Ezekiel · Majority Standard Bible
Ezekiel 1 Majority Standard Bible
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 In the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was among the exiles by the River Kebar, the heavens opened and I saw visions of God.
1 Now in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river Chebar, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.
2 On the fifth day of the month—it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin—
2 In the fifth of the month, which was the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity,
3 the word of the LORD came directly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Kebar. And there the LORD’s hand was upon him.
3 Yahweh’s word came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and Yahweh’s hand was there on him.
4 I looked and saw a whirlwind coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing back and forth and brilliant light all around it. In the center of the fire was a gleam like amber,
4 I looked, and behold, a stormy wind came out of the north: a great cloud, with flashing lightning, and a brightness around it, and out of the middle of it as it were glowing metal, out of the middle of the fire.
5 and within it was the form of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: They had a human form,
5 Out of its center came the likeness of four living creatures. This was their appearance: They had the likeness of a man.
6 but each had four faces and four wings.
6 Everyone had four faces, and each one of them had four wings.
7 Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the hooves of a calf, gleaming like polished bronze.
7 Their feet were straight feet. The sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot; and they sparkled like burnished bronze.
8 Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. All four living creatures had faces and wings,
8 They had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides. The four of them had their faces and their wings like this:
9 and their wings were touching one another. They did not turn as they moved; each one went straight ahead.
9 Their wings were joined to one another. They didn’t turn when they went. Each one went straight forward.
10 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.
10 As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of a man. The four of them had the face of a lion on the right side. The four of them had the face of an ox on the left side. The four of them also had the face of an eagle.
11 Such were their faces. Their wings were spread upward; each had two wings touching the wings of the creature on either side, and two wings covering its body.
11 Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above. Two wings of each one touched another, and two covered their bodies.
12 Each creature went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they moved.
12 Each one went straight forward. Where the spirit was to go, they went. They didn’t turn when they went.
13 In the midst of the living creatures was the appearance of glowing coals of fire, or of torches. Fire moved back and forth between the living creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it.
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. The fire was bright, and lightning went out of the fire.
14 The creatures were darting back and forth as quickly as flashes of lightning.
14 The living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
15 When I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces.
15 Now as I saw the living creatures, behold, there was one wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, for each of the four faces of it.
16 The workmanship of the wheels looked like the gleam of beryl, and all four had the same likeness. Their workmanship looked like a wheel within a wheel.
16 The appearance of the wheels and their work was like a beryl. The four of them had one likeness. Their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel within a wheel.
17 As they moved, they went in any of the four directions, without pivoting as they moved.
17 When they went, they went in their four directions. They didn’t turn when they went.
18 Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around.
18 As for their rims, they were high and dreadful; and the four of them had their rims full of eyes all around.
19 So as the living creatures moved, the wheels moved beside them, and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose.
19 When the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them. When the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.
20 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.
20 Wherever the spirit was to go, they went. The spirit was to go there. The wheels were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
21 When the creatures moved, the wheels moved; when the creatures stood still, the wheels stood still; and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose alongside them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
21 When those went, these went. When those stood, these stood. When those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
22 Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was the likeness of an awesome expanse, gleaming like crystal.
22 Over the head of the living creature there was the likeness of an expanse, like an awesome crystal to look at, stretched out over their heads above.
23 And under the expanse, their wings stretched out toward one another. Each one also had two wings covering its body.
23 Under the expanse, their wings were straight, one toward the other. Each one had two which covered on this side, and each one had two which covered their bodies on that side.
24 When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings like the roar of many waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army. When they stood still, they lowered their wings.
24 When they went, I heard the noise of their wings like the noise of great waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a noise of tumult like the noise of an army. When they stood, they let down their wings.
25 And there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads as they stood still with their wings lowered.
25 There was a voice above the expanse that was over their heads. When they stood, they let down their wings.
26 Above the expanse over their heads was the likeness of a throne with the appearance of sapphire, and on the throne high above was a figure like that of a man.
26 Above the expanse that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone. On the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man on it above.
27 From what seemed to be His waist up, I saw a gleam like amber, with what looked like fire within it all around. And from what seemed to be His waist down, I saw what looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded Him.
27 I saw as it were glowing metal, as the appearance of fire within it all around, from the appearance of his waist and upward; and from the appearance of his waist and downward I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him.
