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12 Samuel said to all Israel, “I have done[a] everything you requested.[b] I have given you a king.[c] Now look! This king walks before you. As for me, I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have walked before you from the time of my youth till the present day. Here I am. Bring a charge against me before the Lord and before his chosen king.[d] Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I wronged? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I taken a bribe so that I would overlook something? Tell me,[e] and I will return it to you!”

They replied, “You have not wronged us or oppressed us. You have not taken anything from the hand of anyone.” He said to them, “The Lord is witness against you, and his chosen king[f] is witness this day, that you have not found any reason to accuse me.”[g] They said, “He is witness!”

Samuel said to the people, “The Lord is the one who chose Moses and Aaron and who brought your ancestors[h] up from the land of Egypt. Now take your positions, so I may confront you[i] before the Lord regarding all the Lord’s just actions toward you and your ancestors.[j] When Jacob entered Egypt, your ancestors cried out to the Lord. The Lord sent Moses and Aaron, and they led your ancestors out of Egypt and settled them in this place.

“But they forgot the Lord their God, so he gave[k] them into the hand of Sisera, the general in command of Hazor’s army,[l] and into the hands of the Philistines and the king of Moab, and they fought against them. 10 Then they cried out to the Lord and admitted,[m] ‘We have sinned, for we have forsaken the Lord and have served the Baals and the images of Ashtoreth.[n] Now deliver us from the hands of our enemies so that we may serve you.’[o] 11 So the Lord sent Jerub Baal,[p] Barak,[q] Jephthah, and Samuel,[r] and he delivered you from the hands of the enemies all around you, and you were able to live securely.

12 “When you saw that King Nahash of the Ammonites was advancing against you, you said to me, ‘No! A king will rule over us’—even though the Lord your God is your king. 13 Now look! Here is the king you have chosen—the one that you asked for! Look, the Lord has given you a king. 14 If you fear the Lord, serving him and obeying him[s] and not rebelling against what he says,[t] and if both you and the king who rules over you follow the Lord your God, all will be well.[u] 15 But if you don’t obey[v] the Lord and rebel against what the Lord says, the hand of the Lord will be against both you and your king.[w]

16 “So now, take your positions and watch this great thing that the Lord is about to do in your sight. 17 Is this not the time of the wheat harvest? I will call on the Lord so that he makes it thunder and rain. Realize and see what a great sin you have committed before the Lord by asking for a king for yourselves.”

18 So Samuel called to the Lord, and the Lord made it thunder and rain that day. All the people were very afraid of both the Lord and Samuel. 19 All the people said to Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God on behalf of us—your servants—so we won’t die, for we have added to all our sins by asking for a king.”[x]

