Revelation 9:4-6

9:4 They ¹  were told ²  not to damage the grass of the earth, or any green plant or tree, but only those people ³  who did not have the seal of God on their ⁴  forehead. 9:5 The locusts ⁵  were not given permission ⁶  to kill ⁷  them, but only to torture ⁸  them ⁹  for five months, and their torture was like that ¹⁰  of a scorpion when it stings a person. ¹¹  9:6 In ¹²  those days people ¹³  will seek death, but ¹⁴  will not be able to ¹⁵  find it; they will long to die, but death will flee from them.

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¹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

² tn The dative indirect object (αὐταῖς, autais) was converted into the subject (“they”) as this more closely approximates English usage. The following ἵ῞να (Jina) is taken as substantival, introducing a direct object clause. In this case, because it is reported speech, the ἵνα is similar to the declarative ὅτι (Joti).

³ tn Grk “men”; but ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used in a generic sense here of both men and women.

⁴ tn The article τῶν (twn) has been translated as a possessive pronoun here (ExSyn 215).

⁵ tn Grk “It was not permitted to them”; the referent (the locusts) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁶ tn The word “permission” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

⁷ tn The two ἵνα (Jina) clauses of 9:5 are understood to be functioning as epexegetical or complementary clauses related to ἐδόθη (edoqh).

⁸ tn On this term BDAG 168 s.v. βασανισμός states, “1. infliction of severe suffering or pain associated with torture or torment, tormenting, torture Rv 9:5b. – 2. the severe pain experienced through torture, torment vs. 5a; 14:11; 18:10, 15; (w. πένθος) vs. 7.”

⁹ tn The pronoun “them” is not in the Greek text but is picked up from the previous clause.

¹⁰ tn Grk “like the torture,” but this is redundant in contemporary English.

¹¹ tn Grk “a man”; but ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used here in an individualized sense without being limited to the male gender.

¹² tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

¹³ tn Grk “men”; but ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used in a generic sense here of both men and women.

¹⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

¹⁵ tn The phrase “not be able to” was used in the translation to emphasize the strong negation (οὐ μή, ou mh) in the Greek text.