The Meaning of Ezekiel 1:6 Explained

Ezekiel 1:6

KJV: And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.

YLT: and four faces are to each, and four wings are to each of them,

Darby: And every one had four faces, and every one of them had four wings.

ASV: And every one had four faces, and every one of them had four wings.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does Ezekiel 1:6 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 1:6 mean?

And four faces had [Each] one and four wings had [each] one to
וְאַרְבָּעָ֥ה פָנִ֖ים לְאֶחָ֑ת וְאַרְבַּ֥ע כְּנָפַ֖יִם לְאַחַ֥ת לָהֶֽם

וְאַרְבָּעָ֥ה  And  four 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, masculine singular
Root: אַרְבַּע  
Sense: four.
פָנִ֖ים  faces 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
לְאֶחָ֑ת  had  [Each]  one 
Parse: Preposition-l, Number, feminine singular
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).
וְאַרְבַּ֥ע  and  four 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, feminine singular
Root: אַרְבַּע  
Sense: four.
כְּנָפַ֖יִם  wings 
Parse: Noun, fd
Root: כָּנָף  
Sense: wing, extremity, edge, winged, border, corner, shirt.
לְאַחַ֥ת  had  [each]  one 
Parse: Preposition-l, Number, feminine singular
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).