Revelation 4:8-9

4:8 Each one of the four living creatures had six wings ¹  and was full of eyes all around and inside. ²  They never rest day or night, saying: ³ 

“Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God, the All-Powerful, ⁴ 

Who was and who is, and who is still to come!”

4:9 And whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, ⁵  and thanks to the one who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever,

Revelation 5:6

5:6 Then ⁶  I saw standing in the middle of the throne ⁷  and of the four living creatures, and in the middle of the elders, a Lamb that appeared to have been killed. ⁸  He had ⁹  seven horns and seven eyes, which ¹⁰  are the seven ¹¹  spirits of God ¹²  sent out into all the earth.

Revelation 5:14--6:1

5:14 And the four living creatures were saying “Amen,” and the elders threw themselves to the ground ¹³  and worshiped.

The Seven Seals

6:1 I looked on when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a thunderous voice, ¹⁴  “Come!” ¹⁵ 

Revelation 7:11

7:11 And all the angels stood ¹⁶  there in a circle around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they threw themselves down with their faces to the ground ¹⁷  before the throne and worshiped God,

Revelation 14:3

14:3 and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No ¹⁸  one was able to learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been redeemed from the earth.

Revelation 15:7

15:7 Then ¹⁹  one of the four living creatures gave the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the wrath ²⁰  of God who lives forever and ever,

Revelation 19:4

19:4 The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures threw themselves to the ground ²¹  and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne, saying: “Amen! Hallelujah!”

Ezekiel 1:5-28

1:5 In the fire ²²  were what looked like ²³  four living beings. ²⁴  In their appearance they had human form, ²⁵  1:6 but each had four faces and four wings. 1:7 Their legs were straight, but the soles of their feet were like calves’ feet. They gleamed ²⁶  like polished bronze. 1:8 They had human hands ²⁷  under their wings on their four sides. As for the faces and wings of the four of them, 1:9 their wings touched each other; they did not turn as they moved, but went straight ahead. ²⁸ 

1:10 Their faces had this appearance: Each of the four had the face of a man, with the face of a lion on the right, the face of an ox on the left and also the face of an eagle. ²⁹  1:11 Their wings were spread out above them; each had two wings touching the wings of one of the other beings on either side and two wings covering their bodies. 1:12 Each moved straight ahead ³⁰  – wherever the spirit ³¹  would go, they would go, without turning as they went. 1:13 In the middle ³²  of the living beings was something like ³³  burning coals of fire ³⁴  or like torches. It moved back and forth among the living beings. It was bright, and lightning was flashing out of the fire. 1:14 The living beings moved backward and forward as quickly as flashes of lightning. ³⁵ 

1:15 Then I looked, ³⁶  and I saw one wheel ³⁷  on the ground ³⁸  beside each of the four beings. 1:16 The appearance of the wheels and their construction ³⁹  was like gleaming jasper, ⁴⁰  and all four wheels looked alike. Their structure was like a wheel within a wheel. ⁴¹  1:17 When they moved they would go in any of the four directions they faced without turning as they moved. 1:18 Their rims were high and awesome, ⁴²  and the rims of all four wheels were full of eyes all around.

1:19 When the living beings moved, the wheels beside them moved; when the living beings rose up from the ground, the wheels rose up too. 1:20 Wherever the spirit ⁴³  would go, they would go, ⁴⁴  and the wheels would rise up beside them because the spirit ⁴⁵  of the living being was in the wheel. 1:21 When the living beings moved, the wheels moved, and when they stopped moving, the wheels stopped. ⁴⁶  When they rose up from the ground, the wheels rose up from the ground; the wheels rose up beside them because the spirit of the living being was in the wheel.

1:22 Over the heads of the living beings was something like a platform, ⁴⁷  glittering awesomely like ice, ⁴⁸  stretched out over their heads. 1:23 Under the platform their wings were stretched out, each toward the other. Each of the beings also had two wings covering ⁴⁹  its body. 1:24 When they moved, I heard the sound of their wings – it was like the sound of rushing waters, or the voice of the Almighty, ⁵⁰  or the tumult ⁵¹  of an army. When they stood still, they lowered their wings.

