Revelation 1:12

New Life Version

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

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me. When I turned 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,

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

English Standard Version
Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning 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;

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

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;

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;

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

Easy-to-Read Version
I turned to see who was talking to me. When I turned, 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;

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

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

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

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;

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;

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;

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,

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

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,

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,

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;

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

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

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

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:

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

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,

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;

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

Contextual Overview

⁹ I, John, am your Christian brother. I have shared with you in suffering because of Jesus Christ. I have also shared with you His holy nation and we have not given up. I was put on the island called Patmos because I preached the Word of God and told about Jesus Christ. ¹⁰ I was under the Spirit's power on the Lord's Day when I heard a loud voice behind me like the loud sound of a horn. ¹¹ It said, "(*I am the First and the Last.) Write in a book what you see and send it to the seven churches. They are in the cities of Ephesus and Smyrna and Pergamum and Thyatira and Sardis and Philadelphia and Laodicea." ¹² I turned around to see who was speaking to me. As I turned, I saw seven lights made of gold. ¹³ Among the lights stood One Who looked like the Son of Man. He had on a long coat that came to His feet. A belt of gold was around His chest. ¹⁴ His head and His hair were white like white wool. They were as white as snow. His eyes were like fire. ¹⁵ His feet were like shining brass as bright as if it were in a fire. His voice sounded like powerful rushing water. ¹⁶ He held seven stars in His right hand. A sharp sword that cuts both ways came out of His mouth. His face was shining as bright as the sun shines at noon. ¹⁷ When I saw Him, I fell down at His feet like a dead man. He laid His right hand on me and said, "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. ¹⁸ I am the Living One. I was dead, but look, I am alive forever. I have power over death and hell.

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
Then God called the dry land Earth. He called the gathering of the waters Seas. And God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:11
Then God said, "Let plants grow from the earth, plants that have seeds. Let fruit trees grow on the earth that bring their kind of fruit with their own seeds." And it was so.

Genesis 1:24
Then God said, "Let the earth bring into being living things after their kind: Cattle and things that move upon the ground, and wild animals of the earth after their kind." And it was so.

Genesis 1:26
Then God said, "Let Us make man like Us and let him be head over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every thing that moves on the ground."

Isaiah 61:11
As the earth lets its new plants grow, and as a garden causes the things planted in it to grow, in the same way, the Lord God will cause what is right and good and words of praise to grow up in front of all the nations.

Mark 4:28
The earth gives fruit by itself. The leaf comes first and then the young grain can be seen. And last, the grain is ready to gather.

Luke 6:44
For every tree is known by its own fruit. Men do not gather figs from thorns. They do not gather grapes from thistles.

2 Corinthians 9:10
It is God Who gives seed to the man to plant. He also gives the bread to eat. Then we know He will give you more seed to plant and make it grow so you will have more to give away.

Galatians 6:7
Do not be fooled. You cannot fool God. A man will get back whatever he plants!

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.