REV 9:1-12

The Fifth Trumpet

1And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star that had fallen from heaven to the earth, and the key of the shaft of the abyss was given to it.

2And it opened the shaft of the abyss, and smoke rose up from the shaft like the smoke of a great furnace. And the sun and the air were darkened from the smoke of the shaft.

3And out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and authority was given to them like the authority that scorpions of the earth have.

4And they were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God upon their foreheads.

5And it was given to them not to kill them but to torment them for five months. And their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a person.

6And in those days people will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die and death flees from them.

7And the appearances of the locusts were like horses prepared for battle. On their heads were something like crowns resembling gold, and their faces were like the faces of men.

8And they had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like the teeth of lions.

9And they had breastplates like iron breastplates, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of many horse-drawn chariots rushing into battle.

10And they have tails and stingers like scorpions, and their authority to harm people for five months is in their tails.

11They have over them a king — the angel of the abyss. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he has the name Apollyon.

12The first woe has passed. Look — two more woes are still coming after these things.

In the world it was spoken into

In the first-century Mediterranean world, the imagery of a star falling from heaven and a pit opening would evoke deep cosmological and eschatological fears. The (abyss) was understood as a chaotic, primordial realm, often associated with the underworld or the abode of demons. Smoke rising like a furnace and darkening the sun and air would recall both the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and the apocalyptic visions of Jewish texts like 1 Enoch, where such phenomena signaled divine judgment. Locusts, a common plague in agrarian societies, were not merely pests but symbols of devastation, as seen in Exodus and Joel. Their power likened to scorpions (known for their painful stings) would heighten the sense of torment , a term often associated with physical torture or severe testing. The name (Abaddon), meaning 'destruction,' would resonate with Jewish listeners as a personification of ruin, aligning with apocalyptic traditions of a destroyer figure.

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How other translations render this

REV 9:1

KJV: 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.
BSB: Then the fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from heaven to earth, and it was given the key to the pit of the Abyss.
Koinōnos: And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star that had fallen from heaven to the earth, and the key of the shaft of the abyss was given to it.

REV 9:2

KJV: 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.
BSB: The star opened the pit of the Abyss, and smoke rose out of it like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke from the pit.
Koinōnos: And it opened the shaft of the abyss, and smoke rose up from the shaft like the smoke of a great furnace. And the sun and the air were darkened from the smoke of the shaft.

REV 9:3

KJV: 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.
BSB: And out of the smoke, locusts descended on the earth, and they were given power like that of the scorpions of the earth.
Koinōnos: And out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and authority was given to them like the authority that scorpions of the earth have.

REV 9:4

KJV: 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.
BSB: They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
Koinōnos: And they were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God upon their foreheads.

REV 9:5

KJV: 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.
BSB: The locusts were not given power to kill them, but only to torment them for five months, and their torment was like the stinging of a scorpion.
Koinōnos: And it was given to them not to kill them but to torment them for five months. And their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a person.

REV 9:6

KJV: And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.
BSB: In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, but death will escape them.
Koinōnos: And in those days people will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die and death flees from them.

REV 9:7

KJV: 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.
BSB: And the locusts looked like horses prepared for battle, with something like crowns of gold on their heads, and their faces were like the faces of men.
Koinōnos: And the appearances of the locusts were like horses prepared for battle. On their heads were something like crowns resembling gold, and their faces were like the faces of men.

REV 9:8

KJV: And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.
BSB: They had hair like that of women, and teeth like those of lions.
Koinōnos: And they had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like the teeth of lions.

REV 9:9

KJV: 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.
BSB: They also had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the roar of many horses and chariots rushing into battle.
Koinōnos: And they had breastplates like iron breastplates, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of many horse-drawn chariots rushing into battle.

REV 9:10

KJV: And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.
BSB: They had tails with stingers like scorpions, which had the power to injure people for five months.
Koinōnos: And they have tails and stingers like scorpions, and their authority to harm people for five months is in their tails.

REV 9:11

KJV: 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.
BSB: They were ruled by a king, the angel of the Abyss. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek it is Apollyon.
Koinōnos: They have over them a king — the angel of the abyss. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he has the name Apollyon.

REV 9:12

KJV: One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
BSB: The first woe has passed. Behold, two woes are still to follow.
Koinōnos: The first woe has passed. Look — two more woes are still coming after these things.

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Translator's notes

REV 9:1

pit:The word translated 'pit' here refers to a deep shaft or well, often associated with a dungeon or a place of confinement, rather than just a simple hole in the ground.
abyss,:The term used here for 'abyss' describes a bottomless, unfathomable depth, often understood as the primeval chaos or the dwelling place of evil spirits, not merely a deep chasm.

REV 9:5

they will torment [them]:The word translated 'they will torment them' implies a severe, agonizing form of torture, originally referring to testing metals on a touchstone, suggesting intense and prolonged suffering.

REV 9:11

in Hebrew:The name given 'in Hebrew' is a transliteration of a Hebrew word meaning 'destruction' or 'place of destruction,' often personified as an angel of the abyss.