AND I SAW (κα ειδον). As in Revelation 4:1; Revelation 5:1. The vision unfolds without anything being said about opening the book and reading from it. In a more vivid and dramatic fashion the Lamb breaks the seals one by one and reveals the contents and the symbolism. The first four seals have a c... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I SAW AND BEHOLD (κα ειδον κα ιδου). This combination is frequent in the Apocalypse (Revelation 4:1; Revelation 6:2; Revelation 6:5; Revelation 6:8; Revelation 14:1; Revelation 14:14; Revelation 19:11).A WHITE HORSE (ιππος λευκος). In Zechariah... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SECOND SEAL (την σφραγιδα την δευτεραν). "The seal the second." The white horse with his rider vanished from the scene bent on his conquering career.... [ Continue Reading ]
A RED HORSE (ιππος πυρρος). Old adjective from πυρ (fire), flame-coloured, blood-red (2 Kings 3:22), in N.T. only here and Revelation 12:3, like Zechariah 1:8; Zechariah 6:2 (roan horse).TO TAKE PEACE FROM THE EARTH (λαβειν την ειρηνην εκ της γης). Second aorist active infinitive of λαμβανω, an... [ Continue Reading ]
A BLACK HORSE (ιππος μελας). Lust of conquest brings bloodshed, but also famine and hunger. "The colour of mourning and famine. See Jeremiah 4:28; Jeremiah 8:21; Malachi 3:14, where _mournfully_ is, literally, in black" (Vincent).HAD (εχων) as in verse Revelation 6:2.A BALANCE (ζυγον). Literal... [ Continue Reading ]
AS IT WERE A VOICE (ως φωνην). "This use of ως, giving a certain vagueness or mysteriousness to a phrase, is one of the characteristics of the writer's style, e.g., Revelation 8:1; Revelation 14:3; Revelation 19:1; Revelation 19:6" (Beckwith). This voice comes from the midst of the four living cr... [ Continue Reading ]
A PALE HORSE (ιππος χλωρος). Old adjective. Contracted from χλοερος (from χλοη, tender green grass) used of green grass (Mark 6:39; Revelation 8:7; Revelation 9:4), here for yellowish, common in both senses in old Greek, though here only in N.T. in this sense, greenish yellow. We speak of a sorre... [ Continue Reading ]
UNDER THE ALTAR (υποκατω του θυσιαστηριου). "Under" (υποκατω), for the blood of the sacrifices was poured at the bottom of the altar (Leviticus 4:7). The altar of sacrifice (Exodus 39:39; Exodus 40:29), not of incense. The imagery, as in Hebrews, is from the tabernacle. For the word see Matthew 5:... [ Continue Reading ]
HOW LONG (εως ποτε). "Until when." Cf. Matthew 7:17; John 10:24.O MASTER (ο δεσποτης). Nominative articular form, but used as vocative (δεσποτα) as in Revelation 4:11 (John 20:28). On δεσποτης (correlative of δουλος) see Luke 2:29. Here (alone in the Apocalypse) it is applied to God as in Luke 2... [ Continue Reading ]
A WHITE ROBE (στολη λευκη). Old word from στελλω, to equip, an equipment in clothes, a flowing robe (Mark 12:38). For the white robe for martyrs see Revelation 3:4; Revelation 4:4; Revelation 7:9; Revelation 7:13; Revelation 19:14.THAT THEY SHOULD REST (ινα αναπαυσοντα). Sub-final clause with ιν... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE WAS A GREAT EARTHQUAKE (σεισμος μεγας εγενετο). "There came a great earthquake." Jesus spoke of earthquakes in his great eschatological discourse (Mark 13:8). In Matthew 24:29 the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Σεισμος is from σειω, to shake, and occurs also in Revelation 8:5; Revelat... [ Continue Reading ]
HER UNRIPE FIGS (τους ολυνθους αυτης). An old word (Latin _grossi_) for figs that grow in winter and fall off in the spring without getting ripe (Song of Solomon 2:11), here only in N.T. Jesus used the fig tree (Mark 13:28) as a sign of the "end of the world's long winter" (Swete). Cf. Isaiah 34:... [ Continue Reading ]
WAS REMOVED (απεχωρισθη). First aorist passive indicative of αποχωριζω, to separate, to part (Acts 15:39). "The heaven was parted."AS A SCROLL WHEN IT IS ROLLED UP (ως βιβλιον ελισσομενον). Present passive participle of ελισσω, old verb, to roll up, in N.T. only here (from Isaiah 34:4) and Hebr... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PRINCES (ο μεγιστανες). Late word from the superlative μεγιστος, in LXX, Josephus, papyri, in N.T. only in Mark 6:21; Revelation 6:15; Revelation 18:23, for the grandees, the persecuting proconsuls (Swete).THE CHIEF CAPTAINS (ο χιλιαρχο). The commanders of thousands, the military tribunes ... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY SAY (λεγουσιν). Vivid dramatic present active indicative, as is natural here.FALL ON US (Πεσατε εφ' ημας). Second aorist (first aorist ending) imperative of πιπτω, tense of urgency, do it now.AND HIDE US (κα κρυψατε ημας). Same tense of urgency again from κρυπτω (verb in verse Revelation... [ Continue Reading ]
THE GREAT DAY (η ημερα η μεγαλη). The phrase occurs in the O.T. prophets (Joel 2:11; Joel 2:31; Zephaniah 1:14. Cf. Judges 1:6) and is here combined with "of their wrath" (της οργης αυτων) as in Zephaniah 1:15; Zephaniah 1:18; Zephaniah 2:3; Romans 2:5. "Their" (αυτων) means the wrath of God and o... [ Continue Reading ]