Ezekiel 1:13
New International Version
The appearance of the living creatures was like burning coals of fire or like torches. Fire moved back and forth among the creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it.

New Living Translation
The living beings looked like bright coals of fire or brilliant torches, and lightning seemed to flash back and forth among them.

English Standard Version
As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches moving to and fro among the living creatures. And the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.

Berean Standard Bible
In the midst of the living creatures was the appearance of glowing coals of fire, or of torches. Fire moved back and forth between the living creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it.

King James Bible
As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.

New King James Version
As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches going back and forth among the living creatures. The fire was bright, and out of the fire went lightning.

New American Standard Bible
In the midst of the living beings there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches moving among the living beings. The fire was bright, and lightning was flashing from the fire.

NASB 1995
In the midst of the living beings there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches darting back and forth among the living beings. The fire was bright, and lightning was flashing from the fire.

NASB 1977
In the midst of the living beings there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches darting back and forth among the living beings. The fire was bright, and lightning was flashing from the fire.

Legacy Standard Bible
As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches going back and forth among the living creatures. The fire was bright, and lightning was flashing from the fire.

Amplified Bible
Among the living beings there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches moving back and forth among the living beings. The fire was bright, and lightning was flashing from the fire.

Christian Standard Bible
The likeness of the living creatures was like the appearance of blazing coals of fire or like torches. Fire was moving back and forth between the living creatures; it was bright, with lightning coming out of it.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The form of the living creatures was like the appearance of burning coals of fire and torches. Fire was moving back and forth between the living creatures; it was bright, with lightning coming out of it.

American Standard Version
As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches: the fire went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And the appearance of the beasts was as the appearance of burning fiery coals of fire, and like the appearance of a lamp walking among the beasts, and the fire was shining brightly and lightning was going out from itAnd in the midst of the living creatures there was an appearance as of burning coals of fire, as an appearance of lamps turning among the living creatures; and the brightness of fire, and out of the fire came forth lightning.

Contemporary English Version
The creatures were glowing like hot coals, and I saw something like a flaming torch moving back and forth among them. Lightning flashed from the torch every time its flame blazed up.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And as for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like that of burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps. This was the vision running to and fro in the midst of the living creatures, a bright fire, and lightning going forth from the fire.

English Revised Version
As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches; it went up and down among the living creatures: and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The living creatures looked like burning coals and torches. Fire moved back and forth between the living creatures. The fire was bright, and lightning came out of the fire.

Good News Translation
Among the creatures there was something that looked like a blazing torch, constantly moving. The fire would blaze up and shoot out flashes of lightning.

International Standard Version
Now, in the midst of the living beings there was something that appeared to glow like coals kindled by a fire, like torches that moved back and forth between the living beings. The fire was dazzling, and lightning flashed from the fire.

JPS Tanakh 1917
As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like coals of fire, burning like the appearance of torches; it flashed up and down among the living creatures; and there was brightness to the fire, and out of the fire went forth lightning.

Literal Standard Version
As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearances [are] as coals of fire—burning as the appearance of lamps; it is going up and down between the living creatures, and brightness [is] to the fire, and lightning is going forth out of the fire.

Majority Standard Bible
In the midst of the living creatures was the appearance of glowing coals of fire, or of torches. Fire moved back and forth between the living creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it.

New American Bible
And the appearance of the living creatures seemed like burning coals of fire. Something indeed like torches moved back and forth among the living creatures. The fire gleamed intensely, and from it lightning flashed.

NET Bible
In the middle of the living beings was something like burning coals of fire or like torches. It moved back and forth among the living beings. It was bright, and lightning was flashing out of the fire.

New Revised Standard Version
In the middle of the living creatures there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches moving to and fro among the living creatures; the fire was bright, and lightning issued from the fire.

New Heart English Bible
And in the midst of the living creatures was an appearance of burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches. The fire went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.

Webster's Bible Translation
As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.

World English Bible
As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches. The fire went up and down among the living creatures. The fire was bright, and lightning went out of the fire.

Young's Literal Translation
As to the likeness of the living creatures, their appearances are as coals of fire -- burning as the appearance of lamps; it is going up and down between the living creatures, and brightness is to the fire, and out of the fire is going forth lightning.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Four Living Creatures
12Each creature went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they moved. 13In the midst of the living creatures was the appearance of glowing coals of fire, or of torches. Fire moved back and forth between the living creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it. 14The creatures were darting back and forth as quickly as flashes of lightning.…

Cross References
2 Thessalonians 1:7
and to grant relief to you who are oppressed and to us as well. This will take place when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels

Revelation 4:5
From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings, and peals of thunder. Before the throne burned seven torches of fire. These are the seven Spirits of God.

