Revelation 6:8

“And I looked, and look, a pale horse, and the one who sat on it, his name was Death, and Hades was following with him; and authority was given to them over the fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild animals of the earth.”
Revelation 6:8 · direct translation from the Greek

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AndκαὶI looked,εἶδονandκαὶlook,ἰδοὺa paleχλωρόςhorse,ἵπποςandκαὶthe one who satὁ καθήμενοςonἐπάνωit,αὐτοῦhisαὐτῷnameὄνομαwasDeath,ὁ ΘάνατοςandκαὶHadesὁ ᾅδηςwas followingἠκολούθειwithμετ’him;αὐτοῦandκαὶauthorityἐξουσίαwas givenἐδόθηto themαὐτοῖςoverἐπὶthe fourthτὸ τέταρτονof the earth,τῆς γῆςto killἀποκτεῖναιwithἐνswordῥομφαίᾳandκαὶwithἐνfamineλιμῷandκαὶwithἐνpestilenceθανάτῳandκαὶbyὑπὸthe wild animalsτῶν θηρίωνof the earth.τῆς γῆς

Allusion · Ezekiel 14:21

Go to Ezekiel 14:21

Both texts join the sword, famine, pestilence, and wild beasts as punishments.

They share words that are rare in the original, without a quotation.

ῥομφαίᾳrhomphaiaiG4501חֶרֶבjerevH2719“sword”
λιμῷlimōiG3042רָעָבraavH7458“famine, hunger”
θηρίωνthēriōnG2342חַיָּהjayaH2416“wild beast, wild animal”

Revelation 6:8, word by word

I lookedεἶδονeidon

see

To perceive with sight, to look and notice what is in front.

Where else “eidon” appears

a paleχλωρόςchlōros

pale

The colour of a bloodless face.

Where else “chlōros” appears

horseἵπποςhippos

horse

Horse.

Where else “hippos” appears

the one who satκαθήμενοςkathēmenos

sit

To be seated somewhere, or riding on an animal.

Where else “kathēmenos” appears

onἐπάνωepanō

above

Higher than something, or ruling it.

Where else “epanō” appears

nameὄνομαonoma

name

The word by which a person or thing is called, which often says who they are.

Where else “onoma” appears

DeathΘάνατοςThanatos

death

The end of the body's life.

Where else “Thanatos” appears

Hadesᾅδηςhaidēs

Hades

Hades: the place of the dead; in Hebrew, Sheol.

Where else “haidēs” appears

was followingἠκολούθειēkolouthei

To walk behind someone, going with them wherever they go.

Where else “ēkolouthei” appears

authorityἐξουσίαexousia

authority

The right to command or act.

Where else “exousia” appears

was givenἐδόθηedothē

give

To hand something to another freely, as a gift.

Where else “edothē” appears

the fourthτέταρτονtetarton

fourth

Fourth.

Where else “tetarton” appears

of the earthγῆςgēs

earth

The whole earth under heaven, where human beings live.

Where else “gēs” appears

to killἀποκτεῖναιapokteinai

kill

Kill.

Where else “apokteinai” appears

swordῥομφαίᾳrhomphaiai

sword

Sword, a large broad sword.

Where else “rhomphaiai” appears

famineλιμῷlimōi

famine

A time without food in a region.

Where else “limōi” appears

the wild animalsθηρίωνthēriōn

wild animal

An animal of the wild that lives free and can be dangerous.

Where else “thēriōn” appears

Translation note

“Pestilence”: the same word as “Death”; here probably plague. It recalls Ezekiel 14:21.

The context

7And when he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come!”

8 · This verse (above)

9And when he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slaughtered because of the word of God and because of the testimony that they held.

Read all of Revelation 6

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