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Revelation 6:5-6
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Revelation 6:5-6
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
5 When he broke open the third seal, I heard the third living creature cry out, “Come forward.” I looked, and there was a black horse,[a] and its rider held a scale in his hand. 6 I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures. It said, “A ration of wheat costs a day’s pay,[b] and three rations of barley cost a day’s pay. But do not damage the olive oil or the wine.”(A)
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 6:5 Black horse: this is a symbol of famine, the usual accompaniment of war in antiquity; cf. Lv 26:26; Ez 4:12–13. The scale is a symbol of shortage of food with a corresponding rise in price.
- 6:6 A day’s pay: literally, “a denarius,” a Roman silver coin that constitutes a day’s wage in Mt 20:2. Because of the famine, food was rationed and sold at an exorbitant price. A liter of flour was considered a day’s ration in the Greek historians Herodotus and Diogenes Laertius. Barley: food of the poor (Jn 6:9, 13; cf. 2 Kgs 7:1, 16, 18); it was also used to feed animals; cf. 1 Kgs 5:8. Do not damage: the olive and the vine are to be used more sparingly in time of famine.
Revelation 6:5-6
New International Version
Revelation 6:5-6
New International Version
5 When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature(A) say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse!(B) Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6 Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures,(C) saying, “Two pounds[a] of wheat for a day’s wages,[b] and six pounds[c] of barley for a day’s wages,[d](D) and do not damage(E) the oil and the wine!”
Footnotes
- Revelation 6:6 Or about 1 kilogram
- Revelation 6:6 Greek a denarius
- Revelation 6:6 Or about 3 kilograms
- Revelation 6:6 Greek a denarius
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
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