The Meaning of Ezekiel 1:24 Explained

Ezekiel 1:24

KJV: And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings.

YLT: And I hear the noise of their wings, as the noise of many waters, as the noise of the Mighty One, in their going -- the noise of tumult, as the noise of a camp, in their standing they let fall their wings.

Darby: And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, a tumultuous noise, as the noise of a host: when they stood, they let down their wings;

ASV: And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings like the noise of great waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a noise of tumult like the noise of a host: when they stood, they let down their wings.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And when they went,  I heard  the noise  of their wings,  like the noise  of great  waters,  as the voice  of the Almighty,  the voice  of speech,  as the noise  of an host:  when they stood,  they let down  their wings. 

What does Ezekiel 1:24 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The prophet also heard a sound that the movement of the creatures" wings produced, a sound like a white-water torrent, or like the voice of Almighty God, or like an army on the move. When the creatures did not move, they dropped their wings.

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 1:24 mean?

And I heard - the noise of their wings like the noise of waters many like the voice of the Almighty when they went the voice a tumult like the noise of an army and when they stood still they let down their wings
וָאֶשְׁמַ֣ע אֶת־ ק֣וֹל כַּנְפֵיהֶ֡ם כְּקוֹל֩ מַ֨יִם רַבִּ֤ים כְּקוֹל־ שַׁדַּי֙ בְּלֶכְתָּ֔ם ק֥וֹל הֲמֻלָּ֖ה כְּק֣וֹל מַחֲנֶ֑ה בְּעָמְדָ֖ם תְּרַפֶּ֥ינָה כַנְפֵיהֶֽן

וָאֶשְׁמַ֣ע  And  I  heard 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
ק֣וֹל  the  noise 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
כַּנְפֵיהֶ֡ם  of  their  wings 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: כָּנָף  
Sense: wing, extremity, edge, winged, border, corner, shirt.
כְּקוֹל֩  like  the  noise 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
מַ֨יִם  of  waters 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
רַבִּ֤ים  many 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.
כְּקוֹל־  like  the  voice 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
שַׁדַּי֙  of  the  Almighty 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שַׁדַּי  
Sense: almighty, most powerful.
בְּלֶכְתָּ֔ם  when  they  went 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
ק֥וֹל  the  voice 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
הֲמֻלָּ֖ה  a  tumult 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: הֲמֻלָּה  
Sense: .
כְּק֣וֹל  like  the  noise 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
מַחֲנֶ֑ה  of  an  army 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: מַחֲנֶה  
Sense: encampment, camp.
בְּעָמְדָ֖ם  and  when  they  stood  still 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine plural
Root: עָמַד  
Sense: to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.
תְּרַפֶּ֥ינָה  they  let  down 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person feminine plural
Root: רָפָה  
Sense: to sink, relax, sink down, let drop, be disheartened.
כַנְפֵיהֶֽן  their  wings 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person feminine plural
Root: כָּנָף  
Sense: wing, extremity, edge, winged, border, corner, shirt.