Revelation 9:2-6

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Revelation 9:2

Revelation 9:2. There arose a smoke out of the pit,— As a great smoke hinders the sight, so do errors the understanding. St. John keeps to the allegory, says Grotius: a 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 same figurative... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Revelation 9:3

Revelation 9:3. Locusts upon the earth:— See Jdg_6:5 . Joe_1:6 . Bishop Newton interprets this part of the prophesy as follows: "At the sounding of the fifth trumpet, a star fallen from heaven, meaning the impostor Mohammed, opened the bottomless pit, and there arose a smoke out of the pit, and the sun and the air were darkened by it; that is, a false religion was set up, which filled the world with darkness and error; and swarms of Saracens, or Arabian locusts, overspread the earth. A false... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Revelation 9:4

Revelation 9:4. It was commanded them that they should, &c.— This verse demonstrates, that these were not natural, but symbolical locusts. The like injunctions were given to the Arabian soldiers. When Yezid marched to invade Syria, Abubeker charged him expressly not to destroy the palm-trees, nor to burn any fields of corn, nor to cut down fruit-trees, nor do mischief to any cattle, unless what theykilled for eating. Their commission is, to hurt only those men who have not the seal of God... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Revelation 9:5-9

Revelation 9:5-9. But that they should be tormented five months, &c.— But that they should torment, &c. one hundred and fifty years, from the year 612 to the year 762. See on Revelation 9:10. As the Saracens were to hurt only the corrupt and idolatrous Christians, so these they were not to kill, but only to torment; and were to bring such calamities upon the earth, as should make men weary of their lives, Revelation 9:5-6. Not that it could be supposed that the Saracens would not kill... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Revelation 9:3

3. upon—Greek, "unto," or "into." as the scorpions of the earth—as contrasted with the "locusts" which come up from hell, and are not "of the earth." have power—namely, to sting. read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Revelation 9:4

4. not hurt the grass . . . neither . . . green thing . . . neither . . . tree—the food on which they ordinarily prey. Therefore, not natural and ordinary locusts. Their natural instinct is supernaturally restrained to mark the judgment as altogether divine. those men which—Greek, "the men whosoever." in, c.—Greek, "upon their forehead." Thus this fifth trumpet is proved to follow the sealing in :-, under the sixth seal. None of the saints are hurt by these locusts, which is not true of the... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Revelation 9:5

5. they . . . they—The subject changes: the first "they" is the locusts; the second is the unsealed. five months—the ordinary time in the year during which locusts continue their ravages. their torment—the torment of the sufferers. This fifth verse and :- cannot refer to an invading army. For an army would kill, and not merely torment. read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Revelation 9:6

6. shall desire—Greek, "eagerly desire"; set their mind on. shall flee—So B, Vulgate, Syriac, and Coptic read. But A and Aleph read, "fleeth," namely continually. In :-, which is at a later stage of God's judgments, the ungodly seek annihilation, not from the torment of their suffering, but from fear of the face of the Lamb before whom they have to stand. read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Revelation 9:1-6

The impact of the locusts 9:1-6 read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Revelation 9:1-11

The fifth trumpet (first woe) 9:1-11"Already introduced by the eagle’s proclamation in Revelation 8:13, the fifth trumpet sets the tone for the last three trumpets through its specificity and independence of the two to follow. This feature marks the last three seals too. The seventh trumpet also resembles the seventh seal in the way it solemnly concludes the whole and contains the next series within in its scope. As with the seals also, two episodes intervene between the sixth and seventh... read more

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