Revelation 9:3-6
Context9:3 Then 1 out of the smoke came locusts onto the earth, and they were given power 2 like that of the scorpions of the earth. 9:4 They 3 were told 4 not to damage the grass of the earth, or any green plant or tree, but only those people 5 who did not have the seal of God on their 6 forehead. 9:5 The locusts 7 were not given permission 8 to kill 9 them, but only to torture 10 them 11 for five months, and their torture was like that 12 of a scorpion when it stings a person. 13 9:6 In 14 those days people 15 will seek death, but 16 will not be able to 17 find it; they will long to die, but death will flee from them.
[9:3] 1 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
[9:3] 2 tn See BDAG 352 s.v. ἐξουσία 2, “potential or resource to command, control, or govern, capability, might, power.”
[9:4] 3 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[9:4] 4 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] 5 tn Grk “men”; but ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used in a generic sense here of both men and women.
[9:4] 6 tn The article τῶν (twn) has been translated as a possessive pronoun here (ExSyn 215).
[9:5] 7 tn Grk “It was not permitted to them”; the referent (the locusts) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:5] 8 tn The word “permission” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
[9:5] 9 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] 10 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] 11 tn The pronoun “them” is not in the Greek text but is picked up from the previous clause.
[9:5] 12 tn Grk “like the torture,” but this is redundant in contemporary English.
[9:5] 13 tn Grk “a man”; but ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used here in an individualized sense without being limited to the male gender.
[9:6] 14 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[9:6] 15 tn Grk “men”; but ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used in a generic sense here of both men and women.
[9:6] 16 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
[9:6] 17 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.