6:5 Then 12 when the Lamb opened the third seal I heard the third living creature saying, “Come!” So 13 I looked, 14 and here came 15 a black horse! The 16 one who rode it 17 had a balance scale 18 in his hand.
7:1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth so no wind could blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree.
12:11 But 33 they overcame him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony,
and they did not love their lives 34 so much that they were afraid to die.
16:10 Then 47 the fifth angel 48 poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast so that 49 darkness covered his kingdom, 50 and people 51 began to bite 52 their tongues because 53 of their pain.
16:15 (Look! I will come like a thief!
Blessed is the one who stays alert and does not lose 54 his clothes so that he will not have to walk around naked and his shameful condition 55 be seen.) 56
1 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of hearing the voice summon the first rider.
2 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
3 tn The phrase “and here came” expresses the sense of καὶ ἰδού (kai idou).
4 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
5 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.
6 sn See the note on the word crown in Rev 3:11.
7 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.”
8 tn L&N 79.31 states, “‘fiery red’ (probably with a tinge of yellow or orange).”
9 tn Grk “the one sitting on it.”
10 tn The word “permission” is implied; Grk “it was given to him to take peace from the earth.”
11 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.”
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 “so” to indicate the implied result of the summons by the third creature.
14 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
15 tn The phrase “and here came” expresses the sense of καὶ ἰδού (kai idou).
16 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
17 tn Grk “the one sitting on it.”
18 sn A balance scale would have been a rod held by a rope in the middle with pans attached to both ends for measuring.
19 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the instructions given by the angel.
20 tn Grk “it was.” The idea of taste is implied.
21 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
22 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
23 tn Though the nearest antecedent to the subject of ἤκουσαν (hkousan) is the people (“those who were watching them”), it could also be (based on what immediately follows) that the two prophets are the ones who heard the voice.
24 tn Grk “they”; the referent (the two prophets) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
25 tn The conjunction καί (kai) seems to be introducing a temporal clause contemporaneous in time with the preceding clause.
26 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the conclusion of the anticipated birth.
27 tn On this term BDAG 135 s.v. ἄρσην states: “male…The neut. ἄρσεν Rv 12:5, difft. vs. 13, comes fr. Is 66:7 and is in apposition to υἱόν. On the juxtaposition s. FBoll, ZNW 15, 1914, 253; BOlsson, Glotta 23, ’34, 112.”
28 tn Grk “shepherd.”
29 tn Or “all the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).
30 tn Or “scepter.” The Greek term ῥάβδος (rJabdo") can mean either “rod” or “scepter.”
sn An allusion to Ps 2:9 (see also Rev 2:27; 19:15).
31 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
32 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the result of the war in heaven.
33 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast.
34 sn They did not love their lives. See Matt 16:25; Luke 17:33; John 12:25.
35 tn Grk “it”; the referent (the second beast) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
36 tn Grk “it was given [permitted] to it [the second beast].”
37 tn Grk “breath,” but in context the point is that the image of the first beast is made to come to life and speak.
38 tn Grk “of the beast”; the word “first” has been supplied to specify the referent.
39 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the angel’s directions.
40 tn Or “vine.” BDAG 54 s.v. ἄμπελος a states, “τρυγᾶν τοὺς βότρυας τῆς ἀ. τῆς γῆς to harvest the grapes fr. the vine of the earth (i.e. fr. the earth, symbol. repr. as a grapevine) Rv 14:18f; but ἀ may be taking on the meaning of ἀμπελών, as oft. in pap., possibly PHib. 70b, 2 [III bc].” The latter alternative has been followed in the translation (ἀμπελών = “vineyard”).
41 tn Although the gender of μέγαν (megan, masc.) does not match the gender of ληνόν (lhnon, fem.) it has been taken to modify that word (as do most English translations).
42 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the directions given by the voice from the temple.
43 tn Grk “the first”; the referent (the first angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
44 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
45 tn Or “ulcerated sores”; the term in the Greek text is singular but is probably best understood as a collective singular.
46 tn Grk ‘the men,” but this is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") and refers to both men and women.
47 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
48 tn Grk “the fifth”; the referent (the fifth angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
49 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so that” to indicate the implied result of the fifth bowl being poured out.
50 tn Grk “his kingdom became dark.”
51 tn Grk “men,” but this is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") and refers to both men and women.
52 tn On this term BDAG 620 s.v. μασάομαι states, “bite w. acc. τὰς γλώσσας bite their tongues Rv 16:10.”
