Revelation 6:5–6

6:5 Then16 when the Lamb opened the third seal I heard the third living creature saying, “Come!” So17 I looked,18 and here came19 a black horse! The20 one who rode it21 had a balance scale22 in his hand. 6:6 Then23 I heard something like a voice from among the four living creatures saying, “A quart24 of wheat will cost a day’s pay25 and three quarts of barley will cost a day’s pay. But26 do not damage the olive oil and the wine!”

16	tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
17	tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the summons by the third creature.
18	tc The reading “and I looked” (καὶ εἶδον, kai eidon) or some slight variation (e.g., ἶδον, idon) has excellent ms support ({א A C P 1611}) and its omission seems to have come through the mss that have already placed “and look” (καὶ ἴδε or καὶ βλέπε [kai ide or kai blepe]) after the verb “come” (ἔρχου, erchou) in 6:1. Thus, for these copyists it was redundant to add “and I looked” again.
19	tn The phrase “and here came” expresses the sense of καὶ ἰδού (kai idou).
20	tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
21	tn Grk “the one sitting on it.”
22	sn A balance scale would have been a rod held by a rope in the middle with pans attached to both ends for measuring.
23	tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
24	tn BDAG 1086 s.v. χοῖνιξ states, “a dry measure, oft. used for grain, approximately equivalent to one quart or one liter, quart. A χ.of grain was a daily ration for one pers.… Rv 6:6ab.”
25	tn Grk “a quart of wheat for a denarius.” A denarius was one day’s pay for an average worker. The words “will cost” are used to indicate the genitive of price or value; otherwise the English reader could understand the phrase to mean “a quart of wheat to be given as a day’s pay.”
26	tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.