6:1 I looked on when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a thunderous voice, 1 “Come!” 2
6:3 Then 3 when the Lamb 4 opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come!”
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.
6:7 Then 12 when the Lamb opened the fourth seal I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come!”
6:9 Now 13 when the Lamb opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been violently killed 14 because of the word of God and because of the testimony they had given.
6:12 Then 15 I looked when the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and a huge 16 earthquake took place; the sun became as black as sackcloth made of hair, 17 and the full moon became blood red; 18
1 tn Grk “saying like a voice [or sound] of thunder.”
2 tc The addition of “and see” (καὶ ἴδε or καὶ βλέπε [kai ide or kai blepe]) to “come” (ἔρχου, ercou) in 6:1, 3-5, 7 is a gloss directed to John, i.e., “come and look at the seals and the horsemen!” But the command ἔρχου is better interpreted as directed to each of the horsemen. The shorter reading also has the support of the better witnesses.
3 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
4 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the Lamb) has been specified in the translation for clarity here and throughout the rest of the chapter.
5 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
6 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the summons by the third creature.
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
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.”
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.
12 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
13 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.
14 tn Or “murdered.” See the note on the word “butcher” in 6:4.
15 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
16 tn Or “powerful”; Grk “a great.”
17 tn Or “like hairy sackcloth” (L&N 8.13).
18 tn Grk “like blood,” understanding αἷμα (aima) as a blood-red color rather than actual blood (L&N 8.64).