KJV: And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
YLT: And when he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, 'Come and behold!' and I saw, and lo, a black horse, and he who is sitting upon it is having a balance in his hand,
Darby: And when it opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, Come and see. And I saw: and behold, a black horse, and he that sat upon it having a balance in his hand.
ASV: And when he opened the first seal, I heard the third living creature saying, Come. And I saw, and behold, a black horse; and he that sat thereon had a balance in his hand.
| ἤνοιξεν | He opened |
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Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular Root: ἀνοίγω Sense: to open. |
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| σφραγῖδα | seal |
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Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular Root: σφραγίς Sense: a seal. |
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| τὴν | - |
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Parse: Article, Accusative Feminine Singular Root: ὁ Sense: this, that, these, etc. |
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| τρίτην | third |
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Parse: Adjective, Accusative Feminine Singular Root: τρίτον Sense: the third. |
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| ἤκουσα | I heard |
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Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular Root: ἀκουστός Sense: to be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf. |
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| τρίτου | third |
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Parse: Adjective, Genitive Neuter Singular Root: τρίτον Sense: the third. |
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| ζῴου | living creature |
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Parse: Noun, Genitive Neuter Singular Root: ζῷον Sense: a living being. |
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| λέγοντος | saying |
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Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Genitive Neuter Singular Root: λέγω Sense: to say, to speak. |
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| Ἔρχου | Come |
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Parse: Verb, Present Imperative Middle or Passive, 2nd Person Singular Root: ἔρχομαι Sense: to come. |
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| εἶδον | I looked |
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Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular Root: εἶδον Sense: to see with the eyes. |
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| ἰδοὺ | behold |
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Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular Root: ἰδού Sense: behold, see, lo. |
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| ἵππος | a horse |
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Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: ἵππος Sense: a horse. |
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| μέλας | black |
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Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: μέλας Sense: black. |
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| ὁ | the [one] |
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Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: ὁ Sense: this, that, these, etc. |
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| καθήμενος | sitting |
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Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle or Passive, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: κάθημαι Sense: to sit down, seat one’s self. |
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| ζυγὸν | a pair of scales |
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Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular Root: ζυγός Sense: a yoke. |
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| χειρὶ | hand |
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Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Singular Root: χείρ Sense: by the help or agency of any one, by means of any one. |
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| αὐτοῦ | of him |
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Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular Root: αὐτός Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself. |
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Greek Commentary for Revelation 6:5
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). [source]
Literally, a yoke (old word from ζευγνυμι zeugnumi to join), of slavery (Acts 15:10; Galatians 5:1), of teaching (Matthew 11:29), of weight or measure like a pair of scales evenly balancing as here (Ezekiel 5:1; Ezekiel 45:10). The rider of this black horse, like the spectral figure of hunger, carries in his hand a pair of scales. This is also one of the fruits of war. [source]
Literally, a yoke (old word from ζευγνυμι zeugnumi to join), of slavery (Acts 15:10; Galatians 5:1), of teaching (Matthew 11:29), of weight or measure like a pair of scales evenly balancing as here (Ezekiel 5:1; Ezekiel 45:10). The rider of this black horse, like the spectral figure of hunger, carries in his hand a pair of scales. This is also one of the fruits of war. [source]
Omit and see. [source]
The color of mourning and famine. See Jeremiah 4:28; Jeremiah 8:21; Malachi 3:14, where mournfully is, literally, in black. [source]
Rev., a balance. Properly, anything which joins two bodies; hence a yoke (Matthew 11:29; Acts 15:10). The cross-beam of the loom, to which the warp was fixed; the thwarts joining the opposite sides of a ship; the beam of the balance, and hence the balance itself. The judgment of this seal is scarcity, of which the balance is a symbol, representing the time when food is doled out by weight. See Leviticus 26:26; Ezekiel 4:16. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Revelation 6:5
Metaphorical, of a burden or bondage. Comp. Matthew 11:29, Matthew 11:30; Acts 15:10; 1 Timothy 6:1. Similarly lxx, Genesis 27:40; Leviticus 26:13; 2 Chronicles 10:4, 2 Chronicles 10:9, 2 Chronicles 10:10, 2 Chronicles 10:11, 2 Chronicles 10:14. So always in N.T. except Revelation 6:5, where it means a pair of scales. See note, and comp. Leviticus 19:35, Leviticus 19:36; Proverbs 11:1; Proverbs 16:11; Hosea 12:7. [source]
