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Wesley's New Testament
Revelation 9:5
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They were not permitted to kill them but were to torment them for five months; their torment is like the torment caused by a scorpion when it stings someone.
And to them it was giuen that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented fiue moneths, and their torment was as the torment of a Scorpion, when he striketh a man.
And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a person.
These locusts were not given the power to kill anyone, but to cause pain to the people for five months. And the pain they felt was like the pain a scorpion gives when it stings someone.
They were allowed to torment them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone.
And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man.
The locusts were not given power to kill them, but only to torment them for five months, and their torment was like the stinging of a scorpion.
The locusts were allowed to make them suffer for five months, but not to kill them. The suffering they caused was like the sting of a scorpion.
The locusts were not allowed to kill them, only to inflict pain on them for five months; and the pain they caused was like the pain of a scorpion sting.
and it was given to them that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months; and their torment [was] as [the] torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man.
They were not given the power to kill them but only to cause them pain for five months—pain like a person feels when stung by a scorpion.
And to them was comanded that they should not kil them, but that they should be vexed fiue moneths, & that their paine should be as the paine that commeth of a scorpion, when he hath stung a man.
And they were commanded that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man.
The locusts were not allowed to kill these people, but only to torture them for five months. The pain caused by the torture is like the pain caused by a scorpion's sting.
And it was granted to them that they should not kill them, but that they would be tormented five months, and their torment is like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a person.
And it was given to them that they should not kill them, but that they be tormented five months. And their torment is as the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man.
They were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment and cause them extreme pain for five months; and their torment was like the torment from a scorpion when it stings a man.
And it was given them that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when it striketh a man.
And orders were given them not to put them to death, but to give them great pain for five months: and their pain was as the pain from the wound of a scorpion.
They were given power not to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion, when it strikes a man.
They were not allowed to kill them, but were only allowedwere only allowed">[fn] to torture them for five months. Their torture was like the pain of a scorpion when it stings someone.Revelation 11:7,10;">[xr]
And it was given them, that they should not kill them, but torture them five months. And their torture was as the torture of a scorpion when he striketh a man.
And it was given them, that they should not kill them, but should torment them five months: and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion, when it striketh a person.
And to them was commaunded that they should not kyll them, but that they shoulde be vexed fiue monethes, and their paine was as the payne that commeth of a scorpion when he hath stong a man.
And it was given them that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when it striketh a man.
They were given power not to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion, when it strikes a man.
Their mission was not to kill, but to cause awful agony for five months; and this agony was like that which a scorpion inflicts when it stings a man.
And it was youun to hem, that thei schulden not sle hem, but that thei schulden `be turmentid fyue monethis; and the turmentyng of hem, as the turmentyng of a scorpioun, whanne he smytith a man.
And it was given them that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when it strikes a man.
And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment [was] as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
The locusts were not given permission to kill them, but only to torture them for five months, and their torture was like that of a scorpion when it stings a person.
And they were not given authority to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man.
They were told not to kill them but to torture them for five months with pain like the pain of a scorpion sting.
The locusts were not allowed to kill these men. They were to give them much pain for five months like the pain that comes from a small animal that stings.
They were allowed to torture them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torture was like the torture of a scorpion when it stings someone.
And it was given unto them, that they should not slay them, but that they should be tormented five months; and, the torture of them, was as of a scorpion's torture, whensoever it smiteth a man.
And it was given unto them that they should not kill them: but that they should torment them five months. And their torment was as the torment of a scorpion when he striketh a man.
they were allowed to torture them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torture was like the torture of a scorpion, when it stings a man.
and to the was comaunded yt they shulde not kyll the but yt they shulde be vexed v monethes and their payne was as the payne yt cometh of a scorpion whe he hath stoge a ma.
and it was given to them that they may not kill them, but that they may be tormented five months, and their torment [is] as the torment of a scorpion, when it may strike a man;
and to them was comaunded, that they shulde not kyll the, but that they shulde be vexed fyue monethes, and their payne was as the payne that cometh of a scorpion, when he hath stonge a man.
and to them was power given, not to kill them, but to torment them five months: and their pain was like the pain which a scorpion produces when it strikes a man.
