What Does Revelation 6:2 Mean in the King James?
And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The rider’s crown is received, but his conquest is already underway, and aimed at more.
THE MEANING
The vision places a bow and a given crown on a rider whose advance is already prevailing. Yet the sentence turns that victory forward: he goes out conquering with further conquest in view. The giver of the crown and the rider’s identity remain unstated here.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It unsettles the assumption that a crowned victor must be self-authorized: this crown is given, and the giver is left unnamed.
THE ROOT
νικῶν
nikōn
GROWS FROM
νικ-
nik-
to prevail, win, or conquer
“conquering / to conquer” in this verse is nikōn. Both forms come from the same verb, νικάω (nikaō, “to conquer”): one presents conquest in progress, and the other points toward further conquest. English makes them sound like two descriptions; Greek ties the rider’s present momentum to what he goes out to do.
ALSO GROWS
nikē: victory
νίκη
The noun names the victory that belongs to the same word family as the rider’s conquering.
nikētēs: victor, conqueror
νικητής
This word names the one who prevails, bringing the rider’s action and its agent into the same root family.
ἐδόθη
edothē
GROWS FROM
δο-/δω- (do-/dō-), from δίδωμι (didōmi)
to give or grant
“was given” in this verse is edothē. The verb is passive: the crown reaches the rider as something given, while no giver is named in this verse. The wording marks bestowed possession without explaining where the authority originates.
ALSO GROWS
dosis: giving, gift
δόσις
The related noun keeps the focus on the act of giving behind what the rider receives.
dōron: gift
δῶρον
This related word makes visible the gift-like quality of what is given, without identifying its giver.
THE PATTERN
Scripture presents authority as something received, including when it is exercised against others.
After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.THE THREAD
And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.The same Greek verbs for giving and conquering return: authority is granted, and conquest follows. This later verse makes the violence explicit, while leaving the identity of Revelation 6’s rider unresolved.
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