1:25 Then there was a voice from above the platform over their heads when they stood still. ⁵²  1:26 Above the platform over their heads was something like a sapphire shaped like a throne. High above on the throne was a form that appeared to be a man. 1:27 I saw an amber glow ⁵³  like a fire enclosed all around ⁵⁴  from his waist up. From his waist down I saw something that looked like fire. There was a brilliant light around it, 1:28 like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds after the rain. ⁵⁵  This was the appearance of the surrounding brilliant light; it looked like the glory of the Lord. When I saw ⁵⁶  it, I threw myself face down, and I heard a voice speaking.

Ezekiel 10:14

10:14 Each of the cherubim ⁵⁷  had four faces: The first was the face of a cherub, ⁵⁸  the second that of a man, the third that of a lion, and the fourth that of an eagle.

[4:8]  ¹ tn Grk “six wings apiece,” but this is redundant with “each one” in English.

[4:8]  ² tn Some translations render ἔσωθεν (eswqen) as “under [its] wings,” but the description could also mean “filled all around on the outside and on the inside with eyes.” Since the referent is not available to the interpreter, the exact force is difficult to determine.

[4:8]  ³ tn Or “They never stop saying day and night.”

[4:8]  ⁴ tn On this word BDAG 755 s.v. παντοκράτωρ states, “the Almighty, All-Powerful, Omnipotent (One) only of God…(ὁ) κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ π. …Rv 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7; 21:22.”

[4:9]  ⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[5:6]  ⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

[5:6]  ⁷ tn Perhaps, “in the middle of the throne area” (see L&N 83.10).

[5:6]  ⁸ tn Or “slaughtered”; traditionally, “slain.” The phrase behind this translation is ὡς ἐσφαγμένον (Jw" ejsfagmenon). The particle ὡς is used in Greek generally for comparison, and in Revelation it is used often to describe the appearance of what the author saw. This phrase does not imply that the Lamb “appeared to have been killed” but in reality was not, because the wider context of the NT shows that in fact the Lamb, i.e., Jesus, was killed. See 13:3 for the only other occurrence of this phrase in the NT.

[5:6]  ⁹ tn Grk “killed, having.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the pronoun “he.”

[5:6]  ¹⁰ sn The relative pronoun which is masculine, referring back to the eyes rather than to the horns.

[5:6]  ¹¹ tc There is good ms evidence for the inclusion of “seven” (ἑπτά, Jepta; ̲⁴ א 2053 2351 Ï^K). There is equally good ms support for the omission of the term (A 1006 1611 Ï^A pc). It may have been accidentally added due to its repeated presence in the immediately preceding phrases, or it may have been intentionally added to maintain the symmetry of the phrases or more likely to harmonize the phrase with 1:4; 3:1; 4:5. Or it may have been accidentally deleted by way of homoioteleuton (τὰ ἑπτά, ta Jepta). A decision is difficult in this instance. NA²⁷ also does not find the problem easy to solve, placing the word in brackets to indicate doubts as to its authenticity.

[5:6]  ¹² sn See the note on the phrase the seven spirits of God in Rev 4:5.

[5:14]  ¹³ tn Grk “fell down.” BDAG 815 s.v. πίπτω 1.b.α.ב. has “fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion or humility, before high-ranking persons or divine beings.”

[6:1]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “saying like a voice [or sound] of thunder.”

[6:1]  ¹⁵ tc The addition of “and see” (καὶ ἴδε or καὶ βλέπε [kai ide or kai blepe]) to “come” (ἔρχου, ercou) in 6:1, 3-5, 7 is a gloss directed to John, i.e., “come and look at the seals and the horsemen!” But the command ἔρχου is better interpreted as directed to each of the horsemen. The shorter reading also has the support of the better witnesses.

[7:11]  ¹⁶ tn The verb is pluperfect, but the force is simple past. See ExSyn 586.

[7:11]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “they fell down on their faces.” BDAG 815 s.v. πίπτω 1.b.α.ב. has “fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion or humility, before high-ranking persons or divine beings.”

[14:3]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “elders, and no one.” This is a continuation of the previous sentence in the Greek text, but because of the length and complexity of the sentence a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[15:7]  ¹⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[15:7]  ²⁰ tn Or “anger.”

[19:4]  ²¹ tn Grk “creatures fell down.” BDAG 815 s.v. πίπτω 1.b.α.ב. has “fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion or humility, before high-ranking persons or divine beings.”

