The Meaning of Ezekiel 1:15 Explained

Ezekiel 1:15

KJV: Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces.

YLT: And I see the living creatures, and lo, one wheel is in the earth, near the living creatures, at its four faces.

Darby: And I looked at the living creatures, and behold, one wheel upon the earth beside the living creatures, toward their four faces.

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 Reverse Interlinear

Now as I beheld  the living creatures,  behold one  wheel  upon the earth  by  the living creatures,  with his four  faces. 

What does Ezekiel 1:15 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Ezekiel also saw a prominent wheel standing upright on the ground beside each of the four living creatures.

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 1:15 mean?

And as I looked at the living creatures and behold wheel [was] a on the earth beside each living creature with four its faces
וָאֵ֖רֶא הַחַיּ֑וֹת וְהִנֵּה֩ אוֹפַ֨ן אֶחָ֥ד בָּאָ֛רֶץ אֵ֥צֶל הַחַיּ֖וֹת לְאַרְבַּ֥עַת פָּנָֽיו

וָאֵ֖רֶא  And  as  I  looked  at 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
הַחַיּ֑וֹת  the  living  creatures 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
וְהִנֵּה֩  and  behold 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
אוֹפַ֨ן  wheel  [was] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֹופַן  
Sense: wheel.
בָּאָ֛רֶץ  on  the  earth 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
אֵ֥צֶל  beside 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֵצֶל  
Sense: beside, by, near, nearness, joining, proximity subst.
הַחַיּ֖וֹת  each  living  creature 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
לְאַרְבַּ֥עַת  with  four 
Parse: Preposition-l, Number, masculine singular construct
Root: אַרְבַּע  
Sense: four.
פָּנָֽיו  its  faces 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.