Wahyu 9:1-6

9:1 Then ¹  the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky ²  to the earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the abyss. ³  9:2 He ⁴  opened the shaft of the abyss and smoke rose out of it ⁵  like smoke from a giant furnace. The ⁶  sun and the air were darkened with smoke from the shaft. 9:3 Then ⁷  out of the smoke came locusts onto the earth, and they were given power ⁸  like that of the scorpions of the earth. 9:4 They ⁹  were told ¹⁰  not to damage the grass of the earth, or any green plant or tree, but only those people ¹¹  who did not have the seal of God on their ¹²  forehead. 9:5 The locusts ¹³  were not given permission ¹⁴  to kill ¹⁵  them, but only to torture ¹⁶  them ¹⁷  for five months, and their torture was like that ¹⁸  of a scorpion when it stings a person. ¹⁹  9:6 In ²⁰  those days people ²¹  will seek death, but ²²  will not be able to ²³  find it; they will long to die, but death will flee from them.

[9:1]  ¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[9:1]  ² tn Or “from heaven” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).

[9:1]  ³ tn On this term BDAG 2 s.v. ἄβυσσος 2 states, “netherworld, abyss, esp. the abode of the dead Ro 10:7 (Ps 106:26) and of demons Lk 8:31; dungeon where the devil is kept Rv 20:3; abode of the θηρίον, the Antichrist 11:7; 17:8; of ᾿Αβαδδών (q.v.), the angel of the underworld 9:11…φρέαρ τῆς ἀ. 9:1f; capable of being sealed 9:1; 20:1, 3.”

[9:2]  ⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[9:2]  ⁵ tn Grk “the shaft,” but since this would be somewhat redundant in English, the pronoun “it” is used here.

[9:2]  ⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[9:3]  ⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[9:3]  ⁸ tn See BDAG 352 s.v. ἐξουσία 2, “potential or resource to command, control, or govern, capability, might, power.”

[9:4]  ⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[9:4]  ¹⁰ tn The dative indirect object (αὐταῖς, autais) was converted into the subject (“they”) as this more closely approximates English usage. The following ἵ῞να (Jina) is taken as substantival, introducing a direct object clause. In this case, because it is reported speech, the ἵνα is similar to the declarative ὅτι (Joti).

[9:4]  ¹¹ tn Grk “men”; but ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used in a generic sense here of both men and women.

[9:4]  ¹² tn The article τῶν (twn) has been translated as a possessive pronoun here (ExSyn 215).

[9:5]  ¹³ tn Grk “It was not permitted to them”; the referent (the locusts) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:5]  ¹⁴ tn The word “permission” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[9:5]  ¹⁵ tn The two ἵνα (Jina) clauses of 9:5 are understood to be functioning as epexegetical or complementary clauses related to ἐδόθη (edoqh).

[9:5]  ¹⁶ tn On this term BDAG 168 s.v. βασανισμός states, “1. infliction of severe suffering or pain associated with torture or torment, tormenting, torture Rv 9:5b. – 2. the severe pain experienced through torture, torment vs. 5a; 14:11; 18:10, 15; (w. πένθος) vs. 7.”

[9:5]  ¹⁷ tn The pronoun “them” is not in the Greek text but is picked up from the previous clause.

[9:5]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “like the torture,” but this is redundant in contemporary English.

[9:5]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “a man”; but ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used here in an individualized sense without being limited to the male gender.

[9:6]  ²⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[9:6]  ²¹ tn Grk “men”; but ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used in a generic sense here of both men and women.

[9:6]  ²² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[9:6]  ²³ tn The phrase “not be able to” was used in the translation to emphasize the strong negation (οὐ μή, ou mh) in the Greek text.