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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Revelation 9:1–12.
Upon the sounding of this trumpet, the things to be observed are, 1. A star falling from heaven to the earth. Some think this star represents some eminent bishop in the Christian church, some angel of the church; for, in the same way of speaking by which pastors are called stars, the church is called heaven; but who this is expositors do not agree. Some understand it of Boniface the third bishop of Rome, who assumed the title of universal bishop, by the favour of the emperor Phocas, who, being a usurper and tyrant in the state, allowed Boniface to be so in the church, as the reward of his flattery. 2. To this fallen star was given the key of the bottomless pit. Having now ceased to be a minister of Christ, he becomes the antichrist, the minister of the devil; and by the permission of Christ, who had taken from him the keys of the church, he becomes the devil's turnkey, to let loose the powers of hell against the churches of Christ. 3. Upon the opening of the bottomless pit there arose a great smoke, which darkened the sun and the air. The devils are the powers of darkness; hell is the place of darkness. The devil carries on his designs by blinding the eyes of men, by extinguishing light and knowledge, and promoting ignorance and error. He first deceives men, and then destroys them; wretched souls follow him in the dark, or they durst not follow him. 4. Out of this dark smoke there came a swarm of locusts, one of the plagues of Egypt, the devil's emissaries headed by the antichrist, all the rout and rabble of antichristian orders, to promote superstition, idolatry, error, and cruelty; and these had, by the just permission of God, power to hurt those who had not the mark of God in their foreheads. 5. The hurt they were to do them was not a bodily, but a spiritual hurt. They should not in a military way destroy all by fire and sword; the trees and the grass should be untouched, and those they hurt should not be slain; it should not be a persecution, but a secret poison and infection in their souls, which should rob them of their purity, and afterwards of their peace. Heresy is a poison in the soul, working slowly and secretly, but will be bitterness in the end. 6. They had no power so much as to hurt those who had the seal of God in their foreheads. God's electing, effectual, distinguishing grace will preserve his people from total and final apostasy. 7. The power given to these factors for hell is limited in point of time: five months, a certain season, and but a short season, though how short we cannot tell. Gospel-seasons have their limits, and times of seduction are limited too. 8. Though it would be short, it would be very sharp, insomuch that those who were made to feel the malignity of this poison in their consciences would be weary of their lives, Rev 9:6. A wounded spirit who can bear? 9. These locusts were of a monstrous size and shape, Rev 9:7, Rev 9:8, etc. They were equipped for their work like horses prepared to battle. (1.) They pretended to great authority, and seemed to be assured of victory: They had crowns like gold on their heads; it was not a true, but a counterfeit authority. (2.) They had the show of wisdom and sagacity, the faces of men, though the spirit of devils. (3.) They had all the allurements of seeming beauty, to ensnare and defile the minds of men - hair like women; their way of worship was very gaudy and ornamental. (4.) Though they appeared with the tenderness of women, they had the teeth of lions, were really cruel creatures. (5.) They had the defence and protection of earthly powers - breastplates of iron. (6.) They made a mighty noise in the world; they flew about from one country to another, and the noise of their motion was like that of an army with chariots and horses. (7.) Though at first they soothed and flattered men with a fair appearance, there was a sting in their tails; the cup of their abominations contained that which, though luscious at first, would at length bite like a serpent and sting like an adder. (8.) The king and commander of this hellish squadron is here described, [1.] As an angel; so he was by nature, an angel, once one of the angels of heaven. [2.] The angel of the bottomless pit; an angel still, but a fallen angel, fallen into the bottomless pit, vastly large, and out of which there is no recovery. [3.] In these infernal regions he is a sort of prince and governor, and has the powers of darkness under his rule and command. [4.] His true name is Abaddon, Apollyon - a destroyer, for that is his business, his design, and employment, to which he diligently attends, in which he is very successful, and takes a horrid hellish pleasure; it is about this destroying work that he sends out his emissaries and armies to destroy the souls of men. And now here we have the end of one woe; and where one ends another begins.
Historical interpretation
Four Centuries of Reception
6 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
There are two parts in the church, one part of those who are good and one part of those who are evil. The one part is persecuted in order that it might be corrected; the other part is given up to its own desires. A part of those who are good is handed over to humiliation that they might know the righteousness of God and might remember penance, as it is written, “It is good that you have humbled me, that I might know your righteous deeds.” [The torture like a sting of a scorpion] occurs when the devil draws near through the poison of transgressions and sins.
