Revelation 9:10

Tails (oura). Old word, in N.T. only in Revelation 9:10 Revelation 9:19 ; Revelation 12:4 . Like unto scorpions (omoia skorpioi). Aleph A wrongly have omoioi (agreeing with skorpioi instead of with oura). It is a condensed idiom for "like unto the tails of the scorpions" as we have it in Revelation 13:11 (cf. Matthew 5:20 ; 1 John 2:2 ). Stings (kentra). Old word from kentrew (to prick, to sting), in N.T. only here, Acts 26:14 (about Paul); 1 Corinthians 15:55 (about death). It is used "of the spur of a cock, the quill of the porcupine, and the stings of insects" (Vincent). It was the goad used for oxen ( Proverbs 26:3 ; Acts 26:14 ). In their tails (en tai ourai autwn). This locates "their power to hurt" (h exousia autwn adikhsai, infinitive here, ina adikhsousin in Acts 9:4 ) in their tails. It might have been in other organs.