53 tn The preposition ἐκ (ek) has been translated here and twice in the following verse with a causal sense.
54 tn Grk “and keeps.” BDAG 1002 s.v. τηρέω 2.c states “of holding on to someth. so as not to give it up or lose it…τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ Rv 16:15 (or else he will have to go naked).”
55 tn On the translation of ἀσχημοσύνη (aschmosunh) as “shameful condition” see L&N 25.202. The indefinite third person plural (“and they see”) has been translated as a passive here.
56 sn These lines are parenthetical, forming an aside to the narrative. The speaker here is the Lord Jesus Christ himself rather than the narrator. Many interpreters have seen this verse as so abrupt that it could not be an original part of the work, but the author has used such asides before (1:7; 14:13) and the suddenness here (on the eve of Armageddon) is completely parallel to Jesus’ warning in Mark 13:15-16 and parallels.
57 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
58 tn Or “sounds,” “voices.” It is not entirely clear what this refers to. BDAG 1071 s.v. φωνή 1 states, “In Rv we have ἀστραπαὶ καὶ φωναὶ καὶ βρονταί (cp. Ex 19:16) 4:5; 8:5; 11:19; 16:18 (are certain other sounds in nature thought of here in addition to thunder, as e.g. the roar of the storm?…).”
59 tn The singular ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used generically here to refer to the human race.
60 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
61 tn Or “of the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).
62 tn Grk “fell.”
63 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of Babylon’s misdeeds (see Rev 14:8).
64 tn Grk “the cup of the wine of the anger of the wrath of him.” The concatenation of four genitives has been rendered somewhat differently by various translations (see the note on the word “wrath”).
65 tn Following BDAG 461 s.v. θυμός 2, the combination of the genitives of θυμός (qumo") and ὀργή (orgh) in Rev 16:19 and 19:15 are taken to be a strengthening of the thought as in the OT and Qumran literature (Exod 32:12; Jer 32:37; Lam 2:3; CD 10:9). Thus in Rev 14:8 (to which the present passage alludes) and 18:3 there is irony: The wine of immoral behavior with which Babylon makes the nations drunk becomes the wine of God’s wrath for her.
66 tn Here BDAG 988 s.v. ταλαντιαῖος states, “weighing a talent…χάλαζα μεγάλη ὡς ταλαντιαία a severe hailstorm with hailstones weighing a talent (the talent=125 librae, or Roman pounds of c. 343 gr. or 12 ounces each) (weighing about a hundred pounds NRSV) Rv 16:21.” This means each hailstone would weigh just under 100 pounds or 40 kilograms.
67 tn Or “the sky.” Due to the apocalyptic nature of this book, it is probably best to leave the translation as “from heaven,” since God is ultimately the source of the judgment.
68 tn Grk “on men,” but ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used here in a generic sense to refer to people in general (the hailstones did not single out adult males, but would have also fallen on women and children).
69 tn Grk “the men”; for stylistic reasons the pronoun “they” is used here.
70 tn Grk “the plague of it.”
71 tn Grk “since the plague of it was exceedingly great.”
72 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the angel’s invitation to witness the fate of the prostitute.
73 tn Or “in the spirit.” “Spirit” could refer either to the Holy Spirit or the human spirit, but in either case John was in “a state of spiritual exaltation best described as a trance” (R. H. Mounce, Revelation [NICNT], 75).
74 tn Or “desert.”
75 tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied for stylistic reasons.
76 tn Or “the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).
77 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
78 tn Grk “will shepherd.”
79 tn Or “scepter.” The Greek term ῥάβδος (rJabdo") can mean either “rod” or “scepter.”
sn A quotation from Ps 2:9 (see also Rev 2:27, 12:5).
80 sn He stomps the winepress. See Isa 63:3, where Messiah does this alone (usually several individuals would join in the process), and Rev 14:20.
81 tn The genitive θυμοῦ (qumou) has been translated as an attributed genitive. Following BDAG 461 s.v. θυμός 2, the combination of the genitives of θυμός (qumos) and ὀργή (orgh) in Rev 16:19 and 19:15 are taken to be a strengthening of the thought as in the OT and Qumran literature (Exod 32:12; Jer 32:37; Lam 2:3; CD 10:9).
82 tn On this word BDAG 755 s.v. παντοκράτωρ states, “the Almighty, All-Powerful, Omnipotent (One) only of God…(ὁ) κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ π. …Rv 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7; 21:22.”