Revelation 6:8

a pale horse Or livid, lit. green, as in Revelation 8:7, but used constantly of the paleness of the human face when terror-struck, or dead or dying. It is not certain whether it here expresses a possible colour for a real horse: it seems not very appropriate for the "grisled" of Zechariah 6:3. Perhaps it might apply to the colour of the bare skin of a mangyhorse.

and his name&c. Lit. and he that sat upon him, his name was Death.

that sat on him Alford remarks on the fact that the phrase for "upon him" is different from that used of the previous riders, and may be rendered "on the top of him," perhaps taking it to suggest that the spectre (or skeleton, or demon?) did not ride astride and manage his horse, but simply sat clumsily on his back.

and Hell Hades, personified as a demon, as in Revelation 20:13-14. He follows Death, to devour those slain by him.

the fourth part of the earth No good explanation of this proportion has been given: the best is, that the four riders divide the earth between them, and that the three afflict or decimate their subjects, while the last exterminates his.

with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth God's "four sore judgements," Ezekiel 14:21. For "pestilence" there the LXX have "death," which fixes the sense of the word in this clause: but the personified Death, the rider, is not to be so limited; heis the sovereign over all four modes of death. The preposition "with the beasts of the earth" is different from those before: it might be rendered "by" instead of "with."

The first four Seals are distinguished from the rest (a) by Personification; (b) by the part which the four living creatures bear in the representation.