Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, August 17th, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
Attention!
StudyLight.org has pledged to help build churches in Uganda. Help us with that pledge and support pastors in the heart of Africa.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

Hebrew Names Version

Ezekiel 1:14

The living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

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

Dictionaries:

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

Encyclopedias:

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

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The creatures were darting back and forth like flashes of lightning.
King James Version
And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
English Standard Version
And the living creatures darted to and fro, like the appearance of a flash of lightning.
New American Standard Bible
And the living beings ran back and forth like bolts of lightning.
New Century Version
The living creatures ran back and forth like bolts of lightning.
Amplified Bible
And the living beings moved rapidly back and forth like flashes of lightning.
World English Bible
The living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And the beastes ranne, and returned like vnto lightning.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
And the living beings ran to and fro like bolts of lightning.
Legacy Standard Bible
And the living creatures ran to and fro with the appearance of lightning.
Berean Standard Bible
The creatures were darting back and forth as quickly as flashes of lightning.
Contemporary English Version
The creatures themselves moved as quickly as sparks jumping from a fire.
Complete Jewish Bible
The living creatures kept speeding here and there like flashes of lightning.
Darby Translation
And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
Easy-to-Read Version
The living beings ran back and forth—as fast as lightning.
George Lamsa Translation
And the living creatures ran, but returned not, and their appearance was like a flash of lightning.
Good News Translation
The creatures themselves darted back and forth with the speed of lightning.
Lexham English Bible
And the living creatures were speeding to and fro like the appearance of lightning.
Literal Translation
And the living creatures kept running and returning, like the appearance of a flash of lightning.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Whe ye beestes wete forwarde & backwarde, one wolde haue thought it had lightened.
American Standard Version
And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
Bible in Basic English
And the living beings went out and came back as quickly as a thunder-flame.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
King James Version (1611)
And the liuing creatures ranne, and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the beastes ranne, and returned like lightening.
English Revised Version
And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the beestis yeden, and turneden ayen at the licnesse of leit schynynge.
Update Bible Version
And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
New English Translation
The living beings moved backward and forward as quickly as flashes of lightning.
New King James Version
And the living creatures ran back and forth, in appearance like a flash of lightning.
New Living Translation
And the living beings darted to and fro like flashes of lightning.
New Life Bible
And the living beings ran this way and that, like lightning.
New Revised Standard
The living creatures darted to and fro, like a flash of lightning.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And the living ones ran and returned, - like the appearance of a flash of lightning.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the living creatures ran and returned like flashes of lightning.
Revised Standard Version
And the living creatures darted to and fro, like a flash of lightning.
Young's Literal Translation
And the living creatures are running, and turning back, as the appearance of the flash.

Contextual Overview

4 I looked, and, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, a great cloud, with flashing lightning, and a brightness round about it, and out of the midst of it as it were glowing metal, out of the midst of the fire. 5 Out of the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. This was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man. 6 Everyone had four faces, and everyone of them had four wings. 7 Their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot; and they sparkled like burnished brass. 8 They had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings [thus]: 9 their wings were joined one to another; they didn't turn when they went; they went everyone straight forward. 10 As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of a man; and they four had the face of a lion on the right side; and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four had also the face of an eagle. 11 Their faces and their wings were separate above; two [wings] of everyone were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies. 12 They went everyone straight forward: where the spirit was to go, they went; they didn't turn when they went. 13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches: [the fire] went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Psalms 147:15, Daniel 9:21, Zechariah 2:3, Zechariah 2:4, Zechariah 4:10, Matthew 24:27, Matthew 24:31, Mark 13:27

Reciprocal: Ezekiel 10:15 - This Daniel 10:6 - his face Hebrews 1:7 - Who Revelation 14:6 - another

Cross-References

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the eretz.
Genesis 1:2
Now the eretz was formless and empty. Darkness was on the surface of the deep. God's Spirit was hovering over the surface of the waters.
Genesis 1:3
God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.
Genesis 1:4
God saw the light, and saw that it was good. God divided the light from the darkness.
Genesis 1:6
God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters."
Genesis 1:7
God made the expanse, and divided the waters which were under the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse, and it was so.
Genesis 1:8
God called the expanse sky. There was evening and there was morning, a second day.
Genesis 1:9
God said, "Let the waters under the sky be gathered together to one place, and let the dry land appear," and it was so.
Genesis 1:12
The eretz brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, with its seed in it, after their kind: and God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:14
God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of sky to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years;

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the living creatures ran,.... Did their work with great readiness and swiftness; so, especially in the latter day, ministers of the Gospel shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased,

Daniel 12:4;

and returned; for though before it is said, "they turned not when they went", they kept straight on till they had done their work; but when they have done it, then they return, and give an account of it to him that has sent them: and their running and returning are said to be,

as the appearance of a flash of lightning; very sudden and swift.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ezekiel 1:14. The living creatures ran and returned — They had a circular movement; they were in rapid motion, but did not increase their distance from the spectator. So I think this should be understood.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile