Ezekiel 1:21 — meaning, Hebrew and Greek word study, commentary
Ezekiel 1:21
When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
to stand · conjunction + preposition + verb, qal infinitive construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine plural
stood
יַֽעֲמֹ֑דוּya.'a.Mo.du
H5975
to stand · verb, qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine plural
up
וּֽבְהִנָּשְׂאָ֞םu.ve.hi.na.se.'Am
H5375
to lift · conjunction + preposition + verb, niphal infinitive construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine plural
earth
הָאָ֗רֶץha.'A.retz
H776
the earth (at large · definite article + noun, common feminine singular absolute
wheels
הָאֽוֹפַנִּים֙ha.'o.fa.Nim
H212
a wheel · definite article + noun, common masculine plural absolute
up
יִנָּשְׂא֤וּyi.na.se.'U
H5375
to lift · verb, niphal imperfect, 3rd person masculine plural
against
לְעֻמָּתָ֔םle.'u.ma.Tam
H5980
conjunction · preposition + noun, common feminine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine plural
spirit
ר֥וּחַRu.ach
H7307
wind · noun, common feminine singular construct
creature
הַחַיָּ֖הha.chai.Yah
H2416
alive · definite article + noun, common feminine singular absolute
wheels
בָּאוֹפַנִּֽיםba.'o.fa.Nim
H212
a wheel · preposition with the article + noun, common masculine plural absolute
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Ezekiel 10:17 When they stood, these stood; and when they were lifted up, these lifted up themselves also: for the spirit of the living creature was in th…
Ezekiel 1:19-20 And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were li…
Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Ezekiel 1:15-25
The prophet is very exact in making and recording his observations concerning this vision. And here we have,
I. The notice he took of the wheels, Eze 1:15-21. 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. Having seen how God does according to his will in the armies of heaven, let us now see how he does according to it among the inhabitants of the earth; for there, on the earth, the prophet saw the wheels, Eze 1:15. As he beheld the living creatures, and was contemplating the glory of that vision and receiving instruction from it, this other vision presented itself to his view. Note, Thos…
over against--rather, "along with" [HENDERSON]; or, "beside" [FAIRBAIRN].
Adam Clarke on Ezekiel 1:20
The spirit of the living creature was in the wheels - That is, the wheels were instinct with a vital spirit; the wheels were alive, they also were animals, or endued with animal life, as the creatures were that stood upon them. Here then is the chariot of Jehovah. There are four wheels, on each of which one of the compound animals stands; the four compound animals form the body of the chariot, their wings spread horizontally above, forming the canopy or covering of this chariot; on the top of which, or upon the extended wings of the four living creatures, was the throne, on which was the appearance of a man, Eze 1:26.
John Gill on Ezekiel 1:21
When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood,.... When ministers are active and lively, then the churches are; but when they are indolent, dull, and inactive, then the churches are so likewise:
and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them; See Gill on Ezekiel 1:19;
for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels; or, "the spirit of life", as in Ezekiel 1:20; see Revelation 11:11.
The Church Fathers
And this whole vision is: a Spirit lifting up, and a great cloud, and four living creatures, and wheels following the same creatures, and the spirit, which deserve to be under the firmament of God. And after they were lifted up, and heard a voice like many waters, and like the sublime word of God, and the voice of camps and armies, they let down their wings, and showed astonishment in silence.
Concerning these wheels the same prophet repeats and adds: "When they went, they went, and when they stood, they stood; and when they were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were likewise lifted up following them, because the spirit of life was in the wheels." As you know, dearest brothers, these things have already been said for the most part, but they are narrated through repeated description. Therefore let it not weary us to repeat briefly in exposition what the Spirit deigned to narrate repeatedly through the prophet. For this alone is added as new in these words, namely what was said: "When they stood still, they stood still." Now there are certain people who advance to the point that they know how to dispense well the earthly goods they have received, who devote themselves to works of mercy, who come to the aid of the oppressed. These indeed go forward, in that they extend themselves for the benefit of their neighbor. With these, therefore, the wheels move, because the sacred words arrange the steps of their sayings in their journey. And there are others who are so strong in holding to the faith they have received that they are able to resist any adversities, and not only are they not in the least drawn toward the perversity of faithlessness, but they even fight against those who speak perversely and draw them back to rectitude. With these who stand still, the wheels also stand still, because the words of sacred Scripture confirm their rectitude, when they hear in them: "Stand firm and hold to the traditions you have learned." And again: "Your adversary the devil, like a roaring lion, goes about seeking whom he may devour; resist him, strong in faith." And there are others who despise all earthly things, who deign to possess nothing that passes away, and suspend themselves in the contemplation of God, as was said before. With these who are lifted up, therefore, the wheels are likewise raised, because to the extent that anyone has advanced to higher things, to that extent the sacred words speak to him of loftier matters. The living creatures go, therefore, for the benefit of their neighbor; they stand still for the guarding of themselves; they are lifted up for the contemplation of God. But the wheels likewise go, stand, and are lifted up, because sacred Scripture is found to be such as he himself becomes who seeks it. For you have advanced to the…
Dictionary and topics
Cherubim · Engaged in accomplishing the purposes of God — Engaged in accomplishing the purposes of God
Wheel · SYMBOLI — SYMBOLI
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
John Calvin on Ezekiel 1:21
Ezekiel 1:21
21. When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
21. Ambulando ambulebant: [45] et cum starent stabant: et cum elevarentur, [46] attollebantur rotae simul cum ipsis; quia spiritus animalis in rotis.
He continues the same sentence, that the wheels were fixed, not that they fell but stood without motion, which we know to be unnatural, for a wheel cannot stand on any part of its rim, but will either fall on one side or the other, or will roll on: for the Prophet says that the wheels were immovable. Whence it follow…
Description of the theophany seen by the spirit of the prophet. - Eze 1:4. And I saw, and, lo, a tempestuous wind came from the north, a great cloud, and a fire rolled together like a ball, and the brightness of light round about it, and out of its midst, as the appearance of glowing metal from the midst of the fire. - The description begins with a general outline of the phenomenon, as the same presented itself to the spiritual eye of the prophet on its approach from the north. A tempestuous wind brings hither from the north a great cloud, the centre of which appears as a lump of fire, which throws around the cloud the brightness of light, and presents in its midst the appearance of glowing…