Ezekiel 1:10

Bible in Basic English

As for the form of their faces, they had the face of a man, and the four of them had the face of a lion on the right side, and the four of them had the face of an ox on the left side, and the four of them had the face of an eagle.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Their faces looked something like the face of a human, and each of the four had the face of a lion on the right, the face of an ox on the left, and the face of an eagle.

Hebrew Names Version
As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of a man; and they four had the face of a lion on the right side; and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four had also the face of an eagle.

King James Version
As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.

English Standard Version
As for the likeness of their faces, each had a human face. The four had the face of a lion on the right side, the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and the four had the face of an eagle.

New American Standard Bible
As for the form of their faces, each had a human face; all four had the face of a lion on the right and the face of a bull on the left, and all four had the face of an eagle.

New Century Version
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.

Amplified Bible
Regarding the form and appearance of their faces: they [each] had the face of a man [in front], and each had the face of a lion on the right side, and the face of an ox on the left side; all four also had the face of an eagle [at the back of their heads].

World English Bible
As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of a man; and they four had the face of a lion on the right side; and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four had also the face of an eagle.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And the similitude of their faces was as the face of a man: and they foure had the face of a lyon on the right side, and they foure had the face of a bullocke on the left side: they foure also had the face of an egle.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
As for the form of their faces, each had the face of a man; all four had the face of a lion on the right and the face of a bull on the left, and all four had the face of an eagle.

Legacy Standard Bible
And as for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man; all four had the face of a lion on the right and the face of a bull on the left, and all four had the face of an eagle.

Berean Standard Bible
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.

Contemporary English Version
Each creature had the face of a human in front, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of a bull on the left, and the face of an eagle in back.

Complete Jewish Bible
as for the appearance of their faces, they had human faces [in front], each of the four had a lion's face on the right, each of the four had a bull's face on the left, and each of the four had an eagle's face [toward the rear] —

Darby Translation
And the likeness of their faces was the face of a man; and they four had the face of a lion on the right side; and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four had also the face of an eagle.

Easy-to-Read Version
Each living being had four faces. In the front they each had a man's face. There was a lion's face on the right side and a bull's face on the left side. There was an eagle's face on the back.

George Lamsa Translation
And as for the likeness of their faces, each of the four had the face of a man and the face of a lion on the right side; and each of the four had the face of an ox and the face of an eagle on the left side.

Good News Translation
Each living creature had four different faces: a human face in front, a lion's face at the right, a bull's face at the left, and an eagle's face at the back.

Lexham English Bible
The likeness of their faces was the face of a human in front, and the face of a lion on the right of each of them, and the face of an ox on the left of each of them, and the face of an eagle for each of them.

Literal Translation
And the likeness of their faces: the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side to the four of them; and the face of an ox on the left to the four of them, and the face of an eagle to the four of them.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Vpon the rightside off these foure, their faces were like the face off a man and the fa off a Lyon: But vpon the leftside, they had the face off an oxe and the face off an Aegle.

American Standard Version
As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of a man; and they four had the face of a lion on the right side; and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four had also the face of an eagle.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of a man; and they four had the face of a lion on the right side; and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four had also the face of an eagle.

King James Version (1611)
As for the likenesse of their faces, they foure had the face of a man, and the face of a lyon on the right side, and they foure had the face of an oxe on the left side: they foure also had the face of an eagle.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
But [touching] the similitude of their faces, they foure had the face of a man and the face of a lion on the right side, and they foure had the face of an oxe on the left side, the foure also had the face of an Egle.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the likeness of their faces was the face of a man, and the face of a lion on the right of the four; and the face of a calf on the left of the four; and the face of an eagle to the four.

English Revised Version
As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of a man; and they four had the face of a lion on the right side; and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four had also the face of an eagle.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe the licnesse `of the face of tho was the face of a man and the face of a lioun at the riythalf of tho foure. Forsothe the face of an oxe was at the left half of tho foure; and the face of an egle was aboue tho foure.

Update Bible Version
As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of man; and the four of them had the face of a lion on the right side; and the four of them had the face of an ox on the left side; the four of them had also the face of an eagle.

Webster's Bible Translation
As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.

New English Translation
Their faces had this appearance: Each of the four had the face of a man, with the face of a lion on the right, the face of an ox on the left and also the face of an eagle.

New King James Version
As for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man; each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, each of the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and each of the four had the face of an eagle.

New Living Translation
Each had a human face in the front, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and the face of an eagle at the back.

New Life Bible
As for what their faces looked like, each of the four had the face of a man, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of a bull on the left side, and the face of an eagle.

New Revised Standard
As for the appearance of their faces: the four had the face of a human being, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and the face of an eagle;

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and the likeness of their faces was the face of a man, with the face of a lion to the right of the four of them, and the face of an ox on the left, of the four of them, - the face of an eagle, also had they four;

Douay-Rheims Bible
And as for the likeness of their faces: there was the face of a man, and the face of a lion on the right side of all the four: and the face of an ox, on the left side of all the four: and the face of an eagle over all the four.

Revised Standard Version
As for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man in front; the four had the face of a lion on the right side, the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and the four had the face of an eagle at the back.

Young's Literal Translation
As to the likeness of their faces, the face of a man, and the face of a lion, toward the right [are] to them four, and the face of an ox on the left [are] to them four, and the face of an eagle [are] to them four.

THE MESSAGE
Their faces looked like this: In front a human face, on the right side the face of a lion, on the left the face of an ox, and in back the face of an eagle. So much for the faces. The wings were spread out with the tips of one pair touching the creature on either side; the other pair of wings covered its body. Each creature went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit went, they went. They didn't turn as they went.

