Revelation 14:20

ἔξωθεν. Text. Rec[497] has ἔξω with א 1.

[497] Rec. Textus Receptus as printed by Scrivener.

20. τῆς πόλεως. Probably Jerusalem, see on Revelation 14:1.

αἷμα. Isaiah 63:3.

ἄχρι τῶν χαλινῶν τῶν ἵππων. Literally, “even unto the bridles of the horses”—though no horses are mentioned in the context. Probably the A. V[502] rendering “even unto the horse bridles,” which implies that the words are meant as a mere measure, that any horseman riding there finds his horse bridle-deep in blood, is right: but some think of the horsemen of God’s avenging army in Revelation 19:14. There can hardly be a reference to the horses of chap. 6 or of Revelation 9:17.

[502] Authorised Version.

ἀπό, i.e. at a distance of: the construction is common in late Greek, e.g. Diodorus and Plutarch, but only found in the New Testament here, and in the fourth Gospel, Revelation 11:18; Revelation 21:8.

σταδίων χιλίων ἑξακοσίων. 200 Roman miles, or about 183 English. It is hardly likely that it is meant that the blood covered a space of 40 furlongs square—more probably, that it extended 1600 (or perhaps 800) in every direction from the city, or perhaps the river of blood flows to that distance. It has been imagined that the distance specified stands for the length of Palestine, which is estimated by St Jerome at 160 Roman miles, by modern surveys at about 140 English.