So I looked and saw
This phrase indicates the Apostle John's role as a visionary, receiving divine revelation. The Greek word for "looked" (ἐβλέπον) suggests an intentional and focused gaze, emphasizing the importance of what is being revealed. John's vision is not a mere dream but a purposeful unveiling of future events, underscoring the prophetic nature of the Book of Revelation.

a white horse
The color white in biblical symbolism often represents purity, victory, and righteousness. In the context of Revelation, the white horse can be seen as a symbol of conquest and triumph. Historically, white horses were associated with victorious Roman generals returning from battle. This imagery sets the stage for the rider's mission, which is one of conquest.

and its rider held a bow
The bow is a weapon of war, symbolizing military power and the ability to strike from a distance. In the ancient world, archers were formidable warriors, and the bow represents the rider's capacity to exert influence and control. The absence of arrows in the text has led some scholars to suggest that the conquest may be achieved through diplomacy or threat rather than outright war.

And he was given a crown
The crown (Greek: στέφανος, stephanos) is a symbol of authority and victory. Unlike a diadem, which signifies royal power, a stephanos is often associated with the laurel wreaths awarded to victors in athletic contests. This suggests that the rider's authority is granted for a specific purpose and time, aligning with the theme of divine sovereignty over earthly events.

and he rode out to overcome and conquer
The dual purpose of overcoming and conquering highlights the rider's mission. The Greek words νικᾷν (nikao) and κατακτᾶσθαι (kataktesthai) imply both victory and subjugation. This reflects the unfolding of God's plan, where earthly powers are used to fulfill divine purposes. The rider's conquest is part of the larger narrative of Revelation, where God's ultimate victory over evil is assured.

(2) Conquering, and to conquer.--Better, conquering, and that he might conquer. One version has, "and he conquered." All commentators seem to be agreed that this rider represents victory. The emblems --the crown and white horse--are obviously those of victory. The crown (stephanos) is the crown of triumph. The horses used in Roman triumphs were white. On the white horse of triumph the crowned rider goes forth conquering, and that he might conquer. But who or what is here represented? Some take it to be a mere emblem of conquest, or victory, as the next rider represents war. There is then a harmony of interpretation: the horsemen reveal to the seer that the after-history will be marked by conquests, wars, famines, pestilences. The description, however, seems to demand something more: the expression, "that he might conquer," carries our thoughts beyond a mere transient conqueror. The vision, moreover, was surely designed to convey an assured happy feeling to the mind of the seer. No picture of mere Roman conquests or world-victory would have conveyed this. Is not the vision the reflex of the hopes of early Christian thought? It is the symbol of Christian victory. It was thus their hopes saw Christ: though ascended He went forth in spiritual power conquering. They were right in their faith, and wrong in their expectation. Right in their faith: He went forth conquering, and He would conquer. Wrong in their expectation: the visions of war, famine, death must intervene. It was through these that the conqueror would be proved more than conqueror. It is, perhaps, significant of this intervening period of trouble and suffering that the rider is armed with a bow. The arrows of His judgments (war, famine) would be sharp among those who refused the sword of His word. For those who will not turn He hath bent His bow and made it ready. His arrows are ordained against the persecutors.

