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.
23. the voice of the bridegroom &c.] Jer 7:34; Jer 16:9.
for thy merchants &c.] Isa 23:8, of Tyre. Some read “for the great men of the earth were thy merchants”, which makes the resemblance less close, but does not forbid our seeing a reference.
by thy sorceries ] Compare especially Nah 3:4.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
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).
For thy merchants were the great men of the earth – Those who dealt with thee were the rich, and among them were even nobles and princes; and now that they trade with thee no more there is occasion for lamentation and sorrow. The contrast is great between the time when distinguished foreigners crowded thy marts, and now, when none of any kind come to traffic with thee. The origin of this representation is probably the description of Tyre in Ezek. 27.
For by thy sorceries were all nations deceived – This is stated as a reason for the ruin that had come upon her. It is a common representation of papal Rome that she has deceived or deluded the nations of the earth (see the notes on Rev 13:14), and no representation ever made accords more with facts as they have occurred. The word sorceries here refers to the various arts the tricks impostures, and false pretences by which this has been done. See the notes on Rev 9:21.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 23. By thy sorceries] Political arts, state tricks, counterfeit miracles, and deceptive manoeuvres of every kind. This may be spoken of many great cities of the world, which still continue to flourish!
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
23. What a blessed contrast isRe 22:5, respecting the city ofGod: “They need no candle (just as Babylon shall nomore have the light of a candle, but for a widelydifferent reason), for the Lord God giveth them light.”
candleTranslate asGreek, “lamp.”
bridegroom . . . bride . . .no more . . . in theeContrast the heavenly city, with itsBridegroom, Bride, and blessed marriage supper (Rev 19:7;Rev 19:9; Rev 21:2;Rev 21:9; Isa 62:4;Isa 62:5).
thy merchants wereSomost of the best authorities read. But A omits the Greekarticle before “merchants,” and then translates, “Thegreat men of . . . were thy merchants.”
sorceriesGreek,“sorcery.”
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee,…. Either for common use, or at feasts, or at marriages, which being kept at night, required candies, lamps, or torches; this shows that Babylon, or Rome, shall be deprived of everything, even of the least thing that is comfortable in life; see Jer 25:10 this will be a just punishment upon her for her abuse of this blessing of life; so where wax candles in great numbers have been burning in the daytime, there will not be so much as a single candle to give light in the night; and where candles have been lighted up for the dead, there will not be one for the use of the living:
and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: there will be no marrying, nor giving in marriage; no procreation of children, or propagation of posterity, in this place; which denotes the utter extirpation of the inhabitants of it; the phrases are taken from Jer 7:34
Jer 25:10 and this will be in righteous retaliation for the prohibition of marriage; which God has instituted, and is honourable, 1Ti 4:2 the reasons of Babylon’s destruction follow:
for thy merchants were the great men of the earth: in allusion to the merchants of Tyre, said to be princes, Isa 23:8 for by trading and dealing in the wares and merchandise of Rome, persons of mean extract, and of very low circumstances of life, have grown exceeding rich, and have equalled the princes of the earth; as for instance, Cardinal Wolsey here in England, a butcher’s son at Ipswich; and on the other hand, the princes and great men of the earth have become Rome’s merchants, and have thought it an high honour to get a cardinal’s hat, as the Cardinals Albertus duke of Austria, Bourbon, Pool, and others, mentioned by Brightman:
for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived; meaning her false doctrines, traditions, idolatry, superstition, and will worship, with which, as another Jezebel, she has bewitched, allured, and deceived the nations of the empire, and the kings thereof, Re 18:3.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Of a lamp (). Old word (Mt 5:15), again in Re 22:5.
Shall shine no more at all ( ). Fifth instance in these verses of with the aorist subjunctive, here the active of as in Re 8:12. It is not known whether Rome had street lights or not.
The voice of the bridegroom and of the bride ( ). See John 3:29; Jer 7:34; Jer 16:9. “Even the occasional flash of the torches carried by bridal processions (Mt 25:1ff.) is seen no more” (Swete). The sixth instance of , in verses 21-23, occurs with (third instance of , two in verse 22).
Were the princes of the earth ( ). For see Rev 6:15; Mark 6:21. “Thy merchants were the grandees” once, but now these merchant princes are gone.
With thy sorcery ( ). (instrumental use) and the locative case of , old word (from , to prepare drugs, from , sorcery, Re 9:21), in N.T. only here and Ga 5:20 for sorcery and magical arts. If one is puzzled over the connection between medicine and sorcery as illustrated by this word (our pharmacy), he has only to recall quackery today in medicine (patent medicines and cure-alls), witch-doctors, professional faith-healers, medicine-men in Africa. True medical science has had a hard fight to shake off chicanery and charlatanry.
Were deceived (). First aorist passive indicative of . These charlatans always find plenty of victims. See Mr 12:24.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Bridegroom – bride. Compare Jer 25:10.
Great men [] . Rev., princes. See on ch. Rev 6:15.
By thy sorceries [ ] . See on ch. Rev 9:21. Rev., more literally, with thy sorcery.
