Wahyu 6:4-17

6:4 And another horse, fiery red, ¹  came out, and the one who rode it ²  was granted permission ³  to take peace from the earth, so that people would butcher ⁴  one another, and he was given a huge sword.

6:5 Then ⁵  when the Lamb opened the third seal I heard the third living creature saying, “Come!” So ⁶  I looked, ⁷  and here came ⁸  a black horse! The ⁹  one who rode it ¹⁰  had a balance scale ¹¹  in his hand. 6:6 Then ¹²  I heard something like a voice from among the four living creatures saying, “A quart ¹³  of wheat will cost a day’s pay ¹⁴  and three quarts of barley will cost a day’s pay. But ¹⁵  do not damage the olive oil and the wine!”

6:7 Then ¹⁶  when the Lamb opened the fourth seal I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come!” 6:8 So ¹⁷  I looked ¹⁸  and here came ¹⁹  a pale green ²⁰  horse! The ²¹  name of the one who rode it ²²  was Death, and Hades followed right behind. ²³  They ²⁴  were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill its population with the sword, ²⁵  famine, and disease, ²⁶  and by the wild animals of the earth.

6:9 Now ²⁷  when the Lamb opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been violently killed ²⁸  because of the word of God and because of the testimony they had given. 6:10 They ²⁹  cried out with a loud voice, ³⁰  “How long, ³¹  Sovereign Master, ³²  holy and true, before you judge those who live on the earth and avenge our blood?” 6:11 Each ³³  of them was given a long white robe and they were told to rest for a little longer, until the full number was reached ³⁴  of both their fellow servants ³⁵  and their brothers who were going to be killed just as they had been.

6:12 Then ³⁶  I looked when the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and a huge ³⁷  earthquake took place; the sun became as black as sackcloth made of hair, ³⁸  and the full moon became blood red; ³⁹  6:13 and the stars in the sky ⁴⁰  fell to the earth like a fig tree dropping ⁴¹  its unripe figs ⁴²  when shaken by a fierce ⁴³  wind. 6:14 The sky ⁴⁴  was split apart ⁴⁵  like a scroll being rolled up, ⁴⁶  and every mountain and island was moved from its place. 6:15 Then ⁴⁷  the kings of the earth, the ⁴⁸  very important people, the generals, ⁴⁹  the rich, the powerful, and everyone, slave ⁵⁰  and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 6:16 They ⁵¹  said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who is seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, ⁵²  6:17 because the great day of their ⁵³  wrath has come, and who is able to withstand it?” ⁵⁴ 

[6:4]  ¹ tn L&N 79.31 states, “‘fiery red’ (probably with a tinge of yellow or orange).”

[6:4]  ² tn Grk “the one sitting on it.”

[6:4]  ³ tn The word “permission” is implied; Grk “it was given to him to take peace from the earth.”

[6:4]  ⁴ tn BDAG 979 s.v. σφάζω states, “Of the killing of a person by violence…σφάζειν τινά butcher or murder someone (4 Km 10:7; Jer 52:10; Manetho: 609 fgm. 8, 76 Jac. [in Jos., C. Ap. 1, 76]; Demetr.[?]: 722 fgm. 7; Ar. 10, 9) 1J 3:12; Rv 6:4. Pass. (Hdt. 5, 5) 5:9; 6:9; 18:24.”

[6:5]  ⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[6:5]  ⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the summons by the third creature.

[6:5]  ⁷ tc The reading “and I looked” (καὶ εἶδον, kai eidon) or some slight variation (e.g., ἶδον, idon) has excellent ms support ({א A C P 1611}) and its omission seems to have come through the mss that have already placed “and look” (καὶ ἴδε or καὶ βλέπε [kai ide or kai blepe]) after the verb “come” (ἔρχου, ercou) in 6:1. Thus, for these copyists it was redundant to add “and I looked” again.

[6:5]  ⁸ tn The phrase “and here came” expresses the sense of καὶ ἰδού (kai idou).

[6:5]  ⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[6:5]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “the one sitting on it.”

[6:5]  ¹¹ sn A balance scale would have been a rod held by a rope in the middle with pans attached to both ends for measuring.

[6:6]  ¹² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[6:6]  ¹³ tn BDAG 1086 s.v. χοῖνιξ states, “a dry measure, oft. used for grain, approximately equivalent to one quart or one liter, quart. A χ.of grain was a daily ration for one pers.…Rv 6:6ab.”

[6:6]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “a quart of wheat for a denarius.” A denarius was one day’s pay for an average worker. The words “will cost” are used to indicate the genitive of price or value; otherwise the English reader could understand the phrase to mean “a quart of wheat to be given as a day’s pay.”

[6:6]  ¹⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[6:7]  ¹⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[6:8]  ¹⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the summons by the fourth creature.

[6:8]  ¹⁸ tc The reading “and I looked” (καὶ εἶδον, kai eidon) or some slight variation (e.g., ἶδον, idon) has excellent ms support ({א A C P 1611}) and its omission seems to have come through the mss that have already placed “and look” (καὶ ἴδε or καὶ βλέπε [kai ide or kai blepe]) after the verb “come” (ἔρχου, ercou) in 6:1. Thus, for these copyists it was redundant to add “and I looked” again.

