Ezekiel 1:15
in Ezekiel 1When I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold, one wheel upon the earth beside the living creatures, for each of the four faces thereof.
KJV
Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces.
⋯
This verse in Ezekiel 1
Commentary
16 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Translate it: “one wheel upon the earth by” each of “the liviing creatures” on his four sides (i. e. on the four sides of each of the living creatures). There was a wheel to “each” of the living creatures: it was set “by,” i. e. immediately “beneath” the feet of the living creature, and was constructed for direct motion in any of the four lines in which the creatures themselves moved.
This site's exposition
a wheel on the ground
on Ezekiel 1:15-18
The prophet saw “a wheel on the ground beside each creature,” gleaming like beryl, each looking like “a wheel within a wheel.” Many read this as two wheels set crosswise, which fits the text’s statement that “they went in any of the four directions.” Their rims “were high and awesome.”
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
And so, I recognize more clearly what I read: For the wheel runs within the wheel and is not hindered (Ezek. 1:16-17). For he passes his life without any offense in any passion, and even within these things the wheel runs. The Law runs within grace, and obedience to the Law is within the course of divine mercy: for the more it turns, the more it is proven.
All things celestial and terrestrial, and whatever falls under human understanding, are turned by the wheels of the Sun. The Sun travels through its yearly circle, with the Moon coursing through each month. The Morning Star itself, known as Lucifer, as it twinkles from East to West, tempers the darkness of the night with a small light and completes its course in two years. The four other wandering stars, called planets, and everything that shines in the sky, as well as the varieties of crops, trees, and herbs, follow their courses in four seasons on their own respective wheels; and we behold nothing that has not existed before. The spirit moves by whirling and returns to its own circles. All rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full (Ecclesiastes 1:6-7). Why? Because they return to their sources from the deep abyss. But of the Gospels, that is, of the four living creatures that breathe, live, and understand, if anyone considers the wheel and its course, in a short time he will see the world to be complete with the Apostolic proclamation. The wheel is also within a wheel, or the joining of the two Testaments, which indicates the ladder of Jacob (Genesis 28) and the prophetic word of Isaiah (Isaiah 6) and the double-edged sword. Or it represents the harmonious Gospels whose course and stature tend towards heaven and touch the earth only briefly, always hastening towards the heights.
(Verse 15 and following) And as I looked at the animals, a wheel appeared on the earth beside the animals, having four faces. And the appearance of the wheels and their work was like the vision of the sea, and the four of them had the same likeness, and their appearance and work was as a wheel within a wheel. They went in the four directions, and they did not turn as they walked. The wheels also had a height and a terrifying appearance, and the whole body was full of eyes all around the four of them. LXX: And I saw, and behold, a wheel was following animals four over the earth. And the appearance of the wheels and their construction was like the color of tarshish. And their appearance was in four: and their work was as it were a wheel within a wheel. They walked in their four parts, and did not turn back when they walked. And their backs and their height were to them. And I saw them, and their backs were full of eyes all around the four. Up to this point, the picture describes the four living creatures that had four faces, following the spirits and the cloud that was in the midst of the spirit, now the individual wheels are mentioned for each animal, which were not attached to the animals but followed them. Or a wheel appeared upon the Earth, which, divided into four, had as many faces as the number of animals that followed. And such was the similarity of the four wheels to the four following animals, that one wheel was truly believed. And their work and creation was like the vision of tharsis, which we turn into the sea. The eagle placed the hyacinth; which stone resembles the sky. And their appearance was like one wheel in another, so that you would not believe it was one wheel, but rather one wheel joined to another. They were moving in four directions, and they were not being dragged or turned back. […]
Whoever is stretching forward, like a wheel, touching the earth with a small part of itself, is really such as that wheel was, about which Ezekiel spoke.
