New English Translation
Revelation 21:23
23The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God lights it up, 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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)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.
- 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.
Context of Revelation 21:23
21And the twelve gates are twelve pearls – each one of the gates is made from just one pearl! The main street of the city is pure gold, like transparent glass. 22Now I saw no temple in the city, because the Lord God – the All-Powerful – and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God lights it up, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24The nations will walk by its light and the kings of the earth will bring their grandeur into it. 25Its gates will never be closed during the 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 21:11The city possesses the glory of God; its brilliance is like a precious jewel, like a stone of crystal-clear jasper.
- 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 24:23The full moon will be covered up, the bright sun will be darkened; for the Lord who commands armies will rule on Mount Zion in Jerusalem in the presence of his assembly, in majestic splendor.
- Isaiah 60:19The sun will no longer supply light for you by day, nor will the moon’s brightness shine on you; the Lord will be your permanent source of light – the splendor of your God will shine upon you.
- Revelation 18:1After these things I saw another angel, who possessed great authority, coming down out of heaven, and the earth was lit up by his radiance.
- Isaiah 2:10Go up into the rocky cliffs, hide in the ground. Get away from the dreadful judgment of the Lord, from his royal splendor!
- Habakkuk 3:3God comes from Teman, the sovereign one from Mount Paran. Selah. His splendor covers the skies, his glory fills the earth.
- Matthew 16:27For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.
- Mark 8:38For if anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
- John 17:24“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, so that they can see my glory that you gave me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
- Acts 22:11Since I could not see because of the brilliance of that light, I came to Damascus led by the hand of those who were with me.
- 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 mankind.
- John 5:23so that all people will honor the Son just as they honor the Father. The one who 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
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