Word Studies — Study R.7: Trumpets 5-6: The Three Woes (Rev 9)¶
1. abyssos (G12) — Bottomless Pit / Abyss¶
Original: ἄβυσσος (abyssos) Transliteration: abyssos Definition: From a- (negative particle) + byssos (depth); depthless, unfathomable depth. A place of confinement for destructive spiritual forces. Part of Speech: Feminine noun NT Occurrences: 9 total
Translations¶
| Translation | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| bottomless pit | 5 | 55.6% |
| deep | 2 | 22.2% |
| bottomless | 2 | 22.2% |
Key Verses¶
- Rev 9:1 — "the key of the bottomless pit" (key given to the fallen star)
- Rev 9:2 — "he opened the bottomless pit" (smoke ascends, darkening sun and air)
- Rev 9:11 — "the angel of the bottomless pit" (Abaddon/Apollyon rules from here)
- Rev 11:7 — "the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit" (kills the two witnesses)
- Rev 17:8 — "the beast... shall ascend out of the bottomless pit"
- Rev 20:1 — "the key of the bottomless pit" (angel confines Satan)
- Rev 20:3 — "cast him into the bottomless pit"
- Luk 8:31 — demons beg Jesus not to command them "to go out into the deep (abyssos)"
- Rom 10:7 — "Who shall descend into the deep (abyssos)?"
OT/LXX Background¶
The LXX uses abyssos for Hebrew tehom (the primordial deep, Gen 1:2; 7:11) and for various depths (Deu 8:7; Psa 71:20). In Revelation, the abyssos has become a specific cosmic location: a prison for demonic forces that can be opened (Rev 9:1-2) or sealed (Rev 20:1-3). The shift from primordial waters (Genesis) to demonic prison (Revelation) represents a theological development.
Significance for Rev 9¶
The abyssos is OPENED in Rev 9:1-2, releasing smoke and locusts. This is the only passage where the pit is opened to unleash destructive forces rather than to confine them (Rev 20). The fallen star receives the key — authority is delegated, not inherent. The passive voice edothe ("was given") indicates divine permission for the release.
2. akris (G200) — Locust¶
Original: ἀκρίς (akris) Transliteration: akris Definition: A locust (as pointed, or as alighting on the ground) Part of Speech: Feminine noun NT Occurrences: 4 total
Translations¶
All 4 occurrences translated "locusts" (100%)
Key Verses¶
- Mat 3:4 — John the Baptist ate "locusts and wild honey" (literal insects)
- Mrk 1:6 — Same as Matthew — literal dietary reference
- Rev 9:3 — "there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth" (symbolic/demonic)
- Rev 9:7 — "the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle"
OT/LXX Background¶
The LXX uses akris to translate Hebrew arbeh (H697, the swarming locust) in the Exodus plague narrative (Exo 10:4,12-14,19) and in Joel's locust descriptions (Joel 1:4; 2:25). The prophetic intermediary chain: Exodus 10 (agricultural locusts destroying vegetation) -> Joel 1-2 (militarized locusts with horse-like appearance and battle formations) -> Revelation 9 (demonic-military locusts that spare vegetation and torment humans).
Significance for Rev 9¶
The Rev 9 locusts INVERT the Exodus function. Exo 10:15 says locusts ate "every herb of the land... there remained not any green thing." Rev 9:4 commands them NOT to hurt grass, green things, or trees — ONLY unsealed humans. Same creature type, opposite target. Joel provides the intermediary step where locusts become militarized (Joel 2:4-5: "the appearance of horses... noise of chariots").
3. skorpios (G4651) — Scorpion¶
Original: σκορπίος (skorpios) Transliteration: skorpios Definition: A scorpion (probably from skerpō, to cut/sting) Part of Speech: Masculine noun NT Occurrences: 5 total
Translations¶
| Translation | Count |
|---|---|
| scorpions | 2 |
| a scorpion | 1 |
| of a scorpion | 1 |
| unto scorpions | 1 |
Key Verses¶
- Luk 10:19 — "I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions" (authority over hostile forces)
- Luk 11:12 — "Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?" (harmful gift illustration)
- Rev 9:3 — "power, as the scorpions of the earth have power"
- Rev 9:5 — "their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man"
- Rev 9:10 — "they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails"
Significance for Rev 9¶
The locust-scorpion fusion in Rev 9 is unprecedented — no OT or Jewish text combines these creatures. Locusts are swarming crop destroyers; scorpions are solitary ambush predators with venomous stings. The combination creates a creature that has the mass effect of locusts (swarming, darkening) with the targeted pain infliction of scorpions (stinging, tormenting). The power is in the tail (9:10, 19), suggesting the damage comes from behind — from what follows rather than what leads.
