Revelation 11:7

11:7 When ¹  they have completed their testimony, the beast that comes up from the abyss will make war on them and conquer ²  them and kill them.

Revelation 13:7

13:7 The beast ³  was permitted to go to war against the saints and conquer them. ⁴  He was given ruling authority ⁵  over every tribe, people, ⁶  language, and nation,

Revelation 6:2

6:2 So ⁷  I looked, ⁸  and here came ⁹  a white horse! The ¹⁰  one who rode it ¹¹  had a bow, and he was given a crown, ¹²  and as a conqueror ¹³  he rode out to conquer.

Revelation 17:14

17:14 They will make war with the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those accompanying ¹⁴  the Lamb are the called, chosen, and faithful.”

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¹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

² tn Or “be victorious over”; traditionally, “overcome.”

³ tn Grk “and it was given to him to go to war.” Here the passive construction has been simplified, the referent (the beast) has been specified for clarity, and καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

⁴ tc Many mss omit the phrase “it was given to make war with the saints and to overcome them” (Ì⁴⁷ A C 2053 Ï^A sa). It is, however, found in Ì^115vid א 051 1006 (1611) 1841 (1854) 2329 2344 2351 (Ï^K) lat sy^ph,(h) bo. Although the ms evidence is somewhat in favor of the shorter reading, the support of ̹¹⁵ (a recently-discovered ms) for the longer reading balances things out. Normally, the shorter reading should be given preference. However, in an instance in which homoioteleuton could play a role, caution must be exercised. In this passage, accidental omission is quite likely. That this could have happened seems apparent from the two occurrences of the identical phrase “and it was given to him” (καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ, kai edoqh autw) in v. 7. The scribe’s eye skipped over the first καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ and went to the second, hence creating an accidental omission of eleven words.

⁵ tn For the translation “ruling authority” for ἐξουσία (exousia) see L&N 37.35.

⁶ tn Grk “and people,” but καί (kai) has not been translated here or before the following term since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of hearing the voice summon the first rider.

⁸ 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 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) as mentioned in the text-critical note on 6:1. Thus, for these copyists it was redundant to add “and I looked” again.

⁹ tn The phrase “and here came” expresses the sense of καὶ ἰδού (kai idou).

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

¹¹ tn Grk “the one sitting on it.”

sn The one who rode it. The identity of the first rider on the white horse has been discussed at great length by interpreters. Several answers are given: (1) A number understand the rider on the white horse to be Christ himself, identifying this horse and rider with the one mentioned in 19:11, where the identification is clear (cf. 19:13, 16). It must be noted, though, that there is little in common between the two riders beyond the white horse. The word for “crown” is different, the armament is different, and the context here is different (conquest vs. retribution), with three other horsemen bringing catastrophe following. (2) Others see the rider on the white horse representing a spirit of military conquest that dominates human history and leads to the catastrophes that follow. (3) Another possibility is that the white horse rider represents the Antichrist, who appears later in Rev 11:7; 13:17, and whose similarity to Christ explains the similarity with the rider in 19:11. This interpretation has been discussed at length by M. Rissi, “The Rider on the White Horse: A Study of Revelation 6:1-8,” Int 18 (1964): 407-18. This interpretation is the most probable one.

¹² sn See the note on the word crown in Rev 3:11.

¹³ tn The participle νικῶν (nikwn) has been translated as substantival, the subject of the verb ἐξῆλθεν (exhlqen). Otherwise, as an adverbial participle of manner, it is somewhat redundant: “he rode out conquering and to conquer.”

¹⁴ tn See BDAG 636 s.v. μετά A.2.a.α.