Apollyon
or, as it is literally in the margin of the Authorized Version of (Revelation 9:11) “a destroyer,” is the rendering of the Hebrew word Abaddon, “the angel of the bottomless pit.” From the occurrence of the word in (Psalms 88:11) the rabbins have made Abaddon the nethermost of the two regions into which they divide the lower world; but that in (Revelation 9:11) Abaddon is the angel and not the abyss is perfectly evident in the Greek.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia on Apollyon
Apollyon a-pol'-i-on (Apolluon; 'abhaddon, "destroyer"): Present participle of the verb apolluo, "to destroy." ⇒See a list of verses on APOLLYON in the Bible. I. Definition. A proper name, original with the author of the Apocalypse and used by him once (Re 9:11) as a translation of the Hebrew word "Abaddon" (see ABADDON) to designate an angel or prince of the lower world. ⇒See the definition of apollyon in the KJV Dictionary II. Old Testament Background. 1. Fundamental Meaning: ⇒See also the McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia. The term Abaddon ("destruction") appears solely in the Wisdom literature of the Old Testament and in the following narrow range of instances: Job 26:6; 28:22; 31:12; Ps 88:11; Pr 15:11. In all these passages save one (Job 31:12) the word is combined either with Sheol, "death," or "the grave," in such a way as to indicate a purely eschatological term based upon the advanced idea of moral distinctions in the realm of the dead. In the one exceptional passage (Es 8:6 is incorrectly referred to--the word here is different, namely, 'abhedhan) where the combina…
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible on Apollyon
The Ir. ot the lleb. name p~3>f, the angel of the Abyss in Kev 9^", who was king over the destructive locusts. In the Talm. tract Shabbath 55* we lind reference to the angels of destruction (nS^n 'dhSd) 28=^ 31". In the hrst of these the word Abaddon stands in parallelism with SheOl or the underworld (Hades), just as we find in Pr 15". Delitzsch in his comment on this la.st pas.sage endeavours to draw a distinction between Shedl and Abaddon, the latter designating the lowest depth of Hades ; but I see no warrant for this in Or, though in later times we know that such a distinction was made (Schwally, ibid. p. 166, on Lk 10^"**, and Wendt, Teaching uf Jesus, i. p. 109). Moreover, in Job 31" the same conception prevails in the mind of the writer as in the previous OT passajjus to which we have referred. So also in I's 88^', where Abaddon and the grave stand in parallelism. On the other hand, it is worthy of notice that in Job 2S'^'' we lind the beginnings of that pcrsonihcation which in later times was to have so extended a development. For in that pa.ssage both Abaddon and Death are p…
Fausset's Bible Dictionary on Apollyon
("destroyer".) Satan (Rev 9:11. He is the tempter, in order that he may be at last the destroyer. The Greek translation of the Hebrew abaddon, (destruction). As the twofold names Abba (Hebrew) Father (Greek) in Mar 14:36 combine Jew and Gentile in the common salvation, so Satan's two names abaddon (Hebrew) and Apollos (Greek) combine them in a common destruction.
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Easton, M.G. (1893) Easton's Bible Dictionary. 3rd edn. Thomas Nelson. [Public Domain]
- Nave, O.J. (1897) Nave's Topical Bible. Topical Bible Publishing Co.. [Public Domain]
- Hastings, J. (ed.) (1909) A Dictionary of the Bible. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Smith, W. (ed.) (1884) Smith's Bible Dictionary. London: John Murray. [Public Domain]
- Fausset, A.R. (1878) Fausset's Bible Dictionary. [Public Domain]A Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopaedia