And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
And he opened the bottomless pit – It is represented before as wholly confined, so that not even the smoke or vapor could escape.
And there arose a smoke out of the pit – Compare Rev 14:11. The meaning here is that the pit, as a place of punishment, or as the abode of the wicked, was filled with burning sulphur, and consequently that it emitted smoke and vapor as soon as opened. The common image of the place of punishment, in the Scriptures, is that of a lake that burns with fire and brimstone. Compare Rev 14:10; Rev 19:20; Rev 20:10; Rev 21:8. See also Psa 11:6; Isa 30:33; Eze 38:22. It is not improbable that this image was taken from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Gen 19:24. Such burning sulphur would produce, of course, a dense smoke or vapor; and the idea here is, that the pit had been closed, and that as soon as the door was opened a dense column escaped that darkened the heavens. The purpose of this is, probably, to indicate the origin of the plague that was about to come upon the world. It would be of such a character that it would appear as if it had been emitted from hell; as if the inmates of that dark world had broke loose upon the earth. Compare notes on Rev 6:8.
As the smoke of a great furnace – So in Gen 19:28, whence probably this image is taken: And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and all the land of the plain, and beheld and lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.
And the sun and the air were darkened, … – As will be the case when a smoke ascends from a furnace. The meaning here is, that an effect would be produced as if a dense and dark vapor should ascend from the under-world. We are not, of course, to understand this literally.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 2. He opened the bottomless pit] 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.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
And he opened the bottomless pit; he was a means of hells breaking loose, by loosing Satan.
And there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace: I had rather interpret this generally of the great influence upon the world, that the devil, being loosed, had, in filling the world with ignorance, error, and wickedness, (for which this and the following age are infamous in all histories), and then particularly of the errors this time abounded with.
And the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit; this influence of the devil darkened the sun of the gospel, and the whole church of that age, with ignorance, error, and abominable superstition in the worship of God, attended with the lewdness and debauchery of men in their lives, which usually go together.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And he opened the bottomless pit,…. With the key that was given him; he made use of his universal power over all bishops and churches, enacted laws, issued out decrees, made articles of faith, and imposed them on men’s consciences, and obliged all to submit to his hellish principles and practices; and this, as it may be applied to Mahomet, the eastern antichrist, may regard the publishing of his Alcoran, and obliging all his followers to receive it as the infallible word of God:
and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; the Complutensian edition reads, “of a burning furnace”; and so the Syriac and Arabic versions; which may design false doctrine, and superstitious worship, which sprung from the decrees of popes and councils, and the Alcoran of Mahomet: and smoke being a dark thin vapour, and very troublesome to the eyes and nose, and of a perishing nature, which soon vanishes away, these are fitly expressed by it; for they are the hidden things of darkness, and the authors and abettors of them are such who darken counsel by words without knowledge; they are empty things, have no solidity and substance in them, are comparable to wood, hay, stubble, smoke, and wind; and are very troublesome and offensive to all enlightened persons, and who have the smell and savour of divine things; and will all perish with the using, being the doctrines and commandments of men, when the true Gospel is an everlasting one. Smoke sometimes designs great afflictions, punishments, and judgments upon men,
Ge 15:17; and here may represent those judgments, both spiritual and temporal, which the antichristian doctrine and worship, brought upon the world, and which have been manifest in all ages since.
