Ezekiel 1:10
New International Version
Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a human being, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle.

New Living Translation
Each had a human face in the front, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and the face of an eagle at the back.

English Standard Version
As for the likeness of their faces, each had a human face. The four had the face of a lion on the right side, the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and the four had the face of an eagle.

Berean Standard Bible
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, and also the face of an eagle.

King James Bible
As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.

New King James Version
As for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man; each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, each of the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and each of the four had the face of an eagle.

New American Standard Bible
As for the form of their faces, each had a human face; all four had the face of a lion on the right and the face of a bull on the left, and all four had the face of an eagle.

NASB 1995
As for the form of their faces, each had the face of a man; all four had the face of a lion on the right and the face of a bull on the left, and all four had the face of an eagle.

NASB 1977
As for the form of their faces, each had the face of a man, all four had the face of a lion on the right and the face of a bull on the left, and all four had the face of an eagle.

Legacy Standard Bible
And as for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man; all four had the face of a lion on the right and the face of a bull on the left, and all four had the face of an eagle.

Amplified Bible
Regarding the form and appearance of their faces: they [each] had the face of a man [in front], and each had the face of a lion on the right side, and the face of an ox on the left side; all four also had the face of an eagle [at the back of their heads].

Christian Standard Bible
Their faces looked something like the face of a human, and each of the four had the face of a lion on the right, the face of an ox on the left, and the face of an eagle.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The form of each of their faces was that of a man, and each of the four had the face of a lion on the right, the face of an ox on the left, and the face of an eagle.

American Standard Version
As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of a man; and they four had the face of a lion on the right side; and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four had also the face of an eagle.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And the likeness of their faces: the face of a son of man and the face of a lion on their right side and the face of an ox and the face an eagle on their left side

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the likeness of their faces was the face of a man, and the face of a lion on the right of the four; and the face of a calf on the left of the four; and the face of an eagle to the four.

Contemporary English Version
Each creature had the face of a human in front, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of a bull on the left, and the face of an eagle in back.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And as for the likeness of their faces: there was the face of a man, and the face of a lion on the right side of all the four: and the face of an ox, on the left side of all the four: and the face of an eagle over all the four.

English Revised Version
As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of a man; and they four had the face of a lion on the right side; and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four had also the face of an eagle.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Their faces looked like this: From the front, each creature had the face of a human. From the right, each one had the face of a lion. From the left, each one had the face of a bull. And from the back, each one had the face of an eagle.

Good News Translation
Each living creature had four different faces: a human face in front, a lion's face at the right, a bull's face at the left, and an eagle's face at the back.

International Standard Version
The form of their faces was human, but each of the four also had the face of a lion to the right, the face of an ox to the left, and the face of an eagle behind them.

JPS Tanakh 1917
As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of a man; and they four had the face of a lion on the right side; and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four had also the face of an eagle.

Literal Standard Version
As for the likeness of their faces, [each had] the face of a man, and toward the right the four had the face of a lion, and on the left the four had the face of an ox, and the four had the face of an eagle.

Majority Standard Bible
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, and also the face of an eagle.

New American Bible
Their faces were like this: each of the four had a human face, and on the right the face of a lion, and on the left, the face of an ox, and each had the face of an eagle.

NET Bible
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.

New Revised Standard Version
As for the appearance of their faces: the four had the face of a human being, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and the face of an eagle;

New Heart English Bible
As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of a man; and the four of them had the face of a lion on the right side; and the four of them had the face of an ox on the left side; the four of them also had the face of an eagle.

Webster's Bible Translation
As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.

World English Bible
As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of a man. The four of them had the face of a lion on the right side. The four of them had the face of an ox on the left side. The four of them also had the face of an eagle.

Young's Literal Translation
As to the likeness of their faces, the face of a man, and the face of a lion, toward the right are to them four, and the face of an ox on the left are to them four, and the face of an eagle are to them four.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Four Living Creatures
9and their wings were touching one another. They did not turn as they moved; each one went straight ahead. 10The 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, and also the face of an eagle. 11Such were their faces. Their wings were spread upward; each had two wings touching the wings of the creature on either side, and two wings covering its body.…

Cross References
Revelation 4:7
The 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.

Ezekiel 1:6
but each had four faces and four wings.

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.

Ezekiel 41:19
the face of a man was toward the palm tree on one side, and the face of a young lion was toward the palm tree on the other side. They were carved all the way around the temple.


Treasury of Scripture

As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.

for the

Ezekiel 10:14
And 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.

Revelation 4:7
And 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.

the face of a man

Numbers 2:10
On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben according to their armies: and the captain of the children of Reuben shall be Elizur the son of Shedeur.

Isaiah 46:8
Remember this, and shew yourselves men: bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors.

