Revelation 18:23
in Revelation 18The light of a lamp will never shine in you again, and the voices of a bride and bridegroom will never call out in you again. For your merchants were the great ones of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and the light of a lamp 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 princes of the earth; for with thy sorcery were all the nations deceived.
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.
⋯
This verse in Revelation 18
Commentary
10 notes on this verseAnd he gives the reason for this. [Babylon] deceived all nations with her sorcery and was the recipient of the blood of prophets and the other saints. It is possible that this passage depicts the impious Babylon among the Persians, for at various times until …
This site's exposition
the sound of harpists and musicians
on Revelation 18:22-23
The refrain in you again silences music, craft, the millstone, the lamp, and the voices of a bride and bridegroom. That silenced wedding stands opposite the marriage of the Lamb at 19:7. The cause is named last: all the nations were deceived by your sorcery.
This site's exposition
The light of a lamp
Jeremiah 25:10 named the same losses against Judah before the exile, the bride and bridegroom, the millstone and the lamp. Babylon now receives the sentence Judah once received. Albert Barnes places the wedding voices in the street procession and in the new couple's home.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
A commentator
Caesarius of ArlesEXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 18:21-24, HOMILY 17 · Written before 542.
proposed
"The sound of harpers and musicians and flute players and trumpeters is no longer heard in her." That is, the joy and happiness of the wicked passes away and is no longer to be found. And it adds the reason for this, "for your merchants …
The Medieval Church1 voice
For your merchants were the great men of the earth. That is, because in your life you received your good things (Luke 16).
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
For thy merchants were the great men of the earth - A circumstance which was in itself indifferent, and yet led them into pride, luxury, and numberless other sins.
And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And 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 Mat 25:1-7), or the cheerful, glad voice of the newly-married couple in their own dwelling (notes on Joh 3:29).
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Isa 62:4, 5). thy merchants were--So most of the best authorities read. But A omits the Greek article before "merchants," and then translates, "The great men of . . . were thy merchants." sorceries--Greek, "sorcery."
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
By 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!
The words behind it
38 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| φῶς | phos | [the] light | G5457 → | 72 times |
| λύχνου | luchnou | of lamp | G3088 → | 14 times |
| οὐ | ou | certainly | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| μὴ | me | not | G3361 → | 1066 times |
| φάνῃ | phane | may shine | G5316 → | 30 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| σοὶ | soi | you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ἔτι, | eti | any longer, | G2089 → | 140 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| φωνὴ | phone | [the] voice | G5456 → | 139 times |
| νυμφίου | numphiou | of a bridegroom | G3566 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| νύμφης | numphes | a bride | G3565 → | 8 times |
| οὐ | ou | certainly | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| μὴ | me | not | G3361 → | 1066 times |
| ἀκουσθῇ | akousthea | may be heard | G191 → | 425 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| σοὶ | soi | you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ἔτι, | eti | any longer, | G2089 → | 140 times |
| ὅτι | hoti | for | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| οἱ | hoi | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἔμποροί | emporoi | merchants | G1713 → | 5 times |
| σου | sou | of you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ἦσαν | esan | were | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| οἱ | hoi | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| μεγιστᾶνες | megistanes | great ones | G3175 → | |
| τῆς | tes | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γῆς, | ges | earth, | G1093 → | 248 times |
| ὅτι | hoti | because | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| ἐν | en | by | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τῇ | tea | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| φαρμακείᾳ | pharmakeia | sorcery | G5331 → | |
| σου | sou | of you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ἐπλανήθησαν | eplanethesan | were deceived | G4105 → | 39 times |
| πάντα | panta | all | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| τὰ | ta | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἔθνη. | ethne | nations. | G1484 → | 161 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
φῶς[the] light
phosG5457 →72 times
λύχνουof lamp
luchnouG3088 →14 times
οὐcertainly
ouG3756 →1664 times
μὴnot
meG3361 →1066 times
φάνῃmay shine
phaneG5316 →30 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
σοὶyou
soiG4771 →2973 times
ἔτι,any longer,
etiG2089 →140 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
φωνὴ[the] voice
phoneG5456 →139 times
νυμφίουof a bridegroom
numphiouG3566 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
νύμφηςa bride
numphesG3565 →8 times
οὐcertainly
ouG3756 →1664 times
μὴnot
meG3361 →1066 times
ἀκουσθῇmay be heard
akoustheaG191 →425 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
σοὶyou
soiG4771 →2973 times
ἔτι,any longer,
etiG2089 →140 times
ὅτιfor
hotiG3754 →1292 times
οἱthe
hoiG3588 →19766 times
ἔμποροίmerchants
emporoiG1713 →5 times
σουof you
souG4771 →2973 times
ἦσανwere
esanG1510 →2333 times
οἱthe
hoiG3588 →19766 times
μεγιστᾶνεςgreat ones
megistanesG3175 →
τῆςof the
tesG3588 →19766 times
γῆς,earth,
gesG1093 →248 times
ὅτιbecause
hotiG3754 →1292 times
ἐνby
enG1722 →2738 times
τῇthe
teaG3588 →19766 times
φαρμακείᾳsorcery
pharmakeiaG5331 →
σουof you
souG4771 →2973 times
ἐπλανήθησανwere deceived
eplanethesanG4105 →39 times
πάνταall
pantaG3956 →1235 times
τὰthe
taG3588 →19766 times
ἔθνη.nations.
ethneG1484 →161 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Revelation 22:15But outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
it leads to
- Revelation 21:8
But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This…
- Galatians 5:19–21
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery;
- Philippians 3:2
Watch out for those dogs, those workers of evil, those mutilators of the flesh!
- 1 Corinthians 6:9–10
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual…
- Revelation 21:27
But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who practices an abomination or a lie, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
- Revelation 21:8
Through
Revelation 18:3All the nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her immorality. The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown wealthy from the extravagance…
it leads to
- Revelation 18:9
Then the kings of the earth who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her will weep and wail at the sight of the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Revelation 14:8
Then a second angel followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, who has made all the nations drink the wine of the passion of her immorality.”
- Revelation 17:2
The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and those who dwell on the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her immorality.”
- Revelation 18:9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
About Revelation

This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Andreas of Caesarea, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 18:21-24; Bede, Commentary on Revelation; Caesarius of Arles, EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 18:21-24, HOMILY 17; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748) and John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament.