[6:8]  ¹⁹ tn The phrase “and here came” expresses the sense of καὶ ἰδού (kai idou).

[6:8]  ²⁰ tn A sickly pallor, when referring to persons, or the green color of plants. BDAG 1085 s.v. χλωρός 2 states, “pale, greenish gray…as the color of a pers. in sickness contrasted with appearance in health…so the horse ridden by Death…ἵππος χλωρός Rv 6:8.” Because the color of the horse is symbolic, “pale green” is used in the translation. Cf. NIV, NCV “pale”; NASB “ashen.”

[6:8]  ²¹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[6:8]  ²² tn Grk “the one sitting on it.”

[6:8]  ²³ tn Grk “And Hades was following with him.” The Greek expression μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ (met’ autou, “with him”) is Semitic and indicates close proximity. The translation “followed right behind” reflects this.

[6:8]  ²⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[6:8]  ²⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[6:8]  ²⁶ tn Grk “with death.” θάνατος (qanatos) can in particular contexts refer to a manner of death, specifically a contagious disease (see BDAG 443 s.v. 3; L&N 23.158).

[6:9]  ²⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the introduction of a new and somewhat different topic after the introduction of the four riders.

[6:9]  ²⁸ tn Or “murdered.” See the note on the word “butcher” in 6:4.

[6:10]  ²⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[6:10]  ³⁰ tn Grk “voice, saying”; the participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated here.

[6:10]  ³¹ tn The expression ἕως πότε (ews pote) was translated “how long.” Cf. BDAG 423 s.v. ἕως 1.b.γ.

[6:10]  ³² tn The Greek term here is δεσπότης (despoths; see L&N 37.63).

[6:11]  ³³ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[6:11]  ³⁴ tn Grk “until they had been completed.” The idea of a certain “number” of people is implied by the subject of πληρωθῶσιν (plhrwqwsin).

[6:11]  ³⁵ tn Though σύνδουλος (sundoulos) has been translated “fellow servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.

[6:12]  ³⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[6:12]  ³⁷ tn Or “powerful”; Grk “a great.”

[6:12]  ³⁸ tn Or “like hairy sackcloth” (L&N 8.13).

[6:12]  ³⁹ tn Grk “like blood,” understanding αἷμα (aima) as a blood-red color rather than actual blood (L&N 8.64).

[6:13]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “in heaven” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”). The genitive τοῦ οὐρανοῦ (tou ouranou) is taken as a genitive of place.

[6:13]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “throws [off]”; the indicative verb has been translated as a participle due to English style.

[6:13]  ⁴² tn L&N 3.37 states, “a fig produced late in the summer season (and often falling off before it ripens) – ‘late fig.’ ὡς συκὴ βάλλει τοὺς ὀλύνθους αὐτῆς ὑπὸ ἀνέμου μεγάλου σειομένη ‘as the fig tree sheds its late figs when shaken by a great wind’ Re 6:13. In the only context in which ὄλυνθος occurs in the NT (Re 6:13), one may employ an expression such as ‘unripe fig’ or ‘fig which ripens late.’”

[6:13]  ⁴³ tn Grk “great wind.”

[6:14]  ⁴⁴ tn Or “The heavens were.” The Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) can mean either “heaven” or “sky.”

[6:14]  ⁴⁵ tn BDAG 125 s.v. ἀποχωρίζω states, “ὁ οὐρανὸς ἀπεχωρίσθη the sky was split Rv 6:14.” Although L&N 79.120 gives the meaning “the sky disappeared like a rolled-up scroll” here, a scroll that is rolled up does not “disappear,” and such a translation could be difficult for modern readers to understand.

[6:14]  ⁴⁶ tn On this term BDAG 317 s.v. ἑλίσσω states, “ὡς βιβλίον ἑλισσόμενον like a scroll that is rolled up…Rv 6:14.”

[6:15]  ⁴⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[6:15]  ⁴⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated; nor is it translated before each of the following categories, since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[6:15]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “chiliarchs.” A chiliarch was normally a military officer commanding a thousand soldiers, but here probably used of higher-ranking commanders like generals (see L&N 55.15; cf. Rev 6:15).

[6:15]  ⁵⁰ tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.

[6:16]  ⁵¹ tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[6:16]  ⁵² tn It is difficult to say where this quotation ends. The translation ends it after “withstand it” at the end of v. 17, but it is possible that it should end here, after “Lamb” at the end of v. 16. If it ends after “Lamb,” v. 17 is a parenthetical explanation by the author.

[6:17]  ⁵³ tc Most mss (A Ï bo) change the pronoun “their” to “his” (αὐτοῦ, autou) in order to bring the text in line with the mention of the one seated on the throne in the immediately preceding verse, and to remove the ambiguity about whose wrath is in view here. The reading αὐτῶν (autwn, “their”) is well supported by א C 1611 1854 2053 2329 2344 pc latt sy. On both internal and external grounds, it should be regarded as original.

[6:17]  ⁵⁴ tn The translation “to withstand (it)” for ἵστημι (Jisthmi) is based on the imagery of holding one’s ground in a military campaign or an attack (BDAG 482 s.v. B.4).