Ezekiel 1:6 — Word Study
WLCוְאַרְבָּעָ֥ה פָנִ֖ים לְאֶחָ֑ת וְאַרְבַּ֥ע כְּנָפַ֖יִם לְאַחַ֥ת לָהֶֽם׃
BSAbut eachʼechâd [every one, individually] had fourʼarbaʻ facespânîym [presences, aspects of their being] and fourʼarbaʻ [a repetition of completeness] wingskânâph [extremities, used for movement and protection]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְאַרְבָּעָ֥ה | and four | Conjunction |
| פָנִ֖ים | faces | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| לְאֶחָ֑ת | [belonged] to one | Preposition |
| וְאַרְבַּ֥ע | and four | Conjunction |
| כְּנָפַ֖יִם | wings | Noun common, feminine dual absolute |
| לְאַחַ֥ת | [belonged] to one | Preposition |
| לָהֶֽם׃ | of them | Preposition, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | but each had four faces and four wings. |
| KJV | And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings. |
| ASV | and every one had four faces, and every one of them had four wings. |
| YLT | and four faces [are] to each, and four wings [are] to each of them, |
| WEB | Everyone had four faces, and each one of them had four wings. |
| BBE | And every one had four faces, and every one of them had four wings. |
The translations agree on the depiction of the creatures' features, particularly the number of faces and wings.
The main clause is straightforward, with additional phrases providing detail about the creatures' features.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Ezekiel 1:6
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Vision of the Four Living Creaturesgenerated
Ezekiel 1:6 describes the appearance of four living creatures, each with unique features. This vision is part of a larger revelation that Ezekiel receives about the glory of God and the heavenly realm. The detailed description of these creatures emphasizes their divine nature and the complexity of God's creation, which is further elaborated in surrounding verses, such as Ezekiel 1:5 and Ezekiel 1:7.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ezekiel 1:10–15 | The form of their faces was that of a man, and each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and also the face of an eagle. |
| 2 | Ezekiel 10:10–14 | As for their appearance, all four had the same form, like a wheel within a wheel. |
| 3 | Revelation 4:7–8 | The first living creature was like a lion, the second like a calf, the third had a face like a man, and the fourth was like an eagle in flight. |
| 4 | Ezekiel 1:8–11 | Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. All four living creatures had faces and wings, |
| 5 | Exodus 25:20 | And the cherubim are to have wings that spread upward, overshadowing the mercy seat. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the mercy seat. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 7 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — אַרְבָּעָה, ve.'ar.ba.'Ahgenerated
The word אַרְבָּעָה (arba) is a masculine noun meaning 'four' in Hebrew. It is derived from the root associated with the number four, indicating a quantity. In this verse, it is used to describe the number of faces and wings each creature possesses, highlighting their completeness.
This repetition of the number four signifies not only quantity but also completeness in the context of these divine beings. The structure of the Hebrew language allows for such numerical emphasis, making it clear that each creature is fully equipped with these features.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main clause centers around the subject 'each' and describes the features of the creatures with two prepositional phrases: one detailing the number of faces and the other the number of wings. The structure emphasizes the equal importance of both features.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the creatures' attributes, with 'four faces' and 'four wings' being parallel constructions that highlight the completeness and symmetry of their design.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, אַרְבָּעָה is rendered as τέσσαρα, which also means 'four.' This choice aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning, maintaining the numerical significance.
The translation of פָנִים as πρόσωπα reflects a direct correspondence, indicating the translators understood the multifaceted nature of these beings.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Ezekiel 1:6 describes creatures with four faces and four wings, indicating their unique and complex nature. This vision is part of Ezekiel's broader revelation about God's glory and the heavenly realm.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The four faces symbolize the multifaceted nature of these living creatures, each aspect reflecting different attributes of their being.
The four wings may signify completeness and the ability to move swiftly, indicating their readiness to serve God's purposes.
This vision is similar to descriptions found in Revelation and other prophetic texts, emphasizing the glory and majesty of God's creation.
Ezekiel's vision serves to reveal God's sovereignty and the complexity of His creation, encouraging the people to recognize His power and presence.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What do the four faces of the creatures tell us about the nature of God?
- How can we understand the significance of completeness in our own lives?
- In what ways do we see the attributes of these creatures reflected in God's creation?
- How does this vision challenge our understanding of the divine?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early Church Fathers commented on this vision, interpreting the creatures' attributes as reflections of divine knowledge and presence.
