Ezekiel 1:6

6 And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.

Ezekiel 1:6 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 1:6

And or but everyone had four faces
Which are described, (See Gill on Ezekiel 1:10). The Targum multiplies the faces in a strange monstrous manner, paraphrasing the words thus,

``each had four faces, and there were four faces to everyone "of them", and every creature had sixteen faces; the number of the faces of the four creatures was sixty and four;''

and everyone had four wings;
the seraphim in ( Isaiah 6:2 ) ; and the four beasts or living creatures in ( Revelation 4:8 ) ; had six wings; and so it seems that these had also, from ( Ezekiel 1:11 Ezekiel 1:23 ) ; as will be seen there; nor is this any contradiction to the account here given, since it is not said they had only four wings. The Targum gives the same monstrous account of their wings as of their faces, saying,

``each had four wings, and there were four wings for everyone of them, sixteen wings to every face, and sixty four to every creature; and the number of the wings of the four living creatures were two hundred and fifty six.''

Jarchi is of the same opinion, and confirms it in his note on the text, which is this,

``"four faces to one"; that is, to the face of a man only were four faces, and so, to the lion, to the eagle, and to the ox, lo, sixteen to a living creature, and so to every living creature; and four wings to everyone of the faces, lo, sixty and four wings to a living creatures and which, according to the Targum of Jonathan, amounts to two hundred and fifty six wings;''

what these wings signified, (See Gill on Ezekiel 1:11);

Ezekiel 1:6 In-Context

4 And I looked, and behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself; and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire.

5 Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.

6 And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.

7 And their feet were straight feet, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf's foot; and they sparkled like the color of burnished brass.

8 And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and all four had their faces and their wings.