And the heads of the horses] Is this an allegorical description of great ordnance? Cannons, on the mouths of which horses' heads were formed, or the mouth of the cannon cast in that form? Fire, smoke, and brimstone, is a good allegorical representation of gunpowder. The Ottomans made great use of heavy artillery in their wars with the Greeks of the lower empire.

John Gill's Bible Commentary

Guns are a late invention, and the use of them was found out in the age this trumpet refers to; and were much made use of by the Turks in their wars, and particularly great guns or cannons; these were used by Amurath at the sieges of Belgrade, and of Constantinople f300 ; and by Mahomet the Second at the taking of Constantinople, where a gun or cannon was used of that size, as to be drawn by seventy yoke of oxen, and two thousand men f301 .

Gunpowder set on fire is fitly signified by fire, smoke, and brimstone, which is made of nitre, charcoal, and brimstone; and the firing of guns on horseback is most aptly described by these coming out of the mouths of horses and horsemen: nor could it well appear to John to be otherwise, who could never have seen a gun, and one fired off in his life; nor could he well represent to others what he saw in vision, than in this manner.

Matthew Henry Commentary

Greek Textus Receptus

In the vision (en th opasei). Or "in my vision." See on Acts ii. 17. The reference to sight may be inserted because of I heard in ver. 16. Of fire (purinouv). Rev., "as of fire." Fiery red.

Of jacinth (uakinqinouv). Uakinqov hyacinth is the name of a flower and also of a precious stone. The noun occurs only Apoc. xxi. 20, and the adjective only here. According to classical mythology, the flower sprang up from the blood of Hyacinthus, a beautiful Spartan youth, who was accidentally killed during a game of quoits. It was thought by some that the letters AI, AI, the exclamation of woe, could be traced on the petals, while others discovered the letter U, the initial letter of Uakinqov. The story of the slaying of Hyacinthus is told by Ovid.

"Lo, the blood Which, on the ground outpoured, had stained the sod, Is blood no more. Brighter than Tyrian dye, Like to the lily's shape a flower appears, Purple in hue as that is silvery white. Nor yet does such memorial content Phoebus Apollo at whose word it rose. Upon its leaves he writes his own laments, And on the flower forever stands inscribed AI, AI"

"Metamorphoses," 10., 175 sqq.

As a stone, it is identified by some with the sapphire. As to color, the hyacinth of the Greeks seems to have comprehended the iris, gladiolus, and larkspur. Hence the different accounts of its color in classical writings, varying from red to black. A dull, dark blue seems to be meant here. Of brimstone (qeiwdeiv). Perhaps light yellow, such a color as would be produced by the settling fumes of brimstone.

Of the horses. In the Bible the horse is always referred to in connection with war, except Isa. xxviii. 28, where it is mentioned as employed in threshing, the horses being turned loose in the grain as in the Italian triglia. The magnificent description in John xxxix. 19-25 applies to the war-horse. He is distinguished not so much for his speed and utility as for his strength (see Psalm xxxiii. 17; cxlvii. 10), and the word abbir strong is used as an equivalent for a horse (Jer. viii. 16; xlvii. 3). The Hebrews as a pastoral race, did not need the horse; and, for a long time after their settlement in Canaan, dispensed with it, partly because of the hilly nature of the country, which allowed the use of chariots only in certain places (Judges i. 19), and partly because of the prohibition in Deut. xvii. 16. Accordingly they hamstrung the horses of the Canaanites (Josh. xi. 6, 9). The great supply of horses was effected by Solomon through his connection with Egypt. See 1 Kings iv. 26.

Proceedeth fire and smoke. Compare Virgil.

"Then, if the sound of arms he hear from far, Quiet he cannot stand, but pricks his ears, Trembles in every limb, and snorting, rolls The gathered fire beneath his nostrils wide" "Georgics," iii, 83-85.