complete verse (Revelation 9:6)

Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 9:6:

  • Uma: “For those five months, people searched so that they might just die, but they did not die. They wanted to die, but they didn’t die [lit., there was not their death]. [That’s natural Uma, with an abstract noun!]” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “In those five months the people bitten that is what they will desire/request, to die, but they will not die. They will really want to die but they are not allowed to (lit. they are i.e. their wish is not satisfied).” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And at that time people will want to die but it will not be possible. They will greatly desire to die but they will not die.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Therefore within those-aforementioned five months, those people will strongly-desire to die koma and they will try to commit-suicide, but they will not be able.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “For the space of these five months, these people will really be searching for death, but it’s like they aren’t able to find it. Because no matter how much they want to die then, death is far from them.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Concerning the people they sting, they will want to die because of the pain of the sting, but they cannot die. Even though the people will want to die, yet they will not be able to meet up with death.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Revelation 9:6

In those days: that is, during those five months. The verse vividly portrays the suffering caused by the locusts: the pain will be so intense that the people who are stung will want to die. See similar expressions of despair in Job 3.21; Jer 8.3.

Will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death will fly from them: for emphasis the same idea is expressed twice. This is a poetic way of saying that people would like to die but will live on. It is not necessary to try to represent literally the figure of death fleeing from people if it is a strange and unnatural expression in a given language.

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 .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Revelation 9:6

9:6a–d

In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, but death will escape them: The words men will seek death and will not find it (9:6a–b) have the same meaning as the words they will long to die, but death will escape them (9:6c–d). Repeating the same meaning using different words emphasizes that meaning. If possible, emphasize the meaning naturally in your language.

In some languages repeating one’s words has a different use. If that is true in your language, emphasize the meaning in a natural way. For example:

During those days men will intently seek to die, but will not find a single way ⌊to die⌋

9:6a

men: Here the word men refers to both men and women.

seek death: The people will suffer so much severe pain from the locusts that they will want to die. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

want to die (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
look for a way to die (New Century Version)

9:6b

and will not find it: This clause indicates that the people will not die even though they want to. Other ways to translate this clause are:

but they will not be able to (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
but find none

9:6c

they will long to die: The word long refers to desiring or wanting something. For example:

hope for death (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
desire to die (King James Version)

9:6d

death will escape them: The word escape refers to eluding someone or something. For example:

death will flee from them (Good News Translation)

This clause is used figuratively to refer to people not being able to die. In some languages a literal translation would not have that meaning. If that is true in your language, you may want to:

• Use a different word or figure of speech that gives this meaning. For example:

death will not come to them
-or-
they will not be able to meet with death
-or-
death is far from them

• Translate the meaning without the figure of speech. For example:

they will not be able to die

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