Ezekiel 1:15
New International Version
As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces.

New Living Translation
As I looked at these beings, I saw four wheels touching the ground beside them, one wheel belonging to each.

English Standard Version
Now as I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, one for each of the four of them.

Berean Standard Bible
When I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces.

King James Bible
Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces.

New King James Version
Now as I looked at the living creatures, behold, a wheel was on the earth beside each living creature with its four faces.

New American Standard Bible
Now as I looked at the living beings, behold, there was one wheel on the ground beside the living beings, for each of the four of them.

NASB 1995
Now as I looked at the living beings, behold, there was one wheel on the earth beside the living beings, for each of the four of them.

NASB 1977
Now as I looked at the living beings, behold, there was one wheel on the earth beside the living beings, for each of the four of them.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then I looked at the living creatures, and behold, there was one wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, for each of the four of them.

Amplified Bible
Now as I looked at the living beings, I saw one wheel on the ground beside the living beings, for each of the four of them.

Christian Standard Bible
When I looked at the living creatures, there was one wheel on the ground beside each of the four-faced creatures.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When I looked at the living creatures, there was one wheel on the ground beside each creature that had four faces.

American Standard Version
Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold, one wheel upon the earth beside the living creatures, for each of the four faces thereof.

Contemporary English Version
I then noticed that on the ground beside each of the four living creatures was a wheel,

English Revised Version
Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth beside the living creatures, for each of the four faces thereof.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each of them.

Good News Translation
As I was looking at the four creatures I saw four wheels touching the ground, one beside each of them.

International Standard Version
As I observed the living beings, I noticed one wheel on the earth beside each being—that is, for the four of them.

Majority Standard Bible
When I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces.

NET Bible
Then I looked, and I saw one wheel on the ground beside each of the four beings.

New Heart English Bible
Now as I saw the living creatures, look, there was a wheel on the ground beside each living creature with its four faces.

Webster's Bible Translation
Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces.

World English Bible
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.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And I see the living creatures, and behold, one wheel [is] in the earth, near the living creatures, at its four faces.

Young's Literal Translation
And I see the living creatures, and lo, one wheel is in the earth, near the living creatures, at its four faces.

Smith's Literal Translation
And I shall see the living creatures, and behold, one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, to his four faces.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Now as I beheld the living creatures, there appeared upon the earth by the living creatures one wheel with four faces.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And as I beheld the living creatures, there appeared above the earth, next to the living creatures, one wheel having four faces.

New American Bible
As I looked at the living creatures, I saw wheels on the ground, one alongside each of the four living creatures.

New Revised Standard Version
As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, one for each of the four of them.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold wheels were upon the earth by the side of each of the four living creatures.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And I saw the beasts, and behold, wheels in the earth on the side of these four beasts
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel at the bottom hard by the living creatures, at the four faces thereof.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And I looked, and, behold, the four had each one wheel on the ground near the living creatures.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Four Wheels
15When I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces. 16The 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.…

Cross References
Revelation 4:6-8
And before the throne was something like a sea of glass, as clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, covered with eyes in front and back. / 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. / And each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around and within. Day and night they never stop saying: “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”

Daniel 7:9-10
As I continued to watch, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took His seat. His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. / A river of fire was flowing, coming out from His presence. Thousands upon thousands attended Him, and myriads upon myriads stood before Him. The court was convened, and the books were opened.

Revelation 1:14-16
The hair of His head was white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were like a blazing fire. / His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and His voice was like the roar of many waters. / He held in His right hand seven stars, and a sharp double-edged sword came from His mouth. His face was like the sun shining at its brightest.

Isaiah 6:1-4
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted; and the train of His robe filled the temple. / Above Him stood seraphim, each having six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. / And they were calling out to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts; all the earth is full of His glory.” ...

Revelation 10:1
Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head. His face was like the sun, and his legs were like pillars of fire.

Zechariah 6:1-8
And again I lifted up my eyes and saw four chariots coming out from between two mountains—mountains of bronze. / The first chariot had red horses, the second black horses, / the third white horses, and the fourth dappled horses—all of them strong. ...

Revelation 19:11-14
Then I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse. And its rider is called Faithful and True. With righteousness He judges and wages war. / He has eyes like blazing fire, and many royal crowns on His head. He has a name written on Him that only He Himself knows. / He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is The Word of God. ...

Daniel 10:5-6
I lifted up my eyes, and behold, there was a certain man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. / His body was like beryl, his face like the brilliance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of polished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.

Revelation 5:6-8
Then I saw a Lamb who appeared to have been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. / And He came and took the scroll from the right hand of the One seated on the throne. / When He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

Isaiah 1:18
“Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool.

Revelation 21:10-11
And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the holy city of Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, / shining with the glory of God. Its radiance was like a most precious jewel, like a jasper, as clear as crystal.

Exodus 24:10
and they saw the God of Israel. Under His feet was a work like a pavement made of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself.

Revelation 15:2
And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, beside which stood those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name. They were holding harps from God,

1 Kings 22:19
Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left.

Revelation 14:14-16
And I looked and saw a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was One like the Son of Man, with a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. / Then another angel came out of the temple, crying out in a loud voice to the One seated on the cloud, “Swing Your sickle and reap, because the time has come to harvest, for the crop of the earth is ripe.” / So the One seated on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.