The terrible locusts were not allowed to kill the unbranded, but only to inflict tremendous torture on them for five months.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
it was: Revelation 13:5, Revelation 13:7, Daniel 5:18-22, Daniel 7:6, John 19:11
they should not: That is, should not kill them as a political body, state, or empire; and accordingly, however they desolated the Greek and Latin churches, they could not extirpate them, nor gain possession of the empire. Revelation 11:7, Job 2:6
they should be: Revelation 9:10
five: Five prophetical months, each consisting of 30 days, and each day denoting a year, amount to 150 years; and accordingly, from the time that Mohammed began to propagate his imposture ad 612, the building of Bagdad, when they ceased from their ravages, ad 763, are just 150 years.
and their: Revelation 9:3
Reciprocal: 2 Chronicles 10:11 - scorpions Zechariah 14:12 - Their flesh Revelation 9:15 - an hour
Cross-References
That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of Abel the righteous, to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
And he hath made of one the whole nation of men, to dwell on all the face of the earth, having determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation:
Gill's Notes on the Bible
And to them it was given that they should not kill them,.... As the power of the locusts was limited with respect to the persons they should hurt, so with regard also to the mischief they should do; for even those whom they were suffered to annoy they might not kill, that is, utterly root out and destroy, so as that they were no more: and thus, though the Saracens killed great numbers in the eastern empire, by their frequent incursions and ravages, and made large conquests, yet they could never destroy the empire itself, or bring it in subjection to them; nor did they ever take Constantinople, the metropolis and seat of the empire, though they often besieged it. And as for the western locusts, the months, friars, c. though they kill the souls, yet not the bodies of men that are under their power and influence:
but that they should be tormented five months that is, not that the locusts should be tormented, but men by the locusts; and so the eastern empire was grievously teased and tormented by the Saracens, and many parts of it were conquered, plundered, and pillaged by them, though it was not killed and put an end to. In the year 628, Mahomet with his Saracens having obtained a place in Arabia Felix to dwell in, died in the year 631; from which time his successors, the Saracens, by little and little, subdued Palestine, Syria, and Egypt; and, in the year 640, took Persis, putting King Hormisda to flight; they laid siege to Constantinople seven years, but without success; in the year 698, Carthage was taken by them; and in following times many countries on the continent, and many of the islands, were grievously infested and distressed by them; though the empire itself did not fall into their hands; it was tormented by them, but not destroyed. And the western locusts have most dreadfully tormented men by their exorbitant dues demanded of them; and by obliging them to confessions, and to attend Mass; by enjoining them whippings, fastings, pilgrimages, and penances, and with the terrors of purgatory, and the like. The time that the locusts should torment men, which is "five months", seems not to design any determinate time; but only that seeing five months is the time that locusts live, and are in their strength and power, even the five, hottest months in the year, from April to September h, this seems to denote, that as long as the locusts live, the Saracens in the east, and the monks and friars in the west, so long men should be tormented by them; for it is certain that these have had power to torment men longer time than barely five months; yea, even though these should be understood, according to the prophetic style used in this book, of five months of years, or an hundred and fifty years; and though this should be doubled, seeing they are repeated, Revelation 9:10; and so make up in all three hundred ears; for both the Saracens and the Romish clergy have distressed men, either of them, longer time than this: indeed, the flourishing condition of the Saracens was but about three hundred years, or two five months; but their empire or dominion lasted longer, even from the year 622, which was the year of the "Hegira", or flight of Mahomet, to the year 1057 i, when the Turkish empire succeeded it: though it is pretty remarkable, that from the year 612, in which Mahomet began to preach publicly, and so let out the smoke with the locusts, to the year 762, in which the city of Bagdad was built, when and where the Saracens settled, and made no more excursions of any consequence, were just an hundred and fifty years, or five months of years, as Mr. Daubuz observes; and I will not say that this is not intended by this prophecy. Noah's flood prevailed over the earth one hundred and fifty days, or five months, Genesis 7:24.
