^1:8I was attentive that night and saw a man seated¹¹ on a red horse that stood among some myrtle trees¹² in the ravine. Behind him were red, sorrel,¹³ and white horses.

The Interpretation of the First Vision

^1:9Then I asked one nearby, “What are these, sir?” The angelic messenger¹⁴ who replied to me said, “I will show you what these are.” ^1:10Then the man standing among the myrtle trees spoke up and said, “These are the ones whom the Lord has sent to walk about¹⁵ on the earth.” ^1:11The riders then agreed with the angel of the Lord,¹⁶ who was standing among the myrtle trees, “We have been walking about on the earth, and now everything is at rest and quiet.”

Read in Logos

Footnotes

11 Heb “riding,” but since this verb in English is usually associated with horses in motion rather than standing still, the translation uses “seated.” Cf. “the driver of a red horse.”
12 The presupposes הֶהָרִים (heharim, “mountains”) rather than the הַהֲדַסִּים (hahadassim, “myrtles”), probably because of reference to the ravine. The reading is preferred and is followed by most English versions.
13 The Hebrew שְׂרֻקִּים (séruqqim) means “red” (cf. , , “brown”). English translations such as “speckled” () or “dappled” () are based on the reading of the (ψαροί) that attempts to bring the color of this horse into conformity with those described in Zech 6:2–3. However, since these are two different and unrelated visions, this is a methodological fallacy.
14 Heb “messenger” or “angel” (מַלְאָךְ, mal’akh). This being appears to serve as an interpreter to the prophet (cf. vv. 13, 14).
15 The stem used here (Hitpael) with the verb “walk” (הָלַךְ, halakh) suggests the exercise of dominion (cf. Gen 13:17; Job 1:7; 2:2–3; Ezek 28:14; Zech 6:7). The Lord is here about to claim sovereignty over the nations. Cf. , , , “to patrol”; “to go and inspect.”
16 The angel of the Lord is a special being who throughout the OT represents God himself and on occasion almost approaches divine hypostatization or incarnation (cf. Gen 18:2, 13, 17, 22; Exod 23:20–21; Josh 5:13–15; Judg 6:11–24; 13:2–20).

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

“I saw in the night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse! He was standing among the myrtle trees in the glen, and behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses. Then I said, ‘What are these, my lord?’ The angel who talked with me said to me, ‘I will show you what they are.’ So the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered, ‘These are they whom the Lord has sent to patrol the earth.’ And they answered the angel of the Lord who was standing among the myrtle trees, and said, ‘We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth remains at rest.’

NIVNew International Version (2011)

During the night I had a vision, and there before me was a man mounted on a red horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him were red, brown and white horses.

I asked, “What are these, my lord?”

The angel who was talking with me answered, “I will show you what they are.”

Then the man standing among the myrtle trees explained, “They are the ones the Lord has sent to go throughout the earth.”

And they reported to the angel of the Lord who was standing among the myrtle trees, “We have gone throughout the earth and found the whole world at rest and in peace.”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

I looked out in the night and saw a man riding on a chestnut horse. He was standing among the myrtle trees in the valley. Behind him were chestnut, brown, and white horses. I asked, “What are these, my lord?”

The angel who was talking to me replied, “I will show you what they are.”

Then the man standing among the myrtle trees explained, “They are the ones the Lord has sent to patrol the earth.”

They reported to the angel of the Lord standing among the myrtle trees, “We have patrolled the earth, and right now the whole earth is calm and quiet.”

NLTNew Living Translation

In a vision during the night, I saw a man sitting on a red horse that was standing among some myrtle trees in a small valley. Behind him were riders on red, brown, and white horses. I asked the angel who was talking with me, “My lord, what do these horses mean?”

“I will show you,” the angel replied.

The rider standing among the myrtle trees then explained, “They are the ones the Lord has sent out to patrol the earth.”

Then the other riders reported to the angel of the Lord, who was standing among the myrtle trees, “We have been patrolling the earth, and the whole earth is at peace.”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

I had a vision in the night, and look, a man riding on a red horse. And he was standing between the myrtle shrubs that were in the ravine, and behind him were red, reddish-brown, and white horses. And I asked, “What are these, my lord?” And the angel who was talking with me said, “I will show you what these are.” And the man standing between the myrtle shrubs answered and said, “These are those whom Yahweh has sent to patrol the earth.” And they answered the angel of Yahweh who was standing between the myrtle shrubs, and they said, “We have patrolled the earth, and look, all the earth is dwelling in peace.”

KJV 1900King James Version

I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white. Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these be. And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom the Lord hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth. And they answered the angel of the Lord that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest.

Public Domain