And in the midst of it is the likeness of four living creatures, and this is their appearance: the likeness of a man is among them.Early Church Fathers on Ezekiel 1 →
The four holy living creatures, which are foreseen through the spirit of prophecy, are described with subtle narration when it is said: "Four faces to each one, and four wings to each one." What is expressed by the face except knowledge,Early Church Fathers on Ezekiel 1 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Ezekiel 1:6 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd or but everyone had four faces,.... Which are described, [See comments on Ezekiel 1:10].
Read John Gill on Ezekiel 1 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd every one had four faces, and every one had four wings. Every one had four faces. Not only were there four distinct living creatures, but each of the four had four faces, making sixteen in all.
Read Robert Jamieson on Ezekiel 1 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleAnd every one of those four living creatures which appeared to the prophet had four faces: this hieroglyphic, though it seems to present us with a monstrous sight, yet does not unbecome the Divine Wisdom, nor doth it want like representations, as 5:6: and speaks either the full fitness of angels to do God’ s commands in all things and occasions, or the perfection of their nature and obedience; or the universal dominion of God, and the universal subjection of the creatures. Faces; some would have this not literally understood of that part of the body which is properly the face, though I see no cause for it; but as these living creatures had wings, so they had faces, and what those were the…
Read Matthew Poole on Ezekiel 1 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsEzekiel 1:6 And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.Ver. 6. And every one had four faces.] To set forth, saith an expositor, that the power of angels is exercised about all creatures. It is as if the angels did bear on them the heads of all living creatures - i.e., did comprehend in themselves all the elements and all the parts of the world; not as if they did move or act by their own power, but as they are God’ s hands and agents, employed by him at pleasure, for the good of his Church especially, as being fit and ready to every good work. So should we strive to be. And every one had four wings.] To set forth their agility, their incredible swiftness, far beyond that of…
Read John Trapp on Ezekiel 1 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(6) Four faces.—The cherubim, being merely symbolical figures, are variously represented. Those placed in the Tabernacle and in the Temple of Solomon appear to have had only a single face; those described in Ezekiel’s vision of the Temple (Ezekiel 41:18-19) had two; the four living creatures of Rev 4:7 were each different from the other: one like a man, one like a lion, one like an ox, and one like an eagle, and these four are combined here in each one of the cherubim (Ezekiel 1:10). Man is the head of the whole animal creation, the lion of wild beasts, the ox of the domestic animals, and the eagle of the birds. Four wings.—In Revelation 4:8, six wings are mentioned, as also with the…
Read Charles John Ellicott on Ezekiel 1 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 6. Every one had four faces] There were four several figures of these living creatures, and each of these figures had four distinct faces: but as the face of the man was that which was presented to the prophet's view, so that he saw it more plainly than any of the others; hence it is said, Ezekiel 1:5, that each of these figures had the likeness of a man; and the whole of this compound image bore a general resemblance to the human figure.
Read AdamClarke on Ezekiel 1 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges6. had four faces] These were a man’s in front of each, an eagle’s opposite to this at the back of each; a lion’s on the right hand of each, and the face of an ox on the left of each. Thus four different faces were presented in each direction, so that in whatever direction the whole moved, while a man’s face was presented first, those of a lion, an ox and an eagle were also encountered. In this view the four living creatures made up one creature, and each of the four was in small that which the four were combined.
Read Cambridge on Ezekiel 1 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleIn the Revelation of John each “beast” has its own distinctive character, here each unites in itself the four characters; there each has six wings, like the Seraphim Isaiah 6:2, here only four.
Read Albert Barnes on Ezekiel 1 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
but each had four faces and four wings.
Everyone had four faces, and each one of them had four wings.
but each had four faces and four wings.
but each had four faces and four wings.
Tyndale line
And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.
and every one had four faces, and every one of them had four wings.
And every one had four faces, and every one of them had four wings.
And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.
And euery one had foure faces, and euery one had foure wings.
Strictly literal
And every one had four faces, and every one of them had four wings.
and four faces [are] to each, and four wings [are] to each of them,
and each had four faces and each of them had four wings,
And every one had four faces, and every one of them had four wings.
but they had four faces each, and each of the creatures had four wings.
From the Latin
Every one had four faces, and every one four wings.
Simplified
but they each had four faces and four wings.
And every one had four faces, and every one of them had four wings.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree in this verse, with six out of seven words matching. The Septuagint's translation reflects a similar understanding of the text, though the word order differs.