The χαρτης chartēs was a leaf of papyrus prepared for writing by cutting the pith into strips and pasting together, old word, here only in N.T. Μελας Melas is old adjective for black (Matthew 5:36; Revelation 6:5, Revelation 6:12), and for black ink here, 3 John 1:13; 2 Corinthians 3:3. Apparently John wrote this little letter with his own hand.To come (γενεσται genesthai). Second aorist middle infinitive of γινομαι ginomai after ελπιζω elpizō I hope.Face to face “Mouth to mouth.” So in 3 John 1:14; Numbers 12:8. “Face to face” Or “our” (ημων hēmōn). Both true.That may be fulfilled Purpose clause with ινα hina and the periphrastic perfect passive subjunctive of πληροω plēroō as in 1 John 1:4, which see. [source]
As often (Revelation 4:1; Revelation 6:2, Revelation 6:5, Revelation 6:8, etc.).A great red dragon (δρακων μεγας πυρρος drakōn megas purros). Homer uses this old word (probably from δερκομαι derkomai to see clearly) for a great monster with three heads coiled like a serpent that ate poisonous herbs. The word occurs also in Hesiod, Pindar, Eschylus. The Babylonians feared a seven-headed hydra and Typhon was the Egyptian dragon who persecuted Osiris. One wonders if these and the Chinese dragons are not race memories of conflicts with the diplodocus and like monsters before their disappearance. Charles notes in the O.T. this monster as the chief enemy of God under such title as Rahab (Isaiah 51:9.; Job 26:12.), Behemoth (Job 40:15-24), Leviathan (Isaiah 27:1), the Serpent (Amos 9:2.). In Psalm 74:13 we read of “the heads of the dragons.” On πυρρος purros (red) see Revelation 6:4. Here (Revelation 12:9) and in Revelation 20:2 the great dragon is identified with Satan. See Dan 7 for many of the items here, like the ten horns (Daniel 7:7) and hurling the stars (Daniel 8:10). The word occurs in the Apocalypse alone in the N.T.Seven diadems Old word from διαδεω diadeō (to bind around), the blue band marked with white with which Persian kings used to bind on the tiara, so a royal crown in contrast with στεπανος stephanos (chaplet or wreath like the Latin corona as in Revelation 2:10), in N.T. only here, Revelation 13:1; Revelation 19:12. If Christ as Conqueror has “many diadems,” it is not strange that Satan should wear seven (ten in Revelation 13:1). [source]
Diminutive of βιβλος biblos but no longer so used, βιβλαριδιον biblaridion occurring instead (Revelation 10:2).Written (γεγραμμενον gegrammenon). Perfect passive predicate participle of γραπω graphō and on the back (εσωτεν και οπιστεν esōthen kai opisthen). “Within and behind.” Description of a roll like that in Luke 4:17, not a codex as some scholars think. Usually these papyrus rolls were written only on the inside, but this one was so full of matter that it was written also on the back side (οπιστεν opisthen), and so was an οπιστογραπον opisthographon like that in Ezekiel 2:10. There are many allegorical interpretations of this fact which are all beside the point.Sealed Perfect passive predicate participle of κατασπραγιζω katasphragizō old compound (perfective use of κατα kata), to seal up (down), here only in N.T.With seven seals (σπραγισιν επτα sphragisin hepta). Instrumental case of σπραγις sphragis old word used in various senses, proof or authentication (1 Corinthians 9:2; Romans 4:11), signet-ring (Revelation 7:2), impression made by the seal (Revelation 9:4; 2 Timothy 2:19), the seal on books closing the book (Revelation 5:1, Revelation 5:2, Revelation 5:5, Revelation 5:9; Revelation 6:1, Revelation 6:3, Revelation 6:5, Revelation 6:7, Revelation 6:9, Revelation 6:12; Revelation 8:1). “A will in Roman law bore the seven seals of the seven witnesses” (Charles). But this sealed book of doom calls for no witnesses beyond God‘s own will. Alford sees in the number seven merely the completeness of God‘s purposes. [source]
Instrumental case of σπραγις sphragis old word used in various senses, proof or authentication (1 Corinthians 9:2; Romans 4:11), signet-ring (Revelation 7:2), impression made by the seal (Revelation 9:4; 2 Timothy 2:19), the seal on books closing the book (Revelation 5:1, Revelation 5:2, Revelation 5:5, Revelation 5:9; Revelation 6:1, Revelation 6:3, Revelation 6:5, Revelation 6:7, Revelation 6:9, Revelation 6:12; Revelation 8:1). “A will in Roman law bore the seven seals of the seven witnesses” (Charles). But this sealed book of doom calls for no witnesses beyond God‘s own will. Alford sees in the number seven merely the completeness of God‘s purposes. [source]
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). [source]
Perfect passive predicate participle of κατασπραγιζω katasphragizō old compound (perfective use of κατα kata), to seal up (down), here only in N.T.With seven seals (σπραγισιν επτα sphragisin hepta). Instrumental case of σπραγις sphragis old word used in various senses, proof or authentication (1 Corinthians 9:2; Romans 4:11), signet-ring (Revelation 7:2), impression made by the seal (Revelation 9:4; 2 Timothy 2:19), the seal on books closing the book (Revelation 5:1, Revelation 5:2, Revelation 5:5, Revelation 5:9; Revelation 6:1, Revelation 6:3, Revelation 6:5, Revelation 6:7, Revelation 6:9, Revelation 6:12; Revelation 8:1). “A will in Roman law bore the seven seals of the seven witnesses” (Charles). But this sealed book of doom calls for no witnesses beyond God‘s own will. Alford sees in the number seven merely the completeness of God‘s purposes. [source]
First aorist active indicative of ανοιγω anoigō This same phrase recurs in rhythmical order at the opening of each seal (Revelation 6:1, Revelation 6:3, Revelation 6:5, Revelation 6:7, Revelation 6:9, Revelation 6:12) till the last (Revelation 8:1), where we have οταν ηνοιχεν hotan ēnoixen Probably used here as an ordinal (the first) as in Matthew 28:1. See Robertson, Grammar, p. 671f.Of This use of εκ ek with the ablative in the partitive sense is common in the Apocalypse, as twice in this verse So ενος εκ των henos ek tōn (one of the four living creatures) is “the first of,” etc.In a voice of thunder (εν πωνηι βροντης en phōnēi brontēs). Old word used of John and James (Mark 3:17) and elsewhere in N.T. only John 12:29 and a dozen times in the Apocalypse.Come Present middle imperative of ερχομαι erchomai but with exclamatory force (not strictly linear). The command is not addressed to the Lamb nor to John (the correct text omits και ιδε kai ide “and see”) as in Revelation 17:1; Revelation 21:9, but to one of the four horsemen each time. Swete takes it as a call to Christ because ερχου erchou is so used in Revelation 22:17, Revelation 22:20, but that is not conclusive. [source]