They were allowed to torture them for five months: the passive they were allowed again makes it clear that God is in control. This can be rendered “they were given permission,” “they received permission,” “they were given the right,” or in languages that do not use the passive, one may say “God gave them permission.” Here the very strong verb and noun to torture and the torture are used (the Greek noun for “torture” is used only in this book; see “torment” in 14.11; 18.7, 10, 15). This shows how terrible is the suffering the people will endure. Five months is the normal life span of a locust, and it stands here for a prolonged period of suffering and pain. Five months should not be thought of as a short period of time. Torture may also be expressed as “cause to suffer extreme pain.”

Their torture was like the torture of a scorpion: a scorpion does not torture a person; it stings, wounds, hurts, harms, injures, or the like. So it is preferable to say something like Good News Translation: “the pain they inflict is like the great pain that a person suffers when struck (or, stung) by a scorpion.” The verb translated stings by Revised Standard Version is used to speak of a sword stroke (Mark 14.47) or a blow with the hand (Matt 26.67-68).

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• God allowed them to inflict extreme pain on those people for five months, but not to kill them. The pain that they inflict is like the great pain a person suffers when a scorpion stings him.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Revelation to John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .