1UndG2532 der fünfteG3991 EngelG32 posaunteG4537: undG2532 ich sahG1492 einen SternG792, der vomG1537 HimmelG3772 aufG1519 die ErdeG1093 gefallenG4098 war; undG2532 es wurdeG1325 ihmG846 der SchlüsselG2807 zum SchlundeG5421 des AbgrundesG12 gegebenG1325. 2UndG2532 er öffneteG455 den SchlundG5421 des AbgrundesG12; undG2532 ein RauchG2586 stieg aufG305 ausG1537 dem SchlundeG5421 wieG5613 der RauchG2586 eines großenG3173 OfensG2575, undG2532 die SonneG2246 undG2532 die LuftG109 wurde verfinstertG4654 vonG1537 dem RaucheG2586 des SchlundesG5421. 3UndG2532 ausG1537 dem RaucheG2586 kamenG1831 HeuschreckenG200 hervorG1831 aufG1519 die ErdeG1093, undG2532 es wurdeG1325 ihnenG846 GewaltG1849 gegebenG1325, wieG5613 die SkorpionenG4651 der ErdeG1093 GewaltG1849 habenG2192. 4UndG2532 es wurdeG4483 ihnenG846 gesagtG4483, daß sie nichtG3363 beschädigenG91 sollten das GrasG5528 der ErdeG1093, nochG3761 irgend etwasG3956 GrünesG5515, nochG3761 irgend einenG3956 BaumG1186, sondernG1508 die MenschenG444, welcheG3748 nichtG3756 das SiegelG4973 GottesG2316 anG1909 ihrenG846 StirnenG3359 habenG2192. 5UndG2532 es wurdeG1325 ihnenG846 gegebenG1325, daßG3363 sie sieG846 nichtG3363 tötetenG615, sondernG235 daßG2443 sie gequältG928 würden fünfG4002 MonateG3376; undG2532 ihreG846 QualG929 war wieG5613 die QualG929 eines SkorpionsG4651, wennG3752 er einen MenschenG444 schlägtG3817. 6UndG2532 inG1722 jenenG1565 TagenG2250 werdenG2212 die MenschenG444 den TodG2288 suchenG2212 undG2532 werdenG2147 ihnG846 nichtG3756 findenG2147, undG2532 werdenG1937 zu sterbenG599 begehrenG1937, undG2532 der TodG2288 fliehtG5343 vorG575 ihnenG846. 7UndG2532 die GestaltenG3667 der HeuschreckenG200 waren gleichG3664 zumG1519 KampfeG4171 gerüstetenG2090 PferdenG2462, undG2532 aufG1909 ihrenG846 KöpfenG2776 wieG5613 KronenG4735 gleichG3664 GoldG5557, undG2532 ihreG846 AngesichterG4383 wieG5613 MenschenangesichterG444 G4383; 8undG2532 sie hattenG2192 HaareG2359 wieG5613 WeiberhaareG1135 G2359, undG2532 ihreG846 ZähneG3599 warenG2258 wieG5613 die der LöwenG3023. 9UndG2532 sie hattenG2192 PanzerG2382 wieG5613 eiserneG4603 PanzerG2382, undG2532 das GeräuschG5456 ihrerG846 FlügelG4420 war wieG5613 das GeräuschG5456 von WagenG716 mit vielenG4183 PferdenG2462, die inG1519 den KampfG4171 laufenG5143; 10undG2532 sie habenG2192 SchwänzeG3769 gleichG3664 SkorpionenG4651, undG2532 StachelnG2759, undG2532 ihreG846 GewaltG1849 ist inG1722 ihrenG846 SchwänzenG3769, die MenschenG444 zu beschädigenG91 fünfG4002 MonateG3376. 11Sie habenG2192 überG1909 sichG848 einen KönigG935, den EngelG32 des AbgrundesG12; seinG846 NameG3686 ist auf hebräischG1447 AbaddonG3, undG2532 imG1722 GriechischenG1673 hatG2192 er den NamenG3686 ApollyonG623. 12Das eineG3391 WeheG3759 ist vorüberG565; sieheG2400, es kommenG2064 nochG2089 zweiG1417 WeheG3759 nachG3326 diesenG5023 Dingen. 13UndG2532 der sechsteG1623 EngelG32 posaunteG4537: undG2532 ich hörteG191 eineG3391 StimmeG5456 ausG1537 den vierG5064 HörnernG2768 des goldenenG5552 AltarsG2379, derG3588 vorG1799 GottG2316 ist, 14zu dem sechstenG1623 EngelG32, derG3739 die PosauneG4536 hatteG2192, sagenG3004: LöseG3089 die vierG5064 EngelG32, welcheG3588 anG1909 dem großenG3173 StromeG4215 EuphratG2166 gebundenG1210 sind. 15UndG2532 die vierG5064 EngelG32 wurden gelöstG3089, welcheG3588 bereitetG2090 waren aufG1519 StundeG5610 undG2532 TagG2250 undG2532 MonatG3376 undG2532 JahrG1763, auf daßG2443 sie den drittenG5154 Teil der MenschenG444 tötetenG615. 16UndG2532 die ZahlG706 der KriegsheereG4753 zu RoßG2461 war zweimalG1417 zehntausendG3461 mal zehntausendG3461; ich hörteG191 ihreG846 ZahlG706. 17UndG2532 alsoG3779 sahG1492 ich die RosseG2462 inG1722 dem GesichtG3706 undG2532 die aufG1909 ihnenG846 saßenG2521: und sie hattenG2192 feurigeG4447 undG2532 hyazintheneG5191 undG2532 schweflichteG2306 PanzerG2382; undG2532 die KöpfeG2776 der RosseG2462 waren wieG5613 LöwenköpfeG3023 G2776, undG2532 ausG1537 ihrenG846 MäulernG4750 gehtG1607 FeuerG4442 undG2532 RauchG2586 undG2532 SchwefelG2303 hervorG1607. 18VonG5259 diesenG5130 dreiG5140 Plagen wurdeG615 der dritteG5154 Teil der MenschenG444 getötetG615, vonG1537 dem FeuerG4442 undG2532 dem RauchG2586 undG2532 dem SchwefelG2303, dieG3588 ausG1537 ihrenG846 MäulernG4750 hervorgehenG1607. 19DennG1063 die GewaltG1849 der RosseG846 istG2076 inG1722 ihremG846 MauleG4750 undG2532 inG1722 ihrenG846 SchwänzenG3769; dennG1063 ihreG846 SchwänzeG3769 sind gleichG3664 SchlangenG3789 und habenG2192 KöpfeG2776, undG2532 mitG1722 ihnenG846 beschädigenG91 sie. 20UndG2532 die übrigenG3062 der MenschenG444, welcheG3739 durchG1722 dieseG5025 PlagenG4127 nichtG3756 getötetG615 wurden, tatenG3340 nichtG3777 BußeG3340 vonG1537 den WerkenG2041 ihrerG846 HändeG5495, daß sie nichtG3363 anbetetenG4352 die DämonenG1140 undG2532 die goldenenG5552 undG2532 die silbernenG693 undG2532 die ehernenG5470 undG2532 die steinernenG3035 undG2532 die hölzernenG3585 GötzenbilderG1497, dieG3739 wederG3777 sehenG991 nochG3777 hörenG191 nochG3777 wandelnG4043 könnenG1410. 21UndG2532 sie tatenG3340 nichtG3756 BußeG3340 vonG1537 ihrenG846 MordtatenG5408, nochG3777 vonG1537 ihrenG846 ZaubereienG5331, nochG3777 vonG1537 ihrerG846 HurereiG4202, nochG3777 vonG1537 ihrenG846 DiebstählenG2809.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 THE FIFTH TRUMPET: THE FALLEN STAR OPENS THE ABYSS WHENCE ISSUE LOCUSTS. THE SIXTH TRUMPET. FOUR ANGELS AT THE EUPHRATES LOOSED. (Rev. 9:1-21)
The last three trumpets of the seven are called, from
Rev 8:13, the woe-trumpets.
fall--rather as Greek, "fallen." When John saw it, it was not in the act of falling, but had fallen already. This is a connecting link of this fifth trumpet with
Rev 12:8-
Rev 12:9,
Rev 12:12, "Woe to the inhabiters of the earth, for the devil is come down," &c. Compare
Isa 14:12, "How art thou fallen from heaven, Lucifer, son of the morning!"
the bottomless pit--Greek, "the pit of the abyss"; the orifice of the hell where Satan and his demons dwell.
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.
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
Rev 7:1-
Rev 7:8, under the sixth seal. None of the saints are hurt by these locusts, which is not true of the saints in Mohammed's attack, who is supposed by many to be meant by the locusts; for many true believers fell in the Mohammedan invasions of Christendom.
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
Rev 9:6 cannot refer to an invading army. For an army would kill, and not merely torment.
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
Rev 6:16, 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.
