Revelation 18:23
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.
Study Note
Study Note
The enumeration of what will never again be heard or seen in fallen Babylon — candlelight, bridal voices, merchant-greatness, deceiving nations by sorcery — climaxes in the charge that 'in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.' The phrase 'the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee' quotes Jeremiah 7:34 and 16:9, which recorded Jerusalem's silenced marriage celebrations as judgment — now applied to Rome as the new Babylon that has repeated Jerusalem's sins. 'Deceiving nations by thy sorceries' (pharmakeia) identifies the empire's cultural and religious seduction — its civil religion, emperor cult, and luxury — as a form of pharmaceutical enchantment that dulls moral discernment. The final blood-guilt accusation makes commerce, spectacle, and religious violence inseparable aspects of the same imperial system that Revelation condemns comprehensively.
Other Translations
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.
and light of a lamp may not shine at all in thee any more; and voice of bridegroom and of bride may not be heard at all in thee any more; because thy merchants were the great ones of the earth, because in thy sorcery were all the nations led astray,
And never again will the shining of lights be seen in you; and the voice of the newly-married man and the bride will never again be sounding in you: for your traders were the lords of the earth, and by your evil powers were all the nations turned out of the right way.
Cross References
And it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, What …
How oft is the candle of the wicked put out! and how oft cometh their destruction upon them! God distributeth …
For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.
The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.
But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood: …
Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honourable of …
For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will cause to cease out of this …
Then will I cause to cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of …
In the time when thou shalt be broken by the seas in the depths of the waters thy merchandise and …