6:2a

So I looked and saw a white horse: The Greek words are literally “I saw, and look, a white horse.” The phrase “and look” emphasizes or calls attention to the words that follow. It also probably indicates surprise, unexpectedness, or suddenness. Other ways to translate these clauses are:

And I looked, and behold, a white horse. (New King James Version)
-or-
I looked, and before my eyes was a white horse (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
I looked up, and suddenly/hey I saw a white horse
-or-
Then there appeared before me a white horse!

saw a white horse, and its rider held a bow: The Greek words are literally “a white horse and one sitting on it having a bow.” It indicates that John saw both the horse and the rider at the same time but described the horse first. These verses also indicate that the rider held a bow when John saw him. Other ways to translate these Greek phrases are:

was a white horse and rider with a bow
-or-
was someone on a white horse and holding a bow

horse: A horse is a large, four-legged animal that weighs 500 kilograms (1100 pounds) or more. Horses are about 1.5 meters (5 feet) high at the back. People often use horses for transportation.

In some languages people are not familiar with horses. If that is true in your language, you may want to:

• Explain the word in your translation. For example:

riding animal ⌊called a horse⌋

• Use the major language word. If people are not familiar with this word, explain it in a footnote. An example footnote is:

A horse is a large animal that a person can ride. The person could direct the horse to go where he wanted.

rider: The Greek word does not say whether the rider was a human being, an angel, or another being. You should translate rider in a way that allows for any being. See the examples above.

a bow: A bow is a weapon which is used to shoot arrows. The rider may have been only carrying the bow and not shooting an arrow. But it is probably implied that he had arrows as well.

In some languages people are not familiar with bows. If that is true in your language, you may want to:

• Explain what the bow is in your translation. For example:

⌊a war weapon called⌋ a bow

• Use a general word or phrase. For example:

a war weapon

• Explain it in a footnote. For example:

A “bow” is a war weapon.
-or-
A “bow” is a weapon used in war. It is a long piece of wood bent and tied with a string. A straight reed/stick with a sharpened front end is called an “arrow” and is fitted to the string and the string pulled back, creating spring tension. When the warrior releases the string, the arrow shoots forward.

• Explain it in a footnote together with an illustration. Include an illustration that shows a bow and arrow being used. You could put the illustration in your glossary, if you did not want to include one in your translation. For example:

A “bow” is a weapon used in war. See illustration on this page.
-or-
A “bow” is a weapon used in war. See illustration in glossary.

• Use a traditional war weapon common in your area. But you should not use a name of a modern weapon such as “gun.” You may then want a footnote to explain the literal word. For example:

Literally: “bow.” It is a long piece of wood bent and tied with a string. The warrior uses it to shoot sharp sticks called arrows at the enemy.

6:2b

he was given a crown: This clause is passive. Some languages must use an active or intransitive clause. For example:

⌊Someone/They⌋ gave a crown to him
-or-

⌊God⌋ gave a crown to him
-or-
he received a crown

In some languages the words “take” and “receive” are translated by the same verb. The English verb “receive” implies that someone gave the crown, but the English verb “take” does not imply that. Your translation should imply or indicate that someone gave it.

a crown: Here, the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as crown probably refers to a wreath worn on the head as a sign of victory over something. Here, it symbolizes victories in war (6:2c). See how you translated this word in 2:10 or 4:4.

6:2c

he rode out to overcome and conquer: The Greek words are literally “he went forth conquering and/even that he might conquer.” The clause emphasizes that the rider rode out to win battles, and he continuously won battles. Other ways to translate this clause are:

he went out conquering and to conquer ⌊many⌋
-or-
He rode out to win many battles and gain the victory (New Living Translation (2004))

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