SEV Biblia, Chapter 9:7
Y el parecer de las langostas era semejante a caballos aparejados para la guerra; y sobre sus cabezas tenían como coronas semejantes al oro; y sus caras eran como caras de hombres.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Revelation 9:7
Verse 7. The locusts were like unto horses] This description of the locusts appears to be taken from Joel ii. 4. The whole of this symbolical description of an overwhelming military force agrees very well with the troops of Mohammed. The Arabs are the most expert horsemen in the world: they live so much on horseback that the horse and his rider seem to make but one animal. The Romans also were eminent for their cavalry. Crowns like gold] Not only alluding to their costly tiaras or turbans, but to the extent of their conquests and the multitude of powers which they subdued.
Their faces were as the faces of men.] That is, though locusts symbolically, they are really men.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 7. And the shapes of the locusts [were] like unto horses , etc.] The heads of locusts, especially of some of them, are very much like the heads of horses: and here they are compared to horses prepared unto battle ; as they are in ( Joel 2:4). The horse is a warlike creature, swift, strong, and courageous, ( Job 39:21-25). Locusts sometimes have appeared in the form of armies, and have marched in great order with their leaders before them, and have pitched their camps very regularly; (see Joel 2:7); of which we have lately had an account from Transylvania in our public papers. (This was published in 1747, Ed.) This part of their description may denote the wars of the Saracens, and the rapidity, force, and power with which they overran great part of the empire; and as it may be applied to the western locusts, the disputes, contentions, and quarrels raised by the Romish clergy. And on their heads [were], as it were, crowns like gold ; and in this shape some locusts have appeared, to which the allusion seems to be in, (Na 3:17), thy crowned men are as the locusts. In the year 1542, it is said f275 , that locusts came out of Turkish Sarmatia, into Austria, Silesia, and other places, which had on their heads little crowns; (see Ezekiel 23:42).
And the Arabians, as Pliny observes, go mitrati f276 , with mitres, turbans like crowns, on their heads. This may design the several victories and conquests which the Saracens obtained in Arabia, Persia, Syria, Egypt, Africa, Spain, and many other places; and supposing this to have any reference to the western locusts, it may respect the triple crown of the head of then, the caps of the cardinals, the mitres of the bishops, and the shaven pates of the priests, in form of crowns. And their faces [were] as the faces of men ; which may be expressive of the affable carriage of Mahomet, and his followers, especially to the Christians, and of his great pretensions to holiness and religion, and of the plausible and insinuating ways, and artful methods, used by him, to gain upon men; and being applied to the clergy of the church of Rome, may denote their show of humanity, and their pretended great concern for the welfare of the souls of men, their flatteries, good words, and fair speeches, with which they deceive the simple and unwary.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-12 - Upon sounding the fifth trumpet, a star fell from heaven to the earth Having ceased to be a minister of Christ, he who is represented by thi star becomes the minister of the devil; and lets loose the powers of hell against the churches of Christ. On the opening of the bottomles pit, there arose a great smoke. The devil carries on his designs be blinding the eyes of men, by putting out light and knowledge, an promoting ignorance and error. Out of this smoke there came a swarm of locusts, emblems of the devil's agents, who promote superstition idolatry, error, and cruelty. The trees and the grass, the tru believers, whether young or more advanced, should be untouched. But secret poison and infection in the soul, should rob many others of purity, and afterwards of peace. The locusts had no power to hurt thos who had the seal of God. God's all-powerful, distinguishing grace wil keep his people from total and final apostacy. The power is limited to a short season; but it would be very sharp. In such events the faithfu share the common calamity, but from the pestilence of error they migh and would be safe. We collect from Scripture, that such errors were to try and prove the Christians, 1Co 11:19. And early writers plainl refer this to the first great host of corrupters who overspread the Christian church.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 τα 3588 ομοιωματα 3667 των 3588 ακριδων 200 ομοια 3664 ιπποις 2462 ητοιμασμενοις 2090 5772 εις 1519 πολεμον 4171 και 2532 επι 1909 τας 3588 κεφαλας 2776 αυτων 846 ως 5613 στεφανοι 4735 ομοιοι 3664 χρυσω 5557 και 2532 τα 3588 προσωπα 4383 αυτων 846 ως 5613 προσωπα 4383 ανθρωπων 444
Vincent's NT Word Studies
7. Shapes (omoiwmata). Lit., likenesses.Horses. Compare Joel ii. 4. The likeness of a locust to a horse, especially to a horse equipped with armor, is so striking that the insect is named in German Heupferd hay-horse, and in Italian calvaletta little horse. Crowns. Not actual crowns, but as crowns. Milligan remarks that any yellow brilliancy about the head of the insect is a sufficient foundation for the figure.
As the faces of men. There is a distant resemblance to the human countenance in the face of the locust. Men (anqrwpwn) is to be taken not as distinguishing sex, but in the generic sense: human faces.
