took me away in the Spirit to a huge, majestic mountain and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. The city possesses the glory of God; its brilliance is like a precious jewel, like a stone of crystal-clear jasper. 12It has a massive, high wall with twelve gates, with twelve angels at the gates, and the names of the twelve tribes of the nation of Israel are written on the gates. 13There are three gates on the east side, three gates on the north side, three gates on the south side and three gates on the west side.
Read all of Revelation 21Revelation 21:11 word by word
ἔχουσαν τὴν δόξαν τοῦ θεοῦ. ὁ φωστὴρ αὐτῆς ὅμοιος λίθῳ τιμιωτάτῳ ὡς λίθῳ ἰάσπιδι κρυσταλλίζοντιRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Havingἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- the gloryὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the gloryδόξαdoxa · gloryG1391
- of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- herαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- lightφωστήρphōstēr · lightG5458
- like untoὅμοιοςhomoios · likeG3664
- a stoneλίθοςlithos · stoneG3037
- most preciousτίμιοςtimios · preciousG5093
- even likeὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
- a jasperἴασπιςiaspis · jasperG2393
- clear as crystalκρυσταλλίζωkrustallizō · be clearG2929
Cross-references for Revelation 21:11
- Revelation 21:22Now I saw no temple in the city, because the Lord God – the All-Powerful – and the Lamb are its temple.
- Revelation 22:5Night will be no more, and they will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, because the Lord God will shine on them, and they will reign forever and ever.
- Isaiah 4:5Then the Lord will create over all of Mount Zion and over its convocations a cloud and smoke by day and a bright flame of fire by night; indeed a canopy will accompany the Lord’s glorious presence.
- Isaiah 60:1“Arise! Shine! For your light arrives! The splendor of the Lord shines on you!
- Ezekiel 48:35The circumference of the city will be six miles. The name of the city from that day forward will be: ‘The Lord Is There.’”
- Revelation 21:19The foundations of the city’s wall are decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation is jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald,
- Ezekiel 1:26Above the platform over their heads was something like a sapphire shaped like a throne. High above on the throne was a form that appeared to be a man.
- Ezekiel 28:13You were in Eden, the garden of God. Every precious stone was your covering, the ruby, topaz, and emerald, the chrysolite, onyx, and jasper, the sapphire, turquoise, and beryl; your settings and mounts were made of gold. On the day you were created they were prepared.
- Revelation 21:18The city’s wall is made of jasper and the city is pure gold, like transparent glass.
- Revelation 4:6and in front of the throne was something like a sea of glass, like crystal. In the middle of the throne and around the throne were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back.
- Revelation 22:1Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life – water as clear as crystal – pouring out from the throne of God and of the Lamb,
- Job 28:17Neither gold nor crystal can be compared with it, nor can a vase of gold match its worth.
- Ezekiel 1:22Over the heads of the living beings was something like a platform, glittering awesomely like ice, stretched out over their heads.
Commentaries on Revelation 21:11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11Having the glory of God - Instead of the sun and moon, it has the splendor of God to enlighten it. Unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal - Among precious stones there are some even of the same species more valuable than others: for their value is in proportion to their being free from flaws, and of a good water, i.e., a uniform and brilliant transparency. A crystal is perfectly clear, the oriental jasper is a beautiful…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11Having the glory of God - A glory or splendor such as became the dwelling place of God. The nature of that splendor is described in the following verses. And her light - In Revelation 21:23 it is said that “the glory of God did lighten it.” That is, it was made light by the visible symbol of the Deity - the “Shekinah.” See the Luke 2:9 note; Acts 9:3 note. The word here rendered “light” - ̀ phōstēr- occurs nowhere else in the New Testament except in…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-21Verses 9-21 God has various employments for his holy angels. Sometimes they sound the trumpet of Divine Providence, and warn a careless world; sometimes they discover things of a heavenly nature of the heirs of salvation. Those who would have clear views of heaven, must get as near to heaven as they can, on the mount of meditation and faith. The subject of the vision is the church of God in a perfect, triumphant state, shining in its lustre; glorious in…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11Like God's true people, the city's glory reflects God's glory (compare Exodus 34:29–35; 2 Corinthians 3:7–11). On earth, jasper is not transparent. But in heaven, the jasper is clear like crystal. Its perfect transparency shows God’s purity and integrity (see also Revelation 4:3; 21:11, 18).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1111. Having the glory of God--not merely the Shekinah-cloud, but God Himself as her glory dwelling in the midst of her. Compare the type, the earthly Jerusalem in the millennium (Zec 2:5; compare Re 21:23, below). her light--Greek, "light-giver": properly applied to the heavenly luminaries which diffuse light. Compare Note, see on Php 2:15, the only other passage where it occurs. The "and" before "her light' is omitted in A, B, and Vulgate. even…Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 21:11
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
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