Revelation 9:4

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

2He opened the pit, and smoke rose from the pit like the smoke of a gigantic furnace. The sun and the air were darkened by the smoke from the pit. 3Then from the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power was given to them like the scorpions have power over the earth. They were told to do no harm to the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only the people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5And they were permitted not to kill them, but to torment them for five months—and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a person. 6In those days, people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will flee from them.

Revelation 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 6:6Then I heard something like a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius—but do no harm to the oil and wine!”
• Revelation 7:3saying, “Do no harm to the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”
• Job 1:10Have you not made a hedge around him, his household, and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands and his possessions have increased in the land.
• Psalms 76:10when God rose up to judgment, to save all the humble of the land. Selah
• Matthew 24:24For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and show great signs and wonders so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen.
• 2 Timothy 3:8Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so do these people oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and worthless concerning the faith.
• Revelation 8:7The first trumpeted, and there was hail and fire mixed with blood, and they were thrown upon the earth. A third of the earth burned up, a third of the trees burned up, and all the green grass burned up.
• Revelation 14:1Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him were 144,000 who had His name and His Father’s name written on their foreheads.
• Exodus 12:23Adonai will pass through to strike down the Egyptians, but when He sees the blood on the crossbeam and the two doorposts, Adonai will pass over that door, and will not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you down.
• Job 2:6Adonai said to the satan, “Very well, he is in your hand—only spare his life!”
• Ezekiel 9:4Adonai said to him, “Go throughout the city, through the midst of Jerusalem. Make a mark on the foreheads of the people who sigh and moan over all the abominations that are committed in it.”
• Ephesians 4:30Do not grieve the Ruach ha-Kodesh of God, by whom you were sealed for 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

• Locust
• Trumpet
• Vision
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Abaddon
• Angel
• Authority in Religion
• Color; Colors
• Forehead
• Government
• Grass
• Jair

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