Ezekiel 1:20

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Wherever the Spirit wanted to go, the creatures went in the direction the Spirit was moving. The wheels rose alongside them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

Hebrew Names Version
Wherever the spirit was to go, they went; there was the spirit to go: and the wheels were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

King James Version
Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

English Standard Version
Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, and the wheels rose along with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

New American Standard Bible
Wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go in that direction. And the wheels rose just as they did; for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.

New Century Version
Wherever the spirit would go, the living creatures would go. And the wheels were lifted up beside them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

Amplified Bible
Wherever the spirit went, the beings went in that direction. And the wheels rose along with them; for the spirit or life of the living beings was in the wheels.

World English Bible
Wherever the spirit was to go, they went; there was the spirit to go: and the wheels were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Whither the spirit led them, they went, & thither did the spirite of the wheeles leade them, and the wheeles were lifted vp besides them: for the spirit of the beastes was in the wheeles.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go in that direction. And the wheels rose close beside them; for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.

Legacy Standard Bible
Wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go in that direction, where the spirit was about to go. And the wheels rose alongside of them; for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

Berean Standard Bible
Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise alongside them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

Complete Jewish Bible
Wherever the spirit was to go, they went, in the direction the spirit wanted to go. The wheels were lifted up next to them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

Darby Translation
Whithersoever the Spirit was to go, they went, thither would [their] spirit go; and the wheels were lifted up along with them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

Easy-to-Read Version
They went wherever the spirit wanted them to go, and the wheels went with them, because the power that moved the living being was in the wheels.

George Lamsa Translation
Wheresoever the spirit was to go, they went, and the wheels were lifted up with them; for there was a living spirit in the wheels.

Good News Translation
The creatures went wherever they wished, and the wheels did exactly what the creatures did, because the creatures controlled them.

Lexham English Bible
Wherever the spirit went they would go there, and the wheels rose, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

Literal Translation
There where the spirit was to go, there they went; there their spirit was to go, and the wheels were lifted up along with them. For the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Whyther so euer the sprete wente, thither wente they also, & ye wheles were lift vp & folowed the. for ye sprete of life was in the wheles.

American Standard Version
Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went; thither was the spirit to go: and the wheels were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

Bible in Basic English
Wherever the spirit was to go they went; and the wheels were lifted up by their side: for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Whithersoever the spirit was to go, as the spirit was to go thither, so they went; and the wheels were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

King James Version (1611)
Whithersoeuer the spirit was to goe, they went, thither was their spirit to goe, and the wheeles were lifted vp ouer against them: for the spirit of the liuing creature was in the wheeles.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Whyther soeuer the spirite [was] to go, they went, and thyther [was] the spirite to go, and the wheeles were lyft vp before them: for the spirite of the beastes were in the wheeles.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Wherever the cloud happened to be, there was the spirit ready to go: the wheels went and were lifted up with them; because the spirit of life was in the wheels.

English Revised Version
Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went; thither was the spirit to go: and the wheels were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Whidur euere the spirit yede, whanne the spirit yede thedur, also the wheelis suynge it weren reisid togidere; for whi the spirit of lijf was in the wheelis.

Update Bible Version
Wherever the spirit was to go, they went; there was the spirit to go: and the wheels were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

Webster's Bible Translation
Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither [was their] spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature [was] in the wheels.

New English Translation
Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise up beside them because the spirit of the living being was in the wheel.

New King James Version
Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, because there the spirit went; and the wheels were lifted together with them, for the spirit of the living creatures [fn] was in the wheels.

New Living Translation
The spirit of the living beings was in the wheels. So wherever the spirit went, the wheels and the living beings also went.

New Life Bible
Whatever way the spirit would go, they would go that way. And the wheels rose close beside them, for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.

New Revised Standard
Wherever the spirit would go, they went, and the wheels rose along with them; for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
whithersoever the spirit was minded to go, they went - thither was the spirit minded to go, - and the wheels would be lifted up along with them, for the spirit of the living one was in the wheels:

Douay-Rheims Bible
Whithersoever the spirit went, thither as the spirit went the wheels also were lifted up withal, and followed it: for the spirit of life was in the wheels.

Revised Standard Version
Wherever the spirit would go, they went, and the wheels rose along with them; for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

Young's Literal Translation
Whither the spirit is to go, they go, thither the spirit [is] to go, and the wheels are lifted up over-against them, for a living spirit [is] in the wheels.

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

the spirit: Ezekiel 1:12, 1 Corinthians 14:32

for the: Ezekiel 10:17, Zechariah 6:1-8

of the living creature: or, of life

Reciprocal: Exodus 25:20 - toward Ezekiel 1:21 - When those went Ezekiel 10:11 - whither Ezekiel 11:22 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 1:14
God spoke: "Lights! Come out! Shine in Heaven's sky! Separate Day from Night. Mark seasons and days and years, Lights in Heaven's sky to give light to Earth." And there it was.

Genesis 1:24
God spoke: "Earth, generate life! Every sort and kind: cattle and reptiles and wild animals—all kinds." And there it was: wild animals of every kind, Cattle of all kinds, every sort of reptile and bug. God saw that it was good.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Whithersoever the spirit was to go they went,.... That is, the Spirit of God; wherever that leads and directs, whether in the paths of faith or duty, they follow; they walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit; he guides their feet in the way of peace, and into all truth; and leads them in a right way to the land of uprightness:

thither [was their] spirit to go; their spirits or souls being regenerated by the spirit of God, are moved and actuated by him, and readily go where that directs:

and the wheels were lifted up over against them; that is, over against the living creatures; being by their sides going where they go, and being lifted up when they are:

for the spirit of the living creature [was] in the wheels; the same Spirit of God, which is a spirit of life, a quickening spirit, and a free spirit; which gives motion and liberty in religious exercises; that which is in the ministers of the Gospel is in the churches of God; there is but one Spirit, and ministers and members are actuated and influenced by it; see Ephesians 4:4.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Whithersoever the spirit of the four living creatures was to go, the wheels went - there was the spirit of the wheels to go. All four creatures together with their wheels are here called “the living creature,” because they formed a whole, one in motion, and in will, for one spirit was in them.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ezekiel 1:20. The spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. — That is, the wheels were instinct with a vital spirit; the wheels were alive, they also were animals, or endued with animal life, as the creatures were that stood upon them. Here then is the chariot of Jehovah. There are four wheels, on each of which one of the compound animals stands; the four compound animals form the body of the chariot, their wings spread horizontally above, forming the canopy or covering of this chariot; on the top of which, or upon the extended wings of the four living creatures, was the throne, on which was the appearance of a man, Ezekiel 1:26.