Teks -- Revelation 9:5 (NET)

9:5 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.

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per frasa)

Robertson: Rev 9:5 - That they should not kill them

That they should not kill them ( hina mē apokteinōsin autous ).

Sub-final object clause (subject of edothē ) with hina mē and the subjunctive of apokteinō either present (continued action) or aorist (constative, form the same), the usual construction with hina . The locusts are charged to injure men, but not to kill them.

Robertson: Rev 9:5 - But that they should be tormented

But that they should be tormented ( all' hina basanisthēsontai ).

Sub-final clause again with hina , but this time with the first future passive indicative (like Rev 3:9; Rev 6:4; Rev 8:3; Rev 13:12) of basanizō , old verb, to test metals (from basanos , Mat 4:24) by touchstone, then to torture like Mat 8:29, further in Rev 11:10; Rev 12:2; Rev 14:10; Rev 20:10.

Robertson: Rev 9:5 - Five months

Five months ( mēnas pente ).

Accusative of extent of time. The actual locust is born in the spring and dies at the end of summer (about five months).

Robertson: Rev 9:5 - Torment

Torment ( basanismos ).

Late word for torture, from basanizō , in N.T. only in Rev 9:5; Rev 14:11; Rev 18:7, Rev 18:10, Rev 18:15. The wound of the scorpion was not usually fatal, though exceedingly painful.

Robertson: Rev 9:5 - When it striketh a man

When it striketh a man ( hotan paisēi anthrōpon ).

Indefinite temporal clause with hotan and the first aorist active subjunctive of paiō (Mat 26:51), old verb, to smite, "whenever it smites a man."

Vincent: Rev 9:5 - They should be tormented

They should be tormented ( βασανισθῶσιν )

See on torments , Mat 4:24.

Vincent: Rev 9:5 - Striketh

Striketh ( παίσῃ )

Dr. Thomson says that the scorpion cannot strike sideways. All accounts agree as to the fearful pain from its sting.

Wesley: Rev 9:5 - Not to kill them

Very few of them were killed: in general, they were imprisoned and variously tormented.

JFB: Rev 9:5 - they . . . they

The subject changes: the first "they" is the locusts; the second is the unsealed.

JFB: Rev 9:5 - five months

The ordinary time in the year during which locusts continue their ravages.

JFB: Rev 9:5 - their torment

The torment of the sufferers. This fifth verse and Rev 9:6 cannot refer to an invading army. For an army would kill, and not merely torment.

Clarke: Rev 9:5 - To them it was given

To them it was given - That is, they were permitted

Clarke: Rev 9:5 - That they should be tormented five months

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

Clarke: Rev 9:5 - Their torment was as the torment of a scorpion

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 fervid

Plaga revulsus cancer infixus mea

Urit medullas ?

TSK: Rev 9:5 - it was // they should not // they should be // five // and their

it was : Rev 13:5, Rev 13:7; Dan 5:18-22, Dan 7:6; Joh 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. Rev 11:7; Job 2:6

they should be : Rev 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 : Rev 9:3

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per Ayat)

Poole: Rev 9:5 - that they should not kill them

Supposing the Saracens and Turks here meant by the locusts, here arise two difficulties:

1. How it can be said of them, that they had no power to kill, but only torment men.

2. How their time is set for five months, whereas they have already tormented the world more than a thousand years; and how long they shall yet continue to do so, God only knows: they are both great difficulties.

Alsted tells us: That Mahomet began in the year 622, and the Saracens entered Spain 714, where they were called Moors, and kept possession of that kingdom eight hundred years, and that in the year 719, they besieged Constantinople with a navy of three thousand ships and three hundred thousand land soldiers; that before this time they had made themselves masters of Arabia, Palestina, Syria, Persia, Egypt, Africa, and Spain; and in the year 726, carried into France an army consisting of three hundred and seventy-five thousand, where they were beaten by Charles Martell, father to King Pepin. Mr, Mede telleth us, that the Saracens grievously vexed the countries subject to the Roman emperor, but could not take either Rome or Constantinople. The latter was taken by the Turks, in the year 1457, commanded by Sultan Mahomet. This is but a hard interpretation of those words,

that they should not kill them which, it may be, hath made some other interpreters choose to interpret these locusts to signify the Roman clergy, who indeed did not kill men for religion, of many years. But both the one and the other tormented the world enough, and that like a scorpion, which pierceth a man with a venomous sting, and puts him to great pain. For the five months, we shall again meet with them, Rev 9:10 .

PBC: Rev 9:5

Vespasian, the father of Titus and a great general of the Roman army, had been called from Alexandria to put down the revolt of the Jews. When he received word that Nero was dead, he withdrew his attack on Jerusalem until " the political waters of Rome were tested." He returned to Rome and was elevated to the office of Emperor. Titus was left to continue the war against the Jews.[1]  Less than six months passed from the time Titus gathered the legions (troops) in Cesarea to the siege at Jerusalem. During this time the seditious groups of Jews led by Eleazar, John, and Simon persecuted greatly those who were in Jerusalem. Could this have been the five months " that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months?"

During this time many of those who were gathered at Jerusalem would have deserted to the Romans, had it not been for the seditious groups mentioned above. They were held inside the city by the threat of death. Their persecution, according to Josephus, was of the worst kind. These who would have deserted were treated terribly by their own blood relatives.— Eld. Charles Taylor

[1] Josephus -War of the Jews, -Book Five, Page 772

Gill: Rev 9:5 - 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 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, Rev 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, Gen 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 Eze 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.