Ezekiel 1:9

Easy-to-Read Version

The wings touched each other. The living beings did not turn when they moved. They went in the direction they were looking.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Their wings were touching. The creatures did not turn as they moved; each one went straight ahead.

Hebrew Names Version
their wings were joined one to another; they didn't turn when they went; they went everyone straight forward.

King James Version
Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.

English Standard Version
their wings touched one another. Each one of them went straight forward, without turning as they went.

New American Standard Bible
their wings touched one another; their faces did not turn when they moved, each went straight forward.

New Century Version
and their wings touched each other. The living creatures did not turn when they moved, but each went straight ahead.

Amplified Bible
their wings touched one another; their faces did not turn when they moved, each went straight forward.

World English Bible
their wings were joined one to another; they didn't turn when they went; they went everyone straight forward.

Geneva Bible (1587)
They where ioyned by their wings one to another, and when they went forth, they returned not, but euery one went streight forward.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
their wings touched one another; their faces did not turn when they moved, each went straight forward.

Legacy Standard Bible
their wings touched one another; their faces did not turn as they went; each went straight forward.

Berean Standard Bible
and their wings were touching one another. They did not turn as they moved; each one went straight ahead.

Contemporary English Version
The four creatures were standing back to back with the tips of their wings touching. They moved together in every direction, without turning their bodies.

Complete Jewish Bible
they touched one another with their wings; they did not turn when they moved, but each one moved straight forward;

Darby Translation
their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.

George Lamsa Translation
Their wings were joined one to another; and when they went, they went straight forward; they turned not when they went.

Good News Translation
Two wings of each creature were spread out so that the creatures formed a square, with their wing tips touching. When they moved, they moved as a group without turning their bodies.

Lexham English Bible
their wings were touching one another; each of them went straight forward, without turning right or left.

Literal Translation
joining each one to the other by their wings. They did not turn in their going, each one went toward the front of their face.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
yet were the wynges so, that one euer touched another. When they wente, they turned them not aboute: but ech one wente straight forwarde.

American Standard Version
their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.

Bible in Basic English
They went without turning, every one went straight forward.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.

King James Version (1611)
Their wings were ioyned one to another, they turned not when they went: they went euery one straight forward.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Their wynges were ioyned one to another: when they went they looked not backe, but eche one went straight forwarde.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the faces of them four turned not when they went; they went everyone straight forward.

English Revised Version
their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and the wyngis of tho weren ioyned togidir of oon to another. Tho turneden not ayen, whanne tho yeden, but eche yede bifore his face.

Update Bible Version
their wings were joined one to another; they did not turn when they went; they went every one straight forward.

Webster's Bible Translation
Their wings [were] joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.

New English Translation
their wings touched each other; they did not turn as they moved, but went straight ahead.

New King James Version
Their wings touched one another. The creatures did not turn when they went, but each one went straight forward.

New Living Translation
The wings of each living being touched the wings of the beings beside it. Each one moved straight forward in any direction without turning around.

New Life Bible
their wings touched one another. Their faces did not turn when they moved. Each one moved straight ahead.

New Revised Standard
their wings touched one another; each of them moved straight ahead, without turning as they moved.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
joined to each other, were their wings, - they turned not when they went, each one straight before him, did they go;

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the wings of one were joined to the wings of another. They turned not when they went: but every one went straight forward.

Revised Standard Version
their wings touched one another; they went every one straight forward, without turning as they went.

Young's Literal Translation
joining one unto another [are] their wings, they turn not round in their going, each straight forward they go.

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

joined: Ezekiel 1:11, 2 Chronicles 3:11, 2 Chronicles 3:12, 1 Corinthians 1:10

they turned: Ezekiel 1:12, Ezekiel 10:11, Ezekiel 10:22, Proverbs 4:25-27, Luke 9:51, Luke 9:62

Reciprocal: Isaiah 6:2 - wings Ezekiel 1:17 - and

Cross-References

Genesis 1:1
God created the sky and the earth. At first,

Genesis 1:2
the earth was completely empty. There was nothing on the earth. Darkness covered the ocean, and God's Spirit moved over the water.

Genesis 1:5
God named the light "day," and he named the darkness "night." There was evening, and then there was morning. This was the first day.

Genesis 1:6
Then God said, "Let there be a space to separate the water into two parts!"

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

Genesis 1:9
Then God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered together so that the dry land will appear." And it happened.

Genesis 1:11
Then God said, "Let the earth grow grass, plants that make grain, and fruit trees. The fruit trees will make fruit with seeds in it. And each plant will make its own kind of seed. Let these plants grow on the earth." And it happened.

Genesis 1:28
God blessed them and said to them, "Have many children. Fill the earth and take control of it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the air. Rule over every living thing that moves on the earth."

Genesis 1:29
God said, "I am giving you all the grain bearing plants and all the fruit trees. These trees make fruit with seeds in it. This grain and fruit will be your food.

Job 26:7
God stretched the northern sky over empty space. He hung the earth on nothing.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Their wings [were] joined one to another,.... "A woman to her sister" n, in the Hebrew; denoting the concord, harmony, and agreement of Gospel ministers, and their affection to one another; they preach the same Gospel; administer the same ordinances; do the same work of the Lord; have the same zeal for the glory of God; the same love for Christ, and affection for the souls of men; are of the same mind and judgment, and help each other in the service of the Lord; and especially so it will be in the latter day glory, when the watchmen shall see eye to eye, Isaiah 52:8;

they turned not when they went; they went everyone straight forward; they go not into the path of error and immorality; they do not become apostates from the truth; they are not of them that draw back unto perdition; they go on in the course of their ministry straightforward; let what will be in their way, nothing diverts them from it; notwithstanding all difficulties and discouragements in themselves; reproaches, afflictions, and persecutions from men; and the temptations of Satan; Isaiah 52:8- :.

n אשה אל אחותה "foemina adsororem suam", Montanus, Polanus; "vira, [sive] mulier ad sociam suam", so some in Vatablus.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Two of the wings were in the act of flying, so stretched out that the extremity of each touched a wing of a neighboring living creature, similarly stretched out. This was only when they were in motion. See Ezekiel 1:24.

They went every one straight forward - The four together formed a square, and never altered their relative position. From each side two faces looked straight out, one at each corner - and so all moved together toward any of the four quarters, toward which each one had one of its four faces directed; in whatsoever direction the whole moved the four might be said all to go “straight forward.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ezekiel 1:9. Their wings were joined one to another — When their wings were extended, they formed a sort of canopy level with their own heads or shoulders; and on this canopy was the throne, and the "likeness of the man" upon it, Ezekiel 1:26.

They turned not when they went — The wings did not flap in flying, or move in the manner of oars, or of the hands of a man in swimming, in order to their passing through the air; as they glided in reference to their feet, so they soared in reference to their wings.