New King James Version
Revelation 21:23
23The 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.
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 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
21The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. 22But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 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. 24And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. 25Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall 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. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.
- 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.
- Isaiah 24:23Then the moon will be disgraced And the sun ashamed; For the Lord of hosts will reign On Mount Zion and in Jerusalem And before His elders, gloriously.
- Isaiah 60:19“The sun shall no longer be your light by day, Nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you; But the Lord will be to you an everlasting light, And your God your glory.
- Revelation 18:1After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory.
- Isaiah 2:10Enter into the rock, and hide in the dust, From the terror of the Lord And the glory of His majesty.
- Habakkuk 3:3God came from Teman, The Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah His glory covered the heavens, And the earth was full of His praise.
- Matthew 16:27For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.
- Mark 8:38For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”
- John 17:24“Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
- Acts 22:11And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.
- Luke 2:32A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.”
- John 1:4In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
- John 5:23that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He 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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries