Skip to main content

Revelation 21:23

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.

KJV

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.

Greek NT

Et civitas non eget sole neque luna ut luceant in ea, nam claritas Dei illuminavit eam, et lucerna ejus est Agnus.

Vulgate

And the city hath no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine upon it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the lamp thereof is the Lamb.

ASV

And the city hath no need of the sun, nor of the moon, to shine in it. For the glory of God hath enlightened it: and the Lamb is the lamp thereof.

Douay-Rheims

Open in reader with connections →

In the original Greek

18 distinct Greek words appear in this verse.

αὐτός
autos
pronoun · 5564×
γάρ
gar
conjunction · 1036×
δόξα
doxa
noun · 166×
θεός
theos
noun · 1311×
καί
kai
conjunction · 8973×
λύχνος
luchnos
noun · 14×
οὐ
ou
particle · 1626×
οὐδέ
oude
conjunction · 137×
πόλις
polis
noun · 164×
σελήνη
selene
noun · 9×
φαίνω
phaino
verb · 31×
φωτίζω
photizo
verb · 11×
χρεία
chreia
noun · 49×
ἀρνίον
arnion
noun · 30×
ἔχω
echo
verb · 707×
ἥλιος
elios
noun · 32×
ἵνα
ina
conjunction · 665×
o
article · 19778×

Intertextual echoes

This verse quotes or alludes to 1 earlier text.

  • Isa 60:19 · allusion
    "The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory."
    Isaiah: no need of sun — the glory of God illuminates the city

Themes

Theophany

Historic Christian voices

5 passages from patristic writers, Reformers, and church catechisms citing this verse.

Summa Theologica · 2 passages
Can any created intellect see the essence of God? Is the essence of God seen by the intellect through any created image? Can the essence of God be seen by the corporeal eye? Is any created intellectual substance sufficient by its own natural powers to see the essence of God? Does the created intellect need any created light in order to see the essence of God? Of those who see G…
Is it fitting that Christ should be a priest? The victim offered by this priest The effect of this priesthood Does the effect of His priesthood pertain to Himself, or only to others? The eternal duration of His priesthood Should He be called "a priest according to the order of Melchisedech"? Article 1. Whether it is fitting that Christ should be a priest? Objection 1. It would …

Cross-references

  • 1John 1:5 — This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
  • 1Kgs 8:11 — So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD.
  • 2Sam 22:29 — For thou art my lamp, O LORD: and the LORD will lighten my darkness.
  • Acts 9:3 — And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
  • Acts 22:11 — And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.
  • Acts 26:13 — At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.
  • Col 1:12 — Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
  • Col 1:18 — And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
  • Deut 10:21 — He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen.
  • Exod 33:18 — And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.
  • Exod 40:34 — Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
  • Ezek 43:2 — And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory.
  • Gen 1:16 — And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
  • Hab 3:3 — God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise.
  • Isa 2:5 — O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.
  • Isa 24:23 — Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.
  • Isa 24:23 — Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.
  • Isa 30:26 — Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people,
  • Isa 35:2 — It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the exce
  • Isa 40:5 — And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
  • Isa 60:1 — Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
  • Isa 60:19 — The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.
  • Isa 60:19 — The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.
  • Jas 1:17 — Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
  • John 1:4 — In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
  • John 1:9 — That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
  • John 1:14 — And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
  • John 1:18 — No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
  • John 5:23 — That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
  • John 9:5 — As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
  • Josh 10:13 — And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and
  • Luke 2:32 — A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
  • Luke 2:32 — A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
  • Mark 8:38 — Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the hol
  • Matt 16:27 — For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
  • Mic 7:8 — Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me.
  • Prov 4:18 — But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
  • Prov 15:30 — The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart: and a good report maketh the bones fat.
  • Ps 3:3 — But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.
  • Ps 5:4 — For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.