King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
When those went, [these] went; and when those stood, [these] stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature [was] in the wheels.
Complete Jewish Bible:
When [the living creatures] moved, [the wheels] moved; when the former stood still, the latter stood still; and when the former were lifted off the ground, the wheels were lifted up next to them; because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
Berean Standard Bible:
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.
American Standard Version:
When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and 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.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
When those went{H3212}, these went{H3212}; and when those stood{H5975}, these stood{H5975}; and when those were lifted up{H5375} from the earth{H776}, the wheels{H212} were lifted up{H5375} over against{H5980} them: for the spirit{H7307} of the living creature{H2416} was in the wheels{H212}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Ezekiel 10:17
- When they stood, [these] stood; and when they were lifted up, [these] lifted up themselves [also]: for the spirit of the living creature [was] in them.
Ezekiel 1:19
- 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 1:20
- 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.
Romans 8:2
- For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Ezekiel 1:21
Ezekiel 1:21 is part of the vision of the prophet Ezekiel, which is one of the most vivid and enigmatic passages in the Hebrew Bible. The verse is set during the Babylonian Exile, a period of great turmoil and identity crisis for the Israelites, who were taken from their homeland and resettled in Babylon. Ezekiel, a priest and a prophet, received his call and visions while among the exiles, and his writings are dated between 593 and 571 BCE.
In the vision described in Ezekiel 1, the prophet sees four living creatures, each with four faces—those of a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle—and four wings. These beings are accompanied by wheels that are described as appearing like beryl, and all four wheels have the same likeness, structure, and appearance, with a wheel within a wheel. The verse in question emphasizes the synchronization between the living creatures and the wheels: whenever the creatures moved, the wheels moved beside them; when the creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose too. This interconnected movement suggests a unity of purpose and action, indicating that the spirit of the living beings is also present within the wheels.
The themes of this verse include the majesty and mystery of the divine presence, the complexity and interconnectedness of the created order, and the omnipresence and omnipotence of God, who is not confined to any one place or limited by any earthly constraints. The vision as a whole serves to affirm God's sovereignty and mobility, even amidst the displacement and uncertainty faced by the Israelites in exile. It also speaks to the idea that divine guidance and power underlie all movement and change within the cosmos. The wheels within wheels may symbolize the intricate workings of divine providence, which operates on multiple levels of reality, transcending human understanding.
In summary, Ezekiel 1:21 is a part of a larger prophetic vision that uses complex imagery to convey the awesomeness of God's presence and his active involvement in the world, even during times of national upheaval. The verse reflects themes of divine immanence and transcendence, offering hope and reassurance to the exiled community that God's spirit is dynamically at work in all things, guiding and sustaining creation.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H3212
There are 938 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יָלַךְ
Transliteration: yâlak
Pronunciation: yaw-lak'
Description: a primitive root (compare הָלַךְ); to walk (literally or figuratively); causatively, to carry (in various senses); [idiom] again, away, bear, bring, carry (away), come (away), depart, flow, [phrase] follow(-ing), get (away, hence, him), (cause to, made) go (away, -ing, -ne, one's way, out), grow, lead (forth), let down, march, prosper, [phrase] pursue, cause to run, spread, take away (-journey), vanish, (cause to) walk(-ing), wax, [idiom] be weak. - Strong's Number: H5975
There are 495 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עָמַד
Transliteration: ʻâmad
Pronunciation: aw-mad'
Description: a primitive root; to stand, in various relations (literal and figurative, intransitive and transitive); abide (behind), appoint, arise, cease, confirm, continue, dwell, be employed, endure, establish, leave, make, ordain, be (over), place, (be) present (self), raise up, remain, repair, [phrase] serve, set (forth, over, -tle, up), (make to, make to be at a, with-) stand (by, fast, firm, still, up), (be at a) stay (up), tarry. - Strong's Number: H5375
There are 611 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נָשָׂא
Transliteration: nâsâʼ
Pronunciation: naw-saw'
Description: or נָסָה; (Psalm 4:6 (אֲבַד)), a primitive root; to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relative; accept, advance, arise, (able to, (armor), suffer to) bear(-er, up), bring (forth), burn, carry (away), cast, contain, desire, ease, exact, exalt (self), extol, fetch, forgive, furnish, further, give, go on, help, high, hold up, honorable ([phrase] man), lade, lay, lift (self) up, lofty, marry, magnify, [idiom] needs, obtain, pardon, raise (up), receive, regard, respect, set (up), spare, stir up, [phrase] swear, take (away, up), [idiom] utterly, wear, yield. - Strong's Number: H776
There are 2739 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֶרֶץ
Transliteration: ʼerets
Pronunciation: eh'-rets
Description: from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth (at large, or partitively a land); [idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world. - Strong's Number: H212
There are 47 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אוֹפָן
Transliteration: ʼôwphân
Pronunciation: o-fawn'
Description: or (shortened) אֹפָן; from an unused root meaning to revolve; a wheel; wheel. - Strong's Number: H5980
There are 28 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עֻמָּה
Transliteration: ʻummâh
Pronunciation: oom-maw'
Description: from עָמַם; conjunction, i.e. society; mostly adverb or preposition (with prepositional prefix), near, beside, along with; (over) against, at, beside, hard by, in points. - Strong's Number: H7307
There are 348 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: רוּחַ
Transliteration: rûwach
Pronunciation: roo'-akh
Description: from רוּחַ; wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions); air, anger, blast, breath, [idiom] cool, courage, mind, [idiom] quarter, [idiom] side, spirit(-ual), tempest, [idiom] vain, (whirl-) wind(-y). - Strong's Number: H2416
There are 452 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: חַי
Transliteration: chay
Pronunciation: khah'-ee
Description: from חָיָה; alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether literally or figuratively; [phrase] age, alive, appetite, (wild) beast, company, congregation, life(-time), live(-ly), living (creature, thing), maintenance, [phrase] merry, multitude, [phrase] (be) old, quick, raw, running, springing, troop.