9:3a
out of the smoke, locusts descended: The phrase out of the smoke is emphasized in the Greek and the Berean Standard Bible. If possible, emphasize this phrase naturally in your language.
In some languages it is more natural to put this clause in its usual place. For example:
locusts came out of the smoke
locusts: The Greek word used here refers to any kind of grasshopper. The locust is a kind of grasshopper that flies in swarms and eats all plants. Many English versions use the word locusts because of its harmful nature. Farmers fear swarms of locusts because they can eat a whole crop in minutes. Your language may have a word for locusts, or you may have a general word for grasshopper.
Some languages do not have a word for locust or grasshopper. If that is true in your language, you may want to:
• Use a descriptive phrase. For example:
swarms of plant eating, flying insects
-or-
swarms of flying insects ⌊called grasshoppers⌋
• Use the major language word. If people are not familiar with this word, explain it in a footnote. An example footnote is:
The name “locust” refers to a plant eating, flying insect. They swarm and eat all plants and even the bark of trees. Farmers fear swarms of locusts because they can eat a whole crop in minutes.
9:3b
they were given power: This clause is passive. Some languages must use an active clause. For example:
⌊God⌋ gave power to them
-or-
they received power
power like that of the scorpions of the earth: This phrase indicates that the locusts had stingers as scorpions do (9:10a). Other ways to translate this phrase are:
like the power of earthly scorpions (God’s Word)
-or-
the same power that scorpions have (Contemporary English Version)
like that of the scorpions of the earth: Scorpions can be two centimeters (0.8 inches) long or as large as twelve centimeters (five inches), depending on the kind of scorpion. A scorpion’s tail has a stinger on the end. The stinger can stab the skin and inject poison that causes pain.
The stings of some kinds of scorpions cause only mild pain. But the stings of other kinds of scorpions cause severe pain. 9:6a implies that these locusts cause severe pain.
In some languages scorpions are not known. If that is true in your language, you may want to:
• Describe a scorpion in your translation. For example:
like that of an insect/animal with a sting ⌊that causes severe pain⌋
• Use an insect or small animal in your area that has a painful sting or bite. You may then want to explain the literal word in a footnote, using the major language word for scorpion. An example footnote is:
Literally: “scorpion.” A scorpion is an insect that has a tail with a stinger on the end. It can stab the skin and inject a small amount of poison that causes pain.
• Use the major language word. If people are not familiar with this word, explain it in a footnote. An example footnote is:
A scorpion is an insect that has a tail with a stinger on the end. It can stab the skin and inject poison that causes severe pain.
the scorpions of the earth: The phrase of the earth indicates that these scorpions are the usual ones that live on earth. Since the earth is the only place where real scorpions live, some English versions omit this phrase. For example:
scorpions (New Living Translation (2004))
© 2020 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.