Revelation 6:3
in Revelation 6And when the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And when he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, Come.
KJV
And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.
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This verse in Revelation 6
Commentary
11 notes on this verseA commentator
Victorinus of PettauCommentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John · Written before 304.
"And when He had opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red, and to him that sate upon him was given a great sword." The red horse, and he that sate upon him, having a sword, signify the coming wars, as we read in the Gospel: "For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be great earthquakes in divers places." This is the ruddy horse.
This site's exposition
the second beast say, Come and see
on Revelation 6:3-4
The second seal looses a red horse, power given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another, a taking away rather than a beginning, since the peace removed is the very peace the first rider's conquest had extended. The great sword given him names the era plainly: not the Lamb's own sword of the mouth in chapter nineteen but a weapon of nations turned against one another, the wars and rumours of wars Christ named among the birth pains of Matthew 24:6-7.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
The same words of exhortation to "come and see" are repeated, but for a different reason. The white horse is portrayed as good, but the red horse is portrayed as evil. Just as in regard to the good, joy is promised for the church's victory, …
But secondly, there is the blessing of Christ to us, who opened the second seal of the little scroll, and added to us the release of our shame, restoring to us the divine vision; He was tempted as the Lord and overcame the tempter so …
The Medieval Church3 voices
And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature, saying: Come, and see. What does it mean that a similar command is given in a dissimilar situation, if not that concern for the future struggle is here given in the …
And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature, etc. We are also commanded to diligently observe the opposing cavalry, so that just as joy is taken from the Church's successes, caution is taken from foreknowledge of adversities.
I suppose that the second living creature is the bull to depict the sacred sacrifices of the holy martyrs, since the first [creature] signified the apostolic authority.
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
We should not prescribe to this prophecy, as if it must needs admit or exclude this or that history, according as we judge one or the other to be of great or small importance. "God seeth not as a man seeth;" therefore what we think great is often omitted, what we think little inserted, in scripture history or prophecy.
And when he had opened the second seal,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And when he had opened the second seal - So as to disclose another portion of the volume. See the notes at Rev 5:1. I heard the second beast say - The second beast was like a calf or an ox. See the notes at Rev 4:
The second beast - That which had the face of an ox.
The words behind it
13 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ὅτε | hote | when | G3753 → | 103 times |
| ἤνοιξεν | enoixen | He opened | G455 → | 77 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| σφραγῖδα | sphragida | seal | G4973 → | 16 times |
| τὴν | ten | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δευτέραν, | deuteran | second | G1208 → | 43 times |
| ἤκουσα | ekousa | I heard | G191 → | 425 times |
| τοῦ | tou | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δευτέρου | deuterou | second | G1208 → | 43 times |
| ζῴου | zoou | living creature | G2226 → | 23 times |
| λέγοντος· | legontos | saying; | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| ἔρχου | erchou | do come | G2064 → | 628 times |
ΚαὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ὅτεwhen
hoteG3753 →103 times
ἤνοιξενHe opened
enoixenG455 →77 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
σφραγῖδαseal
sphragidaG4973 →16 times
τὴν<the>
tenG3588 →19766 times
δευτέραν,second
deuteranG1208 →43 times
ἤκουσαI heard
ekousaG191 →425 times
τοῦthe
touG3588 →19766 times
δευτέρουsecond
deuterouG1208 →43 times
ζῴουliving creature
zoouG2226 →23 times
λέγοντος·saying;
legontosG3004 →1325 times
ἔρχουdo come
erchouG2064 →628 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Revelation 4:7The first living creature was like a lion, the second like a calf, the third had a face like a man, and the fourth was like an eagle in flight.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 10:14
Each of the cherubim had four faces: the first face was that of a cherub, the second that of a man, the third that of a lion, and the fourth that of an eagle.
- Ezekiel 1:10
The form of their faces was that of a man, and each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side,…
- Ezekiel 10:21
Each had four faces and four wings, with what looked like human hands under their wings.
- Ezekiel 1:8
Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. All four living creatures had faces and wings,
- Daniel 7:4
The first beast was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted up from the ground and made to…
- Ezekiel 10:14
Through
Revelation 6:1Then I watched as the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say in a thunderous voice, “Come!”
it leads to
- Revelation 6:5
And when the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” Then I looked and saw a black horse, and its rider held in his hand a pair of…
- Revelation 5:1
Then I saw a scroll in the right hand of the One seated on the throne. It had writing on both sides and was sealed with seven seals.
- Revelation 6:7
And when the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!”
- Revelation 6:5
Where this verse is studied
About Revelation

This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Alcuin of York, COMMENTARY ON REVELATION; Andreas of Caesarea, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 6:3; Bede, Commentary on Revelation; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Revelation; Primasius of Hadrumetum, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 6:3 and Victorinus of Pettau, Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John.