That these spiritual locusts sting people after the manner of scorpions shows the baneful death of the soul that lies hidden at the end of evil deeds. Those are subjected to [such a death] who have not signed their forehead with the divine seal and with the enlightenment of the lifegiving cross through the Holy Spirit, so that, as the Lord says, “they may let their light shine before men for the glory of the divine name.” We think that the five months of their torment signifies either the shortness of time—“For had those days not been shortened, no flesh would have been saved,” as the Lord says—or a certain five-day period representing the five senses through which sin enters into people, or a determined period that is known to God alone.
And their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man. Just as the scorpion spreads poison from its hind parts, so the impiety of the wicked harms from behind, when it compels temporal things, which are behind, to be preferred to eternal goods by threats or blandishments. This scorpion, contrary to the parable of the Gospel, the generation of vipers hands over to its offspring.
And it was said to them that they should not kill them, etc. Although heretics, empowered by secular authority, are allowed to attack the good temporally, they cannot kill the soul, as the Lord says. For the time of the world is signified by five months, because of the five-part sense which we use in this life. That another translation contains six months agrees with the same sense because of the six ages of the world.
And it was given unto them that they should not kill them; but that they should torment them five months yet. If those who do not have the sign are reprobates, how can the locusts be forbidden from killing them? And can it be that those who do not have the sign of God are alive? Therefore it is implied that this refers to the previous sentence. So let us take It was given unto them that they should not kill them; but that they should be tormented five months to mean that the heretics cannot deceive the signed, but only test them by tormenting them in this life, which is ruled by the five senses. What follows corresponds well to them: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion when he striketh a man. Which means that the elect, who despise the things that are behind and stretch forth to the things that are before, [Cf. Phil. 3:13] are believed to be afflicted by others by means of what they themselves have visibly rejected out of contempt for the world, that is by means of either secular power or the error of bad credulity.
Could it be that some of the Fathers accepted the concept of restoration [ἀποκατάστασιν] from this point onward, saying that sinners are punished only up to this time, but thereafter no longer, as if they have been purified by the punishment? But what should be done regarding the many others among the Fathers, and the approved Scriptures, which speak of the punishments of those who were then being punished as eternal?
What then might one say, or how should one regulate the parts? One must blend the opinions of both sides. I say this as in a kind of exercise, and not as a definitive statement; for I add to the doctrine of the Church that which wishes the punishments in the future to be eternal, since even this was said by the Lord in the Gospel according to Matthew, saying, "And these will go away into eternal punishment" (Matt. 25:46); and Isaiah said, "Their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched." (Isa. 66:24)
As in an exercise, therefore, this must be said: a middle portion of each part of the path is to be marked out, because until a certain time—"five months", as the present Revelation, having employed a certain secret number, has said—the sinners will be severely "tormented" "as if" stung "by a scorpion"; but after this, gradually, although we will not be entirely free from punishment, it will be to such an extent that we "will seek death and not find it".
For who would have a need to seek death for those who are not punished at all? "Death", he says, "will flee from them", for they share in punishment eternally.
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Summary
Revelation 9:5 describes a specific, divinely ordained judgment during the sounding of the fifth trumpet, where demonic entities are granted power not to kill, but to inflict excruciating torment upon those without God's seal. This suffering is likened to the agonizing sting of a scorpion and is strictly limited in duration to five months, underscoring God's precise control over the nature, intensity, and temporal boundaries of apocalyptic judgments.
Context
Literary Context
This verse is situated within the dramatic unfolding of the trumpet judgments in Revelation, specifically as part of the description of the Fifth Trumpet. Following the initial four trumpets that affect creation, the fifth trumpet introduces a new dimension of judgment, directly targeting humanity. A "star" falls from heaven, opening the bottomless pit, from which emerges a terrifying horde of locust-like creatures. Crucially, Revelation 9:4 specifies that these creatures are forbidden to harm the grass, trees, or any green thing, and are only permitted to torment "those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads." This preceding verse sets the stage for the limited and targeted nature of the torment described in Revelation 9:5, emphasizing divine protection for the faithful amidst widespread suffering. The narrative progresses from generalized environmental devastation to highly specific, personal affliction.