4. basanismos (G929) — Torment¶
Original: βασανισμός (basanismos) Transliteration: basanismos Definition: From basanizō (to torture); torture, torment Part of Speech: Masculine noun NT Occurrences: 6 total (ALL in Revelation)
Translations¶
| Translation | Count |
|---|---|
| torment | 5 |
| the torment | 1 |
Key Verses¶
- Rev 9:5 — "they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion" (FIRST occurrence — fifth trumpet)
- Rev 14:11 — "the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever" (mark of the beast)
- Rev 18:7 — "so much torment and sorrow give her" (Babylon's fall)
- Rev 18:10 — "Alas, alas that great city Babylon... for in one hour is thy judgment come" (merchants' lament)
- Rev 18:15 — merchants "stand afar off for the fear of her torment"
Significance for Rev 9¶
Basanismos is exclusively Revelation vocabulary in the NT — the word never appears outside this book. Rev 9:5 establishes the concept's first appearance: the fifth trumpet locusts are designed to torment, not kill. The torment is then escalated through Revelation: from the temporary five-month torment of the fifth trumpet (9:5) to the eternal torment of the mark-bearers (14:11) to Babylon's sudden torment (18:7-15). The escalation from limited torment (trumpets) to unlimited destruction (bowls) to eternal torment (final judgment) traces the judgment trajectory.
5. thysiastērion (G2379) — Altar¶
Original: θυσιαστήριον (thysiastērion) Transliteration: thysiastērion Definition: From a derivative of thysiazō (to sacrifice); a place of sacrifice, i.e., an altar Part of Speech: Neuter noun NT Occurrences: 23 total (8 in Revelation = 35%)
Revelation Occurrences — The Altar Vindication Arc¶
| Verse | Context | Arc Stage |
|---|---|---|
| Rev 6:9 | Martyrs under the altar crying "How long?" | Stage 1 |
| Rev 8:3a | Angel stands at the altar with censer | Stage 2a |
| Rev 8:3b | Incense offered on the golden altar before the throne | Stage 2b |
| Rev 8:5 | Fire from the altar cast to earth | Stage 2c |
| Rev 9:13 | Voice from the four horns of the golden altar | Stage 3 |
| Rev 11:1 | John told to measure the altar | (Interlude) |
| Rev 14:18 | Angel comes from the altar with power over fire | Stage 4 |
| Rev 16:7 | Altar speaks: "true and righteous are thy judgments" | Stage 5 |
Significance for Rev 9:13¶
The voice from the golden altar's four horns at the sixth trumpet is Stage 3 of the altar vindication arc (SP037). The altar that received the martyrs' blood (6:9-10) and mediated their prayers with incense (8:3-4) now DIRECTS judgment — commanding the release of the four Euphrates angels. The altar transitions from passive recipient (blood, prayers) to active director (commanding judgment). The four horns represent the completeness of the altar's ministry — in the OT, blood was applied to all four horns of the altar (Lev 4:7,18; 16:18).
6. Abaddōn (G3) — Abaddon / Apollyōn (G623) — Apollyon¶
Abaddōn (G3): Original: Ἀβαδδών Definition: Of Hebrew origin (H11, ʼăbaddôwn); a destroying angel NT Occurrences: 1 (Rev 9:11 only)
Apollyōn (G623): Original: Ἀπολλύων Definition: Active participle of apollymi (to destroy); "The Destroyer" NT Occurrences: 1 (Rev 9:11 only — absolute NT hapax)
OT Occurrences of Abaddon (H11)¶
- Job 26:6 — "Hell is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering" (Abaddon = place, parallel to Sheol)
- Job 28:22 — "Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof" (Abaddon personified alongside Death)
- Job 31:12 — "it is a fire that consumeth to destruction" (Abaddon = destination of consuming fire)
- Psalm 88:11 — "Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction?" (Abaddon parallel to the grave)
- Proverbs 15:11 — "Hell and destruction are before the LORD" (Sheol + Abaddon as a pair before God)
- Proverbs 27:20 — "Hell and destruction are never full" (insatiable pair)
Significance for Rev 9¶
In the OT, Abaddon is always a PLACE — the realm of destruction, parallel to Sheol/the grave. In Rev 9:11, John performs a radical transformation: Abaddon becomes a PERSON — "the angel of the bottomless pit" who serves as "king over them." The translation into Greek (Apollyōn) — a present active participle meaning "The One Who Is Destroying" — emphasizes ongoing destructive activity. John deliberately provides both names to bridge Hebrew and Greek readers, and to establish that the king of the locust army is identified with destruction itself.
