Yechezkel 1:12

12 And they went every one face forward; whither the Ruach was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went.

Yechezkel 1:12 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 1:12

And they went everyone straight forward
Or, "over against his face" F17; for, which way soever they went, whether forward or backward, or on either side, they had a face to go before them, to direct the way, and steer their course; so the ministers of the Gospel have a face to go by and follow after, the word of God, to look to and direct them, which way soever they go, or whatsoever service they are called unto; whither the spirit was to go they went;
which may be meant of their own spirit, will, and inclination; so the Targum,

``to the place where it was their good pleasure to go they went;''
so Jarchi and Kimchi; but this is not always the case, see ( Acts 16:6-9 ) ; rather the Holy Spirit of God is intended, by whom holy men of God were moved, and spoke formerly; and by whom Gospel ministers are led into the truth, as it is in Jesus; and by whom they are directed where to go, and what to do; and they are sent, and go where the Spirit of God is designed to go, in order to work upon the hearts of men and effectually call them by his grace, which is usually done by the ministry of the word; and therefore Gospel ministers must go, and they do go where the Spirit of God has work to do by them; see ( Acts 16:6 Acts 16:7 ) ; [and] they turned not when they went;
they had no occasion to turn their bodies, because, which way soever they went, they had a face to go before them, and direct the way; (See Gill on Ezekiel 1:9).
FOOTNOTES:

F17 (wynp rbe la) "coram facie sua", V. L. "in tractam faciei suae", [objectum], Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Polanus; "ante faciem suam", Starckius.

Yechezkel 1:12 In-Context

10 As for the demut of their panim, they four had the face of an adam, and the face of an aryeh, on the right side; and they four had the face of a shor on the left side; they four also had the face of a nesher.
11 Thus were their panim; and their kenafayim were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their geviyot.
12 And they went every one face forward; whither the Ruach was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went.
13 As for the demut of the Chayos, their appearance was like coals of eish burning, and like the appearance of lapidim (torches); it spread back and forth among the Chayos; and the eish was brilliant, and out of the eish went forth barak (lightning).
14 And the Chayos ran and returned as the appearance of bazak (a flash of lightning).
The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved.