For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails [were] like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.
19. For their power ] Read, for the power of the horses. For the use of the word “power” (the same as is sometimes elsewhere translated “authority” or “licence”), cf. Rev 6:8, Rev 9:3: St Luk 22:53 illustrates the meaning of the word in such a context.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
For their power is in their mouth – That is, as described in the fire, smoke, and brimstone that proceeded out of their mouths. What struck the seer as remarkable on looking on the symbol was, that this immense destruction seemed to proceed out of their mouths. It was not that they trampled down their enemies; nor that they destroyed them with the sword, the bow, or the spear: it was some new and remarkable power in warfare – in which the destruction seemed to proceed from fire, and smoke, and sulphur issuing from the mouths of the horses themselves.
And in their tails – The tails of the horses. This, of course, was something unusual and remarkable in horses, for naturally they have no power there. The power of a fish, or a scorpion, or a wasp, may be said to be in their tails, for their strength or their means of defense or of injury are there; but we never think of speaking in this way of horses. It is not necessary, in the interpretation of this, to suppose that the reference is literally to the tails of the horses, anymore than it is to suppose that the smoke, and fire, and brimstone literally proceeded from their mouths. John describes things as they appeared to him in looking at them from a considerable distance. From their mouths the horses belched forth fire, and smoke, and sulphur, and even their tails seemed to be armed for the work of death.
For their tails were like unto serpents – Not like the tails of serpents, but like serpents themselves.
And had heads – That is, there was something remarkable in the position and appearance of their heads. All serpents, of course, have heads; but John saw something unusual in this – or something so unique in their heads as to attract special attention. It would seem most probable that the heads of these serpents appeared to extend in every direction – as if the hairs of the horses tails had been converted into snakes, presenting a most fearful and destructive image. Perhaps it may illustrate this to suppose that there is reference to the Amphisbaena, or two-headed snake. It is said of this reptile that its tail resembles a head, and that with this it throws out its poison (Lucan, vol. ix. p. 179; Plinys Hist. Nat. vol. viii. p. 35). It really has but one head, but its tail has the appearance of a head, and it has the power of moving in either direction to a limited degree. If we suppose these snakes fastened to the tail of a horse, the appearance of heads would be very prominent and remarkable. The image is that of the power of destruction. They seemed like ugly and poisonous serpents instead of tails.
And with them they do hurt – Not the main injury, but they have the power of inflicting some injury by them.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 19. Their power is in their mouth] From these the destructive balls are projected; and in their tails, the breech where the charge of gunpowder is lodged.
Their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads] If cannons are intended, the description, though allegorical, is plain enough; for brass ordnance especially are frequently thus ornamented, both at their muzzles and at their breech.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
By their tails some understand their infantry or foot soldiery; others, their serpentine craft and subtlety: as the locusts, Rev 9:10, are compared to scorpions, whose sting was in their tails, and who were said to hurt with their tails; so the same thing is said of these armies, intimating that the Turks should be mischievous by the same arts and means as their predecessors the Saracens. These are said to have had heads in their tails, which was not said of the locusts; the reason of which interpreters judge to have arisen from the different animals by which they are represented.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
19. theirA, B, C and Alephread, “the power of the horses.”
in their mouthwhenceissued the fire, smoke, and brimstone (Re9:17). Many interpreters understand the horsemen to referto the myriads of Turkish cavalry arrayed in scarlet, blue, andyellow (fire, hyacinth, and brimstone), the lion-headedhorses denoting their invincible courage, and the fire andbrimstone out of their mouths, the gunpowder and artilleryintroduced into Europe about this time, and employed by the Turks;the tails, like serpents, having a venomous sting, the false religionof Mohammed supplanting Christianity, or, as ELLIOTTthinks, the Turkish pachas’ horse tails, worn as a symbol ofauthority. (!) All this is very doubtful. Considering the parallelismof this sixth trumpet to the sixth seal, the likelihood is thatevents are intended immediately preceding the Lord’s coming. “Thefalse prophet” (as Isa 9:15proves), or second beast, having the horns of a lamb, but speaking asthe dragon, who supports by lying miracles the finalAntichrist, seems to me to be intended. Mohammed, doubtless, is aforerunner of him, but not the exhaustive fulfiller of the prophecyhere: Satan will, probably, towards the end, bring out all the powersof hell for the last conflict (see on Re9:20, on “devils”; compare Rev 9:1;Rev 9:2; Rev 9:17;Rev 9:18).
with themwith theserpent heads and their venomous fangs.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For their power is in their mouth,…. In what proceeded out of their mouth, or seethed to do so; in their guns, and what came out of them:
and in their tails; which may design their foot soldiers, which were as the tail to their horse, and who sometimes did great service; or their way of fighting when they fled, by casting up arrows into the air, which would fall upon the heads and horses of those that pursued them; or their ambushments, by which they destroyed many; or their perfidious violation of treaties; or it may be their tails may intend the doctrine of Mahomet, the false prophet, who is the tail, Isa 9:15,
for their tails [were] like unto serpents; crooked, crafty, poisonous, and, pernicious:
and had heads; every tail had a head to it; which may be understood of the officers of the foot soldiers, or of the priests and teachers of the Mahometan religion:
and with them they do hurt; with their guns, the power in their mouth, they did hurt to the bodies of men; and with their false doctrines, their tails, they did hurt to the souls of men; the Ethiopic version here adds, “five months”; which seems to be taken from Re 9:10.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The power ( ). As in Rev 2:26; Rev 6:8. This power of the horses is both in their mouths (because of the fire, smoke, brimstone) and in their tails, “for their tails are like unto serpents” ( ). Associative-instrumental case after . is old word for snake (Mt 7:10).
Having heads ( ). Feminine present active participle of , agreeing with (tails).
With them ( ). Instrumental use of . Surely dreadful monsters.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Their power [ ] . Read ejxousia twn ippwn the power of the horses.
Like unto serpents. “Long, smooth, subtle, clasping their victim in an embrace from which he cannot escape” (Milligan). As one of the innumerable fantasies of Apocalyptic exposition may be cited that of Elliott (” Horsae Apocalypticae “) who finds a reference to the horse tails, the symbols of authority of the Turkish pashas.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “For their power,” (he gar eksousia ton hippon) “For the executive power (authority) of the horses,” their power to hurt, harm, and to kill.
2) “Is in their mouth,” (en to stomati auton) “Resides in and comes forth from their mouth,” As they spew forth, shoot forth smoke, fire, and brimstone; perhaps this is a mechanized horse that utilizes chemicals and explosives.
3) “And in their tails,” (estin kai en tais ourais auton) “And in their tails,” resides in and emanates or comes forth, from their tails. From both ends of this man ridden horse creature the fire, smoke and brimstone shoot to stifle, smother, poison, and kill.
4) “For their tails were like unto serpents,” (hai gar ourai auton homoiai ophesin):’For their tails are similar to serpents,” in tapered appearance.
5) “And had heads,” (echousai kephalas) “Having heads; this creature appears to have two heads, and is an aberration- monster. These appear to have no example, parallel, or creature with which to be compared in all the scriptures, Mat 24:21-22.
6) “And with them they do hurt,” (kai en autois adikousin) “And in (with) them, their head-like tails, they do harm,” to men. It appears that these war-bound battle-bound, monstrous horses have at least two heads and two tails on each end of their body; Jer 30:6-7; Rev 7:14.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
19. Tails Another demoniac trait. See note on Rev 9:10.
Had heads Alford, with justice, reprehends Elliot’s absurdly making these tails figure the “horse-tails” on the standards of the Turkish pachas. Indeed, a large share of the interpretations of the historical commentators may fairly be styled exegesis run wild. More taking, perhaps true, is the idea that the fire, smoke, and brimstone, here, are a foreshadowing of the effects of gunpowder. But they are really intended as infernal imageries correspondent to those in Rev 9:1-2. The mouths of the horses breathed the direct destructions of war; the tails figured the resulting effects entailed by it. The tails of the horses became as serpents with biting heads at the end. A fit intimation of the devastation, poverty, demoralization, and barbarization, left behind by wars.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
19 For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.
Ver. 19. In their mouth, and in their tails ] Like the serpent Amphisbaena, a that hath a head (to do hurt) at both ends. (Plin.) Perhaps the Turks’ perfidy is here pointed at; they keep leagues no longer than standeth with their own profit. (Turk. Hist.)
a A fabled serpent of the ancients, with a head at each end, and able to move in either direction D
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Rev 9:19 . Heads attached to their serpentine tails are an allusion not only to the well-known tactics of the Parthians ( cf. Parad. Regained , iii. 323 f.) but to a trait of ancient Greek mythology; on the altar of Zeus at Pergamos ( cf. note on Rev 2:12 ) the giants who war against the gods are equipped with snakes (instead of limbs) that brandish open jaws. The amphisbaena of ancient mythology was often described as possessing a headed tail (“tanquam parum esset uno ore fundi uenena,” Pliny: H. N. viii. 35).
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
their power. The texts read “the power of the horses”.
serpents. Greek. ophis, as in Rev 12:9, Rev 12:14, Rev 12:15; Rev 20:2. See Jer 8:17.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Rev 9:19. , , , for their tails (are) like serpents, and have heads, and with them they do hurt) Such is the serpent, the amphisbna, , of which Pliny speaks, lib. viii. c. 23: The amphisbna has a double head, that is, one from the tail also, as though it were not enough that poison should be poured from one mouth. Lucan: And the dreadful amphisbna rising upon its double head. Solinus, ch. 30: The amphisbna rises upon its two heads, of which the one is in its proper place, the other is in that part where the tail is; by which it is occasioned, that by the leaning of the head on both sides it creeps along in circular trails. Add Nicander, and Hesychius, who says that it is – , , , . Of whatever kind the head in the tail of the amphisbna is, it illustrates this picture in the Apocalypse.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
in their tails: Rev 9:10, Isa 9:15, Eph 4:14
Reciprocal: Jer 8:17 – I will Rev 12:4 – his tail
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Rev 9:19. The description of the horses is resumed, for the purpose of bringing out another terrible feature of their destructive power. That power is also in their tails, for their tails are like unto serpents, having heads, and with them they do hurt. Three characteristics of the tails are specially mentioned; first, they are like unto serpents, long, smooth, subtle, clasping their victim in an embrace from which he cannot escape; secondly, they have heads at the extremity farthest from the body; where the power of an ordinary tail ceases these tails receive increased intensity of power, the glittering eye, the poison fang; thirdly, with them, that is, with the heads, they do hurt. The tail of a horse is for its own protection: these tails devastate. Yet they are not so fatal as the mouths. The former hurt, the latter kill.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
9:19 For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: {14} for their tails [were] like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.
(14) That is, they are harmful on all sides: on whatever part you put your hand to them, or they touch you, they do hurt. So the former are called Scorpions, Rev 9:3 .
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
This added description of the horses supports the conclusion that they represent angelic instruments of divine judgment other than natural horses. Some interpreters have suggested that what they represent are modern weapons that shoot both forward and backward, such as missiles. The locusts had the power to injure like scorpions with their tails (Rev 9:10), but these horses have power to kill like serpents with their tails, which is worse (cf. Rev 9:15).