Zechariah 6:2-7

6:2 Harnessed to the first chariot were red horses, to the second black horses, 6:3 to the third white horses, and to the fourth spotted horses, all of them strong. ¹  6:4 Then I asked the angelic messenger ²  who was speaking with me, “What are these, sir?” 6:5 The messenger replied, “These are the four spirits ³  of heaven that have been presenting themselves before the Lord of all the earth. 6:6 The chariot with the black horses is going to the north country and the white ones are going after them, but the spotted ones are going to the south country. 6:7 All these strong ones ⁴  are scattering; they have sought permission to go and walk about over the earth.” The Lord had said, “Go! Walk about over the earth!” So they are doing so.

Revelation 6:4

6:4 And another horse, fiery red, ⁵  came out, and the one who rode it ⁶  was granted permission ⁷  to take peace from the earth, so that people would butcher ⁸  one another, and he was given a huge sword.

Revelation 19:19-21

19:19 Then ⁹  I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to do battle with the one who rode the horse and with his army. 19:20 Now ¹⁰  the beast was seized, and along with him the false prophet who had performed the signs on his behalf ¹¹  – signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire burning with sulfur. ¹²  19:21 The ¹³  others were killed by the sword that extended from the mouth of the one who rode the horse, and all the birds gorged ¹⁴  themselves with their flesh.

¹ tc For the MT reading אֲמֻצִּים (’amutsim, “strong”) Aquila and Syriac presuppose אֲדֻמִּים (’adummim, “red”), thus giving the red horse an assignment and eliminating the problem of a fifth, “spotted” horse. The fourth would be a mottled red horse according to this view. There is, however, no manuscript support for this interpretation.

² tn See the note on the expression “angelic messenger” in 1:9.

³ tn The Hebrew term translated “spirit” here may also be translated “wind” or “breath” depending on the context (cf. ASV, NRSV, CEV “the four winds of heaven”; NAB similar).

⁴ tn The present translation takes אֲמֻצִּים (’amutsim, “strong”) to be a descriptive of all the horses – white, black, red, and spotted (cf. NAB, NIV, NLT).

⁵ tn L&N 79.31 states, “‘fiery red’ (probably with a tinge of yellow or orange).”

⁶ tn Grk “the one sitting on it.”

⁷ tn The word “permission” is implied; Grk “it was given to him to take peace from the earth.”

⁸ 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.”

⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

¹⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the introduction of an unexpected development in the account: The opposing armies do not come together in battle; rather the leader of one side is captured.

¹¹ tn For this meaning see BDAG 342 s.v. ἐνώπιον 4.b, “by the authority of, on behalf of Rv 13:12, 14; 19:20.”

¹² tn Traditionally, “brimstone.”

¹³ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

¹⁴ tn On the translation of ἐχορτάσθησαν (ecortasqhsan) BDAG 1087 s.v. χορτάζω 1.a states, “of animals, pass. in act. sense πάντα τὰ ὄρνεα ἐχορτάσθησαν ἐκ τῶν σαρκῶν αὐτῶν all the birds gorged themselves with their flesh Rv 19:21 (cp. TestJud. 21:8).”