Every one had four faces apiece, and every one four wings; and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings.
Parallel translations
- WEB Every one had four faces, and every one four wings; and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings.
- BSB Each had four faces and four wings, with what looked like human hands under their wings.
- NKJV Each one had four faces and each one four wings, and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings.
- NASB Each one had four faces and each one four wings, and beneath their wings was the form of human hands.
- NLT for each had four faces and four wings and what looked like human hands under 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
Each cherub has four faces and four wings, with human-like hands under the wings. It restates the form of these heavenly attendants.
Overview
The repetition of their features emphasizes the careful, reliable nature of Ezekiel's testimony. The hands under the wings show their readiness to serve God's purposes. Such detailed description grounds the vision in concrete reality rather than vague imagination. The God served by these majestic beings is the same Lord who humbled Himself to serve and save in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Ezek 1:6And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.
- Ezek 41:18–19And it was made with cherubims and palm trees, so that a palm tree was between a cherub and a cherub; and every cherub had two faces;
- Ezek 10:14And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.
- Ezek 1:8–10And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings.
- Rev 4:7And 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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Christ at the center
The promise of one Shepherd-King David, a new heart and new Spirit, and the river of life flowing from the temple all stream toward Christ, the good Shepherd who gives the Spirit.
How Ezekiel 10:21 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.