The Medieval Church1 voice
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistHomilies on Ezekiel, Book 1, Homily 6 · Written before 604.
proposed
But what does the wheel signify except sacred Scripture, which turns from every side toward the minds of its hearers, and is held back from the way of its preaching by no corner of error? It turns from every side because amid adversity and prosperity it proceeds rightly and humbly. For the circle of its precepts is now above, now below, since what is spoken spiritually to the more perfect suits the weak according to the letter; and the very things that little ones understand according to the letter, learned men raise to the heights through spiritual understanding. For which of the little ones, in the deed of Esau and Jacob—that the one is sent to hunt so that he might be blessed, while the other is blessed by his father through his mother's substitution—is nourished except according to the history of sacred reading? In which history, if one is drawn a little more subtly to understanding, he sees that Jacob did not seize the blessing of the firstborn through fraud, but received what was owed to him, which he had purchased from his consenting brother for the price of lentils given. But if anyone thinking more deeply should wish to discuss the deeds of both through the mysteries of allegory, he immediately rises from history into mystery. For what does it mean that Isaac desired to eat from the hunting of his elder son, except that almighty God desired to be fed by the good works of the Jewish people? But while that one delayed, Rebecca substituted the younger, because while the Jewish people sought good works outside, mother grace instructed the gentile people to offer the food of good work to the almighty Father and to receive the blessing of the elder brother. […]
9 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Four faces - By this it appears, each wheel had its four faces. While he was contemplating the glory of the former vision, this other was presented to him: wherein the dispensations of providence are compared to the wheels of a machine, which all contribute to the regular motion of it.
Now as I beheld the living creatures,....
We are sometimes tempted to think there is nothing glorious but what is in the upper world, whereas, could we with an eye of faith discern the beauty of Providence and the wisdom, power, and goodness, which shine in the administration of that kingdom, we should see, and say, Verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth and acts like himself.
The glory of God appears not only in the splendour of his retinue in the upper world, but in the steadiness of his government here in this lower world.
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The cherubim and their wings and wheels stood in contrast to the symbolical figures, somewhat similar, then existing in Chaldea, and found in the remains of Assyria. The latter, though derived from the original revelation by tradition, came by corruption to symbolize the astronomical zodiac, or the sun and celestial sphere, by a circle with wings or irradiations.
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 3114: “God's Providence” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
proposed
IN my preaching, I am constantly talking about Providence, so I thought it would be well to devote a whole sermon to explaining what I believe are God's great wonder-working processes which we call, "Providence." In looking for a suitable text, I found this one. These "wheels" signify Divine Providence and I trust, while explaining them, I may be so assisted by God's Spirit that I may say many things to you concerning God's Government which may lift up any who are despondent and lift up the souls of many who are distressed. I.
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 3114: “God's Providence” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
proposed
IN my preaching, I am constantly talking about Providence, so I thought it would be well to devote a whole sermon to explaining what I believe are God's great wonder-working processes which we call, "Providence." In looking for a suitable text, I found this one. These "wheels" signify Divine Providence and I trust, while explaining them, I may be so assisted by God's Spirit that I may say many things to you concerning God's Government which may lift up any who are despondent and lift up the souls of many who are distressed. I. Going at once to my divisions, my first remark will be that PROVIDENCE IS HERE COMPARED TO A "WHEEL." When the Prophet had "beheld the living creatures," which I take it were angels, he opened his eyes again and he saw a wonderful illustration of Divine Providence—and this exhibition was in the figure of a wheel. You must know that this is not the only place where this comparison is to be found, for the Romans and Greeks were accustomed to compare the wondrous working of God in Providence to the revolutions of a wheel. The story goes that a certain king, being taken prisoner, was bound in chains and dragged along at the chariot wheels of his conqueror. As he went along, he kept looking at the wheel and shedding tears, and then looking at the wheel, again, and lifting up his eyes and smiling. The conqueror turned and said, "Why are you looking at that wheel?" He said, "I was thinking, such is the lot of man—just now I was here, now I am there—but soon I may be here again at the top of the wheel, and you may be grinding the dust." This was well for a heathen. The Prophet had the very same idea—he was permitted by God to see that the wheel is a very beautiful figure of Divine Providence. Let me show you that it is so.
