Revelation 9:5
New International Version
They were not allowed to kill them but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes.

New Living Translation
They were told not to kill them but to torture them for five months with pain like the pain of a scorpion sting.

English Standard Version
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.

Berean Standard Bible
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.

Berean Literal Bible
And it was granted to them that they should not kill them, but that they shall torment them five months. And their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it might strike a man.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
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.

New American Standard Bible
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.

NASB 1995
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.

NASB 1977
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.

Legacy Standard Bible
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.

Amplified Bible
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.

Christian Standard Bible
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.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
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 strikes a man.

American Standard Version
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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And it was given to them not to kill them, but that they would suffer pain for five months, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it attacks a man.

Contemporary English Version
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.

Douay-Rheims Bible
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.

English Revised Version
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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They were not allowed to kill them. They were only allowed to torture them for five months. Their torture was like the pain of a scorpion's sting.

Good News Translation
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.

International Standard Version
They were not allowed to kill them, but were only allowed to torture them for five months. Their torture was like the pain of a scorpion when it stings someone.

Literal Standard Version
and it was given to them that they may not kill them, but that they may be tormented five months, and their torment—as the torment of a scorpion—when it may strike a man;

Majority Standard Bible
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.

New American Bible
They were not allowed to kill them but only to torment them for five months; the torment they inflicted was like that of a scorpion when it stings a person.

NET Bible
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.

New Revised Standard Version
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.

New Heart English Bible
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 person.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

Weymouth New Testament
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.

World English Bible
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 person.

Young's Literal Translation
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;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Fifth Trumpet
4They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 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. 6In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, but death will escape them.…

Cross References
2 Chronicles 10:11
Whereas my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. Whereas my father scourged you with whips, I will scourge you with scorpions.'"

2 Chronicles 10:14
and spoke to them as the young men had advised, saying, "Whereas my father made your yoke heavy, I will add to your yoke. Whereas my father scourged you with whips, I will scourge you with scorpions."

Ezekiel 2:6
But you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns surround you, and you dwell among scorpions. Do not be afraid of their words or dismayed by their presence, though they are a rebellious house.

Revelation 9:3
And out of the smoke, locusts descended on the earth, and they were given power like that of the scorpions of the earth.

Revelation 9:10
They had tails with stingers like scorpions, which had the power to injure people for five months.


Treasury of Scripture

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 strikes a man.

it was.

Revelation 13:5,7
And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months…

Daniel 5:18-22
O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour: …

Daniel 7:6
After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.

they should not.

Revelation 11:7
And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.

Job 2:6
And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.

they should be.

Revelation 9:10
And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.

five.

and their.

Revelation 9:3
And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

Jump to Previous
Agony Allowed Awful Cause Death Five Great Inflicts Kill Mission Months Orders Pain Permitted Power Scorpion Sting Stings Strike Strikes Striketh Suffered Torment Tormented Torture Wound
Jump to Next
Agony Allowed Awful Cause Death Five Great Inflicts Kill Mission Months Orders Pain Permitted Power Scorpion Sting Stings Strike Strikes Striketh Suffered Torment Tormented Torture Wound
Revelation 9
1. At the sounding of the fifth angel, a star falls from heaven, to whom is given the key to the bottomless pit.
2. He opens the pit, and there come forth locusts like scorpions.
12. The first woe past.
13. The sixth trumpet sounds.
14. Four angels who were bound are let loose.














(5) And to them . . .--Better, And it was given to them that they should not kill them (i.e., those who had not the seal of God in their foreheads), but that they should be tortured five months. The general period of a locust plague is about five months: "as the natural locusts commit their ravages only for five months, so the ravages of these symbolical ones will be only for a short period" (Stuart). Their power is to inflict torment, and not death. The next verse tells us that men would consider death preferable to this torment; but the relief of the grave is denied them.

And their torment . . .--Literally, and the torture of them (i.e., the torture inflicted by them) is as the torture of a scorpion when it has stricken a man. The wound of a scorpion occasions intense suffering: we have in it the symbol of the malicious cruelty of the merciless. The emblem is used in Ezekiel: the rebellious and malicious opponents of the prophet being compared to scorpions (Ezekiel 2:6). We may compare the similar imagery of the bee for the Assyrian power (Isaiah 7:18), and the Psalmist's complaint that his enemies came about him like bees--a swarm, irritating him with wing and sting. The tenth verse tells us the way in which the injury was inflicted: there were stings in their tails.

Verse 5 - And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months; and it was given them [i.e. the locusts] that they [the locusts] should not kill them [the unsealed], but that they [the unsealed] should be tormented five months. The devil and his agents have not unlimited power committed to them; they are restrained within limits by the will of God. The evils which follow in the train of heresy and infidelity are not as yet permitted to kill (cf. Job 1:12), for this judgment extends only to the natural life of man. God reserves the final killing to himself at the great judgment day. This is shown in the limitation, "five months." This apparently meaningless period becomes explicable, when we remember that the usual duration of a locust plague is five months, viz. from April to September. The visitation is for the natural period of such occurrences; the torment is to extend to the natural period of man's sojourn on the earth. It does not extend into the next life; other and special means are adopted for man's punishment then, as set forth under the seventh trumpet. Various other explanations have been given of the five months.

(1) Five years of Gothic rule (Vitringa).

(2) Five months = 5 × 30 days; each day represents one year; therefore 150 years are signified, viz.

(a) of the Saracens, A.D. 830 - A.D. 980 (Mede); . . .

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
[The locusts]
αὐτοῖς (autois)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

were not given power
ἐδόθη (edothē)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1325: To offer, give; I put, place. A prolonged form of a primary verb; to give.

to
ἵνα (hina)
Conjunction
Strong's 2443: In order that, so that. Probably from the same as the former part of heautou; in order that.

kill
ἀποκτείνωσιν (apokteinōsin)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 615: To put to death, kill; fig: I abolish. From apo and kteino; to kill outright; figuratively, to destroy.

them,
αὐτούς (autous)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

but only
ἀλλ’ (all’)
Conjunction
Strong's 235: But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise.

to
ἵνα (hina)
Conjunction
Strong's 2443: In order that, so that. Probably from the same as the former part of heautou; in order that.

torment [them]
βασανισθήσονται (basanisthēsontai)
Verb - Future Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 928: To examine, as by torture; I torment; I buffet, as of waves. From basanos; to torture.

[for] five
πέντε (pente)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 4002: Five. A primary number; 'five'.

months,
μῆνας (mēnas)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3376: A (lunar) month. A primary word; a month.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

their
αὐτῶν (autōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Feminine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

torment
βασανισμὸς (basanismos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 929: Torture, torment. From basanizo; torture.

[was] like
ὡς (hōs)
Adverb
Strong's 5613: Probably adverb of comparative from hos; which how, i.e. In that manner.

the stinging
παίσῃ (paisē)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3817: To strike, smite, sting. A primary verb; to hit; specially, to sting.

of a scorpion.
σκορπίου (skorpiou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 4651: A scorpion. Probably from an obsolete skerpo; a 'scorpion'.


Links
Revelation 9:5 NIV
Revelation 9:5 NLT
Revelation 9:5 ESV
Revelation 9:5 NASB
Revelation 9:5 KJV

Revelation 9:5 BibleApps.com
Revelation 9:5 Biblia Paralela
Revelation 9:5 Chinese Bible
Revelation 9:5 French Bible
Revelation 9:5 Catholic Bible

NT Prophecy: Revelation 9:5 They were given power not to kill (Rev. Re Apocalypse)
Revelation 9:4
Top of Page
Top of Page