Historical & Cultural Context
In the ancient Near East, scorpions were a common and feared creature, known for their painful, often debilitating, but rarely fatal stings. The comparison to a scorpion's torment would immediately evoke a vivid image of intense, burning, and prolonged agony, a suffering that incapacitates rather than kills. The concept of divine judgment, often involving plagues and natural disasters, was deeply ingrained in Jewish thought, as seen in the plagues of Egypt (Exodus 7-12) or the prophetic warnings in books like Joel. For early Christians facing persecution under the Roman Empire, the imagery of judgment and divine intervention would have resonated powerfully, offering both a warning to their oppressors and reassurance of God's ultimate justice and control, even over seemingly chaotic events. The "five months" could potentially allude to the typical lifespan of a locust swarm or a period of intense agricultural devastation, though its primary significance here is symbolic of a fixed, divinely appointed duration.
Key Themes
Revelation 9:5 contributes significantly to several key themes within the book of Revelation and biblical theology. Firstly, it highlights Divine Sovereignty and Restraint, demonstrating that even malevolent forces and agents of judgment operate strictly under God's command. They are "given" power, but also explicitly limited in their destructive capacity—they "should not kill," but only "torment." This underscores God's absolute control over the extent and nature of suffering, even in the midst of apocalyptic chaos, a theme seen also in Revelation 6:6. Secondly, the verse emphasizes the Severity of Divine Judgment, portraying a suffering so intense it is likened to a scorpion's sting, a universally understood symbol of excruciating pain. This is a judgment designed to bring about repentance, or at least to reveal the hardness of hearts, as people "blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains" in Revelation 16:11. Thirdly, the specific duration of "five months" underscores the theme of Limited Duration and Purposeful Judgment. This is not an eternal damnation but a temporary, albeit severe, warning, indicating that God's judgments are not arbitrary but have a defined beginning, end, and specific purpose within His overarching plan.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This word (G1325) is a primary verb meaning "to give," used in a very wide application. In this context, "it was given" signifies divine authorization and control. The power these creatures wield is not inherent to them but is granted by God. This highlights God's ultimate sovereignty even over agents of judgment, emphasizing that their actions are not random but part of a precise, divinely orchestrated plan.
This verb (G928), derived from básanos (a touchstone for testing metals), means "to torture, to pain, to vex." It implies intense, agonizing distress, often involving physical or mental anguish. The repetition of this root ("tormented" and "torment" - G929, basanismós) underscores the severe and excruciating nature of the suffering inflicted, a pain so profound that it might lead men to seek death, yet death eludes them (Revelation 9:6).
This noun (G4651) refers to the arachnid known for its venomous sting. The comparison to a scorpion's sting immediately conveys a vivid image of sharp, piercing, burning, and agonizing pain. It is a culturally recognizable symbol of intense suffering that, while typically not fatal, is profoundly debilitating and distressing, making it a powerful metaphor for the quality of the torment.
Verse Breakdown
"And to them it was given that they should not kill them,"
This opening clause immediately establishes the divine origin and limitation of the judgment. The "them" refers to the locust-like creatures from the bottomless pit. The use of the divine passive ("it was given") implies that God is the ultimate granter of this power and its accompanying restrictions. The crucial limitation is that their mandate is not to bring death, but something else, setting up the following clause. This highlights God's precise control over the agents of judgment, ensuring His purposes are fulfilled without deviation.
"but that they should be tormented five months:"
This clause specifies the nature and duration of the judgment. Instead of killing, the creatures are authorized to inflict "torment." The "five months" denotes a specific, limited period, not an eternal or indefinite suffering. This temporal boundary reinforces the idea that this is a temporary judgment, perhaps a severe warning or a period of intense testing, rather than a final, annihilating wrath. The specificity of the duration points to God's meticulous timing and plan.
"and their torment [was] as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man."
This final clause provides a vivid simile to describe the quality and intensity of the suffering. The pain is not merely discomfort but is likened to the excruciating, burning, and debilitating agony caused by a scorpion's sting. This comparison would have been immediately understood by John's original audience, who were familiar with the severe pain of such stings. It underscores the physical and mental anguish experienced by those targeted by this judgment, emphasizing its severity and the profound distress it causes.
