The Meaning of Revelation 9:6 Explained

Revelation 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.

YLT: and in those days shall men seek the death, and they shall not find it, and they shall desire to die, and the death shall flee from them.

Darby: And in those days shall men seek death, and shall in no way find it; and shall desire to die, and death flees from them.

ASV: And in those days men shall seek death, and shall in no wise find it; and they shall desire to die, and death fleeth from them.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  in  those  days  shall men  seek  death,  and  shall  not  find  it;  and  shall desire  to die,  and  death  shall flee  from  them. 

What does Revelation 9:6 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Because of the influence of these scorpion-like locusts, people will seek death but will not be able to escape their pain. They long for death rather than repenting.
Since Revelation 4 :1 John had been reporting what he saw, but now he spoke as a prophet predicting the future.
"For the first time the Apostle ceases to be the exponent of what he saw, and becomes the direct organ of the Spirit ..." [1]
This is one of the indications that Revelation is prophetic rather than only apocalyptic in genre.

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 9:6

Men [οι αντρωποι]
Generic use of the article (men as a class). [source]
Shall not find it [ου μη ευρησουσιν αυτον]
Strong double negative ου μη — ou mē with the future active indicative according to Aleph Q, but ευρωσιν — heurōsin (second aorist active subjunctive) according to A P (either construction regular). The idea here is found in Job 3:21; Jeremiah 8:3. “Such a death as they desire, a death which will end their sufferings, is impossible; physical death is no remedy for the βασανισμος — basanismos of an evil conscience” (Swete).They shall desire to die (επιτυμησουσιν αποτανειν — epithumēsousin apothanein). Future active of επιτυμεω — epithumeō a climax to ζητησουσιν — zētēsousin (they shall seek), to desire vehemently. Paul in Philemon 1:23 shows a preference for death if his work is done, in order to be with Christ, a very different feeling from what we have here.Fleeth Vivid futuristic present active indicative of πευγω — pheugō Even death does not come to their relief. [source]
They shall desire to die [επιτυμησουσιν αποτανειν]
Future active of επιτυμεω — epithumeō a climax to ζητησουσιν — zētēsousin (they shall seek), to desire vehemently. Paul in Philemon 1:23 shows a preference for death if his work is done, in order to be with Christ, a very different feeling from what we have here. [source]
Fleeth [πευγει]
Vivid futuristic present active indicative of πευγω — pheugō Even death does not come to their relief. [source]
Men []
Rather, the men: those tormented. [source]
Shall desire [ἐπιθυμήσουσιν]
Ἑπι has the force of vehemently, earnestly. [source]
Shall flee [φεύξεται]
Read φεύγει fleethAeschylus says: “Not justly do mortals hate death, since it is the greatest deliverance from their many woes” (“Fragment”). Herodotus relates the address of Artabanus to Xerxes, when the latter wept on beholding his vast armament. “There is no man, whether it be here among this multitude or elsewhere, who is so happy as not to have felt the wish - I will not say once, but full many a time - that he were dead rather than alive. Calamities fall upon us, sicknesses vex and harass us, and make life, short though it be, to appear long. So death, through the wretchedness of our life, is a most sweet refuge to our race” (vii., 46). [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Revelation 9:6

1 John 3:14 From death [ἐκ τοῦ θανάτου]
Lit., out of the death. The article marks it as one of the two spheres in which men must be; death or life. The death, the life, present one of those sharp oppositions which are characteristic of the Epistle; as love, hatred; darkness, light; truth, a lie. Ὁ θάνατος thedeath, occurs in John's Epistles only here and in the next clause. In the Gospel, only John 5:24. Personified in Revelation 1:18; Revelation 6:8; Revelation 9:6; Revelation 20:13. [source]
Revelation 18:21 Took up [ηρεν]
First aorist active indicative of αιρω — airō it were a great millstone Late adjective, in inscriptions, here only in N.T., made of millstone Second aorist active of βαλλω — ballō to hurl.With a mighty fall Instrumental case (manner) of ορμημα — hormēma a rush, old word from ορμαω — hormaō to rush (Matthew 8:32), here only in N.T.Shall be cast down (βλετησεται — blethēsetai). Future (first) passive of βαλλω — ballō the same verb (εβαλεν — ebalen), effective punctiliar future. Like a boulder hurled into the sea.Shall be found no more at all Double negative with first aorist passive subjunctive of ευρισκω — heuriskō See Revelation 9:6 for ου μη — ou mē with the active voice of ευρισκω — heuriskō Already the old Babylon was a desert waste (Strabo, XVI. 1073). [source]
Revelation 18:21 With a mighty fall [ορμηματι]
Instrumental case (manner) of ορμημα — hormēma a rush, old word from ορμαω — hormaō to rush (Matthew 8:32), here only in N.T.Shall be cast down (βλετησεται — blethēsetai). Future (first) passive of βαλλω — ballō the same verb (εβαλεν — ebalen), effective punctiliar future. Like a boulder hurled into the sea.Shall be found no more at all Double negative with first aorist passive subjunctive of ευρισκω — heuriskō See Revelation 9:6 for ου μη — ou mē with the active voice of ευρισκω — heuriskō Already the old Babylon was a desert waste (Strabo, XVI. 1073). [source]
Revelation 18:21 Shall be found no more at all [ου μη ευρετηι ετι]
Double negative with first aorist passive subjunctive of ευρισκω — heuriskō See Revelation 9:6 for ου μη — ou mē with the active voice of ευρισκω — heuriskō Already the old Babylon was a desert waste (Strabo, XVI. 1073). [source]

What do the individual words in Revelation 9:6 mean?

And in the days those will seek - men - death not no more will find it they will long to die shall flee - death from them
καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις ζητήσουσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι τὸν θάνατον οὐ μὴ εὑρήσουσιν αὐτόν ἐπιθυμήσουσιν ἀποθανεῖν φεύγει θάνατος ἀπ’ αὐτῶν

ἡμέραις  days 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Plural
Root: ἡμέρα  
Sense: the day, used of the natural day, or the interval between sunrise and sunset, as distinguished from and contrasted with the night.
ἐκείναις  those 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Dative Feminine Plural
Root: ἐκεῖνος  
Sense: he, she it, etc.
ζητήσουσιν  will  seek 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ζητέω  
Sense: to seek in order to find.
οἱ  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἄνθρωποι  men 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: ἄνθρωπος  
Sense: a human being, whether male or female.
τὸν  - 
Parse: Article, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
θάνατον  death 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: θάνατος 
Sense: the death of the body.
μὴ  no  more 
Parse: Adverb
Root: μή 
Sense: no, not lest.
εὑρήσουσιν  will  find 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: εὑρίσκω  
Sense: to come upon, hit upon, to meet with.
ἐπιθυμήσουσιν  they  will  long 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἐπιθυμέω  
Sense: to turn upon a thing.
ἀποθανεῖν  to  die 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: ἀποθνῄσκω  
Sense: to die.
φεύγει  shall  flee 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: φεύγω  
Sense: to flee away, seek safety by flight.
  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
θάνατος  death 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: θάνατος 
Sense: the death of the body.