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Friday, January 2nd, 2026
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Read the Bible

New Century Version

Revelation 9:2

Then it opened up the hole that leads to the bottomless pit, and smoke came up from the hole like smoke from a big furnace. Then the sun and sky became dark because of the smoke from the hole.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Astronomy;   Darkness;   Fire;   Furnace;   Hell;   Meteorology and Celestial Phenomena;   Pit;   Sun;   Trumpet;   Vision;   The Topic Concordance - Seals;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Sun, the;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Hades;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Mahometanism;   Order;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Air;   Deep;   Furnace;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Deep;   Joel;   Pit;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Air;   Bottomless Pit;   Pit;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Evil;   Lucifer;   Moses;   Plagues of Egypt;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Abyss;   Abyss ;   Moses ;   Smoke ;   Suffering;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Bottomless Pit;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Locusts;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Smoke;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Abyss;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Abyss, the;   Bottomless Pit;   Revelation of John:;   Scorpion;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Abyss;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
He opened the shaft to the abyss, and smoke came up out of the shaft like smoke from a great furnace so that the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke from the shaft.
King James Version (1611)
And hee opened the bottomelesse pit, and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great fornace, and the sunne and the ayre were darkened, by reason of the smoke of the pit.
King James Version
And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
New American Standard Bible
He opened the shaft of the abyss, and smoke ascended out of the shaft like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened from the smoke of the shaft.
English Standard Version
He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit.
Berean Standard Bible
The star opened the pit of the Abyss, and smoke rose out of it like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke from the pit.
Contemporary English Version
As it opened the tunnel, smoke poured out like the smoke of a great furnace. The sun and the air turned dark because of the smoke.
Complete Jewish Bible
He opened the shaft of the Abyss, and there went up smoke from the shaft like the smoke of a huge furnace; the sun was darkened, and the sky too, by the smoke from the shaft.
Darby Translation
And it opened the pit of the abyss; and there went up smoke out of the pit as [the] smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke of the pit.
Easy-to-Read Version
Then the star opened the hole leading to the pit. Smoke came up from the hole like smoke from a big furnace. The sun and sky became dark because of the smoke from the hole.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And he opened the bottomlesse pit, and there arose the smoke of the pit, as the smoke of a great fornace, and the sunne, and the ayre were darkened by the smoke of the pit.
George Lamsa Translation
And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as smoke belching from a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
Good News Translation
The star opened the abyss, and smoke poured out of it, like the smoke from a large furnace; the sunlight and the air were darkened by the smoke from the abyss.
Lexham English Bible
And he opened the shaft of the abyss, and smoke went up from the shaft like smoke from a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke from the shaft.
Literal Translation
And he opened the pit of the abyss. And smoke went up out of the pit, like smoke of a great furnace. And the sun was darkened, and the air, by the smoke of the pit.
Amplified Bible
He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke like the smoke of a great furnace flowed out of the pit; and the sun and the atmosphere were darkened by the smoke from the pit.
American Standard Version
And he opened the pit of the abyss; and there went up a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
Bible in Basic English
And he made the great deep open and a smoke went up from it, like the smoke of a great oven; and the sun and the air were made dark because of the smoke.
Hebrew Names Version
He opened the pit of the abyss, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke from a great furnace. The sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke from the pit.
International Standard Version
It opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and smoke came out of the shaft like the smoke from a large furnace. The sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft.Joel 2:2,10;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
And he opened the pit of the abyss, [fn] and smoke ascended from the pit, as the smoke of a burning furnace; and the sun was darkened, and the air, from the smoke of the pit.
Murdock Translation
And he opened the pit of the abyss; and smoke issued from the pit, like the smoke of a furnace that is in blast; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he opened the bottomlesse pit, and the smoke of the pit arose, as the smoke of a great fornace, and the sunne and the ayre were darkened by the reason of the smoke of the pit.
English Revised Version
And he opened the pit of the abyss; and there went up a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
World English Bible
He opened the pit of the abyss, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke from a great furnace. The sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke from the pit.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And he opened the bottomless pit, and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit.
Weymouth's New Testament
and he opened the depths of the bottomless pit. And smoke came up out of the pit resembling the smoke of a vast furnace, so that the sun was darkened, and the air also, by reason of the smoke of the pit.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And it openede the pit of depnesse, and a smoke of the pit stiede vp, as the smoke of a greet furneis; and the sunne was derkid, and the eir, of the smoke of the pit.
Update Bible Version
And he opened the pit of the abyss; and there went up a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
Webster's Bible Translation
And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
New English Translation
He opened the shaft of the abyss and smoke rose out of it like smoke from a giant furnace. The sun and the air were darkened with smoke from the shaft.
New King James Version
And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. So the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit.
New Living Translation
When he opened it, smoke poured out as though from a huge furnace, and the sunlight and air turned dark from the smoke.
New Life Bible
He opened the hole and smoke came out like the smoke from a place where there is much fire. The sun and the air became dark because of the smoke from the hole.
New Revised Standard
he opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And he opened the shaft of the abyss; and there came up a smoke out of the shaft, as the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened, by reason of the smoke of the shaft.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he opened the bottomless pit: and the smoke of the pit arose, as the smoke of a great furnace. And the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke of the pit.
Revised Standard Version
he opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And he opened the botomlesse pytt and there arose the smoke of a grett fornace. And the sunne and the ayer were darkned by the reason of the smoke of the pytt.
Young's Literal Translation
and he did open the pit of the abyss, and there came up a smoke out of the pit as smoke of a great furnace, and darkened was the sun and the air, from the smoke of the pit.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And he opened the bottomlesse pytt, and there arose the smoke of a greate fornace. And the Sonne, and ye ayer were darkned by the reason of the smoke of the pytt.
Mace New Testament (1729)
and he opened the bottomless pit, and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkned by reason of the smoke of the pit.
Simplified Cowboy Version
The star unlocked the sinkhole and smoke billowed forth as if from the fire of a blacksmith's forge. The smoke blotted out what was left of the light of the sun and clogged most of the air over the entire earth.

Contextual Overview

1 Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fall from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the deep hole that leads to the bottomless pit. 2 Then it opened up the hole that leads to the bottomless pit, and smoke came up from the hole like smoke from a big furnace. Then the sun and sky became dark because of the smoke from the hole. 3 Then locusts came down to the earth out of the smoke, and they were given the power to sting like scorpions. 4 They were told not to harm the grass on the earth or any plant or tree. They could harm only the people who did not have the sign of God on their foreheads. 5 These locusts were not given the power to kill anyone, but to cause pain to the people for five months. And the pain they felt was like the pain a scorpion gives when it stings someone. 6 During those days people will look for a way to die, but they will not find it. They will want to die, but death will run away from them. 7 The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore what looked like crowns of gold, and their faces looked like human faces. 8 Their hair was like women's hair, and their teeth were like lions' teeth. 9 Their chests looked like iron breastplates, and the sound of their wings was like the noise of many horses and chariots hurrying into battle. 10 The locusts had tails with stingers like scorpions, and in their tails was their power to hurt people for five months.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

there: Revelation 9:17, Revelation 14:11, Genesis 15:17, Genesis 19:28, Isaiah 14:31, Joel 2:30, Acts 2:19

and the sun: Revelation 8:12, Exodus 10:21-23, Joel 2:2, Joel 2:10

Reciprocal: Genesis 1:14 - and let Psalms 78:46 - gave also Jeremiah 46:23 - because Daniel 3:6 - a burning Matthew 27:45 - darkness Luke 8:31 - the deep 1 Timothy 4:1 - seducing Revelation 9:12 - woe Revelation 11:7 - out Revelation 16:8 - upon Revelation 16:10 - full Revelation 17:8 - beast that thou Revelation 20:1 - having

Cross-References

Genesis 1:28
God blessed them and said, "Have many children and grow in number. Fill the earth and be its master. Rule over the fish in the sea and over the birds in the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
Genesis 2:19
From the ground God formed every wild animal and every bird in the sky, and he brought them to the man so the man could name them. Whatever the man called each living thing, that became its name.
Genesis 9:4
But you must not eat meat that still has blood in it, because blood gives life.
Genesis 9:8
Then God said to Noah and his sons,
Genesis 9:20
Noah became a farmer and planted a vineyard.
Genesis 9:22
Ham, the father of Canaan, looked at his naked father and told his brothers outside.
Genesis 9:23
Then Shem and Japheth got a coat and, carrying it on both their shoulders, they walked backwards into the tent and covered their father. They turned their faces away so that they did not see their father's nakedness.
Genesis 35:5
Then Jacob and his sons left there. But God caused the people in the nearby cities to be afraid, so they did not follow them.
Leviticus 26:6
I will give peace to your country; you will lie down in peace, and no one will make you afraid. I will keep harmful animals out of your country, and armies will not pass through it.
Leviticus 26:22
I will send wild animals to attack you, and they will take your children away from you and destroy your cattle. They will make you so few in number the roads will be empty.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he opened the bottomless pit,.... With the key that was given him; he made use of his universal power over all bishops and churches, enacted laws, issued out decrees, made articles of faith, and imposed them on men's consciences, and obliged all to submit to his hellish principles and practices; and this, as it may be applied to Mahomet, the eastern antichrist, may regard the publishing of his Alcoran, and obliging all his followers to receive it as the infallible word of God:

and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; the Complutensian edition reads, "of a burning furnace"; and so the Syriac and Arabic versions; which may design false doctrine, and superstitious worship, which sprung from the decrees of popes and councils, and the Alcoran of Mahomet: and smoke being a dark thin vapour, and very troublesome to the eyes and nose, and of a perishing nature, which soon vanishes away, these are fitly expressed by it; for they are the hidden things of darkness, and the authors and abettors of them are such who darken counsel by words without knowledge; they are empty things, have no solidity and substance in them, are comparable to wood, hay, stubble, smoke, and wind; and are very troublesome and offensive to all enlightened persons, and who have the smell and savour of divine things; and will all perish with the using, being the doctrines and commandments of men, when the true Gospel is an everlasting one. Smoke sometimes designs great afflictions, punishments, and judgments upon men,

Genesis 15:17; and here may represent those judgments, both spiritual and temporal, which the antichristian doctrine and worship, brought upon the world, and which have been manifest in all ages since.

And the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit; Christ, the sun of righteousness, was greatly obscured by the Romish antichrist, by his false doctrine and worship, in his offices, merits, and grace, he taking upon him to be head of the church, the infallible interpreter of Scripture, and to give out pardons and indulgences; and particularly by the doctrines of merit, of works of supererogation, and of justification by works, c. as he also was by Mahomet, who represented him only as a mere man, and exalted himself above him as a prophet and by both were "the air", the church which receives its light from Christ, darkened; or the Scriptures, which are the breath of God, are given by inspiration of him, these were most grievously beclouded, and most wretchedly perverted, both by the decrees of popes, and the Alcoran of Mahomet. And it is remarkable what Abulpharagius b, an Arabic writer, reports, that in the seventeenth year of Heraclius the emperor, which was the year 627, and the fifth of the Hegira, in which year Mahomet began to plunder and make war; for in this year was his plundering excursion into Dumato'l Jundal, and the battle of Bani Lahyan, that half of the body of the sun was darkened; and the darkness remained from Tisrin the first, to the month Haziran, so that very little of its light appeared; which might portend that darkness he was introducing by his wretched religion. And frequently the sun and air have been darkened at noonday by the locusts, as Pliny c relates; and of which we have had a late account from Transylvania; see Exodus 8:15.

b Hist. Dynast. p. 99, 102. c Nat. Hist. l. 11. c. 29.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And he opened the bottomless pit - It is represented before as wholly confined, so that not even the smoke or vapor could escape.

And there arose a smoke out of the pit - Compare Revelation 14:11. The meaning here is that the pit, as a place of punishment, or as the abode of the wicked, was filled with burning sulphur, and consequently that it emitted smoke and vapor as soon as opened. The common image of the place of punishment, in the Scriptures, is that of a “lake that burns with fire and brimstone.” Compare Revelation 14:10; Revelation 19:20; Revelation 20:10; Revelation 21:8. See also Psalms 11:6; Isaiah 30:33; Ezekiel 38:22. It is not improbable that this image was taken from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Genesis 19:24. Such burning sulphur would produce, of course, a dense smoke or vapor; and the idea here is, that the pit had been closed, and that as soon as the door was opened a dense column escaped that darkened the heavens. The purpose of this is, probably, to indicate the origin of the plague that was about to come upon the world. It would be of such a character that it would appear as if it had been emitted from hell; as if the inmates of that dark world had broke loose upon the earth. Compare notes on Revelation 6:8.

As the smoke of a great furnace - So in Genesis 19:28, whence probably this image is taken: “And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and all the land of the plain, and beheld and lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.”

And the sun and the air were darkened, ... - As will be the case when a smoke ascends from a furnace. The meaning here is, that an effect would be produced as if a dense and dark vapor should ascend from the under-world. We are not, of course, to understand this literally.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Revelation 9:2. He opened the bottomless pit — το φρεαρ της αβυσσου The pit of the bottomless deep. Some think the angel means Satan, and the bottomless pit hell. Some suppose Mohammed is meant; and Signior Pastorini professes to believe that Luther is intended!

There arose a smoke — False doctrine, obscuring the true light of heaven.


 
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