28 The appearance of the brilliant light all around Him was like that of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell facedown and heard a voice speaking.
28 As the appearance of the rainbow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. This was the appearance of the likeness of Yahweh’s glory. When I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of one that spoke.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Buzi
Ezekiel
The priest, son of Buzi, among the exiles by the Chebar Canal to whom the word of the LORD came.
Cited in the guide: Ezekiel 1:3; Ezekiel 24:24
Cross references (28)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Matthew 3:16; Acts 7:56; Revelation 19:11; Ezekiel 11:24; Revelation 4:1
- 2 2 Kings 24:12–15; Ezekiel 8:1; Ezekiel 20:1; Ezekiel 40:1; Ezekiel 29:17
- 3 Ezekiel 3:22; Ezekiel 3:14; 2 Kings 3:15; 1 Kings 18:46; Ezekiel 8:1
- 4 Ezekiel 1:27; Ezekiel 8:2; Jeremiah 23:19; Jeremiah 1:13–14; Isaiah 21:1
- 5 Revelation 4:6–8; Revelation 6:6; Ezekiel 1:26
- 6 Ezekiel 10:14; Ezekiel 10:21–22; Ezekiel 1:8–11; Isaiah 6:2; Exodus 25:20
- 7 Revelation 1:15; Daniel 10:6; Ezekiel 1:13; Psalm 104:4; Leviticus 11:47
- 8 Ezekiel 10:21; Ezekiel 10:18; Ezekiel 10:11; Ezekiel 8:3; Ezekiel 10:2
- 9 Ezekiel 10:22; Ezekiel 1:11–12; Luke 9:62; 2 Chronicles 3:11–12; 1 Corinthians 1:10
- 10 Ezekiel 10:14; Revelation 4:7; 1 Corinthians 9:9–10; Luke 15:10; Deuteronomy 28:49
- 11 Isaiah 6:2; Ezekiel 1:23; Ezekiel 10:16; Ezekiel 10:19
- 12 Ezekiel 1:9; Ezekiel 1:20–21; Ezekiel 10:22; Hebrews 1:14; Ezekiel 1:17
- 13 Psalm 104:4; Revelation 4:5; Revelation 10:1; Daniel 10:5–6; Matthew 28:3
- 14 Zechariah 4:10; Matthew 24:27; Daniel 9:21; Mark 13:27; Luke 17:24
- 15 Daniel 7:9; Ezekiel 10:9; Ezekiel 1:19–21; Revelation 4:7; Ezekiel 1:6
- 16 Daniel 10:6; Ezekiel 10:9–11; Psalm 40:5; Psalm 36:6; Exodus 39:13
- 17 Ezekiel 1:9; Ezekiel 1:12; Ezekiel 10:1–11; Isaiah 55:11
- 18 Ezekiel 10:12; Revelation 4:6; Revelation 4:8; Psalm 97:2–5; Psalm 77:16–19
- 19 Ezekiel 10:16; Ezekiel 10:19; Psalm 103:20
- 20 Ezekiel 1:12; Ezekiel 10:17; 1 Corinthians 14:32; Zechariah 6:1–8
- 21 Ezekiel 10:17; Ezekiel 1:19–20; Romans 8:2
- 22 Ezekiel 10:1; Ezekiel 1:26; Revelation 4:6; Job 37:22; Exodus 24:10
- 23 Psalm 89:7; Ezekiel 1:24; Job 4:18; Ezekiel 1:11–12; Luke 17:10
- 24 Ezekiel 43:2; Daniel 10:6; Revelation 1:15; Psalm 29:3–9; Revelation 19:6
- 25 Ezekiel 1:22
- 26 Ezekiel 10:1; Exodus 24:10; Revelation 1:13; Daniel 10:18; Ezekiel 1:22
- 27 Ezekiel 1:4; Ezekiel 8:2; Hebrews 12:29; Psalm 97:2; Psalm 50:3
- 28 Revelation 10:1; Revelation 4:3; Genesis 17:3; Ezekiel 3:23; Exodus 24:16
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
He saw the likeness of the glory of the Lord; not the Lord Himself, but the likeness of His glory, not the glory itself, as it really is.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
… Ezekiel the Prophet even made a description of them, as far as was possible, saying that every one has four faces, one of a man, another of a lion, another of an eagle, and another of a calf; and that each one had six wings, and they had eyes on all sides; and that under each one was a …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)