Devine Scripture

Revelation 9:10

What does Revelation 9:10 mean?

A plain-English look at Revelation 9:10 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What Revelation 9:10 means

Their tails are like scorpions with stings, and the power to hurt people lasts five months. The weapon is behind them, catching victims who think the danger has passed. The repetition of the time span reinforces that God has set limits on their operation. The focus remains on torment, not death, mirroring the spiritual sting of sin and judgment that incapacitates yet does not end life. The verse sums up the locusts’ destructive capacity while reminding us that they carry out a bounded commission. Even in wrath, God measures the rod; the abyss’s agents cannot exceed the duration or targets He assigns.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

And they have tails like unto scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men five months.

KJV

King James Version · 1611

And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

And they have tails like unto scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men five months.

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

And they have pointed tails like scorpions; and in their tails is their power to give men wounds for five months.

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

and they have tails like to scorpions, and stings were in their tails; and their authority <FI>is<Fi> to injure men five months;

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

And they had tails like to scorpions: and there were stings in their tails. And their power was to hurt men, five months. And they had over them

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

and they have tails like scorpions, and stings; and their power [was] in their tails to hurt men five months.

Context

This verse summarizes the locusts’ weaponry and reiterates the time limit given in verse 5, closing the descriptive section of verses 7–10. The next verse (11) identifies their king, confirming their organized, demonic origin. With verse 12 the first Woe formally concludes, and the narrative pivot prepares for the sixth trumpet in verse 13, which will introduce a different set of agents and a far more lethal outcome.

v.9And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to war.

v.10This passage

v.11They have over them as king the angel of the abyss: his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek tongue he hath the name Apollyon.

Cross references

Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  • Revelation 9:5

    And it was given them 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 it striketh a man.

  • Revelation 9:3

    And out of the smoke came forth locusts upon the earth; and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

  • Revelation 9:19

    For the power of the horses is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails are like unto serpents, and have heads; and with them they hurt.

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