וְאַרְבָּעָ֥ה פָנִ֖ים לְאֶחָ֑ת וְאַרְבַּ֥ע כְּנָפַ֖יִם לְאַחַ֥ת לָהֶֽם׃
6 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Ezekiel 1:6
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
אַרְבַּע (arba) means 'four' in Hebrew. It is a masculine noun derived from the root associated with the number four. The entries consistently affirm this meaning without any significant disagreement among lexicons.
אַרְבַּע, אַרְבָּעָה four
base
H702 אַרְבַּע, אַרְבָּעָה four
702 'arba` ar-bah'
masculine oarbaah {ar-baw-aw'}; from 7251; four:--four.
see HEBREW for 07251
אַרְבַּע (ar.ba) — four.
four
Conj | Adj — ConjunctionHC/Acbsa
for ('arba`; tessares): "Four" (cardinal number) was a sacred and complete number with the Hebrews, as well as with several other peoples. It occurs very frequently in the Old Testament and the New Testament.
(1) It indicates completeness. We have the four rivers of Paradise (Ge 2:10); the four winds of heaven (Eze 37:9; Da 7:2; 8:8; 11:4; Zec 6:5, the Revised Version, margin "spirits"; /APC 2Esdras 13:5); "the four winds" (Mt 24:31; Mr 13:27); "the four corners of the earth" (Isa 11:12;
The Hebrew word פָּנֶה (*pāneh*) is a noun meaning 'face' or 'presence,' and it appears in various contexts, including the faces of seraphim and animals, as well as the surface of the ground. It can also function as an adverb meaning 'before' or 'in front of.' The word is built from a root that suggests turning or facing, and it encompasses a wide range of applications, both literal and figurative.
[פָּנֶה], pl. פָּנִים 2123 n.m. face, also faces
face, faces
presence, person
technically, see one's face, i.e. appear before one, in one's presence
face of seraphim
face of animals
face (= surface) of ground
as adv.loc. before
for other phrases
with prepositions
base
H6440 פָּנֶה, pl. פָּנִים face, also faces . . face, faces
. . presence, person
. technically, see one's face, i.e. appear before one, in one's presence
. face of seraphim
. face of animals
. face (= surface) of ground
. as adv. loc. before
. for other phrases
. with prepositions
6440 paniym paw-neem'
plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun (paneh
{paw-neh'}; from 6437); the face (as the part that turns);
used in a great variety of applications (literally and
figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a
preposition (before, etc.):--+ accept, a-(be- )fore(-time),
against, anger, X as (long as), at, + battle, + because (of),
+ beseech, countenance, edge, + employ, endure, + enquire,
face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er
time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, X him(-self), +
honourable, + impudent, + in, it, look(-eth) (- s), X me, +
meet, X more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), X on,
open, + out of, over against, the partial, person, + please,
presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, + regard, right
forth, + serve, X shewbread, sight, state, straight, + street,
X thee, X them(-selves), through (+ - out), till, time(-s)
פָּנֶה (pa.neh) — face: before.
: before/to/front
1) face
1a) face, faces
1b) presence, person
1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim)
1d) face (of animals)
1e) face, surface (of ground)
1f) as adv of loc/temp
1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before
1g) with prep
1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from before the face of
פָּנֶה (pa.neh) — face.
: face
1) face
1a) face, faces
1b) presence, person
1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim)
1d) face (of animals)
1e) face, surface (of ground)
1f) as adv of loc/temp
1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before
1g) with prep
1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from…
N-cp — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
אֶחָד (echad) means 'one' and is derived from a numeral. It encompasses meanings such as each, every, a certain, and can serve as an indefinite article. It is also used as an ordinal to denote 'first' and appears in various combinations, including eleven. The entries consistently emphasize its numerical and qualitative aspects.
אֶחָד 972 adj.num. one
one
= each, every
= a certain
= indef. art.
only, & (fem.) once
one … another, one … the other
as ordinal first
in combin.
base
H259 אֶחָד one . one
. = each, every
. = a certain
. = indef. art.
. only, & (fem.) once
. one … another, one … the other
. as ordinal first
. in combin.
259 'echad ekh-awd'
a numeral from 258; properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an
ordinal) first:--a, alike, alone, altogether, and,
any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-)ly, each (one), +
eleven, every, few, first, + highway, a man, once, one, only,
other, some, together,
see HEBREW for 0258
אֶחָד (e.chad) — one.
1) one (number)
1a) one (number)
1b) each, every
1c) a certain
1d) an (indefinite article)
1e) only, once, once for all
1f) one...another, the one...the other, one after another, one by one
1g) first
1h) eleven (in combination), eleventh (ordinal)
Prep | Adj — PrepositionHR/Acfsa
wun.
See NUMBER.
אַרְבַּע (arba) means 'four' in Hebrew. It is a masculine noun derived from the root associated with the number four. The entries consistently affirm this meaning without any significant disagreement among lexicons.
אַרְבַּע, אַרְבָּעָה four
base
H702 אַרְבַּע, אַרְבָּעָה four
702 'arba` ar-bah'
masculine oarbaah {ar-baw-aw'}; from 7251; four:--four.
see HEBREW for 07251
אַרְבַּע (ar.ba) — four.
four
Conj | Adj — ConjunctionHC/Acbsa
for ('arba`; tessares): "Four" (cardinal number) was a sacred and complete number with the Hebrews, as well as with several other peoples. It occurs very frequently in the Old Testament and the New Testament.
(1) It indicates completeness. We have the four rivers of Paradise (Ge 2:10); the four winds of heaven (Eze 37:9; Da 7:2; 8:8; 11:4; Zec 6:5, the Revised Version, margin "spirits"; /APC 2Esdras 13:5); "the four winds" (Mt 24:31; Mr 13:27); "the four corners of the earth" (Isa 11:12;
כָּנָף (kanaph) means 'wing' or 'extremity' and can refer to various edges or corners, such as those of a bird, garment, or building. It encompasses meanings like border, corner, and skirt, indicating both physical and metaphorical edges. The word is derived from a root that suggests an edge or extremity.
כָּנָף 109 n.f. wing, extremity
base
H3671 כָּנָף wing, extremity
3671 kanaph kaw-nawf'
from 3670; an edge or extremity; specifically (of a bird or
army) a wing, (of a garment or bed-clothing) a flap, (of the
earth) a quarter, (of a building) a pinnacle:--+ bird, border,
corner, end, feather(-ed), X flying, + (one an-)other,
overspreading, X quarters, skirt, X sort, uttermost part,
wing((-ed)).
see HEBREW for 03670
כָּנָף (ka.naph) — wing.
1) wing, extremity, edge, winged, border, corner, shirt
1a) wing
1b) extremity
1b1) skirt, corner (of garment)
N-fd — Noun common · feminine dual absoluteHNcfda
wingz (kanaph; pterux): Biblical references to the wings of birds are common, especially in Psalms, many of them exquisitely poetical. Often the wings of an eagle are mentioned because they are from 7 to 9 feet in sweep, of untiring flight, and have strength to carry heavy burdens: so they became the symbol of strength and endurance. Ancient monuments and obelisks are covered with the heads of bulls, lions, different animals, and men even, to which the wings of an eagle were added to symbolize strength. Sometimes the wings of a stork are used to portray strong flight, as in the vision of Zechariah: "Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there came forth two women, and the wind was in their wings; now they had wings like the wings of a stork; and they lifted up the ephah between earth and heaven" (5:9). The wings of a dove symbolized love. Wings in the abstract typified…
אֶחָד (echad) means 'one' and is derived from a numeral. It encompasses meanings such as each, every, a certain, and can serve as an indefinite article. It is also used as an ordinal to denote 'first' and appears in various combinations, including eleven. The entries consistently emphasize its numerical and qualitative aspects.
אֶחָד 972 adj.num. one
one
= each, every
= a certain
= indef. art.
only, & (fem.) once
one … another, one … the other
as ordinal first
in combin.
base
H259 אֶחָד one . one
. = each, every
. = a certain
. = indef. art.
. only, & (fem.) once
. one … another, one … the other
. as ordinal first
. in combin.
259 'echad ekh-awd'
a numeral from 258; properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an
ordinal) first:--a, alike, alone, altogether, and,
any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-)ly, each (one), +
eleven, every, few, first, + highway, a man, once, one, only,
other, some, together,
see HEBREW for 0258
אֶחָד (e.chad) — one.
1) one (number)
1a) one (number)
1b) each, every
1c) a certain
1d) an (indefinite article)
1e) only, once, once for all
1f) one...another, the one...the other, one after another, one by one
1g) first
1h) eleven (in combination), eleventh (ordinal)
HR/Acfsa — PrepositionHR/Acfsa
wun.
See NUMBER.
הֶם (hem) — them.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 3rd person masculine plural
HR/Sp3mp — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp3mp