Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Zechariah 6:2
In the first chariot [were] red horses; and in the second chariot black horses;
2. red horses ] The colours of the horses are not necessarily significant (see Zec 1:8, and note there). They have, however, been interpreted, as for example by Pusey: “Red, as the colour of blood, represented Babylon as sanguinary (Rev 6:4).” “The colour black doubtless symbolises the heavy lot, inflicted by the Medo-Persians ( Ib. 5, 6).” “White is a symbol of joy, gladness (Ecc 9:8), victory (Rev 6:2), perhaps also, from its relation to light of acute intelligence.” “The grizzled, the Romans in their mingled character, so prominent in the fourth empire of Daniel (Dan 2:41-43).”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The symbol is different from that in the first vision. There Zec 1:8, they were horses only, with their riders, to go to and fro to enquire; here they are war-chariots with their horses, to execute Gods judgments, each in their turn. In the first vision also, there is not the characteristic fourfold division, which reminds of the four world-empires of Daniel Dan. 2; after which, in both prophets, is the mention of the kingdom of Christ. Even if the grisled horses be the same as the speckled of the first vision, the black horses are wanting there, as well as the succession, in which they go forth. The only resemblance is, that there are horses of divers colors, two of which, red and white, are the same. The symbol of the fourth empire, grizzled, strong, remarkably corresponds with the strength and mingled character of the fourth empire in Daniel.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 2. In the first chariot were red horses] The empire of the Chaldeans, which overthrew the empire of the Assyrians.
The second chariot black horses] The empire of the Persians founded by Cyrus, which destroyed the empire of the Chaldeans.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
There is no distinction made between chariot and chariot, nor any mention made of the drivers of these chariots, though these are included in the chariots. Now by the different colours of the horses doth the prophet distinguish the chariots, and possibly that is all intended by the various colours, though generally interpreters do guess by the colour of the horses what should be the quality and temper of the times pointed at; of which a little: red horses may signify bloody times, a fiery execution of wrath, Rev 6:4; black, a time of mortality, and wasting diseases, Rev 6:5.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
2. redimplying carnage.
blackrepresentingsorrow; also famine (Rev 6:5;Rev 6:6; compare Zec1:8).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
In the first chariot [were] red horses,…. If these are to be understood of the apostles of Christ, and ministers of the Gospel, they may be compared to “horses”, for bearing the name of Christ, and drawing the chariot of the Gospel; for their strength to labour in the word and doctrine; for their courage in the cause of Christ; and for their swiftness in doing his work; and to “red” ones, for their flaming zeal for the honour of the Redeemer, and their bloody sufferings for his sake: and if of angels, they may be compared to “horses”, because strong and swift to do the will of God; and to “red” ones, because they are the executioners of his wrath and vengeance on wicked men: but if by “the chariots” are meant the monarchies, then by these “red horses” must be designed the Babylonians and Chaldeans, so called because their soldiers were clothed in red, and their chariots were like flaming torches; and they were sanguinary, cruel, and bloody in their tempers, and in their actions to the Jews; and were signified by Nebuchadnezzar’s head of gold in his image; see Na 2:3:
and in the second chariot black horses; which, applied to the apostles and ministers of the Gospel, may denote their mean and abject appearance outwardly, and their knowledge in the mysteries of grace, which are dark and obscure to others; and, if understood of angels, is applicable to them, when messengers of ill tidings, or executioners of judgment: but if the monarchies are meant, which seems best, the Medes and Persians are intended; and their “black” colour is expressive of the sorrowful estate of the Jews under them, especially in the time of Haman, as Jarchi and Kimchi observe: black horses were reckoned strong, well made, and fit for labour; and the Ethiopians and Moors chose to have their horses they used in war all of this colour, to strike the greater horror and terror into their enemies; and to see black horses in a dream was accounted a bad omen s. The Medes and Persians were a strong and warlike people, and were very terrible to their enemies, under Cyrus; and very troublesome and distressing to the Jews, under Cambyses and Ahasuerus.
s Vid. Bochart. Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 2. c. 7. col. 106, 107.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
With regard to the chariots, we have seen elsewhere that angels are compared to horsemen; for these ride swiftly as it were through the whole world to execute what God commands them: so also whatever changes take place, they are called the chariots of God; for either angels are ready at hand to do anything in obedience to God, or the very events themselves are God’s chariots, that is, they are as it were swift heralds, who announce to us what was before unknown. Let us then know that all fortuitous events, as they are called by the unbelieving, are God’s chariots, are his messengers, who declare and proclaim what was before concealed from us. And there is not in this similitude or metaphor anything strained.
As to the color of the horses, interpreters, as I have already intimated, have toiled with great anxiety; and though I venture not to assert anything as certain, yet the probable conjecture is, that by the black and white horses are designated the Babylonians rather than the Persians, but for a purpose different from what interpreters have thought. For the reference must be to the Jews, when it is said, that black horses and then white horses went forth towards Babylon; for the Holy Spirit intimates, that liberty was given to the Chaldeans to harass the Jews and to fill all places with darkness. The blackness then of which the Prophet speaks signifies the calamities brought on the Jews. The whole of that time was dark, full of grief and sorrow, during which the Chaldeans possessed the oriental empire, and Babylon was the supreme seat of government or of the monarchy. A very different time afterwards succeeded, when the Babylonians were conquered and the Persian enjoyed the oriental empire. The color then was white, for the favor of God shone anew on the Jews, and liberty was immediately given then to return to their own country. We hence see that the Prophet rightly subjoins, that the color of the horses was white; for such was the favor shown to the Jews by the Persian, that the sun of joy arose on them, which exhilarated their hearts. But the Prophet makes no mention of the first chariot as going forth, and for this reason, as interpreters think, because the empire of Babylon was shell overthrown. But they are mistaken in this, as I have already hinted, because they refer not the colors to the state of God’s Church. Hence the Prophet, I doubt not, designedly omits the mention of the going forth of the first chariot, because the Jews had experienced the riding of God’s judgment in their own land, for they had been severely afflicted. As God then is wont to execute his judgment first on his own household, and as it is written, “judgment begins at his own house,” (1Pe 4:17,) so he purposed to observe the same order in this case, that is, to chastise the sins of the chosen people before he passed over to the Chaldeans and other nations.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(2) Red.Better, bay, as in Zec. 1:8. Red is applicable to cows, but bay to horses.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2, 3. The chariots were drawn by horses of different colors.
Red black white grisled and bay For the last R.V. reads “grizzled strong.” Various symbolical meanings have been suggested for these colors; for example, red, the color of blood, has been thought to symbolize war and slaughter, black, the color of mourning, the distress following the slaughter. White has been thought to symbolize victory, grizzled has been taken as equivalent to pale, the color of the horse ridden by Death (Rev 6:8). Those who take the chariots to symbolize four nations interpret the colors as representing the chief characteristics of the nations alluded to. But these and similar interpretations are fanciful; the colors have no symbolical meaning; they serve only to distinguish the chariots from one another. Grizzled means literally covered with hail, that is, spotted (Gen 31:10; Gen 31:12). The word joined with it, bay, or R.V. strong, is of uncertain meaning. Since it occurs in connection with several colors, one would expect another color; this is supplied by A.V., but there is little to support the translation bay. In Isa 63:1, a similar word is translated “dyed,” margin “crimsoned.” Some think, therefore, that the word used here has the same meaning, or that the other was originally in this place. If so, the meaning might be that the ground color was crimson and that on it were the spots. All this is more or less doubtful. Others, who favor the translation strong, explain the use of the term by the more difficult task assigned to this chariot (but see on Zec 6:7). The expression remains peculiar, and Wellhausen and others who, on the basis of Zec 6:6-7, omit strong (see on Zec 6:7), may offer the correct solution.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Zec 6:2 In the first chariot [were] red horses; and in the second chariot black horses;
Ver. 2. In the first chariot were red horses, &c. ] These various colours seem to set forth the various administrations of the angels, deputed to various employments. The black colour betokeneth sorrowful occurrences and revolutions. The white, joyful. The red, bloody. The grizzled, various and mixed matters, partly joyful and partly sorrowful. But I easily subscribe to him that said, We must be content to be ignorant of the full meaning of this vision. Tanta est profunditas Christianarnm literarum, saith Austin so great is the depth of divine learning that there is no fathoming of it. Prophecy is pictured like a matron, with her eyes covered, for the diffculty. For which cause Paulinus Nolanus would never be drawn to write commentaries; and Psellus in Thedoret asketh pardon for expounding the Canticles of Solomon.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
red. The colours are not explained by the angel as having any significance. They are not explained in Zec 6:5, probably because then already gone forth.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
red: Zec 1:8, Rev 6:2-5, Rev 12:3, Rev 17:3
black: Zec 6:6, Rev 6:5, Rev 6:6
Reciprocal: Nah 2:3 – made Rev 6:4 – horse
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Zec 6:2. Bed symbolizes bloodshed and black brings famine. Both of these conditions bad to come before the revolution predicted could be accomplished.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Zec 6:2-3. In the first chariot were red horses This meant the Chaldean empire, the bloody cruelties of which were signified by the red colour of the horses. This empire being overthrown, and its power extinct, when the prophet had this vision, it is only mentioned by-the-by, for the sake of order, and nothing further is said of it. And in the second, black horses We find by the Apocalypse, Rev 6:5, that a black horse was an emblem of famine, or dearth, so that the chariot with black horses seems to have signified the Persian empire, which brought desolation on many countries, as appears from the history of Darius and Xerxes. And in the third chariot white horses Conquerors used to ride on white horses, when they were triumphing on account of victories gained over their enemies. This, therefore, aptly denoted the almost continual victories of Alexander, who in a few years overturned the Persian empire, and set up the Macedonian. And in the fourth chariot Representing the Roman empire; grizzled and bay horses Denoting the various forms of the Roman government.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
6:2 In the first chariot [were] {c} red horses; and in the second chariot {d} black horses;
(c) Which signifies the great cruelty and persecution that the Church had endured under different enemies.
(d) Signifying that they had endured great afflictions under the Babylonians.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The two horses pulling the first chariot were red. Black horses pulled the second chariot, white horses the third, and dappled horses the fourth. All of them were strong. These horses evidently represent angels who facilitate the work of other angels, represented by the chariots (cf. Zec 6:5). The colors of the horses may symbolize various aspects of judgment, perhaps war and bloodshed in the case of the red horses, famine and death for the black, victory and triumph for the white (cf. Zec 1:8; Rev 19:11; Rev 19:14), and plague and disease for the dappled (spotted; cf. Rev 6:1-8). [Note: Unger, pp. 102-3.]