Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
To shine upon it (ina fainwsin auth). Purpose clause with ina and the present active subjunctive of fainw, to keep on shining. Light is always a problem in our cities. See Isaiah 60:19 ff.
Did lighten it (efwtisen authn). First aorist active indicative of fwtizw, to illumine, old verb from fwv (Luke 11:36). If the sun and moon did shine, they would give no added light in the presence of the Shekinah Glory of God. See verse Revelation 21:11 for "the glory of God." Cf. Revelation 18:1; Revelation 21:3. "Their splendour is simply put to shame by the glory of God Himself" (Charles).
And the lamp thereof is the Lamb (kai o luxnov authv to arnion). Charles takes o luxnov as predicate, "and the Lamb is the lamp thereof." Bousset thinks that John means to compare Christ to the moon the lesser light (Genesis 1:16), but that contrast is not necessary. Swete sees Christ as the one lamp for all in contrast with the many luxniai of the churches on earth (Revelation 1:12, Revelation 1:20). "No words could more clearly demonstrate the purely spiritual character of St. John's conception of the New Jerusalem" (Swete).
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing Revelation 21:23:
John 5:35
Revelation 18:1
Revelation 22:5
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