And their torment [was] as the torment of a scorpion when he striketh a man; which gives great pain, is very distressing, and their stings are poisonous and mortal: it signifies how troublesome and afflictive those locusts were; to be among them was to live among scorpions, as in Ezekiel 2:6. As these locusts are like scorpions, so scorpions have been seen sometimes with wings like locusts; such an one, Pausanias k relates, was brought into Ionia by a Phrygian.
h Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 11. c. 29. i Petav. Rationar. par. 1. l. 7. c. 13. & l. 8. c. 13. k Boeotica, sive l. 9. p. 573. Vid. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 11. c. 25. & Aelian. Hist. Animal. l. 6. c. 20. & l. 16. c. 41, 42.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
And to them it was given - There is here the same indefiniteness as in the former verse, the impersonal verb being here also used. The writer does not say by whom this power was given, whether by God, or by the leader of the host. It may be admitted, however, that the most natural interpretation is to suppose that it was given them by God, and that this was the execution of his purpose in this case. Still it is remarkable that this is not directly affirmed, and that the language is so general as to admit of the other application. The fact that they did not kill them, but tormented them - if such a fact should be found to exist - would be in every sense a fulfillment of what is here said.
That they should not kill them - This is in accordance with the nature of the symbol. The locusts do not themselves destroy any living creature; and the sting of the scorpion, though exceedingly painful, is not usually fatal. The proper fulfillment of this would be found in what would not be generally fatal, but which would diffuse misery and wretchedness. (Compare Revelation 9:6.) Perhaps all that would be necessarily meant by this would be, not that individual people would not be killed, but that they would be sent to inflict plagues and torments rather than to take life, and that the characteristic effects of their appearing would be distress and suffering rather than death. There may be included in the fair interpretation of the words, “general distress” and “sorrow”; acts of oppression, cruelty, and violence; such a condition of public suffering that people would regard death as a relief if they could find it.
But that they should be tormented - That is, that they should be subjected to ills and troubles which might be properly compared with the sting of a scorpion.
Five months - So far as the words here are concerned this might be taken literally, denoting five months or one hundred and fifty days; or as a prophetic reckoning, where a day stands for a year. Compare the notes on Daniel 9:24 ff. The latter is undoubtedly the correct interpretation here, for it is the character of the book thus to reckon time. See the notes on Revelation 9:15. If this be the true method of reckoning here, then it will be necessary to find some events which will embrace about the period of one hundred and fifty years, during which this distress and sorrow would continue. The proper laws of interpretation demand that one or the other of these periods should be found - either that of five months literally, or that of 150 years. It may be true, as Prof. Stuart suggests (in loco), that “the usual time of locusts is from May to September inclusive - five months.” It may be true, also, that this symbol was chosen partly because that was the fact, and they would, from that fact, be well adapted to symbolize a period that could be spoken of as “five months”; but still the meaning must be more than simply it was “a short period,” as he supposes. The phrase a few months might designate such a period; but if that had been the writer’s intention, he would not have selected the definite number five.
And their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, ... - See the notes on Revelation 9:3. That is, it would be painful, severe, dangerous.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Revelation 9:5. To them it was given — That is, they were permitted.
That they should be tormented five months — Some take these months literally, and apply them to the conduct of the Zealots who, from May to September, in the year of the siege, produced dreadful contests among the people; or to the afflictions brought upon the Jews by Cestius Gallus, when he came against Jerusalem, before which he lay one whole summer, or nearly five months.-See Joseph., Bell. Jud., l. ii. c. 19.
Others consider the months as being prophetical months, each day being reckoned for a year; therefore this period must amount to one hundred and fifty years, counting thirty days to each month, as was the general custom of the Asiatics.
Their torment was as the torment of a scorpion — The phraseology here is peculiar, and probably refers to the warlike weapon called a scorpion, several of which, or men armed with them, Cestius Gallus brought with him in his army.
Isidore describes this scorpion thus: Scorpio est sagitta venenata arcu vel tormentis excussa, quea, dum ad hominem venerit, virus qua figit infundit; unde et scorpio nomen accepit. "The scorpion is a poisoned arrow shot from a bow or other instrument, which, when it wounds a man, deposits the poison with which it is covered in the wound; whence it has the name of scorpion." Seneca, in his Hercules OEtaeus, act iv., ver. 1218, describes the torment which is occasioned by this species of poisoned arrow: -
Heu qualis intus scorpius, quis fervida
Plaga revulsus cancer infixus meas
Urit medullas?