And the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit; Christ, the sun of righteousness, was greatly obscured by the Romish antichrist, by his false doctrine and worship, in his offices, merits, and grace, he taking upon him to be head of the church, the infallible interpreter of Scripture, and to give out pardons and indulgences; and particularly by the doctrines of merit, of works of supererogation, and of justification by works, c. as he also was by Mahomet, who represented him only as a mere man, and exalted himself above him as a prophet and by both were “the air”, the church which receives its light from Christ, darkened; or the Scriptures, which are the breath of God, are given by inspiration of him, these were most grievously beclouded, and most wretchedly perverted, both by the decrees of popes, and the Alcoran of Mahomet. And it is remarkable what Abulpharagius b, an Arabic writer, reports, that in the seventeenth year of Heraclius the emperor, which was the year 627, and the fifth of the Hegira, in which year Mahomet began to plunder and make war; for in this year was his plundering excursion into Dumato’l Jundal, and the battle of Bani Lahyan, that half of the body of the sun was darkened; and the darkness remained from Tisrin the first, to the month Haziran, so that very little of its light appeared; which might portend that darkness he was introducing by his wretched religion. And frequently the sun and air have been darkened at noonday by the locusts, as Pliny c relates; and of which we have had a late account from Transylvania; see Ex 8:15.
b Hist. Dynast. p. 99, 102. c Nat. Hist. l. 11. c. 29.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Opened (). First aorist active indicative of . With the “key” ().
As the smoke of a great furnace ( ). The plague of demonic locusts is here turned loose. is old word for a smelting-furnace, already in 1:15.
Were darkened (). First aorist passive indicative of , old causative verb from , in N.T. only here, Rev 16:10; Eph 4:18.
By reason of (). “Out of,” as a result of (8:13).
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Smoke of a great furnace. Compare Gen 19:28; Exo 19:18; Mt 13:42, 50.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “And he opened the bottomless pit,” (kai enoiksen to phrean tes abussou) “And he opened the shaft of the abyss (bottomless pit); The “he” who opened the bottomless pit is the “star” – bright one, (Lucifer) king or prince of hell itself, Rev 9:11. This abyss is the present abode of the devil and his angels, not the lake of fire into which they shall later be cast, Mat 25:41.
2) “And there arose a smoke out of the pit,” (kai anebe kapnos kaminou megales) “And there went up (ascended) a smoke out of the shaft-opening;” from the present abyss called hell, Rev 14:11; where fallen angels are reserved unto judgment of the great white throne judgment era.
3) “As the smoke of a great furnace,” (hos kapnos kaminou megales) “Like smoke (originating from) a great furnace,” Joe 2:2; Rev 9:18; In that smoke filled bottomless pit demon spirits now have their habitation, their headquarters from which they go out into the earth and heaven to do their deceptive work, Luk 8:30-33; Jud 1:6; Rev 12:7-10.
4) “And the sun and the air were darkened,” (kai eskotothe ho helios kai ho aer) “And the sun and the air was darkened (by it),” the atmosphere was an heavy fog of smoky-haze, stifling in appearance, and smothering in smog-like strain, torment by which on earth many later died, Rev 9:18.
5) “By reason of the smoke of the pit,” (ek tou kapnou tou phreatos) “By means or by reason of the smoke of the shaft,” which boiled out, arose, or ascended from its tormenting scent and sound, Rev 14:11; Rev 17:8.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(2) And he opened . . .Translate, And he opened the pit of the abyss; and there went up smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun was darkened, and the air, by reason of the smoke of the pit. The first result of the opening of the pit is the diffusion of such a dense smoke that light and atmosphere are darkened. In the previous vision there was an obscuration of light arising from the smiting of the luminaries; in this the obscuration arises from causes external to the luminaries. In that the light-giving power was enfeebled; in this the light is not enfeebled, but hindered. This must be remembered. The interpretation of these visions is most difficult; but we must bear in mind that they are descriptive of that great war which the Church is waging with the world, which good is waging with evil, but the end of which, we are assured, is the victory of good. The kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of the Lord, and of His Christ (Rev. 11:15); but during the progress of the war the issue will often appear doubtful: nay, even the triumph may seem to be in the hand of the enemy; but faith disregards the back-flowing waves, for she knows the tide is coming in. We have seen that the advance of Christianity is marked by the manifestation of evils as well as the establishment of good. Christianity does not create evils, but the very intense honesty of her principles reveals the hidden force of unsuspected corruption. Thus the faith of Christ is come to give light unto the world, but in her progress many lights fallthe false lights of world-power, world-wisdom, false religionism, and heresies. The enemy, too, is at work, and seeks to obscure her light by the diffusion of dark and low-born thoughts. The smoke of the pit blackens the light and confuses the atmosphere. Now, this obscuration is surely the diffusion on earth of evil thoughts and ideas, the spirit of falsehood and hate, hostility to truth, and enmity against God and man. The bright, clear air made gladsome by the sun is darkened; all forms that once appeared beautiful become hideous.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2. A smoke As from the crater of a volcano, indicating that there is a hellish fire in the under world as well as water. This smoke images the infernal darkening power of error, in which sin becomes predominant over our world.
