Albert Barnes Commentary Revelation 11:9

"And from among the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations do [men] look upon their dead bodies three days and a half, and suffer not their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb." — Revelation 11:9 (ASV)

And they of the people. This means some of the people, a part of the people—ek twn lawn. The language is such as would be used to describe a scene where a considerable portion of a group of people is referred to, without intending to include everyone. The essential idea is that there would be an assemblage of different classes of people to whom their carcases would be exposed, and that they would come and look upon them. We should expect to find the fulfillment of this in some place where, for any reason, a variety of people would be assembled—as in a capital or a commercial city, to which they would naturally be attracted.

Shall see their dead bodies. That is, a state of things will occur as if these witnesses were put to death, and their carcases were publicly exposed.

Three days and an half. This might be either literally three days and a half, or, more in accordance with the usual style of this book, these would be prophetic days; that is, three years and a half. Compare Revelation 9:5, 15.

And shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. This means there would be a course of conduct toward these witnesses like that shown to the dead if they were not allowed to be decently interred. The language used here—“shall not suffer”—seems to imply that there would be those who might be disposed to show them the respect shown by interring the dead, but that this would not be permitted. This would find a fulfillment if, in a time of persecution, those who had borne faithful testimony were silenced and treated with dishonor, and if there were those who were disposed to show them respect but who would be prevented by positive acts on the part of their persecutors. This has often been the case in persecution, and there could be no difficulty in finding numerous instances in the history of the church to which this language would be applicable.