One wheel upon the earth - It seems at first view there were four wheels, one for each of the living creatures; that is, the creatures were compound, so were the wheels, for there was “a wheel in the middle of a wheel.” And it is generally supposed that these wheels cut each other at right angles up and down: and this is the manner in which they are generally represented; but most probably the wheel within means merely the nave in which the spokes are inserted, in reference to the ring, rim, or periphery, where these spokes terminate from the center or nave. I do think this is what is meant by the wheel within a wheel; and I am the more inclined to this opinion, by some fine Chinese drawings now before me, where their deities are represented as walking upon wheels, the wheels themselves encompassed with fire. The wheel is simply by itself having a projecting axis; so of these it is said, “their appearance and their work was, as it were, a wheel within a wheel.” There were either two peripheries or rims with their spokes, or the nave answered for the wheel within. I have examined models of what are called Ezekiel’s wheels, which are designed to move equally in all directions: but I plainly saw that this was impossible; nor can any kind of complex wheel move in this way.
Modern Voices1 voice
For wheels are the mark of a man quite as much as wings are the mark of an angel. Wheels are the things that are as old as mankind and yet are strictly peculiar to man, that are prehistoric but not pre-human. A distinguished psychologist, …
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
would run and return, like the appearance of the sparks Our Sages explained (Chag. 13b): They would run and return like the flame of a furnace, which constantly shoots out of the mouth of the furnace and hastens back to enter.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
10 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וָאֵ֖רֶא | vaere' | and I saw | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| הַחַיּ֑וֹת | hachaiyot | the living creatures | H2416 → | 498 times |
| וְהִנֵּה֩ | vehineh | and there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| אוֹפַ֨ן | ʾofan | a wheel | H212 → | 35 times |
| אֶחָ֥ד | ʾechad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| בָּאָ֛רֶץ | baaretz | [was] on the ground | H776 → | 2504 times |
| אֵ֥צֶל | ʾetzel | beside | H681 → | 61 times |
| הַחַיּ֖וֹת | hachaiyot | the living creatures | H2416 → | 498 times |
| לְאַרְבַּ֥עַת | learbaat | for [the] four | H702 → | 318 times |
| פָּנָֽיו׃ | panav | faces its | H6440 → | 2123 times |
וָאֵ֖רֶאand I saw
vaere'H7200 →1300 times
הַחַיּ֑וֹתthe living creatures
hachaiyotH2416 →498 times
וְהִנֵּה֩and there!
vehinehH2009 →843 times
אוֹפַ֨ןa wheel
ʾofanH212 →35 times
אֶחָ֥דone
ʾechadH259 →971 times
בָּאָ֛רֶץ[was] on the ground
baaretzH776 →2504 times
אֵ֥צֶלbeside
ʾetzelH681 →61 times
הַחַיּ֖וֹתthe living creatures
hachaiyotH2416 →498 times
לְאַרְבַּ֥עַתfor [the] four
learbaatH702 →318 times
פָּנָֽיו׃faces its
panavH6440 →2123 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Revelation 4:7The first living creature was like a lion, the second like a calf, the third had a face like a man, and the fourth was like an eagle in flight.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 10:14
Each of the cherubim had four faces: the first face was that of a cherub, the second that of a man, the third that of a lion, and the fourth that of an eagle.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Ezekiel 1:10
The form of their faces was that of a man, and each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side,…
- Ezekiel 10:21
Each had four faces and four wings, with what looked like human hands under their wings.
- Ezekiel 10:14
Through
Daniel 7:9As I continued to watch, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took His seat. His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool.…
it leads to
- Revelation 1:14
The hair of His head was white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were like a blazing fire.
- Mark 9:3
His clothes became radiantly white, brighter than any launderer on earth could bleach them.
- Daniel 7:13
In my vision in the night I continued to watch, and I saw One like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led…
- Matthew 17:2
There He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.
- Micah 5:2
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come forth for Me One to be ruler over Israel—One whose origins are of old, from the days…
- Revelation 1:14
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
On this verse
On this chapter
About Ezekiel

This page draws on 14 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrose of Milan, On Jacob and the Blessed Life 2.11.49; Basil of Caesarea, HOMILIES ON THE PSALMS 13:3 (PS 28); Carl Friedrich Keil, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Ezekiel; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 3114: “God's Providence” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); GK Chesterton, Alarms and Discursions, The Wheel (1910); Gregory the Dialogist, Homilies on Ezekiel, Book 1, Homily 6; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