7. pharmakeia (G5331) — Sorcery¶
Original: φαρμακεία (pharmakeia) Transliteration: pharmakeia Definition: From pharmakon (a drug/potion); medication, magic, sorcery Part of Speech: Feminine noun NT Occurrences: 3 total
Translations¶
| Translation | Count |
|---|---|
| sorceries | 2 (Rev 9:21; 18:23) |
| witchcraft | 1 (Gal 5:20) |
Key Verses¶
- Rev 9:21 — "Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries (pharmakeiōn)"
- Rev 18:23 — "for by thy sorceries (pharmakeia) were all nations deceived" (Babylon's fall)
- Gal 5:20 — listed among "works of the flesh" alongside idolatry, hatred, etc.
OT/LXX Background¶
The LXX uses pharmakeia for the Egyptian magicians' arts (Exo 7:11,22; 8:18) and for Babylon's sorceries (Isa 47:9). The root pharmakon (drug/potion) indicates that sorcery in the ancient world was closely associated with drug/potion use — hallucinogenic substances, poisons, and magical potions.
Significance for Rev 9:21¶
Pharmakeia appears in the four-category moral indictment (murders, sorceries, fornication, thefts) that follows the impenitence verdict of Rev 9:20. The progression from idolatry (9:20: worshipping demons and idols) to moral corruption (9:21: the practical sins that flow from false worship) mirrors the Romans 1:21-32 pattern: rejection of God leads to degraded worship, which leads to degraded morality.
8. dismyriades myriadōn (G1417 + G3461) — Two Hundred Million¶
dismyriades (not a separate Strong's number; compound of dis + myrias): myrias (G3461): μυριάς — ten thousand; a myriad dyo (G1417): δύο — two
Construction¶
The Greek dismyriades myriadōn literally means "double-myriads of myriads" = 2 x 10,000 x 10,000 = 200,000,000. However, myrias can also denote an indefinitely large number (cf. Luk 12:1 "innumerable multitude"; Heb 12:22 "innumerable company of angels"). The expression may mean "an incomprehensibly vast army" rather than a precise figure.
Key Parallel¶
- Dan 7:10 — "thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him" — using the same myriad vocabulary for an uncountable heavenly host
- Rev 5:11 — "ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands" — angelic host around the throne
Significance for Rev 9:16¶
The army number may be symbolic of overwhelming force rather than a literal headcount. The phrase "I heard the number of them" (ēkousa ton arithmon autōn) parallels Rev 7:4 ("I heard the number of them which were sealed: 144,000") — in both cases, John hears a number that represents a theological reality. The massive cavalry force represents an irresistible military power released by divine command.
9. theion (G2303) — Brimstone / Sulfur¶
Original: θεῖον (theion) Transliteration: theion Definition: Probably neuter of theios (divine, in its original sense of flashing); sulfur Part of Speech: Neuter noun NT Occurrences: 7 total (all translated "brimstone")
Key Verses¶
- Luk 17:29 — "fire and brimstone from heaven" (Sodom destruction recalled by Jesus)
- Rev 9:17 — "out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone"
- Rev 9:18 — "the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone"
- Rev 14:10 — "tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels"
- Rev 19:20 — "a lake of fire burning with brimstone"
- Rev 20:10 — "the devil... was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone"
- Rev 21:8 — "the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death"
Etymology and Significance¶
The etymological connection between theion (brimstone/sulfur) and theios (divine) suggests an ancient association between sulfur and divine judgment. The three substances issuing from the horses' mouths in Rev 9:17-18 (fire, smoke, brimstone) correspond to the three breastplate colors (fiery red, hyacinth/blue-purple, sulfur-yellow). Historicist interpreters have connected this triple description to gunpowder and early artillery (fire = flash, smoke = discharge, brimstone = sulfurous smell).
10. metanoeō (G3340) — Repent (as used in Rev 9:20-21)¶
Original: μετανοέω (metanoeō) Transliteration: metanoeō Definition: From meta (change) + noeō (to think); to think differently after, to change one's mind/purpose; to repent Part of Speech: Verb
Rev 9 Occurrences¶
- Rev 9:20 — "the rest of the men... yet repented not (oude metenoesan) of the works of their hands"
- Rev 9:21 — "Neither repented they (ou metenoesan) of their murders, nor of their sorceries..."
Impenitence Escalation (SP056)¶
| Passage | Repentance Language | Blasphemy Language |
|---|---|---|
| Rev 9:20-21 | "repented not" (2x) | absent |
| Rev 16:9 | "repented not" | "blasphemed the name of God" |
| Rev 16:11 | "repented not of their deeds" | "blasphemed the God of heaven" |
| Rev 16:21 | absent | "blasphemed God" |
The trajectory: trumpets produce refusal to repent without active blasphemy; bowls produce both refusal and blasphemy; the final bowl produces blasphemy alone. Repentance is still the expected response during the trumpets (hence the "not" — recording its absence presupposes its expectation). By the bowls, the response has devolved into active blasphemy against God.