Psalm 104:4
He makes the winds His messengers, flames of fire His servants.

Ezekiel 10:2
And the LORD said to the man clothed in linen, "Go inside the wheelwork beneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with burning coals from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city." And as I watched, he went in.

Daniel 7:9
As 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. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze.


Treasury of Scripture

As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.

Ezekiel 1:7
And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot: and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass.

Genesis 15:17
And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.

Psalm 104:4
Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:

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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.














(13) Like the appearance of lamps.--The word "and" before this phrase is not in the original, and should be omitted. The words are merely a further explanation. The cherubim were like burning coals of fire, like torches or lightnings. The word "lamps" does not refer to the material, but to the light, and whether in the Hebrew or in its Greek equivalent, is translated by torches (Nahum 2:4; John 18:3),firebrands (Judges 15:4), or lightnings (Exodus 20:18). Ezekiel could find no single word to express his meaning, and has therefore given two, that between them the idea of the fiery brilliancy may be better conveyed.

It went up and down.--" It" refers to the fire. This indescribable fiery appearance went up and down among the living creatures, "bright" in itself, and throwing out coruscations of "lightning."

Verse 13. - Like burning coals of fire, etc. It may not be amiss to note the fact that the phrase throughout the Bible denotes incandescent wood. The nearest approach to its use by Ezekiel is in 2 Samuel 22:9, 13. For "lamps," read, with the Revised Version, "torches." Here the vision of Ezekiel, in which the living creatures were thus incandescent, bathed, as it were, in the fire that played around them, yet not consumed, followed in the path of previous symbols - of the burning bush (Exodus 3:2), of the pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:22), of the fire on Sinai (Exodus 19:18), of the "fire of the Lord" (Numbers 11:1-3), and the "fire of God" (2 Kings 1:12). Speaking generally, "fire," as distinct from "light," seems to be the symbol of the power of God as manifested against evil. "Our God is a consuming Fire" (Deuteronomy 4:24; Hebrews 12:29). The red light of fire has in it an element of terror which is absent from the stainless white of the eternal glory, or from the sapphire of the visible firmament. Lightning (comp. Exodus 19:16; Exodus 20:18; Daniel 10:6; Revelation 4:5; Revelation 8:5; Revelation 11:19; Revelation 16:18).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
In the midst
וּדְמ֨וּת (ū·ḏə·mūṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 1823: Resemblance, model, shape, like

of the living creatures
הַחַיּ֜וֹת (ha·ḥay·yō·wṯ)
Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 2416: Alive, raw, fresh, strong, life

was the appearance
מַרְאֵיהֶ֣ם (mar·’ê·hem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 4758: Sight, appearance, vision

of glowing
אֵ֗שׁ (’êš)
Noun - common singular
Strong's 784: A fire

coals
כְּגַחֲלֵי־ (kə·ḡa·ḥă·lê-)
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1513: An ember

of fire,
בֹּֽעֲרוֹת֙ (bō·‘ă·rō·wṯ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine plural
Strong's 1197: To kindle, consume, to be, brutish

[or]
כְּמַרְאֵ֣ה (kə·mar·’êh)
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4758: Sight, appearance, vision

of torches.
הַלַּפִּדִ֔ים (hal·lap·pi·ḏîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3940: A flambeau, lamp, flame

Fire
לָאֵ֔שׁ (lā·’êš)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 784: A fire

moved back and forth
מִתְהַלֶּ֖כֶת (miṯ·hal·le·ḵeṯ)
Verb - Hitpael - Participle - feminine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

between
בֵּ֣ין (bên)
Preposition
Strong's 996: An interval, space between

the living creatures;
הַחַיּ֑וֹת (ha·ḥay·yō·wṯ)
Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 2416: Alive, raw, fresh, strong, life

it was bright,
וְנֹ֣גַהּ (wə·nō·ḡah)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5051: Brilliancy

and lightning
בָרָֽק׃ (ḇā·rāq)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1300: Lightning, a gleam, a flashing sword

flashed
יוֹצֵ֥א (yō·w·ṣê)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim

out of
וּמִן־ (ū·min-)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition
Strong's 4480: A part of, from, out of

it.
הָאֵ֖שׁ (hā·’êš)
Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 784: A fire


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OT Prophets: Ezekiel 1:13 As for the likeness of the living (Ezek. Eze Ezk)
Ezekiel 1:12
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