20 Then Samuel said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. You have indeed sinned.[y] However, don’t turn aside from the Lord. Serve the Lord with all your heart. 21 You should not turn aside after empty things that can’t profit and can’t deliver, since they are empty.[z] 22 The Lord will not abandon his people because he wants to uphold his great reputation.[aa] The Lord was pleased to make you his own people. 23 As far as I am concerned, far be it from me to sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you! I will instruct you in the way that is good and upright. 24 However, fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. Just look at the great things he has done for you! 25 But if you continue to do evil, both you and your king will be swept away.”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 12:1 tn Heb “Look, I have listened to your voice.”
  2. 1 Samuel 12:1 tn Heb “to all which you said to me.”
  3. 1 Samuel 12:1 tn Heb “and I have installed a king over you.”
  4. 1 Samuel 12:3 tn Heb “anointed [one].”
  5. 1 Samuel 12:3 tn The words “tell me” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  6. 1 Samuel 12:5 tn Heb “anointed [one].”
  7. 1 Samuel 12:5 tn Heb “that you have not found anything in my hand.”
  8. 1 Samuel 12:6 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 7, 8).
  9. 1 Samuel 12:7 tn Heb “and I will enter into judgment with you” (NRSV similar); NAB “and I shall arraign you.”
  10. 1 Samuel 12:7 tn Heb “all the just actions which he has done with you and with your fathers.”
  11. 1 Samuel 12:9 tn Heb “sold” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “he allowed them to fall into the clutches of Sisera”; NLT “he let them be conquered by Sisera.”
  12. 1 Samuel 12:9 tn Heb “captain of the host of Hazor.”
  13. 1 Samuel 12:10 tn Heb “and said.”
  14. 1 Samuel 12:10 tn Heb “the Ashtarot” (plural). The words “images of” are supplied for clarity.sn The Semitic goddess Astarte was associated with love and war in the ancient Near East. See the note on the same term in 7:3.
  15. 1 Samuel 12:10 tn After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose/result.
  16. 1 Samuel 12:11 sn Jerub Baal (יְרֻבַּעַל, “Yerub Baʿal”) is also known as Gideon (see Judg 6:32). The book of Judges uses both names for him.
  17. 1 Samuel 12:11 tc The MT has בְּדָן (Bedan, “Bedan”) here (cf. KJV, NASB, CEV). But a deliverer by this name is not elsewhere mentioned in the OT. The translation follows the LXX and the Syriac Peshitta in reading “Barak.”
  18. 1 Samuel 12:11 tc In the ancient versions there is some confusion with regard to these names, both with regard to the particular names selected for mention and with regard to the order in which they are listed. For example, the LXX has “Jerub Baal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel.” But the Targum has “Gideon, Samson, Jephthah, and Samuel,” while the Syriac Peshitta has “Deborah, Barak, Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson.”
  19. 1 Samuel 12:14 tn Heb “and you listen to his voice.”
  20. 1 Samuel 12:14 tn Heb “the mouth of the Lord.” So also in v. 15.
  21. 1 Samuel 12:14 tn The words “all will be well” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  22. 1 Samuel 12:15 tn Heb “listen to the voice of.”
  23. 1 Samuel 12:15 tc The LXX reads “your king” rather than the MT’s “your fathers.” The latter makes little sense here. Some follow MT, but translate “as it was against your fathers.” See P. K. McCarter, 1 Samuel (AB), 212.
  24. 1 Samuel 12:19 tn Heb “for we have added to all our sins an evil [thing] by asking for ourselves a king.”
  25. 1 Samuel 12:20 tn Heb “you have done all this evil.”
  26. 1 Samuel 12:21 tn Or “useless” (so NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “nothing”; NASB “futile”; TEV “are not real.”
  27. 1 Samuel 12:22 tn Heb “on account of his great name.”

IV. Job’s Concluding Soliloquy (29:1-31:40)

Job Recalls His Former Condition[a]

29 Then Job continued[b] his speech:

“O that I could be[c] as[d] I was
in the months now gone,[e]
in the days[f] when God watched over[g] me,
when[h] he caused[i] his lamp[j]
to shine upon my head,
and by his light
I walked[k] through darkness;[l]
just as I was in my most productive time,[m]
when God’s intimate friendship[n] was experienced in my tent,
when the Almighty[o] was still with me
and my children were[p] around me;
when my steps[q] were bathed[r] with butter[s]
and the rock poured out for me streams of olive oil![t]
When I went out to the city gate
and secured my seat in the public square,[u]
the young men would see me and step aside,[v]
and the old men would get up and remain standing;
the chief men refrained from talking
and covered their mouths with their hands;
10 the voices of the nobles fell silent,[w]
and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths.

Job’s Benevolence

11 “As soon as the ear heard these things,[x] it blessed me,[y]
and when the eye saw them, it bore witness to me,
12 for I rescued the poor who cried out for help,
and the orphan who[z] had no one to assist him;
13 the blessing of the dying man descended on me,[aa]
and I made the widow’s heart rejoice;[ab]
14 I put on righteousness and it clothed me,[ac]
my just dealing[ad] was like a robe and a turban;
15 I was eyes for the blind
and feet for the lame;
16 I was a father[ae] to the needy,
and I investigated the case of the person I did not know;
17 I broke the fangs[af] of the wicked,
and made him drop[ag] his prey from his teeth.

Job’s Confidence

18 “Then I thought, ‘I will die in my own home,[ah]
my days as numerous as the grains of sand.[ai]
19 My roots reach the water,
and the dew lies on my branches all night long.
20 My glory[aj] will always be fresh[ak] in me,
and my bow ever new in my hand.’

