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Thursday, July 10th, 2025
the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
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Amplified Bible

Ezekiel 1:11

Such were their faces. Their wings were stretched out upward; two [wings] of each one were touching another [the wings of the beings on either side of it], and [the remaining] two [wings of each being] were covering their bodies.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Angel (a Spirit);   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Cherubim;   Visions;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Beasts;   Cherub;   Ezekiel;   Seraphim;   Vision;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Angels;   Cherubim;   Ezekiel;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Angel;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Cherub;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Seraphim;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Angel;   Cherub, Cherubim;   Ezekiel;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Isaiah, Book of;   Seraphim;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Living Creatures;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Cherub;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Babylonish Captivity, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Body;   Cherubim (1);   Living Creature;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Cabala;   Cherub;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
That is what their faces were like. Their wings were spread upward; each had two wings touching that of another and two wings covering its body.
Hebrew Names Version
Their faces and their wings were separate above; two [wings] of everyone were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.
King James Version
Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.
English Standard Version
Such were their faces. And their wings were spread out above. Each creature had two wings, each of which touched the wing of another, while two covered their bodies.
New American Standard Bible
Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above; each had two touching another being, and two covering their bodies.
New Century Version
That was what their faces looked like. Their wings were spread out above. Each had two wings that touched one of the other living creatures and two wings that covered its body.
World English Bible
Their faces and their wings were separate above; two [wings] of everyone were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Thus were their faces: but their wings were spred out aboue: two wings of euery one were ioined one to another, & two couered their bodies.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above; each had two touching another being, and two covering their bodies.
Legacy Standard Bible
And such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above; each had two touching another being, and two covering their bodies.
Berean Standard Bible
Such were their faces. Their wings were spread upward; each had two wings touching the wings of the creature on either side, and two wings covering its body.
Contemporary English Version
Two wings of each creature were spread out and touched the wings of the creatures on either side. The other two wings of each creature were folded against its body.
Complete Jewish Bible
thus their faces. As for their wings, each had two that stretched upward and joined those of others, and two more that covered their bodies.
Darby Translation
And their faces and their wings were parted above; two [wings] of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.
Easy-to-Read Version
Their wings were spread out over them. With two of the wings each living being reached out to touch the one near it, and with the other two wings it covered its body.
George Lamsa Translation
And their faces and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of each creature were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.
Good News Translation
Two wings of each creature were raised so that they touched the tips of the wings of the creatures next to it, and their other two wings were folded against their bodies.
Lexham English Bible
So were their faces; their wings were spread out upward; each had two touching one another and two covering their bodies.
Literal Translation
So their faces were . And their wings were spread upward, to each, the two wings were joined, and two wings of each covering their bodies.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Their faces also and their wynges were spred out aboue: so that two wynges off one touched euer two wynges off another, and with the other two they couered their bodie.
American Standard Version
And their faces and their wings were separate above; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.
Bible in Basic English
And their wings were separate at the top; two of the wings of every one were joined one to another, and two were covering their bodies.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Thus were their faces; and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.
King James Version (1611)
Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched vpward, two wings of euery one were ioyned one to an other, and two couered their bodies.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Thus were their faces, and their winges were spread out aboue, so that two wynges of euery one were ioyned one to another, and two wynges couered euery one of their bodyes.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the four had their wings spread out above; each one had two joined to one another, and two covered their bodies.
English Revised Version
And their faces and their wings were separate above; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the faces of tho and the wengis of tho weren stretchid forth aboue. Twei wyngis of eche weren ioyned togidere, and tweyne hiliden the bodies of tho.
Update Bible Version
And their faces and their wings were separate above; two [wings] of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.
Webster's Bible Translation
Thus [were] their faces: and their wings [were] stretched upward; two [wings] of every one [were] joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.
New English Translation
Their wings were spread out above them; each had two wings touching the wings of one of the other beings on either side and two wings covering their bodies.
New King James Version
Thus were their faces. Their wings stretched upward; two wings of each one touched one another, and two covered their bodies.
New Living Translation
Each had two pairs of outstretched wings—one pair stretched out to touch the wings of the living beings on either side of it, and the other pair covered its body.
New Life Bible
Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above. Each had two wings touching the wings of another, and two covering their bodies.
New Revised Standard
such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above; each creature had two wings, each of which touched the wing of another, while two covered their bodies.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and their wings were spread above, - two of each joined one another, and two covered their bodies;
Douay-Rheims Bible
And their faces, and their wings were stretched upward: two wings of every one were joined, and two covered their bodies:
Revised Standard Version
Such were their faces. And their wings were spread out above; each creature had two wings, each of which touched the wing of another, while two covered their bodies.
Young's Literal Translation
And their faces and their wings are separate from above, to each [are] two joining together, and two are covering their bodies.