Were deceived [] . Or led astray. See on Mr 12:24.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “And the light of a candle,” (kai phos luchnou) “And (even) light of a candle,” splendid illuminations of candies in the darkness, objects of safety, service, and beauty.
2) “Shall shine no more at all in thee,” (ou me phane en soi eti) “Shall not shine in thee any more at all; shall never give even a glimmering glow again, Jer 25:10; Palaces and homes shall be in darkness, in the total blackout of Babylon.
3) “And the voice of the bridegroom and the bride,” (kai phone numphiou kai numphes) “And a voice of a bridegroom and a bride,” a voice of either, a voice of pomp and ceremony accompanying happy moments in weddings – – shall be no more, Jer 16:9.
4) “Shall be heard no more at all in thee,” (ou me akousthe en soi eti) “Shall not be heard any more at all in thee,” Jer 7:34; 1Pe 4:7.
5) “For thy merchants are great men of the sea,” (hoti emporoi sou esan hoi megistanes tes ges) “Because thy merchants were the great ones (the leading ones) 6f the earth,” Rev 18:3; Rev 18:11; Rev 18:15, They decked the city-woman Babylon with jewels and profited from her trade for a time.
6) “For by thy sorceries,” (hoti en te pharmakeia sou) “For in thy pharmaceutical deceptions,” traffic in drugs and narcotics – – utilized by the great whore and her harem of fornicating daughters, Nah 3:4; Rev 17:1-6.
7) “Were all nations deceived,” (eplanethesan panta ta ethne) “Were all the nations (or races of people) deluded, even from the days of Jezebel, the witchcraft mother of whoredom, in Israel, 2Ki 9:22; Rev 21:8.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(23) For thy merchants were the great . . .The judgment does not fall because the merchants were great: it is the sorcery of the next clause which is the true cause of her fall: the merchants are those who traded with her, as well as those who dwelt in her: by her sorceries we must understand her artful policy, her attractiveness, and the seductions by which she drew into the meshes of her worldliness and sin the nations around. In thy sorcery were all the nations led astray (Rev. 13:14).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
23. No lamp shall illuminate the wedding chamber.
For The double for assigns reason for different things. First for implies how great the desolation; for Babylon’s merchants were once princes; the second for implies the justice of the downfall; for she was the world’s corruptress.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
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.
Ver. 23. And the light of a candle ] The candle of the wicked shall be put out, they that here love darkness better than light shall hereafter be thrust into , outer darkness, where they shall never see the light again till they see all the world on a light fire.
For thy merchants were the great men ] The pope creates his cardinals by these words, Estote fratres nostri et principes mundi, Be ye brethren to us, and princes of the world. They hold themselves the king’s companions.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Rev 18:23 . Contrast the of 24 with the of Rev 18:14 which in its canonical position is an erratic boulder. , primarily in the figurative O.T. sense already noticed (harlotry and magic spells, as in Yasna ix. 32). But a literal allusion is not to be excluded, in view of the antipathy felt by pious Jews and early Christians to magic and sorcery. As Rome represented the existing authorities under whose aegis these black arts managed to flourish, and as they were generally bound up with religion, it would not be unnatural to charge the Empire with promoting sorcery (Weinel 10). . “Commerce, as having regard to purely worldly interests, is called harlotry” [Cheyne on Isa 23:17 ]. Sorcery, witchcraft, “fornication,” and the persecution of the righteous, are all manifestations of the lawlessness practised by Beliar working in men and kings (Asc. Isa. ii. 4, 5).
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
light. App-130.
candle = lamp.
shine. See App-106.
the, the. Omit.
sorceries = sorcery. See Rev 9:21.
nations = the nations.
deceived. App-128. Compare Isa 47:9.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
the light: Rev 22:5, Job 21:17, Pro 4:18, Pro 4:19, Pro 24:20
the voice: Rev 18:22
thy merchants: Rev 18:3, Rev 18:11-19, Isa 23:8, Eze 27:24, Eze 27:25, Eze 27:33, Eze 27:34
for: Rev 18:3, Rev 18:9, Rev 12:9, Rev 13:13-16, Rev 17:2, Rev 17:5, Rev 21:8, Rev 22:15, 2Ki 9:22, Isa 47:9, Nah 3:4, Act 8:11
Reciprocal: Job 3:7 – solitary Job 18:6 – candle Psa 119:118 – their deceit Pro 7:12 – General Isa 23:1 – for it is Isa 23:4 – I travail Isa 44:20 – a deceived Jer 7:34 – to cease Jer 16:9 – I will Jer 25:10 – voice of mirth Jer 27:9 – hearken Jer 33:11 – voice of joy Jer 48:33 – joy Jer 51:7 – the nations Jer 51:55 – destroyed Eze 26:13 – General Hos 2:11 – cause 2Th 2:9 – is 1Ti 4:1 – seducing 2Ti 3:13 – evil Jam 3:6 – a world Rev 9:21 – their sorceries Rev 13:14 – deceiveth Rev 16:10 – upon Rev 19:2 – judged