[1:5]  ²² tc Heb “from its midst” (מִתּוֹכָהּ, mitokhah). The LXX reads ἐν τῷ μέσῳ (en tw mesw, “in the midst of it”). The LXX also reads ἐν for מִתּוֹךְ (mitokh) in v. 4. The translator of the LXX of Ezekiel either read בְּתוֹךְ (bÿtokh, “within”) in his Hebrew exemplar or could not imagine how מִתּוֹךְ could make sense and so chose to use ἐν. The Hebrew would be understood by adding “from its midst emerged the forms of four living beings.”

[1:5]  ²³ tn Heb “form, figure, appearance.”

[1:5]  ²⁴ tn The Hebrew term is feminine plural yet thirty-three of the forty-five pronominal suffixes and verbal references which refer to the living beings in the chapter are masculine plural. The grammatical vacillation between masculine and feminine plurals suggests the difficulty Ezekiel had in penning these words as he was overcome by the vision of God. In ancient Near Eastern sculpture very similar images of part-human, part-animal creatures serve as throne and sky bearers. For a discussion of ancient Near Eastern parallels, see L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 1:26-31. Ezekiel’s vision is an example of contextualization, where God accommodates his self-revelation to cultural expectations and norms.

[1:5]  ²⁵ sn They had human form may mean they stood erect.

[1:7]  ²⁶ sn The Hebrew verb translated gleamed occurs only here in the OT.

[1:8]  ²⁷ tc The MT reads “his hand” while many Hebrew mss as well as the Qere read “hands of.” Two similar Hebrew letters, vav and yod, have been confused.

[1:9]  ²⁸ tn Heb “They each went in the direction of one of his faces.”

[1:10]  ²⁹ tc The MT has an additional word at the beginning of v. 11, וּפְנֵיהֶם (ufÿnehem, “and their faces”), which is missing from the LXX. As the rest of the verse only applies to wings, “their faces” would have to somehow be understood in the previous clause. But this would be very awkward and is doubly problematic since “their faces” are already introduced as the topic at the beginning of v. 10. The Hebrew scribe appears to have copied the phrase “and their faces and their wings” from v. 8, where it introduces the content of 9-11. Only “and (as for) their wings” belongs here.

[1:12]  ³⁰ tn See the note on “straight ahead” in v. 9.

[1:12]  ³¹ tn Or “wind.”

[1:13]  ³² tc The MT reads “and the form of the creatures” (וּדְמוּת הַחַיּוֹת, udÿmut hakhayyot). The LXX reads “and in the midst of the creatures,” suggesting an underlying Hebrew text of וּמִתּוֹךְ הַחַיּוֹת (umittokh hakhayyot). The subsequent description of something moving among the creatures supports the LXX.

[1:13]  ³³ tc The MT reads “and the form of the creatures – their appearance was like burning coals of fire.” The LXX reads “in the midst of the creatures was a sight like burning coals of fire.” The MT may have adjusted “appearance” to “their appearance” to fit their reading of the beginning of the verse (see the tc note on “in the middle”). See M. Greenberg, Ezekiel (AB), 1:46.

[1:13]  ³⁴ sn Burning coals of fire are also a part of David’s poetic description of God’s appearance (see 2 Sam 22:9, 13; Ps 18:8).

[1:14]  ³⁵ tc The LXX omits v. 14 and may well be correct. The verse may be a later explanatory gloss of the end of v. 13 which was copied into the main text. See M. Greenberg, Ezekiel (AB), 1:46.

[1:15]  ³⁶ tc The MT adds “at the living beings” which is absent from the LXX.

[1:15]  ³⁷ sn Another vision which includes wheels on thrones occurs in Dan 7:9. Ezek 10 contains a vision similar to this one.

[1:15]  ³⁸ tn The Hebrew word may be translated either “earth” or “ground” in this context.

[1:16]  ³⁹ tc This word is omitted from the LXX.

[1:16]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “Tarshish stone.” The meaning of this term is uncertain. The term has also been translated “topaz” (NEB); “beryl” (KJV, NASB, NRSV); or “chrysolite” (RSV, NIV).