Contextual Overview

4As I looked, I saw a stormy wind coming out of the north, a great cloud with fire flashing continually from it; and a brightness was around it, and in its core [there was] something like glowing [amber-colored] metal in the midst of the fire. 5Within it there were figures resembling four living beings. And this was their appearance: they had human form. 6Each one had four faces and four wings. 7Their legs were straight and the soles of their feet were like a calf's hoof, and they sparkled and gleamed like shiny bronze. 8Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. As for the faces and wings of the four of them, 9their wings touched one another; their faces did not turn when they moved, each went straight forward. 10Regarding the form and appearance of their faces: they [each] had the face of a man [in front], and each had the face of a lion on the right side, and the face of an ox on the left side; all four also had the face of an eagle [at the back of their heads]. 11Such were their faces. Their wings were stretched out upward; two [wings] of each one were touching another [the wings of the beings on either side of it], and [the remaining] two [wings of each being] were covering their bodies.12And each went straight forward; wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go, without turning as they went. 13Among the living beings there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches moving back and forth among the living beings. The fire was bright, and lightning was flashing from the fire.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

and their: Ezekiel 10:16, Ezekiel 10:19

stretched upward: or, divided above

and two: Ezekiel 1:23, Isaiah 6:2

Reciprocal: Nehemiah 7:7 - Zerubbabel Ezekiel 1:9 - joined Daniel 9:21 - to fly

Cross-References

Genesis 1:9
Then God said, "Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place [of standing, pooling together], and let the dry land appear"; and it was so.
Genesis 1:13
And there was evening and there was morning, a third day.
Genesis 1:14
Then God said, "Let there be light-bearers (sun, moon, stars) in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be useful for signs (tokens) [of God's provident care], and for marking seasons, days, and years;
Genesis 1:16
God made the two great lights—the greater light (the sun) to rule the day, and the lesser light (the moon) to rule the night; He made the [galaxies of] stars also [that is, all the amazing wonders in the heavens].
Genesis 1:17
God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to provide light upon the earth,
Genesis 1:20
Then God said, "Let the waters swarm and abundantly produce living creatures, and let birds soar above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens."
Genesis 1:29
So God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of the entire earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you;
Genesis 2:5
no shrub or plant of the field was yet in the earth, and no herb of the field had yet sprouted, for the LORD God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground,
Genesis 2:9
And [in that garden] the LORD God caused to grow from the ground every tree that is desirable and pleasing to the sight and good (suitable, pleasant) for food; the tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the [experiential] knowledge (recognition) of [the difference between] good and evil.
Genesis 2:16
And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "You may freely (unconditionally) eat [the fruit] from every tree of the garden;

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Thus [were] their faces: and their wings [were] stretched upward,.... The former clause, "thus [were] their faces", either belongs to Ezekiel 1:10; and the meaning is, this, as now represented, was the likeness of their faces, and this the position of them: or it may be read in connection with the following clause, and be rendered, "and their faces and their wings were stretched upwards"; as they are in the Chaldee paraphrase, the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions: "their faces were stretched upwards", showing that the ministers of the Gospel look up to Christ for fresh supplies of gifts and grace, of light, knowledge, wisdom, and strength, to enable them to perform their work: "and their wings were stretched upwards", that is, two of them; not four, as the Arabic version has it; for two covered their bodies, as is after said. Those that were stretched upwards answer to the two with which Isaiah's seraphim flew; for these were, as in the original text, "parted upwards" p; though they were joined together at the bottom of them, as in Ezekiel 1:9; yet being spread in flying, they opened wider and wider, and were at a greater distance from each other in their extreme points. This may design the agility, swiftness, and readiness of ministers in the performance of their work;

two [wings] of everyone [were] joined one to another: with which they, covered their heads and faces, as did Isaiah's seraphim, as conscious of their unworthiness and infirmities; looking upon themselves to be less than the least of all saints, unfit to be ministers of the Gospel; acknowledging they have nothing but what they have received and therefore would not glory as though they had not received, and as ashamed of their poor performances and ministrations;

and two covered their bodies; their lower and secret parts called their feet in Isaiah; which however to others beautiful upon the mountains, running and bringing the good news of peace, righteousness, and salvation by Christ; yet sensible of their deficiencies, they cover them, and confess, when they have done all they can, they are but unprofitable servants; from hence it appears that these living creatures had six wings, as the seraphim in Isaiah, and the four beasts in John's vision.

p פרודות "disjunctae", Montanus; "divisae", Calvin, Starckius. So Ben Melech.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Thus ... - Rather, And their faces and their wings were separated above. All four formed a whole, yet the upper parts of each, the heads and the wings (though touching), rose distinct from one another. Two wings of each, as in the case of Isaiah’s Seraphim, were folded down over the body: and two were in their flight Ezekiel 1:9 “stretched upward” parted) so as to meet, each a wing of the neighboring living creature, just as the wings of the cherubim touched one another over the mercy-seat of the ark.


 
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