Job’s Reputation

21 “People[al] listened to me and waited silently;[am]
they kept silent for my advice.
22 After I had spoken, they did not respond;
my words fell on them drop by drop.[an]
23 They waited for me as people wait for[ao] the rain,
and they opened their mouths[ap] as for[aq] the spring rains.
24 If I smiled at them, they hardly believed it;[ar]
and they did not cause the light of my face to darken.[as]
25 I chose[at] the way for them[au]
and sat as their chief;[av]
I lived like a king among his troops;
I was like one who comforts mourners.[aw]

Footnotes

  1. Job 29:1 sn Now that the debate with his friends is over, Job concludes with a soliloquy, just as he had begun with one. Here he does not take into account his friends or their arguments. The speech has three main sections: Job’s review of his former circumstances (29:1-25); Job’s present misery (30:1-31); and Job’s vindication of his life (31:1-40).
  2. Job 29:1 tn The verse uses a verbal hendiadys: “and he added (וַיֹּסֶף, vayyosef)…to raise (שְׂאֵת, seʾet) his speech.” The expression means that he continued, or he spoke again.
  3. Job 29:2 tn The optative is here expressed with מִי־יִתְּנֵנִי (mi yitteneni, “who will give me”), meaning, “O that I [could be]…” (see GKC 477 §151.b).
  4. Job 29:2 tn The preposition כ (kaf) is used here in an expression describing the state desired, especially in the former time (see GKC 376 §118.u).
  5. Job 29:2 tn The expression is literally “months of before [or of old; or past].” The word קֶדֶם (qedem) is intended here to be temporal and not spatial; it means days that preceded the present.
  6. Job 29:2 tn The construct state (“days of”) governs the independent sentence that follows (see GKC 422 §130.d): “as the days of […] God used to watch over me.”
  7. Job 29:2 tn The imperfect verb here has a customary nuance—“when God would watch over me” (back then), or “when God used to watch over me.”
  8. Job 29:3 tn This clause is in apposition to the preceding (see GKC 426 §131.o). It offers a clarification.
  9. Job 29:3 tn The form בְּהִלּוֹ (behillo) is unusual; it should be parsed as a Hiphil infinitive construct with the elision of a ה (he). The proper spelling would have been בַּהֲהִלּוֹ (bahahillo). If it were Qal, it would just mean “when his light shone.”
  10. Job 29:3 sn Lamp and light are symbols of God’s blessings of life and all the prosperous and good things it includes.
  11. Job 29:3 tn Here too the imperfect verb is customary—it describes action that was continuous, but in a past time.
  12. Job 29:3 tn The accusative (“darkness”) is here an adverbial accusative of place, namely, “in the darkness,” or because he was successfully led by God’s light, “through the darkness” (see GKC 374 §118.h).
  13. Job 29:4 tn Heb “in the days of my ripeness.” The word חֹרֶף (khoref) denotes the time when the harvest is gathered in because the fruit is ripe. Since this is the autumn, many translate that way here—but “autumn” has a different connotation now. The text is pointing to a time when the righteous reaps what he has sown, and can enjoy the benefits. The translation “most productive time” seems to capture the point better than “autumn” or even “prime.”
  14. Job 29:4 tc The word סוֹד (sod) in this verse is an infinitive construct, prefixed with the temporal preposition and followed by a subjective genitive. It forms a temporal clause. There is some disagreement about the form and its meaning. The confusion in the versions shows that they were paraphrasing to get the general sense. In the Bible the derived noun (from יָסַד, yasad) means (a) a circle of close friends; (b) intimacy. Others follow the LXX and the Syriac with a meaning of “protect,” based on a change from ד (dalet) to כ (kaf), and assuming the root was סָכַךְ (sakhakh). This would mean, “when God protected my tent” (cf. NAB). D. W. Thomas tries to justify this meaning without changing the text (“The Interpretation of BSŌD in Job 29:4, ” JBL 65 [1946]: 63-66).
  15. Job 29:5 tn Heb “Shaddai.”
  16. Job 29:5 tc Some commentators suggest that עִמָּדִי (ʿimmadi, “with me”) of the second colon of v. 6 (which is too long) belongs to the second colon of v. 5, and should be pointed as the verb עָמָדוּ (ʿamadu, “they stood”), meaning the boys stood around him (see, e.g., E. Dhorme, Job, 417). But as R. Gordis (Job, 319) notes, there is a purpose for the imbalance of the metric pattern at the end of a section.
