Summary
Revelation 9 is the ninth chapter of the Book of Revelation or the Apocalypse of John in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The book is traditionally attributed to John the Apostle,[1][2] but the precise identity of the author remains a point of academic debate.[3] In this chapter, the next two angels' trumpets are sounded, following the sounding of the first four trumpets in chapter 8.[4] These two trumpets and the final trumpet, sounded in chapter 11, are sometimes called the "woe trumpets".[5]
| Revelation 9 | |
|---|---|
 Revelation 1:13-2:1 on the verso side of Papyrus 98 from the second century. | |
| Book | Book of Revelation |
| Category | Apocalypse |
| Christian Bible part | New Testament |
| Order in the Christian part | 27 |
Text edit
The original text was written in Koine Greek. This chapter is divided into 21 verses.
Textual witnesses edit
Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are among others:[6][a]
- Papyrus 115 (ca. AD 275; extant verses 1–5, 7–16, 18–21)
- Papyrus 47 (3rd century)
- Papyrus 85 (4th century; extant verses 19–21)
- Codex Sinaiticus (330-360)
- Codex Alexandrinus (400-440)
- Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (ca. 450; extant verses 17–21)
Old Testament references edit
- Revelation 9:20: Psalm 115:4; Psalm 135:15[8]
The Fifth Trumpet (9:1–11) edit
Verse 1 edit
- Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit.[9]
English nonconformist Moses Lowman explains that "stars, in the language of prophecy, signify angels.[10]
"The key to the bottomless pit" (Biblical Greek: ἡ κλεὶς τοῦ φρέατος τῆς ἀβύσσου, romanized: hē kleis tou phreatos tēs abyssou) is translated as "the key to the shaft of the Abyss" in the New International Version.
Verse 3 edit
- Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.[11]
These locusts are 'a demonized version of the army of locusts in Joel 2:1–11'.[12]
Verse 4 edit
- They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree [13]
Early Methodist theologian Joseph Benson says that this instruction "demonstrates that they were not natural but symbolical locusts."[14]
Verse 11 edit
- And they had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name Apollyon.[15][16]
The Vulgate adds a Latin equivalent, latine habens nomen Exterminans, which the Wycliffe Bible explains as "Destroyer". The latter also describes the angel as "the angel of deepness".[17]
The Sixth Trumpet (9:12–21) edit
Verse 16 edit
- Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them.[18]
See also edit
Notes edit
- ^ The Book of Revelation is missing from Codex Vaticanus.[7]
References edit
- ^ Davids, Peter H (1982). I Howard Marshall and W Ward Gasque (ed.). New International Greek Testament Commentary: The Epistle of James (Repr. ed.). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans. ISBN 0802823882.
- ^ Evans, Craig A (2005). Craig A Evans (ed.). Bible Knowledge Background Commentary: John, Hebrews-Revelation. Colorado Springs, Colo.: Victor. ISBN 0781442281.
- ^ F. L. Cross, The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1997), 45
- ^ Bauckham 2007, p. 1289.
- ^ Barnes, A., Barnes' Notes on Revelation 9, accessed 29 October 2018
- ^ Elliott, J. K. "Revelations from the apparatus criticus of the Book of Revelation: How Textual Criticism Can Help Historians." Union Seminary Quarterly Review 63, no. 3-4 (2012): 1-23.
- ^ Claremont Coptic Encyclopaedia, Codex Vaticanus, accessed 29 September 2018
- ^ "Biblical concordances of REvelation 9 in the 1611 King James Bible".
- ^ Revelation 9:1 NKJV
- ^ Lowman, M., Paraphrase and Notes upon the Revelation of St. John (1737, 1745; 1791, 1807), quoted by Joseph Benson in Benson Commentary on Revelation 9, accessed 31 October 2018
- ^ Revelation 9:3 KJV
- ^ Bauckham 2007, p. 1295.
- ^ Revelation 9:4 KJV
- ^ Benson, J., Benson Commentary on Revelation 9, accessed 31 October 2018
- ^ Revelation 9:11 NKJV
- ^ John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible - Revelation 9:11
- ^ Revelation 9:11: Wycliffe Bible
- ^ Revelation 9:16 NKJV
Bibliography edit
- Bauckham, Richard (2007). "81. Revelation". In Barton, John; Muddiman, John (eds.). The Oxford Bible Commentary (first (paperback) ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 1287–1306. ISBN 978-0199277186. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Gill, John. Exposition of the Entire Bible (1746-1763).
External links edit
- Revelation 9 King James Bible - Wikisource
- English Translation with Parallel Latin Vulgate Archived 2019-06-17 at the Wayback Machine
- Online Bible at GospelHall.org (ESV, KJV, Darby, American Standard Version, Bible in Basic English)
- Multiple bible versions at Bible Gateway (NKJV, NIV, NRSV etc.)