Luke 15:10
Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

the face of a lion

Numbers 2:3
And on the east side toward the rising of the sun shall they of the standard of the camp of Judah pitch throughout their armies: and Nahshon the son of Amminadab shall be captain of the children of Judah.

Judges 14:18
And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey? and what is stronger than a lion? And he said unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle.

1 Chronicles 12:8
And of the Gadites there separated themselves unto David into the hold to the wilderness men of might, and men of war fit for the battle, that could handle shield and buckler, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as the roes upon the mountains;

the face of an ox

Ezekiel 10:14
And 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.

Cherub

Numbers 2:18
On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim according to their armies: and the captain of the sons of Ephraim shall be Elishama the son of Ammihud.

Proverbs 14:4
Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox.

1 Corinthians 9:9,10
For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? …

the face of an eagle

Numbers 2:25
The standard of the camp of Dan shall be on the north side by their armies: and the captain of the children of Dan shall be Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.

Deuteronomy 28:49
The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand;

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Ezekiel 1
1. The time of Ezekiel's prophecy at Chebar.
4. His vision of four cherubim;
15. of the four wheels;
26. and of the glory of God.














(10) On the right side . . . on the left side.--The apparent obscurity of this description is due only to the punctuation in the English Bible. "They four had the face of a man" (viz., in front, as Ezekiel viewed them), "and the face of a lion on the right side; and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle" (viz., on the back, or side opposite to Ezekiel). These faces are the same as those given to the living creatures in Revelation 4:7, except that there each creature had but one of them.

Verse 10. - As for the likeness, etc. The Revised Version rightly strikes out the comma after "lion." The human face meets the prophet's gaze. On the right he sees the lion, on the left the ox, while the face of the eagle is behind. What did the symbols mean?

(1) The human face represents the thought that man, as made "after the image of God" (Genesis 1:27), is the highest symbol of the Eternal. So long as we remember that it is but a symbol, anthropomorphism is legitimate in thought, and appropriate in visions; though, like theriomorphism, it becomes perilous, and is therefore forbidden (Exodus 20:4; Deuteronomy 4:17) when it takes concrete form in metal or in stone. So Daniel (Daniel 7:9, 13) sees the "Ancient of Days" and "one like unto a son of man;" and St. John's vision (Revelation 1:13) represents the same symbolism.

(2) The lion had been the familiar emblem of sovereignty, both in the temple of Solomon (1 Kings 7:29) and in his palace (1 Kings 10:20; 2 Chronicles 9:18, 19). So, in Genesis 49:9, it is the symbol of the kingly power of Judah, and appears with a yet higher application in Revelation 5:5; while, on the other hand, it represents one of the great monarchies of the world in Daniel 7:4. Its modern heraldic use in the arms of England and elsewhere presents yet another analogue.

(3) The ox had appeared, as here, so also in 1 Kings 7:25, 44, in company with the lion, notably in the twelve oxen that supported the "sea" or "laver" in the temple. Here also we have a kind of sovereignty - the natural symbol of a strength made subservient to human uses. Both the lion and the ox, as we have seen, may have become familiar to Ezekiel as a priest ministering in the temple or as an exile. . . .

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The form
וּדְמ֣וּת (ū·ḏə·mūṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 1823: Resemblance, model, shape, like

of their faces
פְּנֵיהֶם֮ (pə·nê·hem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 6440: The face

was that
פְּנֵ֣י (pə·nê)
Noun - common plural construct
Strong's 6440: The face

of a man,
אָדָם֒ (’ā·ḏām)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 120: Ruddy, a human being

and each of the four
לְאַרְבַּעְתָּ֔ם (lə·’ar·ba‘·tām)
Preposition-l | Number - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 702: Four

had the face
וּפְנֵ֨י (ū·p̄ə·nê)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - common plural construct
Strong's 6440: The face

of a lion
אַרְיֵ֤ה (’ar·yêh)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 738: A lion

on
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the right side,
הַיָּמִין֙ (hay·yā·mîn)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 3225: The right hand, side, the south

the face
וּפְנֵי־ (ū·p̄ə·nê-)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 6440: The face

of an ox
שׁ֥וֹר (šō·wr)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7794: A head of cattle (bullock, ox, etcetera)

on the left side,
מֵֽהַשְּׂמֹ֖אול (mê·haś·śə·mō·wl)
Preposition-m, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8040: Dark, the north, the left hand

and also
לְאַרְבַּעְתָּ֑ן (lə·’ar·ba‘·tān)
Preposition-l | Number - masculine singular construct | third person feminine plural
Strong's 702: Four

the face
וּפְנֵי־ (ū·p̄ə·nê-)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 6440: The face

of an eagle.
נֶ֖שֶׁר (ne·šer)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5404: The eagle


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OT Prophets: Ezekiel 1:10 As for the likeness of their faces (Ezek. Eze Ezk)
Ezekiel 1:9
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