Revelation 9:2-6

The Pulpit Commentary - Revelation 9:6

And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them; shall in no wise find it … and death fleeth from them (Revised Version); οἱ ἄνθρωποι , "the men;" that is, the unsealed, who suffer this judgment. This is a characteristic biblical method of expressing great anguish. Thus Job 3:20 , Job 3:21 , "The bitter in soul; which long for death, but it cometh not" (cf. also Jeremiah 8:3 ; Job 7:15 ; Luke 23:30 ;... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Revelation 9:6

The extremity of anguish. "And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them." We take these words as a picture of the extremest anguish. Here we have— I. A STATE OF MISERY IN WHICH DEATH IS SOUGHT . 1 . Death, is universally regarded amongst men as the greatest evil. It is the "king of terrors." It gives terror to everything terrible in the world. The ravenous beast, the furious storm, the... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Revelation 9:2

And he opened the bottomless pit - It is represented before as wholly confined, so that not even the smoke or vapor could escape.And there arose a smoke out of the pit - Compare Revelation 14:11. The meaning here is that the pit, as a place of punishment, or as the abode of the wicked, was filled with burning sulphur, and consequently that it emitted smoke and vapor as soon as opened. The common image of the place of punishment, in the Scriptures, is that of a “lake that burns with fire and... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Revelation 9:3

And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth - That is, they escaped from the pit with the smoke. At first they were mingled with the smoke, so that they were not distinctly seen, but when the smoke cleared away they appeared in great numbers. The idea seems to be, that the bottomless pit was filled with vapor and with those creatures, and that as soon as the gate was opened the whole contents expanded and burst forth upon the earth. The sun was immediately darkened, and the air was... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Revelation 9:4

And it was commanded them - The writer does not say by whom this command was given, but it is clearly by someone who had the direction of them. As they were evoked from the “bottomless pit” by one who had the key to that dark abode, and as they are represented in Revelation 9:11 as under the command of one who is there called Abaddon, or Apollyon - the Destroyer - it would seem most probable that the command referred to is one that is given by him; that is, that this expresses one of the... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Revelation 9:5

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... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Revelation 9:6

And in those days shall men seek death ... - See the notes on Revelation 9:5. It is very easy to conceive of such a state of things as is here described, and, indeed, this has not been very uncommon in the world. It is a state where the distress is so great that people would consider death a relief, and where they anxiously look to the time when they may be released from their sufferings by death. In the case before us it is not intimated that they would lay violent hands on themselves, or that... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Revelation 9:2-3

Revelation 9:2-3. There arose a smoke out of the pit As a great smoke hinders the sight, so do errors blind the understanding. The apostle keeps to the allegory, says Grotius, for smoke takes from us the sight of the stars; smoke, especially when proceeding from a fierce fire, is also a representation of devastation. Thus when Abraham beheld the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace. The great displeasure of God is represented by the... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Revelation 9:4-6

Revelation 9:4-6. And it was commanded that they should not hurt the grass, &c. This verse demonstrates that they were not natural, but symbolical locusts. The like injunctions were given to the Arabian officers and soldiers. When Yezid was marching with the army to invade Syria, Abubeker charged him with this among other orders: “Destroy no palm- trees, nor burn any fields of corn; cut down no fruit-trees, nor do any mischief to cattle, only such as you kill to eat.” Their commission is... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Revelation 9:1-21

Fifth and sixth trumpets (9:1-21)Worse than the destruction by the forces of nature is the suffering brought by the forces of demons (fifth trumpet). These demonic forces are pictured in a strange and terrifying army of locusts. Though uncontrollable by any human power, they are not independent of the rule of God. He keeps them imprisoned in the abyss (RSV: bottomless pit), and even when he releases them he determines the extent of their activity (9:1-3).The demons do not harm plant life (as... read more

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