  17. Job 29:6 tn The word is a hapax legomenon, but the meaning is clear enough. It refers to the walking, the steps, or even the paths where one walks. It is figurative of his course of life.
  18. Job 29:6 tn The Hebrew word means “to wash; to bathe”; here it is the infinitive construct in a temporal clause, “my steps” being the genitive: “in the washing of my steps in butter.”
  19. Job 29:6 tn Again, as in Job 21:17, “curds.”
  20. Job 29:6 tn The MT reads literally, “and the rock was poured out [passive participle] for me as streams of oil.” There are some who delete the word “rock” to shorten the line because it seems out of place. But olive trees thrive in rocky soil, and the oil presses are cut into the rock; it is possible that by metonymy all this is intended here (H. H. Rowley, Job [NCBC], 186).
  21. Job 29:7 sn In the public square. The area referred to here should not be thought of in terms of modern western dimensions. The wide space, plaza, or public square mentioned here is the open area in the gate complex where legal and business matters were conducted. The area could be as small as a few hundred square feet.
  22. Job 29:8 tn The verb means “to hide; to withdraw.” The young men out of respect would withdraw or yield the place of leadership to Job (thus the translation “step aside”). The old men would rise and remain standing until Job took his seat—a sign of respect.
  23. Job 29:10 tn The verb here is “hidden” as well as in v. 8. But this is a strange expression for voices. Several argue that the word was erroneously inserted from 8a and needs to be emended. But the word “hide” can have extended meanings of “withdraw; be quiet; silent” (see Gen 31:27). A. Guillaume relates the Arabic habiʾa, “the fire dies out,” applying the idea of “silent” only to v. 10 (it is a form of repetition of words with different senses, called jinas). The point here is that whatever conversation was going on would become silent or hushed to hear what Job had to say.
  24. Job 29:11 tn The words “these things” and “them” in the next colon are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
  25. Job 29:11 tn The main clause is introduced by the preterite with the vav (ו) consecutive (see GKC 327 §111.h); the clause before it is therefore temporal and circumstantial to the main clause.
  26. Job 29:12 tn The negative introduces a clause that serves as a negative attribute; literally the following clause says, “and had no helper” (see GKC 482 §152.u).
  27. Job 29:13 tn The verb is simply בּוֹא (boʾ, “to come; to enter”). With the preposition עַל (ʿal, “upon”) it could mean “came to me,” or “came upon me,” i.e., descended (see R. Gordis, Job, 320).
  28. Job 29:13 tn The verb אַרְנִן (ʾarnin) is from רָנַן (ranan, “to give a ringing cry”) but here “cause to give a ringing cry,” i.e., shout of joy. The rejoicing envisioned in this word is far greater than what the words “sing” or “rejoice” suggest.
  29. Job 29:14 tn Both verbs in this first half-verse are from לָבַשׁ (lavash, “to clothe; to put on clothing”). P. Joüon changed the vowels to get a verb “it adorned me” instead of “it clothed me” (Bib 11 [1930]: 324). The figure of clothing is used for the character of the person: to wear righteousness is to be righteous.
  30. Job 29:14 tn The word מִשְׁפָּטִי (mishpati) is simply “my justice” or “my judgment.” It refers to the decisions he made in settling issues, how he dealt with other people justly.
  31. Job 29:16 sn The word “father” does not have a wide range of meanings in the OT. But there are places that it is metaphorical, especially in a legal setting like this where the poor need aid.
  32. Job 29:17 tn The word rendered “fangs” actually means “teeth,” i.e., the molars probably; it is used frequently of the teeth of wild beasts. Of course, the language is here figurative, comparing the oppressing enemy to a preying animal.
  33. Job 29:17 tn “I made [him] drop.” The verb means “to throw; to cast,” throw in the sense of “to throw away.” But in the context with the figure of the beast with prey in its mouth, “drop” or “cast away” is the idea. Driver finds another cognate meaning “rescue” (see AJSL 52 [1935/36]: 163).
