Revelation 9:5 Meaning and Explanation
“And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The locusts may not kill, but torment people for five months like a scorpion's sting.
What Does Revelation 9:5 Mean?
The limit is sharpened: the locusts may torment but not kill, and only for five months. The span recalls the natural lifespan of a locust swarm, a fixed and bounded season. Their wounding is compared to the scorpion's strike, a pain that does not end life but makes it hard to bear.
Even in wrath there is restraint. The judgment is severe yet measured, meant to awaken rather than to annihilate, leaving room for repentance while the door still stands open. God's warnings are real, but they are not His final word; He afflicts in part so that some may turn before the end. The reader is reminded that a season of trouble has its appointed limit, and that the Lord who sets the bounds also offers a way back to Himself.
Frequently Asked Questions About Revelation 9:5
What does Revelation 9:5 mean?
The locusts may not kill, but torment people for five months like a scorpion's sting.