John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 9. And men were scorched with great heat , etc.] Burned with rage against the followers of Christ; were filled with envy at the success of his Gospel, and with fury and madness at the ruinous condition of the antichristian state, being deprived of its head, and chief officers: and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues ; plagues or judgments are from God, when and wherever they come; they are sent and inflicted by him, and he can lessen or increase them, continue or remove them, as he pleases; and these, unless sanctified, will not reform men, but harden them, and set them a blaspheming the author of them. And this blasphemy may either respect the nature and perfections of God, charging him with inequality in his ways, and with injustice and unfaithfulness; or the Gospel, and the truths of it, which declare his glory, and his greatness; and which will now have a general spread, to the great mortification and confusion of the followers of antichrist: and they repented not to give him glory ; that is, they did not repent of their wicked deeds, their idolatries, murders, sorceries, fornications, and thefts, as in ( Revelation 9:20,21) so as to own and confess them, which is, the meaning of giving glory to God in repentance; (see Joshua 7:19). This shows that repentance is not in man's power, but in the gift of God's grace; for though he may give space, yet if he does not give grace to repent, no man will repent; nor will any means of themselves produce it; as not the most powerful and awakening ministry, as the ministry of John the Baptist, and of Christ, and of the Gospel preachers that will be in those times, this vial refers to, nor the greatest mercies and favours, so not the severest judgments; (see Amos 6:6-11). The event of this vial, or the plague of it, is applied, by Mr. Daubuz, to the wars between the emperors and the popes, and between the Guelphs and Gibelines.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 8-11 - The heart of man is so desperately wicked, that the most sever miseries never will bring any to repent, without the special grace of God. Hell itself is filled with blasphemies; and those are ignorant of the history of human nature, of the Bible, and of their own hearts, wh do not know that the more men suffer, and the more plainly they see the hand of God in their sufferings, the more furiously they often rag against him. Let sinners now seek repentance from Christ, and the grac of the Holy Spirit, or they will have the anguish and horror of a unhumbled, impenitent, and desperate heart; thus adding to their guil and misery through all eternity. Darkness is opposed to wisdom an knowledge, and forebodes the confusion and folly of the idolaters an followers of the beast. It is opposed to pleasure and joy, an signifies anguish and vexation of spirit.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ εκαυματισθησαν 2739 5681 V-API-3P οι 3588 T-NPM ανθρωποι 444 N-NPM καυμα 2738 N-ASN μεγα 3173 A-ASN και 2532 CONJ εβλασφημησαν 987 5656 V-AAI-3P το 3588 T-ASN ονομα 3686 N-ASN του 3588 T-GSM θεου 2316 N-GSM του 3588 T-GSM εχοντος 2192 5723 V-PAP-GSM εξουσιαν 1849 N-ASF επι 1909 PREP τας 3588 T-APF πληγας 4127 N-APF ταυτας 3778 D-APF και 2532 CONJ ου 3756 PRT-N μετενοησαν 3340 5656 V-AAI-3P δουναι 1325 5629 V-2AAN αυτω 846 P-DSM δοξαν 1391 N-ASF
Vincent's NT Word Studies
9. Repent to give Him glory. Glorify Him by repentance.His kingdom was darkened. Compare Exod. x. 21, 22.
They gnawed (emasswnto). Only here in the New Testament.
For pain (ek tou ponou). Strictly, from their pain. Their, the force of the article tou.
