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Tuesday, April 7th, 2026
Tuesday in Easter Week
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Read the Bible

New Century Version

Ezekiel 1:14

The living creatures ran back and forth like bolts 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.
Hebrew Names Version
The living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash 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.
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 When I looked, I saw a stormy wind coming from the north. There was a great cloud with a bright light around it and fire flashing out of it. Something that looked like glowing metal was in the center of the fire. 5 Inside the cloud was what looked like four living creatures, who were shaped like humans, 6 but each of them had four faces and four wings. 7 Their legs were straight. Their feet were like a calf's hoofs and sparkled like polished bronze. 8 The living creatures had human hands under their wings on their four sides. All four of them had faces and wings, 9 and their wings touched each other. The living creatures did not turn when they moved, but each went straight ahead. 10 Their faces looked like this: Each living creature had a human face and the face of a lion on the right side and the face of an ox on the left side. And each one also had the face of an eagle. 11 That was what their faces looked like. Their wings were spread out above. Each had two wings that touched one of the other living creatures and two wings that covered its body. 12 Each went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, the living creatures would also go, without turning. 13 The living creatures looked like burning coals of fire or like torches. Fire went back and forth among the living creatures. It was bright, and lightning flashed from it.

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 sky and the earth.
Genesis 1:2
The earth was empty and had no form. Darkness covered the ocean, and God's Spirit was moving over the water.
Genesis 1:3
Then God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.
Genesis 1:4
God saw that the light was good, so he divided the light from the darkness.
Genesis 1:6
Then God said, "Let there be something to divide the water in two."
Genesis 1:7
So God made the air and placed some of the water above the air and some below it.
Genesis 1:8
God named the air "sky." Evening passed, and morning came. This was the second day.
Genesis 1:9
Then God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered together so the dry land will appear." And it happened.
Genesis 1:12
The earth produced plants with grain for seeds and trees that made fruits with seeds in them. Each seed grew its own kind of plant. God saw that all this was good.
Genesis 1:14
Then God said, "Let there be lights in the sky to separate day from night. These lights will be used for signs, seasons, 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.


 
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