Verse 9
The third part of the ships were destroyed - These judgments seem to be poured out upon some maritime nation, destroying much of its population, and much of its traffic.
Verse 10
There fell a great star from heaven - This has given rise to various conjectures. Some say the star means Attila and his Huns, others, Genseric with his Vandals falling on the city of Rome; others, Eleazer, the son of Annus, spurning the emperor's victims, and exciting the fury of the Zealots; others, Arius; infecting the pure Christian doctrine with his heresy, etc., etc. It certainly cannot mean all these; and probably none of them. Let the reader judge.
Verse 11
The star is called Wormwood - So called from the bitter or distressing effects produced by its influence.
Verse 12
The third part of the sun - moon - stars, was smitten - Supposed to mean Rome, with her senates, consuls, etc., eclipsed by Odoacer, king of the Heruli, and Theodoric, king of the Ostrogoths, in the fifth century. But all this is uncertain.
Verse 13
I - heard an angel flying - Instead of αγγελου πετωμενου, an angel flying, almost every MS. and version of note has αετου πετωμενον, an eagle flying. The eagle was the symbol of the Romans, and was always on their ensigns. The three woes which are here expressed were probably to be executed by this people, and upon the Jews and their commonwealth. Taken in this sense the symbols appear consistent and appropriate; and the reading eagle instead of angel is undoubtedly genuine, and Griesbach has received it into the text.
Introduction
The fifth angel sounds, and a star falls from heaven to earth, [Rev 9:1]. The bottomless pit is opened, and locusts come out upon the earth, [Rev 9:2], [Rev 9:3]. Their commission, [Rev 9:4-6]. Their form, [Rev 9:7-10]. Their government, [Rev 9:11], [Rev 9:12]. The sixth angel sounds, and the four angels bound in the Euphrates are loosed, [Rev 9:13-15]. The army of horsemen, and their description, [Rev 9:16-19]. Though much evil is inflicted upon men for their idolatry, etc., they do not repent, [Rev 9:20], [Rev 9:21].
Verse 1
A star fall from heaven - An angel encompassed with light suddenly descended, and seemed like a star falling from heaven.
The key of the bottomless pit - Power to inundate the earth with a flood of temporal calamities and moral evils.
Verse 2
He opened the bottomless pit - Το φρεαρ της αβυσσου· The pit of the bottomless deep. Some think the angel means Satan, and the bottomless pit hell. Some suppose Mohammed is meant; and Signior Pastorini professes to believe that Luther is intended!
There arose a smoke - False doctrine, obscuring the true light of heaven.
Verse 3
Locusts - Vast hordes of military troops: the description which follows certainly agrees better with the Saracens than with any other people or nation, but may also apply to the Romans.
As the scorpions of the earth have power - Namely, to hurt men by stinging them. Scorpions may signify archers; and hence the description has been applied to Cestius Gallus, the Roman general, who had many archers in his army.
Verse 4
They 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.
Verse 5
To them it was given - That is, they were permitted.
That they should be tormented five months - Some take these months literally, and apply them to the conduct of the Zealots who, from May to September, in the year of the siege, produced dreadful contests among the people; or to the afflictions brought upon the Jews by Cestius Gallus, when he came against Jerusalem, before which he lay one whole summer, or nearly five months - See Joseph., Bell. Jud., l. ii. c. 19.
Others consider the months as being prophetical months, each day being reckoned for a year; therefore this period must amount to one hundred and fifty years, counting thirty days to each month, as was the general custom of the Asiatics.
Their torment was as the torment of a scorpion - The phraseology here is peculiar, and probably refers to the warlike weapon called a scorpion, several of which, or men armed with them, Cestius Gallus brought with him in his army.
Isidore describes this scorpion thus: Scorpio est sagitta venenata arcu vel tormentis excussa, quea, dum ad hominem venerit, virus qua figit infundit; unde et scorpio nomen accepit. "The scorpion is a poisoned arrow shot from a bow or other instrument, which, when it wounds a man, deposits the poison with which it is covered in the wound; whence it has the name of scorpion." Seneca, in his Hercules Oetaeus, act iv., ver. 1218, describes the torment which is occasioned by this species of poisoned arrow: -
Heu qualis intus scorpius, quis fervida
Plaga revulsus cancer infixus meas
Urit medullas?
Verse 6
In those days shall men seek death - So distressing shall be their sufferings and torment that they shall long for death in any form, to be rescued from the evils of life. There is a sentiment much like this in Maximianus, Eleg. i., ver. 111, commonly attributed to Cornelius Gallus: -
Nunc quia longa mihi gravis est et inutilis aetas,
Vivere cum nequeam, sit mihi posse mori?
O quam dura premit miseros conditio vitae!
Nec mors humano subjacet arbitrio.
Dulce mori miseris; sed mors optata recedit:
At cum tristis erit, praecipitata venit. "Seeing that long life is both useless and burdensome When we can no longer live comfortably, shall we be permitted to die? O how hard is the condition on which we hold life! For death is not subjected to the will of man. To die is sweet to the wretched; but wished - for death flees away. Yet when it is not desired, it comes with the hastiest strides."
Job expresses the same sentiment, in the most plaintive manner: -
Why is light given to the miserable,
And life to the bitter of soul?
Who wait for death, but it is not;