Revelation 6:2

Revelation 6:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
• New International Version (NIV)I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.

Context of Revelation 6:2

1Then I saw as the Lamb (Christ) broke one of the seven seals [of the scroll initiating the judgments], and I heard one of the four living creatures call out as with a voice of thunder, “Come.” I looked, and behold, a white horse [of victory] whose rider carried a bow; and a crown [of victory] was given to him, and he rode forth conquering and to conquer. 3When He (the Lamb) broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature call out, “Come.” 4And another, a fiery red horse [of bloodshed], came out; and its rider was empowered to take peace from the earth, so that men would slaughter one another; and a great sword [of war and violent death] was given to him.

Revelation 6:2 word by word

Καὶ εἶδον καὶ ἰδοὺ ἵππος λευκὸς καὶ ὁ καθήμενος ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸν ἔχων τόξον. καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῷ στέφανος, καὶ ἐξῆλθεν νικῶν καὶ ἵνα νικήσῃ.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• I sawὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
• a whiteλευκόςleukos · whiteG3022
• horseἵπποςhippos · horseG2462
• heὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• that satκάθημαιkathēmai · to sitG2521
• onἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• hadἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• a bowτόξονtoxon · bowG5115
• a crownστέφανοςstephanos · crownG4735
• was givenδίδωμιdidōmi · to giveG1325
• he went forthἐξέρχομαιexerchomai · to go outG1831
• conqueringνικάωnikaō · to conquerG3528
• toἵναhina · in order that/toG2443

Cross-references for Revelation 6:2

• Revelation 19:11And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who was riding it is called Faithful and True (trustworthy, loyal, incorruptible, steady), and in righteousness He judges and wages war [on the rebellious nations].
• Zechariah 1:8In the night I saw [a vision] and behold, a Man was riding on a red horse, and it stood among the myrtle trees that were in the ravine; and behind Him were horses: red, sorrel (reddish-brown), and white.
• Zechariah 6:3the third chariot had white horses (victory), and the fourth chariot had strong dappled horses (death through judgment).
• Psalms 45:3Strap Your sword on Your thigh, O mighty One, In Your splendor and Your majesty!
• Psalms 76:7You, even You, are to be feared [with the submissive wonder of reverence]; Who may stand in Your presence when once You are angry?
• Revelation 14:14Again I looked, and this is what I saw: a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was One like the Son of Man, with a crown of gold on His head and a sharp sickle [of swift judgment] in His hand.
• Revelation 19:12His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many royal crowns; and He has a name inscribed [on Him] which no one knows or understands except Himself.
• Zechariah 6:11Take silver and gold [from them], and make an ornate crown and set it on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest.
• Matthew 28:18Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority (all power of absolute rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.
• Revelation 11:15Then the seventh angel sounded [his trumpet]; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom (dominion, rule) of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.”
• Revelation 15:2Then I saw something like a sea or large expanse of glass mixed with fire, and those who were victorious over the beast and over his image and over the number corresponding to his name were standing on the sea or large expanse of glass, holding harps of God [worshiping Him].
• Revelation 17:14They will wage war against the Lamb (Christ), and the Lamb will triumph and conquer them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him and on His side are the called and chosen (elect) and faithful.”
• Psalms 98:1O sing to the Lord a new song, For He has done marvelous and wonderful things; His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him.
• Psalms 110:2The Lord will send the scepter of Your strength from Zion, saying, “Rule in the midst of Your enemies.”
• Isaiah 25:8He will swallow up death [and abolish it] for all time. And the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, And He will take away the disgrace of His people from all the earth; For the Lord has spoken.
• Romans 15:18For I will not [even] presume to speak of anything except what Christ has done through me [as an instrument in His hands], resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles [to the gospel], by word and deed,

Commentaries on Revelation 6:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2A white horse - Supposed to represent the Gospel system, and pointing out its excellence, swiftness, and purity. He that sat on him - Supposed to represent Jesus Christ. A bow - The preaching of the Gospel, darting conviction into the hearts of sinners. A crown - The emblem of the kingdom which Christ is to establish on earth. Conquering, and to conquer - Overcoming and confounding the Jews first, and then the Gentiles; spreading more and more the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2And I saw, and behold - A question has arisen as to the mode of representation here: whether what John saw in these visions was a series of pictures, drawn on successive portions of the volume as one seal was broken after another; or whether the description of the horses and of the events was written on the volume, so that John read it himself, or heard it read by another; or whether the opening of the seal was merely the occasion of a scenic…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2Some people think the rider on a white horse is Christ, like in Revelation 19:11. But the only similarity between these two images is the horse. The four riders represent a destructive and senseless world. It has no redeeming qualities. A bow is a weapon made of a curved piece of wood and a string. People shoot arrows with it. The bow was a common Greco-Roman military equipment. Here it is as a symbol of war. to overcome and conquer: The repeated use of…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. Evidently Christ, whether in person, or by His angel, preparatory to His coming again, as appears from Re 19:11, 12. bow--(Psa 45:4, 5). crown--Greek, "stephanos," the garland or wreath of a conqueror, which is also implied by His white horse, white being the emblem of victory. In Re 19:11, 12 the last step in His victorious progress is represented; accordingly there He wears many diadems (Greek, "diademata"; not merely Greek, "stephanoi," "crowns" or…Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 6:2

• Animals
• Bow
• Colors
• Crown
• Horse
• Vision

In the dictionaries

• White Horse
• Colour
• Conquer
• Hurt
• Mighty
• Shake
• Color; Colors
• Crown
• Eschatology of the New Testament
• Ethics

Commentaries on Revelation 6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings