THEOSISAndrew of Caesarea
Nor can there be any doubt about the multitude of demons, of whom the saints also say that the air is filled with them.
Revelation 9:16Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers
And the number of the army of horsemen was twenty thousand times ten thousand. And I heard the number of them.
και ο αριθμος των στρατευματων του ιππου ιππικου μυριαδες μυριαδων ηκουσα τον αριθμον αυτων
The Church Fathers on this verse
3 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Primasius of Hadrumetum
"The number of the army of horsemen was eight thousand." John again points, in many different ways, to the assembly of the impious. Then he speaks of eight thousand.
Just as, through the perfection of the number six, he gives us an image of the righteous as sixty in number, as we read, "There are sixty queens" (Song 6:8), so sometimes the number eight is used in an evil sense.
It arises from the number four, in connection with the four well-known qualities of the body: cold and heat, moisture and dryness. Or it refers to the four passions that often pursue man in life: fear, desire, sorrow, and joy.
When these are doubled because there are two sexes, they become eight. This number, likewise multiplied by ten, becomes eighty.
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This latter number in a certain way represents a portion of the impious horsemen rising against the body of Christ, which is the Church. Therefore the verse continues: "and there are eighty concubines" (Song 6:8).
That is, they are joined not by a lawful union, but rather by a false one. This is the property of all heresies, which for a time investigate the mysteries of the faith under the name of Christ.
For as concubines will not always remain in the house, so heretics desire to gain temporary advantage, power, or praise from men through the name of Christ.
In another translation, on which Tyconius comments, it stands thus: "The number of the army of horsemen was two myriads of myriads." It seems to us that in this translation, too, the same portion of men of perdition is fittingly signified.
For two myriads are twenty thousand. This is the number that the Lord sets against the king who has ten thousand (cf. Lk 14:31). It is as though twice as many impious men stand against the simplicity of Christians.
Caesarius of Arles and Bede follow the interpretation of Tyconius.
Borodin P.M.
If by the horses evil spirits are understood, then Saint John rightly says that the horses' tails had heads. For the calculated consequences of demonic suggestions and incitements are poison-bearing sin and spiritual death.
Cross references
Passages read together with this verse.
- Rev 7:4And I heard the number of them that were signed. An hundred forty-four thousand were signed, of every tribe of the children of Israel.
- Ps 68 (67):17
- Dan 7:10A swift stream of fire issued forth from before him: thousands of thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand times a hundred thousand stood before him: the judgment sat, and the books were opened.
- Ezek 38:4And I will turn thee about, and I will put a bit in thy jaws: and I will bring thee forth, and all thy army, horses and horsemen all clothed with coats of mail, a great multitude, armed with spears and shields and swords.
- Dan 11:40And at the time prefixed the king of the south shall fight against him, and the king of the north shall come against him like a tempest, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with a great navy, and he shall enter into the countries, and shall destroy, and pass through.
- Rev 5:11And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the living creatures and the ancients (and the number of them was thousands of thousands),
- Ezek 23:6Who were clothed with blue, princes, and rulers, beautiful youths, all horsemen, mounted upon horses.
The original text
Greek text, 13 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
- καὶkaiandG2532 · καί
- ὁhotheG3588 · ὁ
- ἀριθμὸςarithmosa numberG706 · ἀριθμός
- τῶνtōntheG3588 · ὁ
- στρατευμάτωνstrateumatōnan armyG4753 · στράτευμα
- τοῦtoutheG3588 · ὁ
- ἱππικοῦhippikouhorsemanG2461 · ἱππικός
- δισμυριάδεςdismyriadestwo-myriadG6019 · δισμυριάς
- μυριάδωνmyriadōna myriadG3461 · μυριάς
- ἤκουσαēkousaI hearG191 · ἀκούω
- τὸνtontheG3588 · ὁ
- ἀριθμὸνarithmona numberG706 · ἀριθμός
- αὐτῶνautōnheG846 · αὐτός