5:11 Then 3 I looked and heard the voice of many angels in a circle around the throne, as well as the living creatures and the elders. Their 4 number was ten thousand times ten thousand 5 – thousands times thousands –
6:5 Then 13 when the Lamb opened the third seal I heard the third living creature saying, “Come!” So 14 I looked, 15 and here came 16 a black horse! The 17 one who rode it 18 had a balance scale 19 in his hand.
6:12 Then 20 I looked when the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and a huge 21 earthquake took place; the sun became as black as sackcloth made of hair, 22 and the full moon became blood red; 23
14:1 Then 24 I looked, and here was 25 the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him were one hundred and forty-four thousand, who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.
14:14 Then 26 I looked, and a white cloud appeared, 27 and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man! 28 He had 29 a golden crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.
4:1 After these things I looked, and there was 32 a door standing open in heaven! 33 And the first voice I had heard speaking to me 34 like a trumpet 35 said: “Come up here so that 36 I can show you what must happen after these things.”
7:9 After these things I looked, and here was 47 an enormous crowd that no one could count, made up of persons from every nation, tribe, 48 people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb dressed in long white robes, and with palm branches in their hands.
1 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
2 tn Both here and before the phrase “the third,” καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
3 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
4 tn Grk “elders, and the number of them was.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
5 tn Or “myriads of myriads.” Although μυριάς (murias) literally means “10,000,” the point of the combination here may simply be to indicate an incalculably huge number. See L&N 60.9.
6 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of hearing the voice summon the first rider.
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 come through the
8 tn The phrase “and here came” expresses the sense of καὶ ἰδού (kai idou).
9 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
10 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.
11 sn See the note on the word crown in Rev 3:11.
12 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.”
13 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
14 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the summons by the third creature.
15 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
16 tn The phrase “and here came” expresses the sense of καὶ ἰδού (kai idou).
17 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
18 tn Grk “the one sitting on it.”
19 sn A balance scale would have been a rod held by a rope in the middle with pans attached to both ends for measuring.
20 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
21 tn Or “powerful”; Grk “a great.”
22 tn Or “like hairy sackcloth” (L&N 8.13).
23 tn Grk “like blood,” understanding αἷμα (aima) as a blood-red color rather than actual blood (L&N 8.64).
24 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
25 tn The phrase “and here was” expresses the sense of καὶ ἰδού (kai idou).
26 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
27 tn Grk “and behold, a white cloud.”
28 tn This phrase constitutes an allusion to Dan 7:13. Concerning υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου (Juio" tou anqrwpou), BDAG 1026 s.v. υἱός 2.d.γ says: “ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου lit. ‘the son of the man’…‘the human being, the human one, the man’…On Israelite thought contemporary w. Jesus and alleged knowledge of a heavenly being looked upon as a ‘Son of Man’ or ‘Man’, who exercises Messianic functions such as judging the world (metaph., pictorial passages in En 46-48; 4 Esdr 13:3, 51f)…Outside the gospels: Ac 7:56…Rv 1:13; 14:14 (both after Da 7:13…).” The term “son” here in this expression is anarthrous and as such lacks specificity. Some commentators and translations take the expression as an allusion to Daniel 7:13 and not to “the son of man” found in gospel traditions (e.g., Mark 8:31; 9:12; cf. D. E. Aune, Revelation [WBC], 2:800-801; cf. also NIV). Other commentators and versions, however, take the phrase “son of man” as definite, involving allusions to Dan 7:13 and “the son of man” gospel traditions (see G. K. Beale, Revelation [NIGTC], 771-72; NRSV).
29 tn Grk “like a son of man, having.” In the Greek text this is a continuation of the previous sentence.
30 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
31 sn According to the next verse, these three unclean spirits are spirits of demons.
32 tn Grk “and behold.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) at the beginning of this statement has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).
33 tn Or “in the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).
34 tn Grk “with me.” The translation “with me” implies that John was engaged in a dialogue with the one speaking to him (e.g., Jesus or an angel) when in reality it was a one-sided conversation, with John doing all the listening. For this reason, μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ (met’ emou, “with me”) was translated as “to me.”
35 sn The phrase speaking to me like a trumpet refers back to Rev 1:10.
36 tn The conjunction καί (kai), much like the vav-consecutive in Hebrew, appears to be introducing a final/purpose clause here rather than a coordinate clause.
37 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the summons by the fourth creature.
38 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
39 tn The phrase “and here came” expresses the sense of καὶ ἰδού (kai idou).
40 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.”
41 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
42 tn Grk “the one sitting on it.”
43 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.
44 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.
45 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
46 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).
47 tn The phrase “and here was” expresses the sense of καὶ ἰδού (kai idou).
48 tn Here καί (kai) has not been 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.
49 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
50 tn Grk “one eagle.”
51 tc ÏA reads “angel” (ἀγγέλου, angelou) instead of “eagle” (ἀετοῦ, aetou), a reading strongly supported by {א A 046 ÏK and several versions}. On external grounds, ἀετοῦ is clearly the superior reading. ἀγγέλου could have arisen inadvertently due to similarities in spelling or sound between ἀετοῦ and ἀγγέλου. It may also have been intentional in order to bring this statement in line with 14:6 where an angel is mentioned as the one flying in midair. This seems a more likely reason, strengthened by the facts that the book only mentions eagles two other times (4:7; 12:14). Further, the immediate as well as broad context is replete with references to angels.
52 tn Concerning the word μεσουράνημα (mesouranhma), L&N 1.10 states, “a point or region of the sky directly above the earth – ‘high in the sky, midpoint in the sky, directly overhead, straight above in the sky.’ εἶδον, καὶ ἤκουσα ἑνὸς ἁετοῦ πετομένου ἐν μεσουρανήματι ‘I looked, and I heard an eagle that was flying overhead in the sky’ Re 8:13.”
53 tn Grk “about to sound their trumpets,” but this is redundant in English.