Ezekiel 1:5

Easy-to-Read Version

Inside the cloud, there were four living beings that looked like people.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The likeness of four living creatures came from it, and this was their appearance: They looked something like a human,

Hebrew Names Version
Out of the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. This was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.

King James Version
Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.

English Standard Version
And from the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had a human likeness,

New American Standard Bible
And within it there were figures resembling four living beings. And this was their appearance: they had human form.

New Century Version
Inside the cloud was what looked like four living creatures, who were shaped like humans,

Amplified Bible
Within it there were figures resembling four living beings. And this was their appearance: they had human form.

World English Bible
Out of the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. This was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Also out of the middes therof came the likenesse of foure beastes, and this was their forme: they had the appearance of a man.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Within it there were figures resembling four living beings. And this was their appearance: they had human form.

Legacy Standard Bible
And within it there were figures with the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.

Berean Standard Bible
and within it was the form of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: They had a human form,

Contemporary English Version
and in that center I saw what looked like four living creatures. They were somewhat like humans,

Complete Jewish Bible
Inside, there appeared to be four living creatures that looked like human beings;

Darby Translation
Also out of the midst thereof, the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.

George Lamsa Translation
Also out of the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.

Good News Translation
At the center of the storm I saw what looked like four living creatures in human form,

Lexham English Bible
And from its midst was the likeness of four living creatures, and this was their appearance: a human form,

Literal Translation
Also from its midst came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was how they looked: they had the likeness of a man,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and as it were the licknesse of foure beastes, which were fashioned like a man: sauynge,

American Standard Version
And out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man;

Bible in Basic English
And in the heart of it were the forms of four living beings. And this was what they were like; they had the form of a man.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.

King James Version (1611)
Also out of the midst thereof came the likenesse of foure liuing creatures, and this was their appearance: they had the likenesse of a man.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And out of the middes therof, the likenesse of foure beastes [appeared] and this was their fourme, they had the likenesse of a man.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And in the midst as it were the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; the likeness of a man was upon them.

English Revised Version
And out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And of myddis therof was a licnesse of foure beestis. And this was the biholdyng of tho, the licnesse of a man in tho.

Update Bible Version
And out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of man.

Webster's Bible Translation
Also from the midst of it [came] the likeness of four living creatures. And this [was] their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.

New English Translation
In the fire were what looked like four living beings. In their appearance they had human form,

New King James Version
Also from within it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.

New Living Translation
From the center of the cloud came four living beings that looked human,

New Life Bible
and in the fire was what looked like four living beings. They looked like men,

New Revised Standard
In the middle of it was something like four living creatures. This was their appearance: they were of human form.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and out of the midst thereof, as burnished copper to look upon out of the midst of the fire; and out of the midst thereof, a likeness of four living ones, and this was their appearance, the likeness of a man, had they;

Douay-Rheims Bible
And in the midst thereof the likeness of four living creatures: and this was their appearance: there was the likeness of a man in them.

Revised Standard Version
And from the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the form of men,

Young's Literal Translation
And out of its midst [is] a likeness of four living creatures, and this [is] their appearance; a likeness of man [is] to them,

Contextual Overview

⁴ I was watching a big storm come in from the north. It was a big cloud with a strong wind, and there was fire flashing from it. Light was shining out all around it. It looked like hot metal glowing in a fire. ⁵ Inside the cloud, there were four living beings that looked like people. ⁶ But each one of them had four faces and four wings. ⁷ Their legs were straight. Their feet looked like calves' feet, and they sparkled like polished brass. ⁸ Under their wings were human arms. There were four living beings. Each living being had four faces and four wings. ⁹ The wings touched each other. The living beings did not turn when they moved. They went in the direction they were looking. ¹⁰ Each living being had four faces. In the front they each had a man's face. There was a lion's face on the right side and a bull's face on the left side. There was an eagle's face on the back. ¹¹ 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. ¹² Each living being went in the direction it was looking. They went wherever the spirit caused them to go, but they did not turn when they moved. ¹³ That is what the living beings looked like. Inside the area between the living beings, there was something that looked like burning coals of fire. This fire was like small torches that kept moving around among the living beings. The fire glowed brightly and lightning flashed from it.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the likeness: Revelation 4:6, Revelation 6:6,*Gr.

Reciprocal: Exodus 36:8 - cherubims Psalms 18:10 - rode Ezekiel 10:15 - This Zechariah 1:10 - These Zechariah 6:5 - These

Cross-References

Genesis 1:8
God named that space "sky." There was evening, and then there was morning. This was the second day.

Genesis 1:13
There was evening, and then there was morning. This was the third day.

Genesis 1:19
There was evening, and then there was morning. This was the fourth day.

Genesis 1:23
There was evening, and then there was morning. This was the fifth day.

Genesis 1:31
God looked at everything he had made. And he saw that everything was very good. There was evening, and then there was morning. This was the sixth day.

Genesis 8:22
As long as the earth continues, there will always be a time for planting and a time for harvest. There will always be cold and hot, summer and winter, day and night on earth."

Psalms 19:2
Each new day tells more of the story, and each night reveals more and more about God's power.

Psalms 74:16
You control the day and the night. You made the sun and the moon.

Psalms 104:20
You made darkness to be the night— the time when wild animals come out and roam around.

Isaiah 45:7
I made the light and the darkness. I bring peace, and I cause trouble. I, the Lord , do all these things.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Also out of the midst thereof,.... The fire; or out of the whole that was seen; the whirlwind, cloud, fire, and the brightness about it:

[came] the likeness of four living creatures; not really four living creatures; they appeared like to such they were in the form of such; by which we are to understand, not the four monarchies; nor the four Gospels; nor the angels; but ministers of the Gospel; the true key for the opening of this vision is that which John saw, Revelation 4:6; the four beasts there, or living creatures, as it should be rendered, are the same with these here, and these the same with them; and who manifestly appear to be not only worshippers of the true God, but to be men redeemed by the blood of Christ; and are distinguished from angels, and also from the four and twenty elders, the representatives of the Gospel churches; and so can design no other than the ministers of the word, with whom all the characters of them agree, as in that vision, so in this; see Revelation 4:8. "Creatures" they are; not gods, but men; they are indeed in God's stead, and represent him, being ambassadors of his; but they are frail, mortal, sinful men, of like passions with others; and therefore great allowances must be made for their infirmities and weaknesses: yea, as ministers, they are the creatures of God; he, and not men, has made them able ministers of the New Testament: and they are "living" creatures; they have spiritual life in themselves, and are the means of quickening others; and have need to be, and should be, lively and fervent in their ministrations. Their number, "four", respects the four parts of the, world, to which their commission to preach the Gospel reaches; and whither they are sent, whensoever it is the will and pleasure of God they should got and he has work for them to do;

and this [was] their appearance, they had the likeness of a man; their general likeness was the human form, except in some particulars after mentioned, because they represented men; men humane, tender, kind and pitiful; knowing, and understanding, and acting like men.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Living creatures - The Hebrew word answers very nearly to the English “beings,” and denotes those who live, whether angels, men (in whom is the breath of life), or inferior creatures.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ezekiel 1:5. Also out on the midst thereof came - four living creatures. — As the amber-coloured body was the centre of the fire, and this fire was in the centre of the cloud; so out of this amber-coloured igneous centre came the living creatures just mentioned.