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Revelation

About this book
Chapter 9

1 Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the abyss. 2 He opened the shaft of the abyss and smoke rose out of it like smoke from a giant furnace. The sun and the air were darkened with smoke from the shaft.⁠ 3 Then out of the smoke came locusts onto the earth, and they were given power like that of the scorpions of the earth.⁠ 4 They were told not to damage the grass of the earth, or any green plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their forehead.⁠ 5 The locusts were not given permission to kill them, but only to torture them for five months, and their torture was like that of a scorpion when it stings a person. 6 In those days people will seek death, but will not be able to find it; they will long to die, but death will flee from them.⁠ 7 Now the locusts looked like horses equipped for battle. On their heads were something like crowns similar to gold, and their faces looked like men’s faces.⁠ 8 They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. 9 They had breastplates like iron breastplates, and the sound of their wings was like the noise of many horse-drawn chariots charging into battle. 10 They have tails and stingers like scorpions, and their ability to injure people for five months is in their tails. 11 They have as king over them the angel of the abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon.⁠ 12 The first woe has passed, but two woes are still coming after these things! 13 Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a single voice coming from the horns on the golden altar that is before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel, the one holding the trumpet, “Set free the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates!”⁠ 15 Then the four angels who had been prepared for this hour, day, month, and year were set free to kill a third of humanity. 16 The number of soldiers on horseback was 200,000,000; I heard their number. 17 Now this is what the horses and their riders looked like in my vision: The riders had breastplates that were fiery red, dark blue, and sulfurous yellow in color. The heads of the horses looked like lions’ heads, and fire, smoke, and sulfur came out of their mouths. 18 A third of humanity was killed by these three plagues, that is, by the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur that came out of their mouths. 19 For the power of the horses resides in their mouths and in their tails because their tails are like snakes, having heads that inflict injuries. 20 The rest of humanity, who had not been killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands so that they did not stop worshiping demons and idols⁠ made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood—idols⁠ that cannot see or hear or walk about.⁠ 21 Furthermore, they did not repent of their murders, of their magic spells, of their sexual immorality, or of their stealing.

Texts in conversation

Compare Sirach 39:30 and Revelation 9:3

Deuterocanon · New Testament

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Summary

Revelation introduces scorpions as agents of torment, imagery that parallels Sirach where scorpions and snakes are created to punish the ungodly. Both draw on Jewish traditions where dangerous creatures are used as instruments of divine judgment.

Passages

Sirach 39:30

Deuterocanon · Ben Sira, Ecclesiasticus
28 There are winds that are created for vengeance, and in their fury they lay on their scourges heavily. In the time of reckoning, they pour out their strength, and will appease the wrath of him who made them. 29 Fire, hail, famine, and death— all these are created for vengeance— 30 wild beasts’ teeth, scorpions, adders, and a sword punishing the ungodly to destruction. 31 They will rejoice in his commandment, and will be made ready upon earth when needed. In their seasons, they won’t disobey his command. 32 Therefore from the beginning I was convinced, and I thought it through and left it in writing: 33 All the works of the Lord are good. He will supply every need in its time. 34 No one can say, “This is worse than that,” for they will all be well approved in their time.
195–180 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Sirach

Revelation 9:3

New Testament
1 Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the abyss. 2 He opened the shaft of the abyss and smoke rose out of it like smoke from a giant furnace. The sun and the air were darkened with smoke from the shaft. 3 Then out of the smoke came locusts onto the earth, and they were given power like that of the scorpions of the earth. 4 They were told not to damage the grass of the earth, or any green plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their forehead. 5 The locusts were not given permission to kill them, but only to torture them for five months, and their torture was like that of a scorpion when it stings a person.
92–96 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Revelation

References

"... It is likely that the pairing of snakes and scorpions is based upon Deuteronomy 8:15 (the only place in the Old Testament where this pairing occurs; but compare Sirach 39:30), but this is not quite certain because there is evidence that the pairing developed into a fixed expression in Jewish tradition, perhaps coming originally from the use in Deuteronomy, but ultimately quite losing its allusive quality (see texts cited by Miyoshi, Anfang, 103-5, who, emphasizing the discussion of the Deuteronomy text in the early rabbinic tradition, is more confident than I can be of the allusion; note the juxtaposition in Luke 11:11-12). On the danger posed by snakes, compare Numbers 21:6-9; Sirach 21:2; for scorpions, compare 1 Kings 12:11, 14; Sirach 39:30 ... The links between Luke 10:19 and Revelation 9:3-4 have been drawn attention to by Boismard. The texts share the idea of the giving of authority, the mention of scorpions, and a reference to not harming. Perhaps nothing more can be made of the link than to suggest that in both cases we are dealing with imagery influenced by apocalyptic thought in which the final power conflict between the forces of good and of evil is in view ..."
John Nolland, Word Biblical Commentary: Luke 9:21 - 18:34 (Dallas: Word, 2008), 564–565.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Sirach 39:30 and Revelation 9:3

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