  34. Job 29:18 tc The expression in the MT is “with my nest.” The figure is satisfactory for the context—a home with all the young together, a picture of unity and safety. In Isa 16:2 the word can mean “nestlings,” and with the preposition “with” that might be the meaning here, except that his children had grown up and lived in their own homes. The figure cannot be pushed too far. But the verse apparently has caused enormous problems, because the versions offer a variety of readings and free paraphrases. The LXX has “My age shall grow old as the stem of a palm tree, I shall live a long time.” The Vulgate has, “In my nest I shall die and like the palm tree increase my days.” G. R. Driver found an Egyptian word meaning “strength” (“Birds in the Old Testament,” PEQ 87 [1955]: 138-39). Several read “in a ripe old age” instead of “in my nest” (Pope, Dhorme; see P. P. Saydon, “Philological and Textual Notes to the Maltese Translation of the Old Testament,” CBQ 23 [1961]: 252). This requires the verb זָקַן (zaqan, “be old”), i.e., בִּזְקוּנַי (bizqunay, “in my old age”) instead of קִנִּי (qinni, “my nest”). It has support from the LXX.
  35. Job 29:18 tc For חוֹל (khol, “sand”) the LXX has a word that is “like the palm tree,” but which could also be translated “like the phoenix” (cf. NAB, NRSV). This latter idea was developed further in rabbinical teaching (see R. Gordis, Job, 321). See also M. Dahood, “Nest and phoenix in Job 29:18, ” Bib 48 (1967): 542-44. But the MT yields an acceptable sense here.
  36. Job 29:20 tn The word is “my glory,” meaning his high respect and his honor. Hoffmann proposed to read כִּידוֹן (kidon) instead, meaning “javelin” (as in 1 Sam 17:6), to match the parallelism (RQ 3 [1961/62]: 388). But the parallelism does not need to be so tight.
  37. Job 29:20 tn Heb “new.”
  38. Job 29:21 tn “People” is supplied; the verb is plural.
  39. Job 29:21 tc The last verb of the first half, “wait, hope,” and the first verb in the second colon, “be silent,” are usually reversed by the commentators (see G. R. Driver, “Problems in the Hebrew text of Job,” VTSup 3 [1955]: 86). But if “wait” has the idea of being silent as they wait for him to speak, then the second line would say they were silent for the reason of his advice. The reading of the MT is not impossible.
  40. Job 29:22 tn The verb simply means “dropped,” but this means like the rain. So the picture of his words falling on them like the gentle rain, drop by drop, is what is intended (see Deut 32:2).
  41. Job 29:23 tn The phrase “people wait for” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation.
  42. Job 29:23 sn The analogy is that they received his words eagerly as the dry ground opens to receive the rains.
  43. Job 29:23 tn The כ (kaf) preposition is to be supplied by analogy with the preceding phrase. This leaves a double preposition, “as for” (but see Job 29:2).
  44. Job 29:24 tn The connection of this clause with the verse is difficult. The line simply reads: “[if] I would smile at them, they would not believe.” Obviously something has to be supplied to make sense out of this. The view adopted here makes the most sense, namely, that when he smiled at people, they could hardly believe their good fortune. Other interpretations are strained, such as Kissane’s, “If I laughed at them, they believed not,” meaning, people rejected the views that Job laughed at.
  45. Job 29:24 tn The meaning, according to Gordis, is that they did nothing to provoke Job’s displeasure.
  46. Job 29:25 tn All of these imperfects describe what Job used to do, and so they all fit the category of customary imperfect.
  47. Job 29:25 tn Heb “their way.”
  48. Job 29:25 tn The text simply has “and I sat [as their] head.” The adverbial accusative explains his role, especially under the image of being seated. He directed the deliberations as a king directs an army.
  49. Job 29:25 tc Most commentators think this last phrase is odd here, and so they either delete it altogether, or emend it to fit the idea of the verse. Ewald, however, thought it appropriate as a transition to the next section, reminding his friends that unlike him, they were miserable comforters. Herz made the few changes in the text to get the reading “where I led them, they were willing to go” (ZAW 20 [1900]: 163). The two key words in the MT are אֲבֵלִים יְנַחֵם (ʾavelim yenakhem, “he [one who] comforts mourners”). Following Herz, E. Dhorme (Job, 422) has these changed to אוֹבִילֵם יִנַּחוּ (ʾovilem yinnakhu). R. Gordis has “like one leading a camel train” (Job, 324). But Kissane also retains the line as a summary of the chapter, noting its presence in the versions.

