Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
A pale horse (ippov xlwrov). Old adjective. Contracted from xloerov (from xloh, tender green grass) used of green grass (Mark 6:39; Revelation 8:7; Revelation 9:4), here for yellowish, common in both senses in old Greek, though here only in N.T. in this sense, greenish yellow. We speak of a sorrel horse, never of a green horse. Zechariah (Zechariah 6:3) uses poikilov (grizzled or variegated). Homer used xlwrov of the ashen colour of a face blanched by fear (pallid) and so the pale horse is a symbol of death and of terror.
His name was Death (onoma autw o qanatov). Anacoluthon in grammatical structure like that in John 3:1 (cf. Revelation 2:26) and common enough. Death is the name of this fourth rider (so personified) and there is with Death "his inseparable comrade, Hades (Revelation 1:16; Revelation 20:13 f.)" (Swete). Hades (aidhv, alpha privative, and idein, to see, the unseen) is the abode of the dead, the keys of which Christ holds (Revelation 1:18).
Followed (hkolouqei). Imperfect active of akolouqew, kept step with death, whether on the same horse or on another horse by his side or on foot John does not say.
Over the fourth part of the earth (epi to tetarton thv ghv). Partitive genitive ghv after tetarton. Wider authority (ecousia) was given to this rider than to the others, though what part of the earth is included in the fourth part is not indicated.
To kill (apokteinai). First aorist active infinitive of apokteinw, explanation of the ecousia (authority). The four scourges of Ezekiel 14:21 are here reproduced with instrumental en with the inanimate things (romfaiai, limw qanatw) and upo for the beasts (qhriwn). Death here (qanatw) seems to mean pestilence as the Hebrew does (loimov — cf. limov famine). Cf. the "black death" for a plague.
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing Revelation 6:8:
John 3:1
Revelation 1:18
Revelation 5:4
Revelation 6:2
Revelation 6:4
Revelation 9:11
Revelation 9:19
Revelation 12:3
Revelation 20:13
Revelation 22:14
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