Ezekiel 1:20

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

whithersoever the spirit was minded to go, they went - thither was the spirit minded to go, - and the wheels would be lifted up along with them, for the spirit of the living one was in the wheels:

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Wherever the Spirit wanted to go, the creatures went in the direction the Spirit was moving. The wheels rose alongside them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

Hebrew Names Version
Wherever the spirit was to go, they went; there was the spirit to go: and the wheels were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

King James Version
Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

English Standard Version
Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, and the wheels rose along with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

New American Standard Bible
Wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go in that direction. And the wheels rose just as they did; for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.

New Century Version
Wherever the spirit would go, the living creatures would go. And the wheels were lifted up beside them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

Amplified Bible
Wherever the spirit went, the beings went in that direction. And the wheels rose along with them; for the spirit or life of the living beings was in the wheels.

World English Bible
Wherever the spirit was to go, they went; there was the spirit to go: and the wheels were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Whither the spirit led them, they went, & thither did the spirite of the wheeles leade them, and the wheeles were lifted vp besides them: for the spirit of the beastes was in the wheeles.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go in that direction. And the wheels rose close beside them; for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.

Legacy Standard Bible
Wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go in that direction, where the spirit was about to go. And the wheels rose alongside of them; for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

Berean Standard Bible
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.

Complete Jewish Bible
Wherever the spirit was to go, they went, in the direction the spirit wanted to go. The wheels were lifted up next to them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

Darby Translation
Whithersoever the Spirit was to go, they went, thither would [their] spirit go; and the wheels were lifted up along with them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

Easy-to-Read Version
They went wherever the spirit wanted them to go, and the wheels went with them, because the power that moved the living being was in the wheels.

George Lamsa Translation
Wheresoever the spirit was to go, they went, and the wheels were lifted up with them; for there was a living spirit in the wheels.

Good News Translation
The creatures went wherever they wished, and the wheels did exactly what the creatures did, because the creatures controlled them.

Lexham English Bible
Wherever the spirit went they would go there, and the wheels rose, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

Literal Translation
There where the spirit was to go, there they went; there their spirit was to go, and the wheels were lifted up along with them. For the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Whyther so euer the sprete wente, thither wente they also, & ye wheles were lift vp & folowed the. for ye sprete of life was in the wheles.

American Standard Version
Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went; thither was the spirit to go: and the wheels were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

Bible in Basic English
Wherever the spirit was to go they went; and the wheels were lifted up by their side: for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Whithersoever the spirit was to go, as the spirit was to go thither, so they went; and the wheels were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

King James Version (1611)
Whithersoeuer the spirit was to goe, they went, thither was their spirit to goe, and the wheeles were lifted vp ouer against them: for the spirit of the liuing creature was in the wheeles.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Whyther soeuer the spirite [was] to go, they went, and thyther [was] the spirite to go, and the wheeles were lyft vp before them: for the spirite of the beastes were in the wheeles.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Wherever the cloud happened to be, there was the spirit ready to go: the wheels went and were lifted up with them; because the spirit of life was in the wheels.

English Revised Version
Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went; thither was the spirit to go: and the wheels were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Whidur euere the spirit yede, whanne the spirit yede thedur, also the wheelis suynge it weren reisid togidere; for whi the spirit of lijf was in the wheelis.

Update Bible Version
Wherever the spirit was to go, they went; there was the spirit to go: and the wheels were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

Webster's Bible Translation
Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither [was their] spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature [was] in the wheels.

New English Translation
Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise up beside them because the spirit of the living being was in the wheel.

New King James Version
Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, because there the spirit went; and the wheels were lifted together with them, for the spirit of the living creatures [fn] was in the wheels.

New Living Translation
The spirit of the living beings was in the wheels. So wherever the spirit went, the wheels and the living beings also went.

New Life Bible
Whatever way the spirit would go, they would go that way. And the wheels rose close beside them, for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.

New Revised Standard
Wherever the spirit would go, they went, and the wheels rose along with them; for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Whithersoever the spirit went, thither as the spirit went the wheels also were lifted up withal, and followed it: for the spirit of life was in the wheels.

Revised Standard Version
Wherever the spirit would go, they went, and the wheels rose along with them; for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

Young's Literal Translation
Whither the spirit is to go, they go, thither the spirit [is] to go, and the wheels are lifted up over-against them, for a living spirit [is] in the wheels.

Contextual Overview

¹⁵ And I looked at the living ones, - and lo! one wheel upon the earth beside the living ones for each of his four faces, ¹⁶ The appearance of the wheels and of their structure was like a Tarshish-stone to look upon, and they four had one likeness, - and their appearance and their structure were just as would be a wheel in the midst of a wheel. ¹⁷ Upon their four sides, when they went, so did they go, - they turned not when they went. ¹⁸ As for their rings, they were so high that they were terrible, -and their rings full of eyes round about, had they four. ¹⁹ And when the living ones went, the wheels went beside them, - and when the living ones were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up: ²⁰ whithersoever the spirit was minded to go, they went - thither was the spirit minded to go, - and the wheels would be lifted up along with them, for the spirit of the living one was in the wheels: ²¹ when they went, these went, and when they stood, there stood, - ad when they were lifted up from off the earth, the wheels were lifted up along with them, for the spirit of the living one was in the wheels. ²² And there was a likeness over the heads of the living one - an expanse, like terrible crystal to look upon, -stretched forth over their heads above. ²³ And under the expanse, their wings were straight, one towards another, - each one had two covering on this side, and each one had two covering on that side, their bodies. ²⁴ And I heard the sound of their wings, as the sound of many waters, as the sound of the Almighty, when they went, the sound of a storm as the sound of a host, - when they stood, they let down their wings,

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the spirit: Ezekiel 1:12, 1 Corinthians 14:32

for the: Ezekiel 10:17, Zechariah 6:1-8

of the living creature: or, of life

Reciprocal: Exodus 25:20 - toward Ezekiel 1:21 - When those went Ezekiel 10:11 - whither Ezekiel 11:22 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 1:7
And God made the expanse, and it divided between the waters that were under the expanse and the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so.

Genesis 1:14
And God said - Let there be luminaries in the expanse of the heavens, to divide between the day and the night, - and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years;

Genesis 1:22
And God blessed them, saying, - Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let, the birds, multiply in the land.

Genesis 1:24
And God said - Let the land, bring forth, living soul, after its kind, tame-beast and creeping thing and wild-beast, of the land, after its kind. And it was so.

Genesis 1:25
And God made the wild-beast of the land after its kind, and the tame-beast after its kind, and every creeping thing of the ground, after its kind. And God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:30
and to every living thing of the land - and to every bird of the heavens, and to every thing that moveth on the land, wherein is a living soul, every green herb for food. And it wins so.

Genesis 2:19
Now Yahweh God had formed from the ground every living thing of the field and every bird of the heavens, which he brought in unto the man, that he might see what he should call it, - and, whatsoever the man should call it - any living soul, that, should be the name thereof.

Genesis 8:17
All the living creatures that are with thee of all flesh among birds, and among beasts, and among all the creeping things that creep on the earth, bring forth with thee, - and they shall swarm in the earth, and be fruitful and multiply, on the earth.

1 Kings 4:33
And he discoursed of trees - from the cedar that is in Lebanon, even unto the hyssop, that springeth out in the wall, - and he discoursed of beasts and of birds, and of creeping things, and of fishes.

Psalms 148:10
Thou wild-beast, and all ye cattle, crawling creature, and bird of wing;

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Whithersoever the spirit was to go they went,.... That is, the Spirit of God; wherever that leads and directs, whether in the paths of faith or duty, they follow; they walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit; he guides their feet in the way of peace, and into all truth; and leads them in a right way to the land of uprightness:

thither [was their] spirit to go; their spirits or souls being regenerated by the spirit of God, are moved and actuated by him, and readily go where that directs:

and the wheels were lifted up over against them; that is, over against the living creatures; being by their sides going where they go, and being lifted up when they are:

for the spirit of the living creature [was] in the wheels; the same Spirit of God, which is a spirit of life, a quickening spirit, and a free spirit; which gives motion and liberty in religious exercises; that which is in the ministers of the Gospel is in the churches of God; there is but one Spirit, and ministers and members are actuated and influenced by it; see Ephesians 4:4.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Whithersoever the spirit of the four living creatures was to go, the wheels went - there was the spirit of the wheels to go. All four creatures together with their wheels are here called “the living creature,” because they formed a whole, one in motion, and in will, for one spirit was in them.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ezekiel 1:20. The spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. — That is, the wheels were instinct with a vital spirit; the wheels were alive, they also were animals, or endued with animal life, as the creatures were that stood upon them. Here then is the chariot of Jehovah. There are four wheels, on each of which one of the compound animals stands; the four compound animals form the body of the chariot, their wings spread horizontally above, forming the canopy or covering of this chariot; on the top of which, or upon the extended wings of the four living creatures, was the throne, on which was the appearance of a man, Ezekiel 1:26.