And I heard the sound of the wings of the living beings touching one another and the sound of the wheels beside them, even a great rumbling sound.
Parallel translations
- WEB I heard the noise of the wings of the living creatures as they touched one another, and the noise of the wheels beside them, even the noise of a great rushing.
- KJV I heard also the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels over against them, and a noise of a great rushing.
- BSB It was the sound of the wings of the living creatures brushing against one another and the sound of the wheels beside them, a great rumbling sound.
- NKJV I also heard the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels beside them, and a great thunderous noise.
- NLT It was the sound of the wings of the living beings as they brushed against each other and the rumbling of their wheels beneath them.
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
Ezekiel hears the loud sound of the creatures' wings and the wheels. The throne-chariot of God's glory moves with thunderous majesty.
Overview
The great rushing noise echoes the earlier vision of God's glory in chapter 1. The sound confirms that the LORD's mobile throne has been present throughout the commission. It marks the awesome reality of God's presence with His exiled servant. The departing glory leaves Ezekiel commissioned and accompanied by the God he serves.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Ezek 1:24When 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.
- Ezek 10:16–17When the cherubim went, the wheels went beside them; and when the cherubim lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth, the wheels also didn’t turn from beside them.
- Ezek 10:5The sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of God Almighty when he speaks.
- 2 Sam 5:24When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then stir yourself up; for then Yahweh has gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines.”
- Ezek 1:15Now as I saw the living creatures, behold, one wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, for each of the four faces of it.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 3:13 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.