The Seven Seals

I looked on when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a thunderous voice,[a] “Come!”[b] So[c] I looked,[d] and here came[e] a white horse! The[f] one who rode it[g] had a bow, and he was given a crown,[h] and as a conqueror[i] he rode out to conquer.

Then[j] when the Lamb[k] opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come!” And another horse, fiery red,[l] came out, and the one who rode it[m] was granted permission[n] to take peace from the earth, so that people would butcher[o] one another, and he was given a huge sword.

Then[p] when the Lamb opened the third seal I heard the third living creature saying, “Come!” So[q] I looked,[r] and here came[s] a black horse! The[t] one who rode it[u] had a balance scale[v] in his hand. Then[w] I heard something like a voice from among the four living creatures saying, “A quart[x] of wheat will cost a day’s pay[y] and three quarts of barley will cost a day’s pay. But[z] do not damage the olive oil and the wine!”

Then[aa] when the Lamb opened the fourth seal I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come!” So[ab] I looked[ac] and here came[ad] a pale green[ae] horse! The[af] name of the one who rode it[ag] was Death, and Hades followed right behind.[ah] They[ai] were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill its population with the sword,[aj] famine, and disease,[ak] and by the wild animals of the earth.

Now[al] when the Lamb opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been violently killed[am] because of the word of God and because of the testimony they had given. 10 They[an] cried out with a loud voice,[ao] “How long,[ap] Sovereign Master,[aq] holy and true, before you judge those who live on the earth and avenge our blood?” 11 Each[ar] of them was given a long white robe and they were told to rest for a little longer, until the full number was reached[as] of both their fellow servants[at] and their brothers who were going to be killed just as they had been.

12 Then[au] I looked when the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and a huge[av] earthquake took place; the sun became as black as sackcloth made of hair,[aw] and the full moon became blood red;[ax] 13 and the stars in the sky[ay] fell to the earth like a fig tree dropping[az] its unripe figs[ba] when shaken by a fierce[bb] wind. 14 The sky[bc] was split apart[bd] like a scroll being rolled up,[be] and every mountain and island was moved from its place. 15 Then[bf] the kings of the earth, the[bg] very important people, the generals,[bh] the rich, the powerful, and everyone, slave[bi] and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16 They[bj] said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who is seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb,[bk] 17 because the great day of their[bl] wrath has come, and who is able to withstand it?”[bm]