7 prepared unto battle--Greek, "made ready unto war." Compare Note, see on
Joel 2:4, where the resemblance of locusts to horses is traced: the plates of a horse armed for battle are an image on a larger scale of the outer shell of the locust.
crowns-- (
Nah 3:17). ELLIOTT explains this of the turbans of Mohammedans. But how could turbans be "like gold?" ALFORD understands it of the head of the locusts actually ending in a crown-shaped fillet which resembled gold in its material.
as the faces of men--The "as" seems to imply the locusts here do not mean men. At the same time they are not natural locusts, for these do not sting men (
Rev 9:5). They must be supernatural.
8 hair of women--long and flowing. An Arabic proverb compares the antlers of locusts to the hair of girls. EWALD in ALFORD understands the allusion to be to the hair on the legs or bodies of the locusts: compare "rough caterpillars,"
Jer 51:27.
as the teeth of lions-- (
Joel 1:6, as to locusts).
9 as it were breastplates of iron--not such as forms the thorax of the natural locust.
as . . . chariots-- (
Joel 2:5-
Joel 2:7).
battle--Greek, "war."
10 tails like unto scorpions--like unto the tails of scorpions.
and there were stings--There is no oldest manuscript for this reading. A, B, Aleph, Syriac, and Coptic read, "and (they have) stings: and in their tails (is) their power (literally, 'authority': authorized power) to hurt."
11 And--so Syriac. But A, B, and Aleph, omit "and."
had--Greek, "have."
a king . . . which is the angel--English Version, agreeing with A, Aleph, reads the (Greek) article before "angel," in which reading we must translate, "They have as king over them the angel," &c. Satan (compare
Rev 9:1). Omitting the article with B, we must translate, "They have as king an angel," &c.: one of the chief demons under Satan: I prefer from
Rev 9:1, the former.
bottomless pit--Greek, "abyss."
Abaddon--that is, perdition or destruction (
Job 26:6;
Pro 27:20). The locusts are supernatural instruments in the hands of Satan to torment, and yet not kill, the ungodly, under this fifth trumpet. Just as in the case of godly Job, Satan was allowed to torment with elephantiasis, but not to touch his life. In
Rev 9:20, these two woe-trumpets are expressly called "plagues." ANDREAS OF CĆSAREA, A.D. 500, held, in his Commentary on Revelation, that the locusts mean evil spirits again permitted to come forth on earth and afflict men with various plagues.
12 Greek, "The one woe."
hereafter--Greek, "after these things." I agree with ALFORD and DE BURGH, that these locusts from the abyss refer to judgments about to fall on the ungodly immediately before Christ's second advent. None of the interpretations which regard them as past, are satisfactory.
Joel 1:2-
Joel 1:7;
Joel 2:1-
Joel 2:11, is strictly parallel and expressly refers (
Joel 2:11) to THE DAY OF THE LORD GREAT AND VERY TERRIBLE:
Joel 2:10 gives the portents accompanying the day of the Lord's coming, the earth quaking, the heavens trembling, the sun, moon, and stars, withdrawing their shining:
Joel 2:18,
Joel 2:31-
Joel 2:32, also point to the immediately succeeding deliverance of Jerusalem: compare also, the previous last conflict in the valley of Jehoshaphat, and the dwelling of God thenceforth in Zion, blessing Judah. DE BURGH confines the locust judgment to the Israelite land, even as the sealed in
Rev 7:1-
Rev 7:8 are Israelites: not that there are not others sealed as elect in the earth; but that, the judgment being confined to Palestine, the sealed of Israel alone needed to be expressly excepted from the visitation. Therefore, he translates throughout, "the land" (that is, of Israel and Judah), instead of "the earth." I incline to agree with him.
13 a voice--literally, "one voice."
from--Greek, "out of."
the four horns--A, Vulgate (Amiatinus manuscript), Coptic, and Syriac omit "four." B and CYPRIAN support it. The four horns together gave forth their voice, not diverse, but one. God's revelation (for example, the Gospel), though in its aspects fourfold (four expressing world-wide extension: whence four is the number of the Evangelists), still has but one and the same voice. However, from the parallelism of this sixth trumpet to the fifth seal (
Rev 6:9-
Rev 6:10), the martyrs' cry for the avenging of their blood from the altar reaching its consummation under the sixth seal and sixth trumpet, I prefer understanding this cry from the four corners of the altar to refer to the saints' prayerful cry from the four quarters of the world, incensed by the angel, and ascending to God from the golden altar of incense, and bringing down in consequence fiery judgments. Aleph omits the whole clause, "one from the four horns."
14 in, &c.--Greek, "epi to potamo"; "on," or "at the great river."
Euphrates--(Compare
Rev 16:12). The river whereat Babylon, the ancient foe of God's people was situated. Again, whether from the literal region of the Euphrates, or from the spiritual Babylon (the apostate Church, especially ROME), four angelic ministers of God's judgments shall go forth, assembling an army of horsemen throughout the four quarters of the earth, to slay a third of men, the brunt of the visitation shall be on Palestine.