Sun air darkened The moral atmosphere is in a demoniac twilight.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Rev 9:2. There arose a smoke out of the pit, As a great smoke hinders the sight, so do errors the understanding. St. John keeps to the allegory, says Grotius: a smoke takes from us the sight of the stars. Smoke, especially when proceeding from a fierce fire, is also a representation of devastation. Thus when Abraham beheld the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the smoke of the country went up, as the smoke of a furnace. The great displeasure of God is represented by the same figurative expressions of smoke and fire, Psa_18:7-8 <swordsearcher://bible/Ps18.7-8>.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Rev 9:2-3 . The smoke arising from the opened well, comparable to the smoke of a great furnace, [2533] was so thick that thereby ( . ., cf. Rev 8:11 ) the sun and moon were obscured.
is not an hendiadys, [2534] but, according to the more natural view, it is apparent that both, viz., the sun and the air, are darkened by the thick mass of smoke.
. . . . The , therefore, was not merely an apparent mass of smoke, yet in fact a dreadful swarm of locusts; [2535] but the infernal smoke is the covering under which the miraculous locusts ascend, and from which they “come out,” in order to execute the plagues with which they are commissioned. [2536] Against the force of the words, Klief. explains: “The material for the locusts already existed on earth, but the smoke ascending from hell converts it into locusts.”
. The power given (cf. Rev 9:5 ) these locusts corresponds with their form and equipment (Rev 9:10 ). The with does not refer to the distinction, which is here entirely out of place, between land-and sea-beasts, [2537] but to the fact that the locusts are not from the earth; the infernal locusts receive a power like that of earthly scorpions. Hence no allusion should be made [2538] to the statement of Jewish writings, that hell is full of scorpions.
[2533] Cf. Gen 19:28 ; Exo 19:18 .
[2534] “The air, so far as illumined by the sun” (Beng.).
[2535] Vitr., Eichh., Zll., Ebrard.
[2536] Cf. Ewald, De Wette, etc.
[2537] Against Ew. i., without reference to Ew. ii.: “known to men.”
[2538] Ew. ii.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
Ver. 2. And there arose a smoke ] Of heretical opinions and flagitious practices. All the old heretics fled and hid themselves in the Popish clergy. Those dark corners also of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty. Take heed (said the Lord Audely, chancellor of England) how you deal with Popish priests; for (you may believe me) some of them be knaves all. (Acts and Mon., fol. 1117.) Petrus de Aliaco long since wrote, Ad hunc stature venit Romana Ecclesia, ut non esset digna regi nisi per reprobos, The Church of Rome hath for a long season been ruled by a rabble of reprobates. (De Reform. Eccl.)
The sun and the air were darkened ] That is, saith Carthusian, the prelates and the people.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Rev 9:2 . For the following description of this destructive horde of weird locusts, see Joe 2 . with Driver’s notes and excursus ( C. B. ) to which add the famous description of a locust-plague in Newman’s Callista (ch. 15). Naturally the sketch is far more idealised than that given by Joel; it often recalls the monstrous associates created by Tiamat out of the primeval abyss (Jastrow, pp. 419 f.); i.e. , strong warriors, “great serpents, merciless in attack, sharp of tooth. With poison instead of blood she filled their bodies. Furious vipers she clothed with terror, made them high of stature.”
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
out of. App-104.
furnace. Compare Rev 1:15. Indicating a place of fire, but not to be confused with Hades (Sheol) or with Tartarus. Compare Jer 4:23-28, where the judgments are against Judah and the Land. Here, John sees them extended to the whole earth.
by reason of Greek. ek. App-104.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Rev 9:2. , and the sun was darkened and the air) It is an instance of , as ch. Rev 1:14, His head and His hair: ch. Rev 19:16, His vesture and His thigh. The air was obscured, in so far as it is illuminated by the sun; the sun, in so far as it transmits its light through the air to men. Hence is used, not . Wherefore there is no need to inquire separately here, what the sun is, and its obscuring; what the air is, and its obscuring. The darkness, which arose to the Jews in Persia, is here pointed out. [Cent. vi.]
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
smoke
Contra, Rev 21:24; Joe 2:10.
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
there: Rev 9:17, Rev 14:11, Gen 15:17, Gen 19:28, Isa 14:31, Joe 2:30, Act 2:19
and the sun: Rev 8:12, Exo 10:21-23, Joe 2:2, Joe 2:10
Reciprocal: Gen 1:14 – and let Psa 78:46 – gave also Jer 46:23 – because Dan 3:6 – a burning Mat 27:45 – darkness Luk 8:31 – the deep 1Ti 4:1 – seducing Rev 9:12 – woe Rev 11:7 – out Rev 16:8 – upon Rev 16:10 – full Rev 17:8 – beast that thou Rev 20:1 – having
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Rev 9:2. We have learned that the bottomless pit is the abode of demons (usually translated “devils” in the King James Version). These demons were suffered to come into the world at one time and afflict mankind. After that period was gone it was easy to refer to such a performance as a symbol of other activities in the politico-religious world, namely, the institution in which the church and state were united. Since this great apostate organization served the interests of Satan so much, it was appropriate to represent the Roman bishop as having a joint interest with him in opposing the true servants of God. Paul verifies this conclusion in 2Th 2:9 where he says: “Even him, whose corning is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.” Literally we would think of smoke coining out of a place where there is a flame of fire (Luke 1 G:24), but it is used symbolically which will be developed as the chapter proceeds.
Comments by Foy E. Wallace
Verse 2.
The smoke of the pit: “And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened – -Rev 9:2.
The pit is the infernal underworld, the dark abode of demons (Luk 8:31). Here the angel has the “key” to open it–unloose it–hence, an evil angel, in contrast with the angel with the “chain” in chapter 20, to bind. The smoke of the pit “as a furnace,” similar to destruction that came upon Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 18:28), the smoke of a pit sending forth effects of pollution and contamination.
Darkening the sun and the air: This was not the eclipse of the sun as in previous symbols, but the veiling of the sun “by reason of the smoke of the pit.” Here also instead of the sun and the moon being darkened, as before, it is the sun and the air.
As noted under the classification of symbols in the preview, the air is the symbol denoting the sphere of life and influence. As the blackout of the sun symbolized the dark distress that hovered over the land, the blackened air, “by reason of the smoke of the pit,” signifies with the same vividity the corruption of the whole sphere of life by this figure of the complete pollution of the air by the smoke of the infernal pit.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Rev 9:2. No sooner was the well opened than there went up a smoke out of the well as the smoke of a great furnace. The smoke must be thought of as so thick and black that the sun was shrouded from view and the whole air darkened. It is hardly necessary to remind the reader that-darkness is the note of Satans kingdom as light is of Christs (comp. Eph 6:12, where Satan and his angels are called the world-rulers of this darkness).
