Wahyu 6:4-5

6:4 And another horse, fiery red, ¹  came out, and the one who rode it ²  was granted permission ³  to take peace from the earth, so that people would butcher ⁴  one another, and he was given a huge sword.

6:5 Then ⁵  when the Lamb opened the third seal I heard the third living creature saying, “Come!” So ⁶  I looked, ⁷  and here came ⁸  a black horse! The ⁹  one who rode it ¹⁰  had a balance scale ¹¹  in his hand.

[6:4]  ¹ tn L&N 79.31 states, “‘fiery red’ (probably with a tinge of yellow or orange).”

[6:4]  ² tn Grk “the one sitting on it.”

[6:4]  ³ tn The word “permission” is implied; Grk “it was given to him to take peace from the earth.”

[6:4]  ⁴ 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.”

[6:5]  ⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[6:5]  ⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the summons by the third creature.

[6:5]  ⁷ 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.

[6:5]  ⁸ tn The phrase “and here came” expresses the sense of καὶ ἰδού (kai idou).

[6:5]  ⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[6:5]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “the one sitting on it.”

[6:5]  ¹¹ sn A balance scale would have been a rod held by a rope in the middle with pans attached to both ends for measuring.