These three plagues: a plague is a very great disaster that injures and kills many people. In the Bible, plagues are seen as God’s punishment (as in the case of the ten plagues sent upon the Egyptians). The word means simply “a blow” and is used of the strike of a sword (13.14). If a specific word for plagues is not available, something like “calamities” or “disasters” may be used. In languages that have a general word which covers all kinds of trouble, one may say “terrible (or, fearful) trouble.”

A third of mankind: as specified in verse 15.

The fire and smoke and sulphur: it is understood, of course, that the sulfur is coming from the horses’ mouths (or nostrils) in the form of vapor, together with the flames and the smoke.

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• These three plagues, which were the fire, the smoke, and the sulphur coming out of the horses’ mouths, killed one third of all humans.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Revelation to John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .