Translation
The appearance of those locusts was as follows: They looked like
horses prepared for battle,
Go to footnote numberwith golden crowns on their heads,
Go to footnote numberand they had the faces of men
Go to footnote numberParaphrase
Those agents of destruction demonstrated the following characteristics: They were dangerous and extremely effective in battle, they showed evidence of having been victorious in major conflicts,
and they were
intelligent and logical.
Footnotes
1
A well-trained battle horse was worth many infantry men. They were fast, powerful, brave and vicious. These horses relished battle. No horses alive today have been bred and trained in this way.
2
The “crowns” being referred to here showed victory over enemies, in contrast to the state crown showing governmental authority. But it was not a temporary “crown” like the leaves given to Olympic winners; it was a crown of gold. This indicates that the victory had been a big one and had given these destroyers a significant degree of prestige and authority. We know this is symbolism in part because the locust is prepared to go into battle and yet he is already wearing the victor’s crown—a contradiction if taken literally.
3: “faces of men”
This could refer to a number of characteristics of man, but context rules out the spiritual element associated with having a soul. The intelligence of man seems to be in focus here.