Revelation 1:12

New Living Translation

When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands.

Parallel Translations

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands;

Simplified Cowboy Version
I turned to see where the sound was coming from and saw seven torches sitting in golden stands.

Bible in Basic English
And turning to see the voice which said these words to me, I saw seven gold vessels with lights burning in them;

Darby Translation
And I turned back to see the voice which spoke with me; and having turned, I saw seven golden lamps,

World English Bible
I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. Having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And I turned to see the voice that spake with me; and being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks, And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one,

Weymouth's New Testament
I turned to see who it was that was speaking to me; and then I saw seven golden lampstands,

King James Version (1611)
And I turned to see the voice that spake with mee. And being turned, I saw seuen golden Candlesticks,

Literal Translation
And I turned to see the voice which spoke with me.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And I turned backe to se the voyce that spake to me. And whe I was turned: I sawe seue golde candestyckes,

Mace New Testament (1729)
and I turned to see from whence the voice came that spake to me. and turning about, I saw seven golden candlesticks;

Amplified Bible
Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And after turning I saw seven golden lampstands;

American Standard Version
And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And having turned I saw seven golden candlesticks;

Revised Standard Version
Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands,

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And I turned backe to se the voyce that spake to me. And when I was turned: I sawe .vii golde candelstyckes

Update Bible Version
And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden candlesticks;

Webster's Bible Translation
And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;

Young's Literal Translation
And I did turn to see the voice that did speak with me, and having turned, I saw seven golden lamp-stands,

New Century Version
I turned to see who was talking to me. When I turned, I saw seven golden lampstands

New English Translation
I turned to see whose voice was speaking to me, and when I did so, I saw seven golden lampstands,

Berean Standard Bible
Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands,

Contemporary English Version
When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands.

Complete Jewish Bible
I turned around to see who was speaking to me; and when I had turned, I saw seven gold menorahs;

English Standard Version
Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands,

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then I turned backe to see the voyce, that spake with me: and when I was turned, I sawe seuen golden candlestickes,

George Lamsa Translation
And I turned to see the voice that spoke to me. And as I turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;

Christian Standard Bible®
I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me. When I turned I saw seven gold lampstands,

Hebrew Names Version
I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. Having turned, I saw seven golden menorot.

International Standard Version
Then I turned to see the voice that was talking to me, and when I turned I saw seven gold lampstands.[xr]

Etheridge Translation
And I turned to see the voice that spake with me; and being turned, I saw seven candlesticks of gold.

Murdock Translation
And I turned myself to look at the voice that talked with me; and when I had turned, I saw seven candlesticks of gold;

New King James Version
Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands,

New Life Bible
I turned around to see who was speaking to me. As I turned, I saw seven lights made of gold.

English Revised Version
And I turned to see the voice which spake with me. And having turned I saw seven golden candlesticks;

New Revised Standard
Then I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands,

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And I turned round, to see the Voice which was speaking with me, and, having turned, I saw Seven Lamps of gold;

Douay-Rheims Bible
And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks:

King James Version
And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;

Lexham English Bible
And I turned to see the voice which was speaking with me, and when I turned, I saw seven gold lampstands,

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And I turned backe to see the voyce that spake to me: And whe I was turned, I sawe seuen golden candlestickes,

Easy-to-Read Version
I turned to see who was talking to me. When I turned, I saw seven golden lampstands.

New American Standard Bible
Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And after turning I saw seven golden lampstands;

Good News Translation
I turned around to see who was talking to me, and I saw seven gold lampstands,

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Y turnede, that Y schulde se the vois that spak with me; and Y turnede, and Y say seuene candelstikis of gold,

Contextual Overview

⁹ I, John, am your brother and your partner in suffering and in God's Kingdom and in the patient endurance to which Jesus calls us. I was exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the word of God and for my testimony about Jesus. ¹⁰ It was the Lord's Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit. Suddenly, I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet blast. ¹¹ It said, "Write in a book everything you see, and send it to the seven churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea." ¹² When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. ¹³ And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. ¹⁴ His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. ¹⁵ His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. ¹⁶ He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance. ¹⁷ When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, "Don't be afraid! I am the First and the Last. ¹⁸ I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

see: Ezekiel 43:5, Ezekiel 43:6, Micah 6:9

I saw: Revelation 1:13, Revelation 1:20, Revelation 2:1, Exodus 25:37, Zechariah 4:2

Reciprocal: Exodus 25:31 - a candlestick Exodus 37:17 - the candlestick of Exodus 37:23 - General Numbers 8:2 - General 1 Chronicles 28:15 - the candlesticks Daniel 8:16 - I heard Revelation 1:19 - the things

Cross-References

Genesis 1:10
God called the dry ground "land" and the waters "seas." And God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:11
Then God said, "Let the land sprout with vegetation—every sort of seed-bearing plant, and trees that grow seed-bearing fruit. These seeds will then produce the kinds of plants and trees from which they came." And that is what happened.

Genesis 1:24
Then God said, "Let the earth produce every sort of animal, each producing offspring of the same kind—livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and wild animals." And that is what happened.

Genesis 1:26
Then God said, "Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground."

Isaiah 61:11
The Sovereign Lord will show his justice to the nations of the world. Everyone will praise him! His righteousness will be like a garden in early spring, with plants springing up everywhere.

Mark 4:28
The earth produces the crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and finally the grain ripens.

Luke 6:44
A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes.

2 Corinthians 9:10
For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.

Galatians 6:7
Don't be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And I turned to see the voice that spake with me,.... The Complutensian edition reads, "and there I turned": and so the Arabic version; that is, to see who it was that spoke, from whom the voice came, and by whom it was uttered; see Exodus 20:18;

and being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; which represented the seven churches, Revelation 1:20; in allusion to the seven lamps in the candlestick of the sanctuary, Exodus 25:37; compared to "candlesticks", for the use of them, which is to hold forth light; these have none of themselves, but what is put into them, and being put into them, they hold it forth; so the churches of Christ have no light of themselves, but what is put into them; and the light which is put into them, is not the mere light of nature, nor the law of Moses, but the Gospel of Christ; which dispels darkness, and is the means of enlightening sinners, and gives light to saints, by which they walk and work; and this light is put into the churches by Christ, whose the Gospel is, and who is himself come a light into the world; and being put here by him, it is held forth by them, especially by the ministers of it, who are the lights of the world, both by their ministry, and in their lives and conversations: and they are compared to "golden" candlesticks, because of their excellency, preciousness, and value, in the esteem of Christ; and for their brightness and purity in doctrine, discipline, and life; and for their splendour, glory, and beauty; and for their stability and duration; and though they are liable to corruption and taint, yet may be melted, refined, and purified as gold.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And I turned to see the voice that spake with me - He naturally turned round to see who it was that spake to him in this solitary and desolate place, where he thought himself to be alone. To see the “voice” here means to see the “person” who spake.

And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks - These were the “first” things that met his eye. This must have been in “vision,” of course, and the meaning is, that there “seemed” to be there seven such lamps or candelabras. The word rendered “candlesticks” (λυχνία luchnia) means properly a light-stand, lampstand - something to bear up a light. It would be applied to anything that was used for this purpose; and nothing is intimated, in the use of the word, in regard to the form or dimensions of the light-bearers. Lamps were more commonly used at that time than candles, and it is rather to be supposed that these were designed to be lamp-bearers, or lamp-sustainers, than candle-sticks. They were seven in number; not one branching into seven, but seven standing apart, and so far from each other that he who appeared to John could stand among them. The lamp-bearers evidently sustained each a light, and these gave a special brilliancy to the scene. It is not improbable that, as they were designed to represent the seven churches of Asia, they were arranged in an order resembling these churches. The scene is not laid in the temple, as many suppose, for there is nothing that resembles the arrangements in the temple except the mere fact of the lights. The scene as yet is in Patmos, and there is no evidence that John did not regard himself as there, or that he fancied for a moment that he was translated to the temple in Jerusalem. There can be no doubt as to the design of this representation, for it is expressly declared Revelation 1:20 that the seven lamp-bearers were intended to represent the seven churches. Light is often used in the Scriptures as an emblem of true religion; Christians are represented as “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14; compare Philippians 2:15; John 8:12), and a Christian church may be represented as a light standing in the midst of surrounding darkness.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Revelation 1:12. And I turned For he had heard the voice behind him. To see the voice; i.e., the person from whom the voice came.

Seven golden candlesticks — Ἑπτα λυχνιας χρυσας· Seven golden lamps. It is absurd to say, a golden silver, or brazen candlestick. These seven lamps represented the seven Churches, in which the light of God was continually shining, and the love of God continually burning. And they are here represented as golden, to show how precious they were in the sight of God. This is a reference to the temple at Jerusalem, where there was a candlestick or chandelier of seven branches; or rather six branches; three springing out on either side, and one in the centre. See Exodus 25:31-37. This reference to the temple seems to intimate that the temple of Jerusalem was a type of the whole Christian Church.