New Living Translation
Revelation 9:4
4They were told not to harm the grass or plants or trees, but only the people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
Revelation 9:4 in other versions
- King James Version (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.
- New International Version (NIV)They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
- English Standard Version (ESV)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 on their foreheads.
- New King James Version (NKJV)They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
Context of Revelation 9:4
2When he opened it, smoke poured out as though from a huge furnace, and the sunlight and air turned dark from the smoke. 3Then locusts came from the smoke and descended on the earth, and they were given power to sting like scorpions. They were told not to harm the grass or plants or trees, but only the people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5They were told not to kill them but to torture them for five months with pain like the pain of a scorpion sting. 6In those days people will seek death but will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them!
Read all of Revelation 9Revelation 9:4 word by word
καὶ ἐρρέθη αὐταῖς ἵνα μὴ ἀδικήσουσιν τὸν χόρτον τῆς γῆς οὐδὲ πᾶν χλωρὸν οὐδὲ πᾶν δένδρον, εἰ μὴ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους οἵτινες οὐκ ἔχουσιν τὴν σφραγῖδα τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπὶ τῶν μετώπωνRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- it was commandedἐρῶereō · to sayG2046
- themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
- they shouldἀδικέωadikeō · to harmG91
- notμήmē · notG3361
- the grassὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the grassχόρτοςchortos · grassG5528
- of the earthγῆgē · earth: planetG1093
- neitherοὐδέoude · norG3761
- anyπᾶςpas · allG3956
- green thingχλωρόςchlōros · greenG5515
- treeδένδρονdendron · treeG1186
- butεἰei · if: notG1487
- onlyμόνοςmonos · aloneG3441
- thoseὅστιςhostis hētis ho6ti · who/whichG3748
- menἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
- which haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- notοὐou · noG3756
- the sealσφραγίςsphragis · sealG4973
- of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- inἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
- foreheadsμέτωπονmetopon · foreheadG3359
Cross-references for Revelation 9:4
- Revelation 6:6And I heard a voice from among the four living beings say, “A loaf of wheat bread or three loaves of barley will cost a day’s pay. And don’t waste the olive oil and wine.”
- Revelation 7:3“Wait! Don’t harm the land or the sea or the trees until we have placed the seal of God on the foreheads of his servants.”
- Job 1:10You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is!
- Psalms 76:10Human defiance only enhances your glory, for you use it as a weapon.
- Matthew 24:24For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones.
- 2 Timothy 3:8These teachers oppose the truth just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses. They have depraved minds and a counterfeit faith.
- Revelation 8:7The first angel blew his trumpet, and hail and fire mixed with blood were thrown down on the earth. One-third of the earth was set on fire, one-third of the trees were burned, and all the green grass was burned.
- Revelation 14:1Then I saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him were 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.
- Exodus 12:23For the Lord will pass through the land to strike down the Egyptians. But when he sees the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe, the Lord will pass over your home. He will not permit his death angel to enter your house and strike you down.
- Job 2:6“All right, do with him as you please,” the Lord said to Satan. “But spare his life.”
- Ezekiel 9:4He said to him, “Walk through the streets of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of all who weep and sigh because of the detestable sins being committed in their city.”
- Ephesians 4:30And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.
Commentaries on Revelation 9:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4They should not hurt the grass - Neither the common people, the men of middling condition, nor the nobles. However, this appears rather to refer to the prudent counsels of a military chief, not to destroy the crops and herbage of which they might have need in their campaigns. Which have not the seal of God - All false, hypocritical, and heterodox Christians.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4And it was commanded them - The writer does not say by whom this command was given, but it is clearly by someone who had the direction of them. As they were evoked from the “bottomless pit” by one who had the key to that dark abode, and as they are represented in Revelation 9:11 as under the command of one who is there called Abaddon, or Apollyon - the Destroyer - it would seem most probable that the command referred to is one that is given by him; that…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-4The locusts come down to earth from the smoke. They have the power to sting like scorpions. They are fiercer than those in the Egyptian plague (see Exodus 10:14–15). Instead of eating plants, these locusts attack people like stinging scorpions. Only people without the seal of God (see Revelation 7:1–8) experience this painful judgment. The stings cause painful torture but do not cause death (Revelation 9:5–6).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. not hurt the grass ... neither ... green thing ... neither ... tree--the food on which they ordinarily prey. Therefore, not natural and ordinary locusts. Their natural instinct is supernaturally restrained to mark the judgment as altogether divine. those men which--Greek, "the men whosoever." in, &c.--Greek, "upon their forehead." Thus this fifth trumpet is proved to follow the sealing in Re 7:1-8, under the sixth seal. None of the saints are hurt by…Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 9:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Revelation 9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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