Revelation 9:7

The shapes (ta omoiwmata). Old word from omoiow, to make like (from omoio, like), likeness, in N.T. only here, Romans 5:14 ; Philippians 2:7 , "the likenesses were like" (omoia). Homoiwma is "midway between morph and schma" (Lightfoot). Unto horses (ippoi). Associative-instrumental case, as is the rule with omoio ( Philippians 1:15 ; Philippians 2:18 ; Philippians 4:6 ; Philippians 9:10 Philippians 9:19 ; Philippians 11:1 ; Philippians 13:2 Philippians 13:11 ), but with the accusative in Philippians 1:13 ; Philippians 14:14 . So also omoioi cruswi (like gold) in this same verse. Prepared for war (htoimasmenoi ei polemon). Perfect passive participle of etoimazw. This imagery of war-horses is like that in Joel 2:4 . "The likeness of a locust to a horse, especially to a horse equipped with armour, is so striking that the insect is named in German Heupferd (hay horse), and in Italian cavalett a little horse" (Vincent). As it were crowns (o stepanoi). Not actual crowns, but what looked like crowns of gold, as conquerors, as indeed they were ( Joel 4:4 ; Joel 6:2 ; Joel 12:1 ; Joel 14:14 ). These locusts of the abyss have another peculiar feature. As men's faces (w proswpa anqrwpwn). Human-looking faces in these demonic locusts to give added terror, "suggesting the intelligence and capacity of man" (Swete). Vincent actually sees "a distinct resemblance to the human countenance in the face of the locust."