The Meaning of Revelation 9:10 Explained

Revelation 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.

YLT: and they have tails like to scorpions, and stings were in their tails; and their authority is to injure men five months;

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

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

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does Revelation 9:10 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Their ability and their mission to sting people also suggest abnormal characteristics. This verse reprises Revelation 9:5. The repetition serves to stress the awfulness of their power to hurt people.

Context Summary

Revelation 9:1-11 - "out Of The Smoke Of The Pit"
This chapter reminds us of the prophet Joel who, under the imagery of a swarm of locusts, depicted the coming invasion of hostile nations. Whether these warriors are intended for barbarian hordes which swept over the Roman Empire previous to its fall, or whether they represent the Saracens, between whose appearance and the details of this vision there is much in common, is not within our province to determine. The point which specially concerns us is that only those escaped who had received the imprint of God's seal. Of old the destroying angel passed over the houses, on the lintels of which the blood was visible.
But there are spiritual foes, against whose invasion we must seek the sealing of God's Spirit. "Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, in whom ye were sealed unto the day of redemption," Ephesians 4:30. What is impressed with the royal seal is under special protection; and when temptation assails you, you may assuredly claim that divine protection, which shall surround you as an impenetrable shield. "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them," Psalms 34:7. We fight not against flesh and blood, but against wicked spirits in heavenly places, and only the spiritual can secure for us immunity against the spiritual. [source]

Chapter Summary: Revelation 9

1  At the sounding of the fifth angel, a star falls from heaven, to whom is given the key to the bottomless pit
2  He opens the pit, and there come forth locusts like scorpions
12  The first woe past
13  The sixth trumpet sounds
14  Four angels who were bound are let loose

Greek Commentary for Revelation 9:10

Tails [ουρας]
Old word, in N.T. only in Revelation 9:10, Revelation 9:19; Revelation 12:4. [source]
Like unto scorpions [ομοιας σκορπιοις]
Aleph A wrongly have ομοιοις — homoiois (agreeing with σκορπιοις — skorpiois instead of with ουρας — ouras). It is a condensed idiom for “like unto the tails of the scorpions” as we have it in Revelation 13:11 (cf. Matthew 5:20; 1 John 2:2).Stings (κεντρα — kentra). Old word from κεντρεω — kentreō (to prick, to sting), in N.T. only here, Acts 26:14 (about Paul); 1 Corinthians 15:55 (about death). It is used “of the spur of a cock, the quill of the porcupine, and the stings of insects” (Vincent). It was the goad used for oxen (Proverbs 26:3; Acts 26:14).In their tails This locates “their power to hurt” (η εχουσια αυτων αδικησαι — hē exousia autōn adikēsai infinitive here, ινα αδικησουσιν — hina adikēsousin in Revelation 9:4) in their tails. It might have been in other organs. [source]
Stings [κεντρα]
Old word from κεντρεω — kentreō (to prick, to sting), in N.T. only here, Acts 26:14 (about Paul); 1 Corinthians 15:55 (about death). It is used “of the spur of a cock, the quill of the porcupine, and the stings of insects” (Vincent). It was the goad used for oxen (Proverbs 26:3; Acts 26:14). [source]
In their tails [εν ταις ουραις αυτων]
This locates “their power to hurt” (η εχουσια αυτων αδικησαι — hē exousia autōn adikēsai infinitive here, ινα αδικησουσιν — hina adikēsousin in Revelation 9:4) in their tails. It might have been in other organs. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Revelation 9:10

1 Corinthians 15:55 O death [τανατε]
Second instance. Here Paul changes Hades of the lxx for Hebrew Sheol (Hosea 13:14) to death. Paul never uses Hades. Thy sting (σου το κεντρον — sou to kentron). Old word from κεντρεω — kentreō to prick, as in Acts 26:14. In Revelation 9:10 of the sting of locusts, scorpions. The serpent death has lost his poison fangs. [source]
1 Corinthians 15:55 Thy sting [σου το κεντρον]
Old word from κεντρεω — kentreō to prick, as in Acts 26:14. In Revelation 9:10 of the sting of locusts, scorpions. The serpent death has lost his poison fangs. [source]
Revelation 12:4 His tail [η ουρα αυτου]
See Revelation 9:10, Revelation 9:19. [source]
Revelation 2:11 Shall not be hurt [ου μη αδικητηι]
Strong double negative with first aorist passive subjunctive of αδικεω — adikeō old verb, to act unjustly (from αδικος — adikos), here to do harm or wrong to one, old usage as in Revelation 6:6; Revelation 7:2.; Revelation 9:4, Revelation 9:10; Revelation 11:5. [source]
Revelation 9:3 The scorpions [οι σκορπιοι]
Old name for a little animal somewhat like a lobster that lurks in stone walls in warm regions, with a venomous sting in its tail, in N.T. in Luke 10:19; Luke 11:12; Revelation 9:3, Revelation 9:5, Revelation 9:10. The scorpion ranks with the snake as hostile to man. [source]
Revelation 9:7 Unto horses [ιπποις]
Associative-instrumental case, as is the rule with ομοιος — homoios (Revelation 1:15; Revelation 2:18; Revelation 4:6.; Revelation 9:10, Revelation 9:19; Revelation 11:1; Revelation 13:2, Revelation 13:11), but with the accusative in Revelation 1:13; Revelation 14:14. So also ομοιοι χρυσωι — homoioi chrusōi (like gold) in this same verse.Prepared for war (ητοιμασμενοις εις πολεμον — hētoimasmenois eis polemon). Perfect passive participle of ετοιμαζω — hetoimazō This imagery of war-horses is like that in Joel 2:4. “The likeness of a locust to a horse, especially to a horse equipped with armour, is so striking that the insect is named in German heupferd (hay horse), and in Italian cavalett a little horse” (Vincent).As it were crowns Not actual crowns, but what looked like crowns of gold, as conquerors, as indeed they were (Revelation 4:4; Revelation 6:2; Revelation 12:1; Revelation 14:14). These locusts of the abyss have another peculiar feature.As men‘s faces (ως προσωπα αντρωπων — hōs prosōpa anthrōpōn). Human-looking faces in these demonic locusts to give added terror, “suggesting the intelligence and capacity of man” (Swete). Vincent actually sees “a distinct resemblance to the human countenance in the face of the locust.” [source]
Revelation 9:10 Tails [ουρας]
Old word, in N.T. only in Revelation 9:10, Revelation 9:19; Revelation 12:4. [source]

What do the individual words in Revelation 9:10 mean?

And they have tails like scorpions stingers in the tails of them [is] the power to injure - men for months five
καὶ ἔχουσιν οὐρὰς ὁμοίας σκορπίοις κέντρα ἐν ταῖς οὐραῖς αὐτῶν ἐξουσία ἀδικῆσαι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους μῆνας πέντε

ἔχουσιν  they  have 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἔχω  
Sense: to have, i.e. to hold.
οὐρὰς  tails 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Plural
Root: οὐρά  
Sense: a tail.
ὁμοίας  like 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Feminine Plural
Root: ὅμοιος  
Sense: like, similar, resembling.
σκορπίοις  scorpions 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Plural
Root: σκορπίος  
Sense: a scorpion, the name of a little animal, somewhat resembling a lobster, which in warm regions lurk, esp.
κέντρα  stingers 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: κέντρον  
Sense: a sting, as that of bees, scorpions, locusts.
οὐραῖς  tails 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Plural
Root: οὐρά  
Sense: a tail.
αὐτῶν  of  them 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Feminine 3rd Person Plural
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
  [is]  the 
Parse: Article, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἐξουσία  power 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: ἐξουσία  
Sense: power of choice, liberty of doing as one pleases.
ἀδικῆσαι  to  injure 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: ἀδικέω  
Sense: absolutely.
τοὺς  - 
Parse: Article, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἀνθρώπους  men 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: ἄνθρωπος  
Sense: a human being, whether male or female.
μῆνας  for  months 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: μήν2  
Sense: a month.
πέντε  five 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: πέντε  
Sense: five.

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