Paragraph 6:5–6
6:5a
third: This word refers to the next item after the second one. If counted, this item would be counted as number three. Other ways to translate this word are:
the one after the other two
-or-
the one after the two of them
-or-
another
6:5b
say, “Come!”:
The third living creature spoke here to the rider on the black horse (6:5d). It is probably implied that he spoke loudly, like the first creature spoke (6:1c).
6:5c
I looked and saw: The Greek words are literally “I saw, and look,” as in 6:2a. Translate the Greek words as you did in 6:2.
6:5c–d
a black horse, and its rider held in his hand a pair of scales: The Greek words are literally “a black horse and one sitting on it having a pair of scales in his hand.” It indicates that John saw both the horse and the person sitting on it at the same time but described the horse first. These words are similar in grammar to the words about the white horse and rider in 6:2a. Other ways to translate these words are:
was a black horse and rider with a pair of scales in his hand
-or-
was someone on a black horse, holding scales in his hand
a pair of scales: This phrase refers to a balance scale used for weighing things. It had two bowls which hung from a beam. The beam hung from a hook or ring halfway between the bowls. When the weight of the items in the two bowls were equal, the beam was level.
Usually a standard weight was put in one bowl. The person filled the other bowl with portions of the item for sale until the beam was level. They then had measured out the correct amount of the item to sell. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
a scale (God’s Word)
-or-
a balance scale (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
a device/tool for measuring ⌊the weight of⌋ food
-or-
a weight measurer
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