complete verse (Revelation 19:21)

Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 19:21:

  • Uma: “So, after that, the Rider of the white horse killed all the soldiers of that animal, he cut them with the sword that appeared from his mouth. The birds indeed came to eat the flesh of the killed ones until they were full/satisfied.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “And their soldiers died by the weapon coming out of the mouth of the one riding on the white horse. And the flesh of their bodies was eaten by all the birds up to their fill.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And their soldiers were killed by the sword which comes out of the mouth of the one riding on a white horse. And the birds became very full eating the bodies of these soldiers.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “All their soldiers as well, they were killed with the sword that was-coming-out of the mouth of one-riding the white horse. And afterwards the gathered birds ate-and-ate until they were extremely-full.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Without anything further, all their soldiers were then killed with the sharp-edge of that bladed-weapon which comes out of the mouth of that one riding on the white horse. The birds were really fed up (fig.) with eating the bodies of the ones who had been killed.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Concerning the people who had made the war, they were killed with the sword which comes from the mouth of the horseman. The meat of the corpses was what then filled the birds, upon eating this meat.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Revelation 19:21

The rest were slain: that is, all their soldiers were killed; none escaped alive. In certain languages this will be expressed as “The Messiah killed all their soldiers.”

By the sword of him who sits upon the horse: the text speaks only of the Messiah killing the enemy forces. The text does not say explicitly that his soldiers engaged in the fighting and killing (see 17.14). So this sentence may be translated as follows: “The one who was sitting on the horse used the sword that was protruding from his mouth to….”

All the birds were gorged with their flesh: the birds ate their fill of the bountiful feast.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Revelation to John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Revelation 19:21

19:21a

And the rest were killed with the sword that proceeded from the mouth of the One seated on the horse: This clause is passive. Some languages must use an active clause. For example:

The rider on the horse killed the rest of them with the sword that came out of his mouth

And the rest: This phrase refers to all who gathered to make war against the rider and his army, except the beast and the false prophet (19:18a–d).

the sword that proceeded from the mouth: This is the same symbolic picture as in 19:15a (“And from His mouth proceeds a sharp sword”). The change from the present tense verb “proceeds” to the past tense verb proceeded does not change the meaning. Both phrases refer generally to the sword coming out of the mouth. See how you translated that phrase in 19:15.

19:21b

gorged: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as gorged refers to eating large quantities of food. The birds had plenty to eat and probably more than enough. For example:

ate all they could (Good News Translation)

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