And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings.
Parallel translations
- WEB 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.
- BSB 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.
- NKJV When they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of many waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a tumult like the noise of an army; and when they stood still, they let down their wings.
- NASB And I also heard the sound of their wings, like the sound of abundant waters as they went, like the voice of the Almighty, a sound of a crowd like the sound of an army camp; whenever they stopped, they let down their wings.
- NLT As they flew, their wings sounded to me like waves crashing against the shore or like the voice of the Almighty or like the shouting of a mighty army. When they stopped, they let down their wings.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Their wings sound like rushing waters, the voice of the Almighty, and a great army; when still, they lower their wings. The sound conveys overwhelming divine majesty.
Overview
The thunderous noise likens the creatures' movement to mighty waters and the voice of God Himself. Such imagery overwhelms the senses and underscores God's awesome power. When the creatures halt and lower their wings, they await the next command in stillness. The vision teaches that all heaven moves and rests at God's word.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Ezek 43:2And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory.
- Dan 10:6His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.
- Ps 29:3–9The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters.
- Rev 1:15And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
- Rev 19:6And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
- Ps 68:33To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, which were of old; lo, he doth send out his voice, and that a mighty voice.
- Ps 18:13The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.
- Job 37:4–5After it a voice roareth: he thundereth with the voice of his excellency; and he will not stay them when his voice is heard.
- Job 37:2Hear attentively the noise of his voice, and the sound that goeth out of his mouth.
- Ezek 10:5And the sound of the cherubims’ wings was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of the Almighty God when he speaketh.
- 2 Kgs 7:6For the LORD had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.
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