Treasury of Scripture

Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel on the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces.

one

Ezekiel 1:19-21
And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up…

Ezekiel 10:9,13-17
And when I looked, behold the four wheels by the cherubims, one wheel by one cherub, and another wheel by another cherub: and the appearance of the wheels was as the colour of a beryl stone…

Daniel 7:9
I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.

with

Ezekiel 1:6
And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.

Revelation 4:7
And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.

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Ezekiel 1
1. The time of Ezekiel's prophecy at Chebar.
4. His vision of four cherubim;
15. of the four wheels;
26. and of the glory of God.














When I looked
This phrase indicates a moment of divine revelation. Ezekiel, a prophet during the Babylonian exile, is granted a vision that transcends ordinary sight. The Hebrew root for "looked" is "ra'ah," which implies not just seeing but perceiving with understanding. This suggests that Ezekiel's vision is not merely visual but deeply spiritual, offering insight into God's majesty and sovereignty.

at the living creatures
The "living creatures" are later identified as cherubim, angelic beings that serve as attendants to God. In Hebrew, "chayot" is used, which can mean living beings or animals, emphasizing their vitality and divine purpose. These creatures symbolize God's omnipresence and omnipotence, as they are described with features that suggest strength, speed, and intelligence.

I saw a wheel
The "wheel" is a significant symbol in Ezekiel's vision, representing the complexity and interconnectedness of God's creation. The Hebrew word "ofan" is used, which can mean wheel or cycle, suggesting the perpetual motion and divine order of the universe. The wheel's presence beside each creature indicates that God's plans and purposes are dynamic and ever-moving.

on the ground
This phrase grounds the vision in reality, suggesting that God's divine presence and activity are not confined to the heavens but are also manifest on earth. The Hebrew word "eretz" for ground or earth emphasizes the connection between the divine and the terrestrial, reminding believers of God's immanence and involvement in the world.

beside each creature
The positioning of the wheel "beside each creature" signifies the intimate relationship between God's messengers and His divine will. The Hebrew preposition "etzel" implies proximity and association, indicating that the creatures and the wheels work in harmony to fulfill God's purposes. This reflects the unity and order within God's creation.

with its four faces
The "four faces" of the creatures symbolize completeness and universality. In Hebrew, the word "panim" for faces can also mean presence, suggesting that these creatures represent the fullness of God's presence. The number four often signifies universality in Scripture, pointing to the creatures' ability to move in any direction, reflecting God's omnipresence and omniscience.

(15) Behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures.--The prophet sees this while still looking intently upon the cherubim--" as I beheld the living creatures "--showing that it was still a part of one and the same vision. The wheel was one in the same sense in which the living creatures were one, yet actually four, as appears from the following verse and the whole subsequent description. In the corresponding vision (Ezekiel 10:9), they are at once described as four. The cherubim had been seen in the cloud (Ezekiel 1:4-5); now they need to be connected below with the earth, and presently (Ezekiel 1:26) above, with the throne of God. Therefore the wheel is "upon the earth," but of a great height (Ezekiel 1:18). There was a wheel in front of each of the cherubim, again forming a square, yet so that, as already said, they might in a sense be all considered as one wheel. Reference has been made for the origin of this imagery to the wheels under the ten bases of Solomon's Temple (1Kings 7:32-33); but there seems to be nothing either in size or form to correspond, and, so far as we know, the imagery here is purely original.

Verse 15. - Behold one wheel, etc. As the prophet gazed, yet another marvel presented itself - a "wheel" was seen. It is "by" or "beside" (Revised Version) the living creatures, and "for each of the four faces thereof" (Revised Version); i.e. as the next verse states definitely, there were four wheels. We may compare the analogues of the "wheels" of fire in the theophany of Daniel 7:9, and the chariot of the cherubim in 1 Chronicles 28:18.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
When I looked
וָאֵ֖רֶא (wā·’ê·re)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 7200: To see

at the living creatures,
הַחַיּ֑וֹת (ha·ḥay·yō·wṯ)
Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 2416: Alive, raw, fresh, strong, life

I saw
וְהִנֵּה֩ (wə·hin·nêh)
Conjunctive waw | Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!

a
אֶחָ֥ד (’e·ḥāḏ)
Number - masculine singular
Strong's 259: United, one, first

wheel
אוֹפַ֨ן (’ō·w·p̄an)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 212: A wheel

on the ground
בָּאָ֛רֶץ (bā·’ā·reṣ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

beside
אֵ֥צֶל (’ê·ṣel)
Preposition
Strong's 681: A joining together, proximity

each creature
הַחַיּ֖וֹת (ha·ḥay·yō·wṯ)
Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 2416: Alive, raw, fresh, strong, life

with its four
לְאַרְבַּ֥עַת (lə·’ar·ba·‘aṯ)
Preposition-l | Number - masculine singular construct
Strong's 702: Four

faces.
פָּנָֽיו׃ (pā·nāw)
Noun - common plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6440: The face


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OT Prophets: Ezekiel 1:15 Now as I saw the living creatures (Ezek. Eze Ezk)
Ezekiel 1:14
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