New King James Version
Revelation 18:23
23The 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.
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 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 took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore. 22The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters shall not be heard in you anymore. No craftsman of any craft shall be found in you anymore, and the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore. 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. 24And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain 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 shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.
- Job 21:17“How often is the lamp of the wicked put out? How often does their destruction come upon them, The sorrows God distributes in His anger?
- Proverbs 4:18But the path of the just is like the shining sun, That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.
- Proverbs 24:20For there will be no prospect for the evil man; The lamp of the wicked will be put out.
- Revelation 18:22The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters shall not be heard in you anymore. No craftsman of any craft shall be found in you anymore, and the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore.
- Revelation 18:3For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.”
- Isaiah 23:8Who has taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, Whose merchants are princes, Whose traders are the honorable of the earth?
- Ezekiel 27:24These were your merchants in choice items—in purple clothes, in embroidered garments, in chests of multicolored apparel, in sturdy woven cords, which were in your marketplace.
- Revelation 12:9So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
- Revelation 13:13He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.
- Revelation 17:2with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.”
- Revelation 21:8But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
- Revelation 22:15But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.
- 2 Kings 9:22Now it happened, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, “Is it peace, Jehu?” So he answered, “What peace, as long as the harlotries of your mother Jezebel and her witchcraft are so many?”
- Isaiah 47:9But these two things shall come to you In a moment, in one day: The loss of children, and widowhood. They shall come upon you in their fullness Because of the multitude of your sorceries, For the great abundance of your enchantments.
- Nahum 3:4Because of the multitude of harlotries of the seductive harlot, The mistress of sorceries, Who sells nations through her harlotries, And families through 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
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries