John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 8. And they had hair, as the hair of women , etc.] Some locusts have smooth, others hairy heads f277 : this fitly points at the Arabians or Saracens, who, as Pliny says f278 , used to wear long hair without cutting it, and attired as women, and have their names also from women: they were called Hagarenes, from Hagar, Abraham's handmaid, by whom he had Ishmael, the father of these people; afterwards they took the name of Saracens, from Sarah, the wife of Abraham, whose posterity they would be thought to be; though they may have the latter name, either from qrs , to rob and steal, with the Arabians, or from the same word, as it signifies to comb, from the combing and plaiting: of their hair. This may also point at the effeminacy of the western locusts, the monks and friars, who dress more like women than men; and many of them claim the virgin Mary for their patroness; and may in general design the votaries of the church of Rome, who are under the vow of a monastic life, as those among the Jews, under a Nazarite's vow, wore long hair. And their teeth were as [the teeth] of lions ; so in ( Joel 1:6); which may denote the ravages and devastations of the Saracens in the empire, robbing, pillaging, and destroying all they met with; and is applicable enough to the devouring jaws of the Romish clergy, their plundering the estates of men, their cruelties and barbarities exercised by their Inquisition, etc. Pliny says f279 , that locusts will gnaw the doors of houses.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-12 - Upon sounding the fifth trumpet, a star fell from heaven to the earth Having ceased to be a minister of Christ, he who is represented by thi star becomes the minister of the devil; and lets loose the powers of hell against the churches of Christ. On the opening of the bottomles pit, there arose a great smoke. The devil carries on his designs be blinding the eyes of men, by putting out light and knowledge, an promoting ignorance and error. Out of this smoke there came a swarm of locusts, emblems of the devil's agents, who promote superstition idolatry, error, and cruelty. The trees and the grass, the tru believers, whether young or more advanced, should be untouched. But secret poison and infection in the soul, should rob many others of purity, and afterwards of peace. The locusts had no power to hurt thos who had the seal of God. God's all-powerful, distinguishing grace wil keep his people from total and final apostacy. The power is limited to a short season; but it would be very sharp. In such events the faithfu share the common calamity, but from the pestilence of error they migh and would be safe. We collect from Scripture, that such errors were to try and prove the Christians, 1Co 11:19. And early writers plainl refer this to the first great host of corrupters who overspread the Christian church.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ ειχον 2192 5707 V-IAI-3P τριχας 2359 N-APF ως 5613 ADV τριχας 2359 N-APF γυναικων 1135 N-GPF και 2532 CONJ οι 3588 T-NPM οδοντες 3599 N-NPM αυτων 846 P-GPF ως 5613 ADV λεοντων 3023 N-GPM ησαν 2258 5713 V-IXI-3P
Vincent's NT Word Studies
8. Hair of women. The antennae of the locust. There is said to be an Arabic proverb in which the antennae of locusts are compared to girls' hair.Teeth of lions. Compare Joel. i. 6.
