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Wednesday, July 9th, 2025
the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
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THE MESSAGE

Ezekiel 1:17

They went in any one of the four directions they faced, but straight, not veering off. The rims were immense, circled with eyes. When the living creatures went, the wheels went; when the living creatures lifted off, the wheels lifted off. Wherever the spirit went, they went, the wheels sticking right with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. When the creatures went, the wheels went; when the creatures stopped, the wheels stopped; when the creatures lifted off, the wheels lifted off, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Angel (a Spirit);   Wheel;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Beasts;   Cherub;   Ezekiel;   Vision;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Cherubim;   Ezekiel;   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;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Side;  

Encyclopedias:

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

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
When they moved, they went in any of the four directions, without turning as they moved.
Hebrew Names Version
When they went, they went in their four directions: they didn't turn when they went.
King James Version
When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went.
English Standard Version
When they went, they went in any of their four directions without turning as they went.
New American Standard Bible
Whenever they moved, they moved in any of their four directions without turning as they moved.
New Century Version
When they moved, they went in any one of the four directions, without turning as they went.
Amplified Bible
Whenever they moved, they went in any [one] of their four directions without turning as they moved.
World English Bible
When they went, they went in their four directions: they didn't turn when they went.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Whe they went, they went vpo their foure sides, and they returned not when they went.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Whenever they moved, they moved in any of their four directions without turning as they moved.
Legacy Standard Bible
Whenever they went, they went in any of their four directions without turning as they went.
Berean Standard Bible
As they moved, they went in any of the four directions, without pivoting as they moved.
Contemporary English Version
so that they could move in any direction without turning.
Complete Jewish Bible
When they moved, they could go in any of the four directions without turning as they moved.
Darby Translation
When they went, they went upon their four sides; they turned not when they went.
Easy-to-Read Version
They could turn to move in any direction. But the living beings did not turn when they moved.
George Lamsa Translation
When they went, they went upon four sides; and they turned not when they went; and wherever the first one turned to go, the other went after it, and turned not.
Good News Translation
so that the wheels could move in any of the four directions.
Lexham English Bible
When they moved, they went toward their four sides; they did not veer at all as they went.
Literal Translation
They went on the four of their sides in their going, they did not turn in their going.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
When one wente forwarde, they wente all foure, and turned the not aboute i their goinge.
American Standard Version
When they went, they went in their four directions: they turned not when they went.
Bible in Basic English
The four of them went straight forward without turning to one side.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
When they went, they went toward their four sides; they turned not when they went.
King James Version (1611)
When they went, they went vpon their foure sides: and they returned not when they went.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
When they went, they went vpon their foure sides: they returned not backe when they went.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
They went on their four sides: they turned not as they went;
English Revised Version
When they went, they went upon their four sides: they turned not when they went.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Tho goynge yeden bi foure partis of tho, and turneden not ayen, whanne tho yeden.
Update Bible Version
When they went, they went in their four directions: they did not turn when they went.
Webster's Bible Translation
When they went, they went upon their four sides: [and] they returned not when they went.
New English Translation
When they moved they would go in any of the four directions they faced without turning as they moved.
New King James Version
When they moved, they went toward any one of four directions; they did not turn aside when they went.
New Living Translation
The beings could move in any of the four directions they faced, without turning as they moved.
New Life Bible
When they moved, they went in one of their four ways, without turning as they went.
New Revised Standard
When they moved, they moved in any of the four directions without veering as they moved.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Upon their four sides, when they went, so did they go, - they turned not when they went.
Douay-Rheims Bible
When they went, they went by their four parts: and they turned not when they went.
Revised Standard Version
When they went, they went in any of their four directions without turning as they went.
Young's Literal Translation
On their four sides, in their going they go, they turn not round in their going.

Contextual Overview

15As I watched the four creatures, I saw something that looked like a wheel on the ground beside each of the four-faced creatures. This is what the wheels looked like: They were identical wheels, sparkling like diamonds in the sun. It looked like they were wheels within wheels, like a gyroscope. 17They went in any one of the four directions they faced, but straight, not veering off. The rims were immense, circled with eyes. When the living creatures went, the wheels went; when the living creatures lifted off, the wheels lifted off. Wherever the spirit went, they went, the wheels sticking right with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. When the creatures went, the wheels went; when the creatures stopped, the wheels stopped; when the creatures lifted off, the wheels lifted off, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. 22Over the heads of the living creatures was something like a dome, shimmering like a sky full of cut glass, vaulted over their heads. Under the dome one set of wings was extended toward the others, with another set of wings covering their bodies. When they moved I heard their wings—it was like the roar of a great waterfall, like the voice of The Strong God, like the noise of a battlefield. When they stopped, they folded their wings. 25And then, as they stood with folded wings, there was a voice from above the dome over their heads. Above the dome there was something that looked like a throne, sky-blue like a sapphire, with a humanlike figure towering above the throne. From what I could see, from the waist up he looked like burnished bronze and from the waist down like a blazing fire. Brightness everywhere! The way a rainbow springs out of the sky on a rainy day—that's what it was like. It turned out to be the Glory of God ! When I saw all this, I fell to my knees, my face to the ground. Then I heard a voice.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

and: Ezekiel 1:9, Ezekiel 1:12, Ezekiel 10:1 - Ezekiel 11:25, Isaiah 55:11

Reciprocal: Ezekiel 10:11 - they went upon Ezekiel 10:19 - the cherubims Ezekiel 46:9 - he that entereth in

Cross-References

Job 38:12
"And have you ever ordered Morning, ‘Get up!' told Dawn, ‘Get to work!' So you could seize Earth like a blanket and shake out the wicked like cockroaches? As the sun brings everything to light, brings out all the colors and shapes, The cover of darkness is snatched from the wicked— they're caught in the very act!
Psalms 8:1

A David Psalm

God , brilliant Lord, yours is a household name.
Psalms 8:3
I look up at your macro-skies, dark and enormous, your handmade sky-jewelry, Moon and stars mounted in their settings. Then I look at my micro-self and wonder, Why do you bother with us? Why take a second look our way?

Gill's Notes on the Bible

When they went, they went upon their four sides,.... On either of their crossing rings, as they were directed by the living creatures, at whose side they stood:

[and] they returned not when they went; they had no need to turn about when they were to go east, west, north, or south, as wheels usually do; but they turned upon the crossing ring, which was towards either of the four points. This denotes the perseverance of the churches, and the true members thereof, in faith and practice; they do not turn back, nor look back, but go right on, walking in the fear of the Lord, and in all his, ways and ordinances.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Upon their four sides - i. e. straight in the direction toward which their faces looked. Since the four quarters express all directions, the construction of the living creatures was such that they could move in each direction alike.


 
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