Text -- Revelation 9:1-4 (NET)

9:1 Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the abyss. 9:2 He opened the shaft of the abyss and smoke rose out of it like smoke from a giant furnace. The sun and the air were darkened with smoke from the shaft. 9:3 Then out of the smoke came locusts onto the earth, and they were given power like that of the scorpions of the earth. 9:4 They were told not to damage the grass of the earth, or any green plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their forehead.

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Rev 9:1

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

² tn Or “from heaven” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).

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.”

NET Notes: Rev 9:2

¹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

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

³ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

NET Notes: Rev 9:3

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

² tn See BDAG 352 s.v. ἐξουσία 2, “potential or resource to command, control, or govern, capability, might, power.”

NET Notes: Rev 9:4

¹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

² 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).

³ tn Grk “men”; but ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used in a generic sense here of both men and women.

⁴ tn The article τῶν (twn) has been translated as a possessive pronoun here (ExSyn 215).