Revelation 6:5-6

6:5 Then ¹  when the Lamb opened the third seal I heard the third living creature saying, “Come!” So ²  I looked, ³  and here came ⁴  a black horse! The ⁵  one who rode it ⁶  had a balance scale ⁷  in his hand. 6:6 Then ⁸  I heard something like a voice from among the four living creatures saying, “A quart ⁹  of wheat will cost a day’s pay ¹⁰  and three quarts of barley will cost a day’s pay. But ¹¹  do not damage the olive oil and the wine!”

[6:5]  ¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[6:5]  ² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the summons by the third creature.

[6:5]  ³ 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]  ⁴ tn The phrase “and here came” expresses the sense of καὶ ἰδού (kai idou).

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

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

[6:5]  ⁷ sn A balance scale would have been a rod held by a rope in the middle with pans attached to both ends for measuring.

[6:6]  ⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[6:6]  ⁹ 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.”

[6:6]  ¹⁰ 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.”

[6:6]  ¹¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.