The Meaning of Ezekiel 1:12 Explained

Ezekiel 1:12

KJV: And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went.

YLT: And each straight forward they go, whither the spirit is to go, they go, they turn not round in their going.

Darby: And they went every one straight forward: whither the Spirit was to go, they went; they turned not when they went.

ASV: And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; they turned not when they went.

Discover Ezekiel 1:12

CONTEXT: What is the Context of Ezekiel 1:12?

MEANING: What does Ezekiel 1:12 Mean?

WORDS: What do the individual words in Ezekiel 1:12 mean?

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in Ezekiel 1:12?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And they went  every one  straight  forward:  whither the spirit  was to go,  they went;  [and] they turned  not when they went. 

What does Ezekiel 1:12 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Each creature moved straight forward without deviating, in the direction of the front of each body. Each one followed the lead of the Spirit without twisting as it went. In this context, the Spirit in view is probably the Holy Spirit of God. Other possibilities are the wind that brought the cloud, the spirit of the creatures themselves, or the "vital energy or impulse by which God from His throne acted upon them" [1]

Context Summary

Ezekiel 1:1-21 - A Vision Of God's Majesty
A dark storm-cloud approaches the prophet, from which an incessant blaze of lightning scintillated. As it drew near, the forms of four living creatures became visible, combining, under various figures, intelligence, strength, patience, and soaring aspiration. The wheels were evidently symbolical of the cycles of divine providence, which cooperate with the ministers of the divine will. The slab of blue expanse supported a human semblance, suggestive of that great after-event-God manifest in the flesh. The whole conception impresses us with the reality, order, majesty, and humanness, of the Eternal God. Those holy beings surely represent the intelligent company of innumerable angels and servants, while the wheels represent the material creation. All these are sent forth to minister to the heirs of salvation. Angels and nature minister to us, if we are in union with God. All things serve the servants of the Most High. [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 1:12 mean?

And each one straight straight forward went wherever wherever wanted there the spirit to go they went not and they did turn when they went
וְאִ֛ישׁ אֶל־ עֵ֥בֶר פָּנָ֖יו יֵלֵ֑כוּ אֶ֣ל אֲשֶׁר֩ יִֽהְיֶה־ שָׁ֨מָּה הָר֤וּחַ לָלֶ֙כֶת֙ יֵלֵ֔כוּ לֹ֥א יִסַּ֖בּוּ בְּלֶכְתָּֽן

וְאִ֛ישׁ  And  each  one 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
אֶל־  straight 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
עֵ֥בֶר  straight 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עֵבֶר  
Sense: region beyond or across, side.
פָּנָ֖יו  forward 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
יֵלֵ֑כוּ  went 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
אֶ֣ל  wherever 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
אֲשֶׁר֩  wherever 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יִֽהְיֶה־  wanted 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
הָר֤וּחַ  the  spirit 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: רוּחַ  
Sense: wind, breath, mind, spirit.
לָלֶ֙כֶת֙  to  go 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
יֵלֵ֔כוּ  they  went 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
יִסַּ֖בּוּ  and  they  did  turn 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: סָבַב  
Sense: to turn, turn about or around or aside or back or towards, go about or arou nd, surround, encircle, change direction.
בְּלֶכְתָּֽן  when  they  went 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person feminine plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.

What are the major concepts related to Ezekiel 1:12?

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Similar Scriptures for Ezekiel 1:12

Ezekiel 1:9 [4]
Ezekiel 10:22 [2]
Ezekiel 1:17 [2]
Ezekiel 1:20-21 [2]
Hebrews 1:14 [2]