Revelation 9 KJV
King James Version, Holy Bible
1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
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.
4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
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.
6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.
Revelation Chapter 9 (New Testament)
7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.
8 And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.
9 And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.
10 And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.
11 And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.
12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
Revelation Chapter 9 (New Testament)
13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.
15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.
16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.
17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.
19 For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.
20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.
| Greek Word + Transliteration | Verse + Snippet | Meaning | Scholarly Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| φρέαρ — phrear | Verse 1 — “…the bottomless pit…” | “Well,” shaft. | Phrear (“pit/well”) symbolizes deep imprisonment (“pit”). It reveals demonic containment and release. The term conveys supernatural dread. — Joseph Thayer, Greek-English Lexicon (1889) |
| κλείς — kleis | Verse 1 — “…key to the bottomless pit…” | “Key,” authority. | Kleis (“key”) denotes power to open or shut (“key/authority”). Opening unleashes permitted judgment. The term underscores divine control even over demonic realms. — Richard Trench, Commentary on the Seven Churches (1861) |
| καπνός — kapnos | Verse 2 — “…smoke of a great furnace…” | “Smoke,” vapor. | Kapnos (“smoke”) conveys suffocating gloom (“smoke”). It reflects destructive oppression. The term symbolizes spiritual blindness. — Westcott, Revelation of the Risen Lord (1898) |
| ἀκρίς — akris | Verse 3 — “…locusts upon the earth…” | “Locust,” swarm insect. | Akris (“locust”) recalls OT plagues (“locust”). These locusts, however, are demonic and tormenting. The term intensifies imagery of overwhelming judgment. — James Hastings, Dictionary of the Bible (1898) |
| βασανίζω — basanizō | Verse 5 — “…tormented five months…” | “Torment,” torture. | Basanizō (“to torment”) indicates intense suffering (“torment”). It reveals conscious judgment. The term expresses divine justice on rebellion. — Thayer, Lexicon (1889) |
| σκότος — skotos | Verse 2 — “…the sun and air were darkened…” | “Darkness,” obscurity. | Skotos (“darkness”) evokes spiritual and literal obscuring (“darkness”). It intensifies apocalyptic atmosphere. The term reflects judgment through deprivation of light. — Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary (1884) |
| θυμός — thymos | Verse 17 — “…out of their mouths issued fire…” | “Wrath,” passionate heat. | Thymos (“wrath/fury”) depicts fierce destructive force (“wrath/heat”). It reflects the fury of judgment. The term conveys overwhelming divine-induced calamity. — Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament (1896) |
| πορθέω — portheō | Verse 21 — “…murders, sorceries… thefts.” | “Plunder,” ruin. | Portheō (“to destroy/ruin”) exposes moral collapse (“ruin/destruction”). Sin persists despite judgment. The term marks stubborn rebellion. — Thayer, Greek-English Lexicon (1889) |
| φαρμακεία — pharmakeia | Verse 21 — “…their sorceries…” | “Sorcery,” occult practice. | Pharmakeia (“sorcery”) includes occultism and harmful potions (“sorcery”). It reveals demonic deception. The term underscores spiritual corruption. — Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church (1890) |
| μετανοέω — metanoeō | Verse 20 — “…yet repented not…” | “Repent,” change mind. | Metanoeō (“to repent”) indicates moral transformation (“turn/repent”). Their refusal shows hardening under judgment. The term stresses human responsibility. — Westcott, Revelation of the Risen Lord (1898) |
Biblical Scholars On This Chapter:
| Scholar | Work | View on Chapter 9 |
|---|---|---|
| R. H. Charles (University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, 1855–1931) | The Revelation of St. John | The trumpet visions convey divine judgment, illustrating the consequences of sin and rebellion. |
| Ferdinand Christian Baur (University of Tübingen, Germany, 1792–1860) | Paul, the Apostle of Jesus Christ | Baur interprets the locust imagery as a symbolic expression of historical and moral warning. |
| A. T. Robertson (Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, United States, 1863–1934) | Word Pictures in the New Testament | Robertson emphasizes the vivid symbolism depicting divine intervention and human accountability. |
| Alfred Plummer (University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, 1841–1926) | A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Revelation of St. John | Plummer stresses the chapter’s apocalyptic imagery as moral instruction for the churches. |
| William Rainey Harper (University of Chicago, United States, 1856–1906) | Hebrew Bible Studies | Harper highlights the narrative’s role in illustrating the balance of judgment and mercy. |
Revelation Chapter 9
Verse: "And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon." (Revelation 9:11)
Lesson: The chapter describes the sounding of the fifth and sixth trumpets, which bring about the release of demonic forces upon the earth. These forces are led by a king over them, known as Abaddon or Apollyon, who seeks to destroy humanity. This teaches us the reality of spiritual warfare and the importance of being vigilant against the enemy's schemes.
What's Next? Read Our Bible Verses About Life With Purpose and Encouragement
Conclusion: As believers, we are engaged in a spiritual battle against the forces of darkness, and we must be prepared to stand firm in our faith. We must put on the full armor of God and resist the devil's attacks, knowing that greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world. We must also be diligent in our efforts to share the gospel
Prayer: let us pray to God to help us to always live prepared all our lives in Jesus name
What's Next? Get A Piano Lesson in Houston or Online from The Alive Christians' School of Music