[1:16]  ⁴¹ tn Or “like a wheel at right angles to another wheel.” Some envision concentric wheels here, while others propose “a globe-like structure in which two wheels stand at right angles” (L. C. Allen, Ezekiel [WBC], 1:33-34). The description given in v. 17 favors the latter idea.

[1:18]  ⁴² tc The MT reads וְיִרְאָה לָהֶם (vÿyir’ah lahem, “and fear belonged to them”). In a similar vision in 10:12 the wheels are described as having spokes (יִדֵיהֶם, yideyhem). That parallel would suggest יָדוֹת (yadot) here (written יָדֹת without the mater). By positing both a ד/ר (dalet/resh) confusion and a ת/ה (hey/khet) confusion the form was read as וְיָרֵה (vÿyareh) and was then misunderstood and subsequently written as וְיִרְאָה (vÿyir’ah) in the MT. The reading וְיִרְאָה does not seem to fit the context well, though in English it can be made to sound as if it does. See W. H. Brownlee, Ezekiel 1-19 (WBC), 8-9. The LXX reads καὶ εἶδον αὐτά (kai eidon auta, “and I saw”), which assumes וָאֵרֶא (va’ere’). The existing consonants of the MT may also be read as “it was visible to them.”

[1:20]  ⁴³ tn Or “wind”; the same Hebrew word can be translated as either “wind” or “spirit” depending on the context.

[1:20]  ⁴⁴ tc The MT adds the additional phrase “the spirit would go,” which seems unduly redundant here and may be dittographic.

[1:20]  ⁴⁵ tn Or “wind.” The Hebrew is difficult since the text presents four creatures and then talks about “the spirit” (singular) of “the living being” (singular). According to M. Greenberg (Ezekiel [AB], 1:45) the Targum interprets this as “will.” Greenberg views this as the spirit of the one enthroned above the creatures, but one would not expect the article when the one enthroned has not yet been introduced.

[1:21]  ⁴⁶ tc The LXX reads “when it went, they went; when it stood, they stood.”

[1:22]  ⁴⁷ tn Or “like a dome” (NCV, NRSV, TEV).

[1:22]  ⁴⁸ tn Or “like crystal” (NRSV, NLT).

[1:23]  ⁴⁹ tc Heb “each had two wings covering and each had two wings covering,” a case of dittography. On the analogy of v. 11 and the support of the LXX, which reads the same for v. 11 and this verse, one should perhaps read “each had two wings touching another being and each had two wings covering.”

[1:24]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “Shaddai” (probably meaning “one of the mountain”), a title that depicts God as the sovereign ruler of the world who dispenses justice. The Old Greek translation omitted the phrase “voice of the Almighty.”

[1:24]  ⁵¹ tn The only other occurrence of the Hebrew word translated “tumult” is in Jer 11:16. It indicates a noise like that of the turmoil of a military camp or the sound of an army on the march.

[1:25]  ⁵² tc The MT continues “when they stood still they lowered their wings,” an apparent dittography from the end of v. 24. The LXX commits haplography by homoioteleuton, leaving out vv. 25b and 26a by skipping from רֹאשָׁם (rosham) in v. 25 to רֹאשָׁם in v. 26.

[1:27]  ⁵³ tn See Ezek 1:4.

[1:27]  ⁵⁴ tc The LXX lacks this phrase. Its absence from the LXX may be explained as a case of haplography resulting from homoioteleuton, skipping from כְּמַרְאֵה (kÿmar’eh) to מִמַּרְאֵה (mimmar’eh). On the other hand, the LXX presents a much more balanced verse structure when it is recognized that the final words of this verse belong in the next sentence.

[1:28]  ⁵⁵ sn Reference to the glowing substance and the brilliant light and storm phenomena in vv. 27-28a echoes in reverse order the occurrence of these phenomena in v. 4.

[1:28]  ⁵⁶ tn The vision closes with the repetition of the verb “I saw” from the beginning of the vision in 1:4.

[10:14]  ⁵⁷ tn Heb “each one”; the referent (the cherubim) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:14]  ⁵⁸ sn The living creature described here is thus slightly different from the one described in Ezek 1:10, where a bull’s face appeared instead of a cherub’s. Note that some English versions harmonize the two descriptions and read the same here as in 1:10 (cf. NAB, NLT “an ox”; TEV, CEV “a bull”). This may be justified based on v. 22, which states the creatures’ appearance was the same.