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 6:1 tn Grk “saying like a voice [or sound] of thunder.”
  2. Revelation 6:1 tc The addition of “and see” (καὶ ἴδε or καὶ βλέπε [kai ide or kai blepe]) to “come” (ἔρχου, erchou) in 6:1, 3-5, 7 is a gloss directed to John, i.e., “come and look at the seals and the horsemen!” But the command ἔρχου is better interpreted as directed to each of the horsemen. The shorter reading also has the support of the better witnesses.
  3. Revelation 6:2 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of hearing the voice summon the first rider.
  4. Revelation 6:2 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 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, erchou) as mentioned in the text-critical note on 6:1. Thus, for these copyists it was redundant to add “and I looked” again.
  5. Revelation 6:2 tn The phrase “and here came” expresses the sense of καὶ ἰδού (kai idou).
  6. Revelation 6:2 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  7. Revelation 6:2 tn Grk “the one sitting on it.”sn The one who rode it. The identity of the first rider on the white horse has been discussed at great length by interpreters. Several answers are given: (1) A number understand the rider on the white horse to be Christ himself, identifying this horse and rider with the one mentioned in 19:11, where the identification is clear (cf. 19:13, 16). It must be noted, though, that there is little in common between the two riders beyond the white horse. The word for “crown” is different, the armament is different, and the context here is different (conquest vs. retribution), with three other horsemen bringing catastrophe following. (2) Others see the rider on the white horse representing a spirit of military conquest that dominates human history and leads to the catastrophes that follow. (3) Another possibility is that the white horse rider represents the Antichrist, who appears later in Rev 11:7; 13:17, and is similar to Christ in 19:11 in that they both ride a white horse. This interpretation has been discussed at length by M. Rissi, “The Rider on the White Horse: A Study of Revelation 6:1-8, ” Int 18 (1964): 407-18. This interpretation is the most probable one.
  8. Revelation 6:2 sn See the note on the word crown in Rev 3:11.
  9. Revelation 6:2 tn The participle νικῶν (nikōn) has been translated as substantival, the subject of the verb ἐξῆλθεν (exēlthen). Otherwise, as an adverbial participle of manner, it is somewhat redundant: “he rode out conquering and to conquer.”
  10. Revelation 6:3 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
  11. Revelation 6:3 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the Lamb) has been specified in the translation for clarity here and throughout the rest of the chapter.
  12. Revelation 6:4 tn L&N 79.31 states, “‘fiery red’ (probably with a tinge of yellow or orange).”
  13. Revelation 6:4 tn Grk “the one sitting on it.”
  14. Revelation 6:4 tn The word “permission” is implied; Grk “it was given to him to take peace from the earth.”
  15. Revelation 6:4 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.”
  16. Revelation 6:5 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
  17. Revelation 6:5 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the summons by the third creature.
  18. Revelation 6:5 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, erchou) in 6:1. Thus, for these copyists it was redundant to add “and I looked” again.
  19. Revelation 6:5 tn The phrase “and here came” expresses the sense of καὶ ἰδού (kai idou).
  20. Revelation 6:5 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  21. Revelation 6:5 tn Grk “the one sitting on it.”
  22. Revelation 6:5 sn A balance scale would have been a rod held by a rope in the middle with pans attached to both ends for measuring.
  23. Revelation 6:6 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
  24. Revelation 6:6 tn BDAG 1086 s.v. χοῖνιξ states, “a dry measure, oft. used for grain, approximately equivalent to one quart or one liter, quart. A χ.of grain was a daily ration for one pers.…Rv 6:6ab.”
  25. Revelation 6:6 tn Grk “a quart of wheat for a denarius.” A denarius was one day’s pay for an average worker. The words “will cost” are used to indicate the genitive of price or value; otherwise the English reader could understand the phrase to mean “a quart of wheat to be given as a day’s pay.”
  26. Revelation 6:6 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
  27. Revelation 6:7 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
  28. Revelation 6:8 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the summons by the fourth creature.
  29. Revelation 6:8 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, erchou) in 6:1. Thus, for these copyists it was redundant to add “and I looked” again.
  30. Revelation 6:8 tn The phrase “and here came” expresses the sense of καὶ ἰδού (kai idou).
