The Meaning of Ezekiel 1:20 Explained

Ezekiel 1:20

KJV: Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

YLT: Whither the spirit is to go, they go, thither the spirit is to go, and the wheels are lifted up over-against them, for a living spirit is in the wheels.

Darby: Whithersoever the Spirit was to go, they went, thither would their spirit go; and the wheels were lifted up along with them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

ASV: Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went; thither was the spirit to go: and the wheels were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Whithersoever the spirit  was to go,  they went,  thither [was their] spirit  to go;  and the wheels  were lifted up  over against  them: for the spirit  of the living creature  [was] in the wheels. 

What does Ezekiel 1:20 Mean?

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 1:20 mean?

Wherever wherever wanted there the spirit to go they went [because] there went and the wheels were lifted together with them for the spirit of the living creatures [was] in the wheels
עַ֣ל אֲשֶׁר֩ יִֽהְיֶה־ שָּׁ֨ם הָר֤וּחַ לָלֶ֙כֶת֙ יֵלֵ֔כוּ שָׁ֥מָּה לָלֶ֑כֶת וְהָאוֹפַנִּ֗ים יִנָּשְׂאוּ֙ לְעֻמָּתָ֔ם כִּ֛י ר֥וּחַ הַחַיָּ֖ה בָּאוֹפַנִּֽים

עַ֣ל  Wherever 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
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.
שָׁ֥מָּה  [because]  there 
Parse: Adverb, third person feminine singular
Root: שָׁם  
Sense: there, thither.
לָלֶ֑כֶת  went 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
וְהָאוֹפַנִּ֗ים  and  the  wheels 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֹופַן  
Sense: wheel.
יִנָּשְׂאוּ֙  were  lifted 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
לְעֻמָּתָ֔ם  together  with  them 
Parse: Preposition-l, third person masculine plural
Root: עֻמָּה  
Sense: juxtaposition.
ר֥וּחַ  the  spirit 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: רוּחַ  
Sense: wind, breath, mind, spirit.
הַחַיָּ֖ה  of  the  living  creatures 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
בָּאוֹפַנִּֽים  [was]  in  the  wheels 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֹופַן  
Sense: wheel.

What are the major concepts related to Ezekiel 1:20?

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