Literary Devices
Revelation 9:5 employs several potent literary devices. The most prominent is Simile, explicitly stated in "their torment [was] as the torment of a scorpion." This comparison vividly communicates the excruciating nature of the pain, drawing on a common and feared experience in the ancient world to make the apocalyptic suffering tangible and horrifying. The use of Symbolism is also crucial, with the "five months" likely symbolizing a fixed, divinely appointed, but temporary period of judgment, rather than a literal calendar duration. The "locust-like creatures" themselves are symbolic agents of divine wrath, embodying destructive power but operating under strict divine control. Furthermore, the phrase "it was given" employs the Divine Passive, a common biblical idiom where the agent of an action is God, even if not explicitly named. This device subtly but powerfully reinforces God's ultimate sovereignty and authority over these apocalyptic events, ensuring that even the forces of destruction are instruments in His hands.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Revelation 9:5 profoundly underscores God's absolute sovereignty, even over the forces of evil and judgment. The divine passive "it was given" emphasizes that these terrifying creatures, seemingly unleashed from the abyss, are not acting autonomously but are meticulously controlled by God. Their power to torment, yet not to kill, reveals a purposeful, limited judgment, designed perhaps to drive people to repentance, though the broader narrative of Revelation shows many do not repent (Revelation 9:20-21). This precision in judgment highlights God's justice and His deliberate hand in history, demonstrating that even suffering serves a divine purpose, whether it be to warn, to refine, or to reveal the hardened heart. For believers, it offers comfort in knowing that God is in control, and that His protective "seal" (Revelation 7:3) ensures their ultimate security amidst tribulation.
Reflection and Application
Revelation 9:5, while describing a future apocalyptic event, carries profound implications for our present understanding of God's character and humanity's response. It serves as a stark reminder that God is sovereign over all things, including suffering and judgment. The fact that torment is permitted, but death is withheld, speaks to a divine purpose that seeks something other than immediate annihilation—perhaps a final opportunity for repentance, or a demonstration of the consequences of rejecting God's grace. For those who bear the "seal of God," this verse offers immense comfort, highlighting God's protective hand and the distinction He makes between His own and those who remain unsealed. It compels us to consider the seriousness of our spiritual standing and the urgency of responding to God's call. For all, it underscores the reality that ignoring God's warnings and living apart from His protection carries severe, divinely ordained consequences, even if those consequences are temporary. This passage should prompt a deep reflection on our allegiance and the eternal implications of our choices.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Who are "them" who are tormented, and why are they not killed?
The "them" who are tormented refers to "those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads," as specified in Revelation 9:4. These are individuals who have rejected God and His protection. They are not killed because this particular judgment, associated with the fifth trumpet, is a temporary, severe warning rather than a final, annihilating judgment. God's purpose here is to inflict intense suffering, likened to a scorpion's sting, possibly to prompt repentance or to demonstrate the consequences of their rebellion, without immediately ending their lives. This highlights God's precise control over the extent and nature of His judgments, demonstrating that even in wrath, there is a measured purpose.
What do the "five months" symbolize in this verse?
The "five months" (G4002, pénte months G3376, mḗn) is a specific duration that emphasizes the limited and controlled nature of this judgment. While some interpretations suggest a literal period, many scholars understand it symbolically. It could allude to the typical lifespan of a locust swarm, which often lasts around five months, causing intense agricultural devastation during that period. More broadly, it symbolizes that this period of torment is not indefinite or eternal but has a divinely appointed beginning and end. This reinforces God's sovereignty over time and the precise execution of His judgments, demonstrating that even the most terrifying events are part of His carefully orchestrated plan, as seen in the broader prophetic timeline of Revelation.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Revelation 9:5, with its terrifying imagery of divinely permitted torment, finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment not in the direct experience of this judgment by believers, but in the profound contrast and deliverance offered through Jesus Christ. While this verse describes a future outpouring of God's wrath upon the unrepentant, Christ himself bore the ultimate "torment" on the cross, enduring the full weight of divine judgment for humanity's sin. His suffering, far exceeding any physical pain, was a spiritual agony that allowed for the redemption of those who believe. Through His sacrifice, Christ became the "Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29), providing the very "seal of God" that protects believers from the wrath to come. Those who are "in Christ" are delivered from the condemnation and torment described in Revelation, for "there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). Thus, while Revelation 9:5 paints a stark picture of judgment, it simultaneously magnifies the saving work of Christ, who endured the ultimate torment so that His followers might be spared and inherit eternal life, secured by His victory over sin and death (1 Corinthians 15:57).