Revelation 6:5

6:5 Then when the Lamb opened the third seal I heard the third living creature saying, “Come!” So I looked, and here came a black horse! The one who rode it had a balance scale in his hand.

Revelation 6:9

6:9 Now when the Lamb opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been violently killed because of the word of God and because of the testimony they had given.

Revelation 6:12

6:12 Then 10  I looked when the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and a huge 11  earthquake took place; the sun became as black as sackcloth made of hair, 12  and the full moon became blood red; 13 

Revelation 9:2

9:2 He 14  opened the shaft of the abyss and smoke rose out of it 15  like smoke from a giant furnace. The 16  sun and the air were darkened with smoke from the shaft.

Revelation 11:19

11:19 Then 17  the temple of God in heaven was opened and the ark of his covenant was visible within his temple. And there were flashes of lightning, roaring, 18  crashes of thunder, an earthquake, and a great hailstorm. 19 

Revelation 19:11

The Son of God Goes to War

19:11 Then 20  I saw heaven opened and here came 21  a white horse! The 22  one riding it was called “Faithful” and “True,” and with justice 23  he judges and goes to war.


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

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

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.

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

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

tn Grk “the one sitting on it.”

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

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.

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

10 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

11 tn Or “powerful”; Grk “a great.”

12 tn Or “like hairy sackcloth” (L&N 8.13).

13 tn Grk “like blood,” understanding αἷμα (aima) as a blood-red color rather than actual blood (L&N 8.64).

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

15 tn Grk “the shaft,” but since this would be somewhat redundant in English, the pronoun “it” is used here.

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

17 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence on events within the vision.

18 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?…).”

19 tn Although BDAG 1075 s.v. χάλαζα gives the meaning “hail” here, it is not clear whether the adjective μεγάλη (megalh) refers to the intensity of the storm or the size of the individual hailstones, or both.

20 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

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

22 tn A new sentence was started in the translation at this point and καί (kai) was not translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

23 tn Or “in righteousness,” but since the context here involves the punishment of the wicked and the vindication of the saints, “justice” was preferred.