New International Version
Revelation 18:23
23The 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.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The happy voices of brides and grooms will never be heard in you again. For your merchants were the greatest in the world, and you deceived the nations with your sorceries.
Context of Revelation 18:23
21Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: “With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again. 22The music of harpists and musicians, pipers and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again. No worker of any trade will ever be found in you again. The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again. 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. 24In her was found the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people, of all who have been slaughtered on the earth.”
Read all of Revelation 18Revelation 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 22:5There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.
- Job 21:17“Yet how often is the lamp of the wicked snuffed out? How often does calamity come upon them, the fate God allots in his anger?
- Proverbs 4:18The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
- Proverbs 24:20for the evildoer has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
- Revelation 18:22The music of harpists and musicians, pipers and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again. No worker of any trade will ever be found in you again. The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again.
- Revelation 18:3For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.”
- Isaiah 23:8Who planned this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, whose merchants are princes, whose traders are renowned in the earth?
- Ezekiel 27:24In your marketplace they traded with you beautiful garments, blue fabric, embroidered work and multicolored rugs with cords twisted and tightly knotted.
- Revelation 12:9The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
- Revelation 13:13And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people.
- Revelation 17:2With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.”
- Revelation 21:8But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
- Revelation 22:15Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
- 2 Kings 9:22When Joram saw Jehu he asked, “Have you come in peace, Jehu?” “How can there be peace,” Jehu replied, “as long as all the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel abound?”
- Isaiah 47:9Both of these will overtake you in a moment, on a single day: loss of children and widowhood. They will come upon you in full measure, in spite of your many sorceries and all your potent spells.
- Nahum 3:4all because of the wanton lust of a prostitute, alluring, the mistress of sorceries, who enslaved nations by her prostitution and peoples by her witchcraft.
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
In the dictionaries
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
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