Revelation 9:11
in Revelation 9They were ruled by a king, the angel of the Abyss. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek it is Apollyon.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
They have over them as king the angel of the abyss: his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek tongue he hath the name Apollyon.
KJV
And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.
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This verse in Revelation 9
Commentary
13 notes on this verse["As king they have over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is 'Armageddon,' whose name in Greek is 'Apollion,' and whose name in Latin is 'Exterminans.' "] Although God is supremely good, by hidden yet just judgments he nevertheless allows …
This site's exposition
They had tails with stingers
on Revelation 9:10-11
Their tails with stingers like scorpions hurt people for five months, and they serve a king, the angel of the Abyss. His name is given in two tongues, Abaddon in Hebrew and Apollyon in Greek, both meaning Destroyer, and a king makes the swarm an army.
This site's exposition
His name in Hebrew is Abaddon
Wesley notes that Abaddon and Apollyon both mean destroyer, and reads the angel of the Abyss as a king set apart from the dragon. Barnes notes that locusts are not ruled by a king. Proverbs 30:27 says locusts have no king.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
[The angel of the bottomless pit] is the devil, who possesses his great power among the kings of the world.
And they say there is a "king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon". And the name is either appropriately made and suitable for those who engage in contemplation, or at least not only are …
The Medieval Church3 voices
It follows that the devil is to be regarded as their king, for he certainly destroys those who obey him.
And they had over them a king, the angel of the abyss; whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek Apollyon; in Latin Exterminans. The old enemy is not called the king of the wicked because he created them or leads them, but because …
And they had over them a king, the angel of the abyss. Although God, who is supremely good, permits an angel fitting for such people to preside over them by hidden but just judgments.
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And they have over them a king - One by whom they are peculiarly directed and governed. His name is Abaddon - Both this and Apollyon signify a destroyer. By this he is distinguished from the dragon, whose proper name is Satan.
And they had a king over them,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And they had a king over them - A ruler who marshalled their hosts. Locusts often, and indeed generally, move in bands, though they do not appear to be under the direction of anyone as a particular ruler or guide. In this case it struck John as a remarkable peculiarity that they had a king - a king who, it would seem, had the absolute control, and to whom was to be traced all the destruction which would ensue from their emerging from the bottomless pit.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
But A, B, and Aleph, omit "and." had--Greek, "have." a king . . . which is the angel--English Version, agreeing with A, Aleph, reads the (Greek) article before "angel," in which reading we must translate, "They have as king over them the angel," &c.
A king over them - A supreme head; some think Mohammed, some think Vespasian. The angel of the bottomless pit - The chief envoy of Satan. Abaddon - From אבד abad, he destroyed. Apollyon - From απο, intensive, and ολλυω, to destroy. The meaning is the same both in the Hebrew and Greek.
The words behind it
19 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἔχουσιν | echousin | They have | G2192 → | 707 times |
| ἐπ᾽ | ep᾽ | over | G1909 → | 883 times |
| αὐτῶν | auton | them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| βασιλέα | basilea | a king | G935 → | 114 times |
| τὸν | ton | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἄγγελον | angelon | angel | G32 → | 175 times |
| τῆς | tes | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀβύσσου· | abussou | abyss; | G12 → | 9 times |
| ὄνομα | onoma | [The] name | G3686 → | 227 times |
| αὐτῷ | auto | of Him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| Ἑβραϊστὶ | hebraisti | in Hebrew | G1447 → | |
| Ἀβαδδών, | abaddon | [is] Abaddon, | G3 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τῇ | tea | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Ἑλληνικῇ | hellenikea | Greek | G1673 → | |
| ὄνομα | onoma | [the] name | G3686 → | 227 times |
| ἔχει | echei | he has | G2192 → | 707 times |
| Ἀπολλύων. | apolluon | Apollyon. | G623 → |
ἔχουσινThey have
echousinG2192 →707 times
ἐπ᾽over
ep᾽G1909 →883 times
αὐτῶνthem
autonG846 →5565 times
βασιλέαa king
basileaG935 →114 times
τὸν<the>
tonG3588 →19766 times
ἄγγελονangel
angelonG32 →175 times
τῆςof the
tesG3588 →19766 times
ἀβύσσου·abyss;
abussouG12 →9 times
ὄνομα[The] name
onomaG3686 →227 times
αὐτῷof Him
autoG846 →5565 times
Ἑβραϊστὶin Hebrew
hebraistiG1447 →
Ἀβαδδών,[is] Abaddon,
abaddonG3 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
τῇthe
teaG3588 →19766 times
ἙλληνικῇGreek
hellenikeaG1673 →
ὄνομα[the] name
onomaG3686 →227 times
ἔχειhe has
echeiG2192 →707 times
Ἀπολλύων.Apollyon.
apolluonG623 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
2 Corinthians 4:4The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
it leads to
- John 12:40
“He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so that they cannot see with their eyes, and understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.”
- 1 John 5:19
We know that we are of God, and that the whole world is under the power of the evil one.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Corinthians 3:14
But their minds were closed. For to this day the same veil remains at the reading of the old covenant. It has not been lifted, because only in Christ can it be removed.
- Acts 26:18
to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified…
- Isaiah 6:10
Make the hearts of this people calloused; deafen their ears and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”
- John 12:40
Through
John 8:44You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him.…
it leads to
- Revelation 12:9
And the great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Acts 13:10
and said, “O child of the devil and enemy of all righteousness, you are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery! Will you never stop perverting the straight ways of the Lord?
- 1 John 3:12
Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did Cain slay him? Because his own deeds were evil, while those of his brother were righteous.
- Revelation 12:9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies6
On this verse
About Revelation

This page draws on 14 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Alcuin of York, COMMENTARY ON REVELATION; Andreas of Caesarea, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 9:9-12; Bede, Commentary on Revelation; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Revelation; Primasius of Hadrumetum, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 9:11 and Ticonius, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 9:11.