Contextual Overview

⁴ And, looking, I saw a storm-wind coming out of the north, a great cloud with flames of fire coming after one another, and a bright light shining round about it and in the heart of it was something coloured like electrum. ⁵ And in the heart of it were the forms of four living beings. And this was what they were like; they had the form of a man. ⁶ And every one had four faces, and every one of them had four wings. ⁷ And their feet were straight feet; and the under sides of their feet were like the feet of oxen; and they were shining like polished brass. ⁸ And they had the hands of a man under their wings; the four of them had faces on their four sides. ⁹ They went without turning, every one went straight forward. ¹⁰ As for the form of their faces, they had the face of a man, and the four of them had the face of a lion on the right side, and the four of them had the face of an ox on the left side, and the four of them had the face of an eagle. ¹¹ And their wings were separate at the top; two of the wings of every one were joined one to another, and two were covering their bodies. ¹² Every one of them went straight forward; wherever the spirit was to go they went; they went on without turning. ¹³ And between the living beings it was like burning coals of fire, as if flames were going one after the other between the living beings; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went thunder-flames.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

for the: Ezekiel 10:14, Revelation 4:7

the face of a man: Numbers 2:10, Isaiah 46:8, Luke 15:10, 1 Corinthians 14:20

the face of a lion: Numbers 2:3, Judges 14:18, 1 Chronicles 12:8, Revelation 5:5

the face of an ox: Ezekiel 10:14, Cherub, Numbers 2:18, Proverbs 14:4, 1 Corinthians 9:9, 1 Corinthians 9:10

the face of an eagle: Numbers 2:25, Deuteronomy 28:49, Job 39:27, Isaiah 40:31, Daniel 7:4

Reciprocal: Exodus 36:8 - cherubims 1 Kings 7:25 - General 1 Kings 7:29 - lions 2 Chronicles 4:3 - And under Ezekiel 1:6 - And every one had four faces Ezekiel 10:22 - the likeness Ezekiel 41:18 - and every

Cross-References

Genesis 1:4
And God, looking on the light, saw that it was good: and God made a division between the light and the dark,

Deuteronomy 32:4
He is the Rock, complete is his work; for all his ways are righteousness: a God without evil who keeps faith, true and upright is he.

Psalms 104:31
Let the glory of the Lord be for ever; let the Lord have joy in his works:

Gill's Notes on the Bible

As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man,.... For these living creatures are men, redeemed from among men by the blood of Christ; their business lies with men, to preach the Gospel to them: and they should be humane, kind, and tender in their behaviour towards them; wounded consciences of weak believers, distressed and disconsolate souls, requiring such usage; and they should be men in understanding, have a large knowledge of the Scriptures, of the truths of the Gospel, and of Jesus Christ, since their work is to feed men with knowledge and understanding; and should act the manly part, quit themselves like men in defence of the Gospel, and the truths of it;

and the face of a lion on the right side; denoting the strength of Gospel ministers, the lion being the strongest among beasts, Proverbs 30:30; and they have need to be strong in the grace of Christ, and in the power of his might, to do the several parts of their work; to endure hardness as good soldiers of Christ; to wrestle with principalities and powers, and to bear the infirmities of the weak: and also their courage and fortitude of mind; their boldness in preaching the Gospel of Christ, not fearing the faces of men, nor their revilings; see

Proverbs 28:1;

and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; expressive of the patience of Gospel ministers in bearing the yoke that is upon them, not only of the ministry, but of the weaknesses of saints, and the reproaches and indignities of the wicked; and in instructing those that oppose themselves, and in waiting the issue of their ministry: and also of their laboriousness in their ministrations; particularly in treading out the corn of the word, for the subsistence of the saints: see 1 Corinthians 9:9;

they four also had the face of an eagle; showing their strong and clear sight of the Gospel, and the mysteries of it; the eagle having so strong an eye, that it is able to look full and steadfastly upon the sun; and their diligence in searching into the deep things of God, and particularly to find out where the carcass is, a crucified Christ, to feed upon themselves, and to direct others to it likewise. It seems as if these four living creatures had four distinct heads, as well as faces, and that the position of them was in this manner; the face of a man before; the face of a lion on the right side; the face of an ox on the left; and the face of an eagle behind, These four are the most excellent of creatures. The Talmudists have a saying,

"there are four that are proud (or excel) in the world; the lion among beasts; the ox among cattle; the eagle among birds; and man, whom God has exalted above all, for he rules over all o.''

o Apud Schindler. Lex. Pentaglott, p. 267.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Each living creature had four faces, in front the face of a man, that of a lion on the right side, that of an ox on the left side, and that of an eagle behind, and the “chariot” would present to the beholder two faces of a man, of a lion, of an eagle, and of an ox, according to the quarter from which he looked upon it.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ezekiel 1:10. As for the likeness of their faces — There was but one body to each of those compound animals: but each body had four faces; the face of a man and of a lion on the right side; the face of an ox and an eagle on the left side. Many of these compound images appear in the Asiatic idols. Many are now before me: some with the head and feet of a monkey, with the body, arms, and legs of a man. Others with the head of the dog; body, arms, and legs human. Some with the head of an ape; all the rest human. Some with one head and eight arms; others with six heads or faces, with twelve arms. The head of a lion and the head of a cock often appear; and some with the head of a cock, the whole body human, and the legs terminating in snakes. All these were symbolical, and each had its own appropriate meaning. Those in the text had theirs also, could we but find it out.