  31. Revelation 6:8 tn A sickly pallor, when referring to persons, or the green color of plants. BDAG 1085 s.v. χλωρός 2 states, “pale, greenish gray…as the color of a pers. in sickness contrasted with appearance in health…so the horse ridden by Death…ἵππος χλωρός Rv 6:8.” Because the color of the horse is symbolic, “pale green” is used in the translation. Cf. NIV, NCV “pale”; NASB “ashen.”
  32. Revelation 6:8 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  33. Revelation 6:8 tn Grk “the one sitting on it.”
  34. Revelation 6:8 tn Grk “And Hades was following with him.” The Greek expression μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ (met’ autou, “with him”) is Semitic and indicates close proximity. The translation “followed right behind” reflects this.
  35. Revelation 6:8 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
  36. Revelation 6:8 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  37. Revelation 6:8 tn Grk “with death.” θάνατος (thanatos) can in particular contexts refer to a manner of death, specifically a contagious disease (see BDAG 443 s.v. 3; L&N 23.158).
  38. Revelation 6:9 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.
  39. Revelation 6:9 tn Or “murdered.” See the note on the word “butcher” in 6:4.
  40. Revelation 6:10 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  41. Revelation 6:10 tn Grk “voice, saying”; the participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated here.
  42. Revelation 6:10 tn The expression ἕως πότε (eōs pote) was translated “how long.” Cf. BDAG 423 s.v. ἕως 1.b.γ.
  43. Revelation 6:10 tn The Greek term here is δεσπότης (despotēs; see L&N 37.63).
  44. Revelation 6:11 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  45. Revelation 6:11 tn Grk “until they had been completed.” The idea of a certain “number” of people is implied by the subject of πληρωθῶσιν (plērōthōsin).
  46. Revelation 6:11 tn Though σύνδουλος (sundoulos) has been translated “fellow servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.
  47. Revelation 6:12 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
  48. Revelation 6:12 tn Or “powerful”; Grk “a great.”
  49. Revelation 6:12 tn Or “like hairy sackcloth” (L&N 8.13).
  50. Revelation 6:12 tn Grk “like blood,” understanding αἷμα (aima) as a blood-red color rather than actual blood (L&N 8.64).
  51. Revelation 6:13 tn Or “in heaven” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”). The genitive τοῦ οὐρανοῦ (tou ouranou) is taken as a genitive of place.
  52. Revelation 6:13 tn Grk “throws [off]”; the indicative verb has been translated as a participle due to English style.
  53. Revelation 6:13 tn L&N 3.37 states, “a fig produced late in the summer season (and often falling off before it ripens)—‘late fig.’ ὡς συκὴ βάλλει τοὺς ὀλύνθους αὐτῆς ὑπὸ ἀνέμου μεγάλου σειομένη ‘as the fig tree sheds its late figs when shaken by a great wind’ Re 6:13. In the only context in which ὄλυνθος occurs in the NT (Re 6:13), one may employ an expression such as ‘unripe fig’ or ‘fig which ripens late.’”
  54. Revelation 6:13 tn Grk “great wind.”
  55. Revelation 6:14 tn Or “The heavens were.” The Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) can mean either “heaven” or “sky.”
  56. Revelation 6:14 tn BDAG 125 s.v. ἀποχωρίζω states, “ὁ οὐρανὸς ἀπεχωρίσθη the sky was split Rv 6:14.” Although L&N 79.120 gives the meaning “the sky disappeared like a rolled-up scroll” here, a scroll that is rolled up does not “disappear,” and such a translation could be difficult for modern readers to understand.
  57. Revelation 6:14 tn On this term BDAG 317 s.v. ἑλίσσω states, “ὡς βιβλίον ἑλισσόμενον like a scroll that is rolled up…Rv 6:14.”
  58. Revelation 6:15 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
  59. Revelation 6:15 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated; nor is it translated before each of the following categories, since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
  60. Revelation 6:15 tn Grk “chiliarchs.” A chiliarch was normally a military officer commanding a thousand soldiers, but here probably used of higher-ranking commanders like generals (see L&N 55.15; cf. Rev 6:15).
  61. Revelation 6:15 tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.
  62. Revelation 6:16 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  63. Revelation 6:16 tn It is difficult to say where this quotation ends. The translation ends it after “withstand it” at the end of v. 17, but it is possible that it should end here, after “Lamb” at the end of v. 16. If it ends after “Lamb,” v. 17 is a parenthetical explanation by the author.
  64. Revelation 6:17 tc Most mss (A M bo) change the pronoun “their” to “his” (αὐτοῦ, autou) in order to bring the text in line with the mention of the one seated on the throne in the immediately preceding verse, and to remove the ambiguity about whose wrath is in view here. The reading αὐτῶν (autōn, “their”) is well supported by א C 1611 1854 2053 2329 2344 latt sy. On both internal and external grounds, it should be regarded as autographic.
  65. Revelation 6:17 tn The translation “to withstand (it)” for ἵστημι (histēmi) is based on the imagery of holding one’s ground in a military campaign or an attack (BDAG 482 s.v. B.4).