15 were--"which had been prepared" [TREGELLES rightly].
for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year--rather as Greek, "for (that is, against) THE hour, and day, and month, and year," namely, appointed by God. The Greek article (teen), put once only before all the periods, implies that the hour in the day, and the day in the month, and the month in the year, and the year itself, had been definitely fixed by God. The article would have been omitted had a sum-total of periods been specified, namely, three hundred ninety-one years and one month (the period from A.D. 1281, when the Turks first conquered the Christians, to 1672, their last conquest of them, since which last date their empire has declined).
slay--not merely to "hurt" (
Rev 9:10), as in the fifth trumpet.
third part--(See on
Rev 8:7-
Rev 8:12).
of men--namely, of earthy men,
Rev 8:13, "inhabiters of the earth," as distinguished from God's sealed people (of which the sealed of Israel,
Rev 7:1-
Rev 7:8, form the nucleus).
16 Compare with these two hundred million,
Ps 68:17;
Dan 7:10. The hosts here are evidently, from their numbers and their appearance (
Rev 9:17), not merely human hosts, but probably infernal, though constrained to work out God's will (compare
Rev 9:1-
Rev 9:2).
and I heard--A, B, Aleph, Vulgate, Syriac, Coptic, and CYPRIAN omit "and."
17 thus--as follows.
of fire--the fiery color of the breastplates answering to the fire which issued out of their mouths.
of jacinth--literally, "of hyacinth color," the hyacinth of the ancients answering to our dark blue iris: thus, their dark, dull-colored breastplates correspond to the smoke out of their mouths.
brimstone--sulphur-colored: answering to the brimstone or sulphur out of their mouths.
18 By these three--A, B, C, and Aleph read (apo for kupo), "From"; implying the direction whence the slaughter came; not direct instrumentality as "by" implies. A, B, C, Aleph also add "plagues" after "three." English Version reading, which omits it, is not well supported.
by the fire--Greek, "owing to the fire," literally, "out of."
19 their--A, B, C and Aleph read, "the power of the horses."
in their mouth--whence issued the fire, smoke, and brimstone (
Rev 9:17). Many interpreters understand the horsemen to refer to the myriads of Turkish cavalry arrayed in scarlet, blue, and yellow (fire, hyacinth, and brimstone), the lion-headed horses denoting their invincible courage, and the fire and brimstone out of their mouths, the gunpowder and artillery introduced into Europe about this time, and employed by the Turks; the tails, like serpents, having a venomous sting, the false religion of Mohammed supplanting Christianity, or, as ELLIOTT thinks, the Turkish pachas' horse tails, worn as a symbol of authority. (!) All this is very doubtful. Considering the parallelism of this sixth trumpet to the sixth seal, the likelihood is that events are intended immediately preceding the Lord's coming. "The false prophet" (as
Isa 9:15 proves), or second beast, having the horns of a lamb, but speaking as the dragon, who supports by lying miracles the final Antichrist, seems to me to be intended. Mohammed, doubtless, is a forerunner of him, but not the exhaustive fulfiller of the prophecy here: Satan will, probably, towards the end, bring out all the powers of hell for the last conflict (see on
Rev 9:20, on "devils"; compare
Rev 9:1-
Rev 9:2,
Rev 9:17-
Rev 9:18).
with them--with the serpent heads and their venomous fangs.
20 the rest of the men--that is, the ungodly.
yet--So A, Vulgate, Syriac, and Coptic. B and Aleph read, "did not even repent of," namely, so as to give up "the works," &c. Like Pharaoh hardening his heart against repentance notwithstanding the plagues.
of their hands-- (
Deut 31:29). Especially the idols made by their hands. Compare
Rev 13:14-
Rev 13:15, "the image of the beast"
Rev 19:20.
that they should not--So B reads. But A, C, and Aleph read "that they shall not": implying a prophecy of certainty that it shall be so.
devils--Greek, "demons" which lurk beneath the idols which idolaters worship.
21 sorceries--witchcrafts by means of drugs (so the Greek). One of the fruits of the unrenewed flesh: the sin of the heathen: about to be repeated by apostate Christians in the last days,
Rev 22:15, "sorcerers." The heathen who shall have rejected the proffered Gospel and clung to their fleshly lusts, and apostate Christians who shall have relapsed into the same shall share the same terrible judgments. The worship of images was established in the East in A.D. 842.
fornication--singular: whereas the other sins are in the plural. Other sins are perpetrated at intervals: those lacking purity of heart indulge in one perpetual fornication [BENGEL].
