Rev 9:4 | NETfull | STEP | They were told not to damage the grass of the earth, or any green plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their forehead.

Revelation of John 9:4

4 They ^{▼▼ Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.} were told ^{▼▼ The dative indirect object (αὐταῖς, autais) was converted into the subject (“they”) as this more closely approximates English usage. The following ἵ῞να (hina) is taken as substantival, introducing a direct object clause. In this case, because it is reported speech, the ἵνα is similar to the declarative ὅτι (hoti).} not to damage the grass of the earth, or any green plant or tree, but only those people ^{▼▼ Grk “men”; but ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) is used in a generic sense here of both men and women.} who did not have the seal of God on their ^{▼▼ The article τῶν (tōn) has been translated as a possessive pronoun here (ExSyn 215).} forehead.