Verse 2. - And I saw. The usual introduction to a new vision, or a special feature of a vision (see on Revelation 4:1). And behold a white horse. The whole vision appears to be founded on that of Zechariah 1:8-12. White is always typical in the Revelation of heavenly things (cf. Revelation 1:14, "His hairs were white;" Revelation 2:17, "a white stone;" Revelation 3:4, 5, 18; Revelation 4:4; Revelation 6:11, and Revelation 7:9, 13, "white garments;" Revelation 14:14, "white cloud;" Revelation 19:11, 14, "white horses;" Revelation 20:11, "white throne"), and indeed in the whole of the New Testament (cf. Matthew 17:2; Matthew 28:3; John 20:12; Acts 1:10), the only exceptions being Matthew 5:36 and John 4:35. The horse, throughout the Old Testament, is emblematic of war. Among the Romans a white horse was the symbol of victory. And he that sat on him. On a consideration of the whole of the visions attending the opening of the seals, it seems best to interpret this vision as a symbolic representation of the abstract idea of the Church as a victorious body. In a similar way the following appearances are typical of war, famine, and death. Some interpret the rider to mean Christ himself a sense not materially different from that given above, since by the victory of Christ the Church collectively and Christians individually are enabled to triumph; and in his body, the Church, Christ triumphs. This appearance is repeated, with additions, at Revelation 19:11. The revelation thus begins and closes with an assurance of victory. God's end is attained in a mysterious way. Many trials and afflictions are to trouble the earth, but through all God is working to bring his Church triumphantly through the struggle. And what is true of the Church as a whole is true of each individual soul. Those to whom St. John wrote could not understand, as many now do not understand, for what purpose God permitted them to suffer. For such St. John's message is intended to be a support; not, indeed, by removing present troubles, but by declaring the final victory of those who endure to the end. Thus, then, as a preparation for the woes to be revealed, and as an encouragement after disclosing the prospect of prolonged trial, the vision of the Church triumphant is vouchsafed, both at the beginning and the end of the Revelation. Bisping and others understand the vision ass personification of war; Bengel and Reuss consider that it means conquest, or a particular conqueror (Vespasian and Trajan being denominated), just as in Jeremiah 21:7 and Jeremiah 32:36 the King of Babylon is connected with war, famine, and pestilence. Elliott, with others, interpret the rider as meaning the Roman empire, just as the ram (Daniel 8:3) signified the Persian, and the goat (Daniel 8:5) the Grecian empires. Todd sees in this appearance a particular aspect of Christ's second coming. Victorinus, following Matthew 24 in his exposition of the seals, sees in the first seal the Word of the Lord, which is like an arrow (cf. Hebrews 4:12). Andreas sees in the first seal a vision of the Church's triumph over Satan in apostolic times; and similarly, in the second, the martyrdom of Christians in the age immediately following. Bode believes the seals to foreshadow the future history of the Church. Wordsworth, after St. Augustine, expounds the first seal as the advent of Christ and the Gospel, and the following ones as depicting subsequent troubles of the Church, which are specified. Had a bow. The bow and arrows are used as signs of power by Old Testament writers. In Zechariah 9:13 we have, "When I have bent Judah for me, filled the bow with Ephraim;" in Habakkuk 3:8, 9, "Thou didst ride upon thine horses and thy chariots of salvation; thy bow was made quite naked;" in Psalm 45:5, "Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies." The general idea of the vision is perhaps taken from Zechariah 1:7-12 and 6. And a crown was given unto him, In Zechariah 6:11, quoted above, we have a parallel passage, "Make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest; and speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold the Man whose name is The Branch." The crown is στέφανος, as in Revelation 2:10 - the crown of life, the crown of victory. And he went forth conquering, and to conquer; came forth conquering, and that he may conquer. This is the key to the whole vision. Only of Christ and his kingdom can it be said that it is to conquer. All earthly empires are more or less temporary in character; only of Christ's kingdom shall there be no end. A strife there must be between the powers of earth and the powers of heaven; the gospel did not inaugurate a reign of earthly peace, but the end is not doubtful; Christ and his Church came forth conquering, and that they may conquer finally, whatever earthly trials may intervene.

Parallel Commentaries ...


[So]
Καὶ (Kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

I looked
εἶδον (eidon)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 3708: Properly, to stare at, i.e. to discern clearly; by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

saw
ἰδοὺ (idou)
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 2400: See! Lo! Behold! Look! Second person singular imperative middle voice of eido; used as imperative lo!

a white
λευκός (leukos)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3022: White, bright, brilliant. From luke; white.

horse,
ἵππος (hippos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2462: A horse. Of uncertain affinity; a horse.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

its rider
ὁ (ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

had
ἔχων (echōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2192: To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold.

a bow.
τόξον (toxon)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 5115: A bow. From the base of tikto; a bow.

And
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

he
αὐτῷ (autō)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

was given
ἐδόθη (edothē)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1325: To offer, give; I put, place. A prolonged form of a primary verb; to give.

a crown,
στέφανος (stephanos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4735: A crown, garland, honor, glory. From an apparently primary stepho; a chaplet, literally or figuratively.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

he rode out
ἐξῆλθεν (exēlthen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1831: To go out, come out. From ek and erchomai; to issue.

to overcome
νικῶν (nikōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3528: To conquer, be victorious, overcome, prevail, subdue. From nike; to subdue.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

conquer.
νικήσῃ (nikēsē)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3528: To conquer, be victorious, overcome, prevail, subdue. From nike; to subdue.


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NT Prophecy: Revelation 6:2 And behold a white horse and he (Rev. Re Apocalypse)