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
When the pit was opened, it belched forth the blue-black smoke of an industrial furnace. This represents the light (truth) darkening influence of sin and the delusion which comes with it. ( 2Co 4:3-4 ; Eph 2:1-3 )
Fuente: Gary Hampton Commentary on Selected Books
Rev 9:2-3. There arose a smoke out of the pit As a great smoke hinders the sight, so do errors blind the understanding. The apostle keeps to the allegory, says Grotius, for smoke takes from us the sight of the stars; smoke, especially when proceeding from a fierce fire, is also a representation of devastation. Thus when Abraham beheld the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace. The great displeasure of God is represented by the same figurative expressions of smoke and fire, Psa 18:7-8. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth Many Protestant writers imagine these locusts signify the religious orders of monks and friars, &c., but Mede understands by them the inundation of the Saracens, locusts and grasshoppers being elsewhere expressly made to signify both the multitude of the eastern nations invading Israel, and the swift progress and destruction they made, Jdg 6:5. And Lowman confirms this interpretation, and shows that the rise and progress of the Mohammedan religion and empire, till checked by internal divisions, is a remarkable accomplishment of this part of the prophecy; which is further illustrated by the ignorance and error the Mohammedans everywhere spread, their great number and hardiness, their habits, customs, and manners, namely, twisting their hair, wearing beards, their care of their horses, invading their neighbours in summer like locusts, sparing the trees and fruits of the countries they invaded; the captivity of the men, and the miserable condition of the women, exposed to persons who gave an almost unbounded liberty to their lusts, which was enough to make them even to desire death, Rev 9:6. All these circumstances are suitable to the character of the Arabians, the history of this period, and to the particulars of this prophecy.
That the Saracens were intended by the locusts here mentioned, was also the opinion of Bishop Newton, who interprets this part of the prophecy as follows: At the sounding of the fifth trumpet, a star fallen from heaven, meaning the wicked impostor Mohammed, opened the bottomless pit, and there arose a smoke out of the pit, and the sun and the air were darkened by it; that is, a false religion was set up, which filled the world with darkness and error, and swarms of Saracen or Arabian locusts overspread the earth. A false prophet is very fitly typified by a blazing star or meteor. The Arabians, likewise, are properly compared to locusts, not only because numerous armies frequently are so, but also because swarms of locusts often arise from Arabia; and also because in the plagues of Egypt, to which constant allusion is made in these trumpets, the locusts (Exo 10:13) are brought by an east wind, that is, from Arabia, which lay eastward of Egypt; and also because in the book of Judges, (Jdg 7:12,) the people of Arabia are compared to locusts or grasshoppers for multitude, for in the original the word for both is the same. As the natural locusts are bred in pits, and holes of the earth, so these mystical locusts are truly infernal, and proceed with the smoke from the bottomless pit. It is too a remarkable coincidence, that at this time the sun and the earth were really darkened. For we learn from an eminent Arabian historian, that in the seventeenth year of Heraclius half the body of the sun was eclipsed, and this defect continued from the former Tisrin to Haziran, (that is, from October to June,) so that only a little of its light appeared. The seventeenth year of Heraclius coincides with the year of Christ 626, and with the fifth year of the Hegira; and at this time Mohammed was training and exercising his followers in depredations at home, to fit them for greater conquests abroad.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
9:2 {4} And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
(4) To this is added, the smoke of the hellish and infernal dark spirits, darkening all things in heaven and in earth. The spiritual darkness is the cause of all disorder and confusion: For the devil at a certain time sent these spirits into his kingdom, that he might at once and with one action overthrow all things and pervert if it were possible the elect themselves. By this darkness, all spiritual light, both active as of the sun and passive as of the air which is lightened by the sun, is taken away: and this is that which goes before the spirits: it follows of the spirits themselves.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
John saw smoke rising from the shaft leading to an underground chamber. The smoke probably symbolizes the terribleness of the place from which the locusts emerge (cf. Eph 2:2). In Revelation smoke usually relates to judgment, doom, and torment (Rev 9:17-18; Rev 18:9; Rev 19:3), though it also has connections with holy things (Rev 8:4; Rev 15:8). The context specifies a negative connotation here (cf. Gen 19:28; Exo 19:18). What John saw resembled smoke billowing out of an active volcano.