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Rev_9:16-19. Description of the army led by the four released angels; its immense size, Rev_9:16; its supernatural nature, and terrible effect (Rev_9:17-19.)
τοῦ ἵππου . The explanatory variations τοῦ ἱππικοῦ and τῶν ἵππων arose from the offence taken because John did not write, in accordance with classical usage, τῆς ἵππου .
δισμυριάδες μυριάδων ; i.e., two hundred millions.
ἥκουσα , κ . τ . λ ., is added by asyndeton, since an explanation is necessary as to whence it was that John knew of the immense number.[2652] Beda, who prefers to render the Greek expression by “bis myriades myridaum,” than with the Vulg., “vicies millies dena millia,” finds here “a deceitful duplicity of the perverse army.” Beng. thinks that the Turkish army could readily have reached that number; viz., in the course of the entire two hundred and seven years of their dominion (cf. Rev_9:15). Hengstenb. recognizes the unnaturalness of the number, and concludes thence that it is meant allegorically; it is to be ascribed to no particular war, but to “the class personified,” as in all the preceding trumpet-visions. But since the army itself, Rev_9:17 sqq., is not described allegorically, the number can be allegorical as little as the local designation, Rev_9:14 : but this number is likewise schematical;[2653] i.e., the army, which is on all occasions beheld as definite, individual, and supernatural in its entire character, appears also in a concrete but supernatural numerical quantity. An allusion to Psa_68:18 may be regarded as the substratum of the concrete number here presented to the prophet in his vision. [See Note LXI., p. 293.] That John, when he now wishes to describe the horses and riders seen by him ( καὶ οὕτως εἰδον , κ . τ . λ .), adds explicitly ἐν τῇ ὁράσει to the εἰδον τ . ἵππ ., can occasion surprise only as this formula, ordinarily employed by the ancient prophets,[2654] does not occur more frequently in the Apoc.; but from the fact that it is nowhere found except in this passage, although it could stand everywhere with the εἶδον indicating a prophetic ὅρασις , nothing less follows than that the present vision has an allegorical meaning, as Beng. and Hengstenb.[2655] affirm; the latter of whom, spiritualizing throughout, says, “In the vision every thing is seen; that which is inner must imprint itself on what is outward, the spiritual must assume a body;” and thus in the color of the breastplate, described immediately afterwards, he sees only a “pictorial expression” of the murderous spirit of the soldiers, who are to be understood literally. But even granting that the idea of vision here presupposed were correct, the εἰδον , in itself, would here, as everywhere, point to this allegorizing. For, why should we find just here the express addition ἐν τῇ ὁράσει ? In it, no intention whatever is to be perceived, and least of all, that of giving an exegetical hint: it is possible, therefore, that John here added the ἐν τῇ ὅρασει to his εἱδον involuntarily, because, in the sixth trumpet-vision, what has thus far been advanced is what he has heard, while he now intends to describe the forms as they appeared to him in the vision.
The first part of the description, ἔχοντας θώρακας
θείωδεις , is referred by Beng., Ewald, De Wette, Hengstenb., Bleek, only to τοὺς καθημένους ἐπʼ αὐτ ., as if the description of the horses were given uninterruptedly and completely, only after that of the riders had been given more incidentally. But Züll. and Ebrard have more correctly referred the ἔχοντας , κ . τ . λ ., to the horses and the riders; for it is the more improbable that the first feature of the description, which is expressly stated to be a description of the horses, should not apply to them, as the color of the breastplates has a correspondence with the things proceeding from the mouths of the horses. In general, the treatment is not concerning the riders, but the horses; so that the words καὶ τ . καθημ . ἐπʼ αὐτ . contain only what is incidental, and in no way hinder the reference of ἔχ . θώρ ., κ . τ . λ ., to τ . ἳππουσ .
θώρακας πυρίνους , κ . τ . λ . The πυρνους and the θειώδεις designate, just as the ὑακίνθινους , only the color;[2656] and, besides, there are three colors to be regarded in their particularity, because they correspond to the three things coming from the mouths of the horses.[2657] The ὙΑΚΙΝΘΊΝΟΥς , which designates dark red,[2658] corresponds excellently with the succeeding ΚΑΠΝΌς .
ΚΑῚ ΑἹ ΚΕΦ ., Κ . Τ . Λ . The heads of the horses were like the heads of lions, possibly similar to lion heads in the size of the mouths and the length of the manes;[2659] it is a definite, monstrous appearance, that is represented, and not in general that the heads of the horses are “fierce and terrible,”[2660] which, of course, is suited better to the allegorical explanation.
Κ . ἘΚ Τ . ΣΤΟΜΆΤΩΝ , Κ . Τ . Λ . How seriously the description is meant, may be inferred from the fact, that in Rev_9:18 the fire, the smoke, and the sulphur, proceeding from the mouths of the horses, are expressly designated as the three plagues whereby[2661] these armies are to slay men, just as the locusts tormented them with their scorpion stings. Fire, smoke, and sulphur—of which the latter, according to the analogy of Rev_21:8, Rev_14:10, Rev_19:20, indicates the infernal nature of the plagues[2662]—are as little intended to be allegorical as, e.g., the famine or the killing in the seal-visions.[2663] The allegorical interpretation, therefore, manifests also here the most singularly arbitrary expedients. They who understand the whole of heretics interpret the fire as “the desire for injuring;” the smoke, as “the seeming zeal of faith,” because smoke is blue like the heavens; the sulphur, as “the deformity of vices.”[2664] Similar is the interpretation in Aret., Luther, Calov., etc., who think, it is true, of the Turks, but have especially in view their erroneous doctrine. What proceeds from the mouths of the horses is, according to Calov., properly the Koran, which comprehends within itself “sulphurous lust, the smoke of false doctrines, and the fires of wars.” To expositors who understand the armies, Rev_9:16 sqq., of actual soldiers,—even notwithstanding the fact that what is said in the text refers not to horsemen, the supposed “cavalrymen,” so much as to the horses,—nothing is readier than to ascribe the fire, smoke, and sulphur, to fiery missiles. Much more correctly, therefore, from the standpoint of the allegory, did, e.g., Grotius understand the firebrands cast into Jerusalem,[2665] than Hengstenb., who understands “the fierce animosity, the spirit of murder, and lust for destruction,” described by personification as soldiers; after the example of Bengel, who only is unwilling to think of cannon and powder-smoke, because the followers of Mohammed did not, as yet, possess such implements of war.
ἡ γὰρ ἐξουσία , κ . τ . λ . Cf. Rev_9:3; Rev_9:10. With reference to Rev_9:18, it is especially emphasized, that the proper power of the horses lies in their mouths; besides this, a second point is added, καὶ ἐν ταῖς οὐραῖς αὐτων . But in how far there is also in the tails an ἐξουσία , is explained ( γὰρ ): αἱ γὰρ οὐραὶ αὐτῶν ὁμοιαι ὅφεσιν , κ . τ . λ . The tails of the horses are, therefore, serpent-like,[2666] especially because these tails have heads; so that they are such as to do injury ( ἐν αὐταῖς , sc., οὐραις , ἀδικ .). It is entirely inapplicable to explain this feature in the description of the monstrous horses, from the analogy of the ancient fiction[2667] concerning the so-called ἀμφίσβαινα (i.e., the serpent moving forwards and backwards) with two heads;[2668] since here nothing whatever is said of two-headed serpents, but instead of the usual horse-tail, something in serpent form, viz., which has a serpent’s head, is presented.
Hengstenb.[2669] finds here the “malignity” of war symbolized. But why should Bengel be mistaken, who explains that the horsemen (the Turks), even when they turn their backs and seem to flee, do injury? Or is it not still more consistent when Grot. mentions, with reference to this, that with the ancients infantry frequently sat back of the cavalry? Volkm., without seeming to exercise the best judgment, is satisfied with referring this to the kicking-back of the horses.
[2652] Cf. Rev_7:4.
[2653] Cf. Rev_7:4.
[2654] Cf. Dan_8:2; Dan_9:21.
[2655] Klief. also, who explains (p. 152) the troops of riders identical with the “worldly war-power” described in Rev_9:1-12, which now proceeds to slay men.
[2656] Against Züll., who understands a breastplate of copper, blue steel, and brass. Cf. also Eichh., who thinks of an iron and bronze breastplate polished and shining in the sunlight. Still more inaptly, Heinr.: πυρ . is truly fiery; ὑακινθ . signifies polished steel; θειωδ ., exhaling a sulphurous odor.
[2657] Against Ewald: “Regard therefore the red, shining, and glowing colors brought together in order to denote the height of brilliancy.”
[2658] See the lexicons.
[2659] Ewald.
[2660] Beng., Hengstenb.
[2661] ἀπὸ . Cf. Winer, p. 348.
[2662] Hengstenb.
[2663] The classical myth, in accordance with which Ovid (Met., vii. 104 sq.) writes:—
[2664] N. de Lyra. Cf. also Ebrard.
[2665] “They seemed to proceed from the mouth of the horses, because they flew from before their mouths.”
[2666] See on Rev_9:10.
[2667] Wetst., Beng., Herd., Ew., etc.
[2668] Plin., H. N., viii. 35: “The double head of the amphisbaenae, i.e., also at the tail.”
[2669] Cf. also Stern, Ebrard.
“Ecce, adamanteis vulcanum naribus efflant Acripedes tauri, tactaeque vaporibus herbae Ardent.”
[“So the brazen-footed oxen breathe fire from their adamantine nostrils, and the grass touched by the vapors glows”], (cf. Virg., Georg. 2:140: “Tauri spirantes naribus ignem,” “Oxen breathing fire from their nostrils”), may be compared, as it expresses with all seriousness that those oxen were actually fire-breathing.
LXI. Rev_9:16. δισμυριάδες μυριάδων