Revelation 6:4

A red horse (ippo purro). Old adjective from pur (fire), flame-coloured, blood-red ( 2 Kings 3:22 ), in N.T. only here and Revelation 12:3 , like Zechariah 1:8 ; Zechariah 6:2 (roan horse). To take peace from the earth (labein thn eirhnhn ek th gh). Second aorist active infinitive of lambanw, and here the nominative case, the subject of edoqh (see verse Zechariah 2 ), "to take peace out of the earth." Alas, how many red horses have been ridden through the ages. And that they should slay one another (kai ina allhlou spaxousin). Epexegetical explanatory purpose clause with ina and the future active of spazw ( Zechariah 5:6 ) instead of the more usual subjunctive (verse Zechariah 6:2 ). Cf. Robertson, Grammar, p. 998f. This is what war does to perfection, makes cannon fodder (cf. John 14:27 ) of men. A great sword (macaira megalh). Macaira may be a knife carried in a sheath at the girdle ( John 18:10 ) or a long sword in battle as here. Rompaia, also a large sword, is the only other word for sword in the N.T. ( Revelation 1:16 ; Revelation 2:12 Revelation 2:16 ; Revelation 6:8 ; Revelation 19:15 Revelation 19:21 ).