The Meaning of Ezekiel 1:8 Explained

Ezekiel 1:8

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

YLT: and hands of man under their wings -- on their four sides, and their faces and their wings -- are to them four;

Darby: And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings:

ASV: And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings thus :

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does Ezekiel 1:8 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 1:8 mean?

- The hands of a man [were] under their wings on four their sides and faces and wings had the four
[וידו] (וִידֵ֣י) אָדָ֗ם מִתַּ֙חַת֙ כַּנְפֵיהֶ֔ם עַ֖ל אַרְבַּ֣עַת רִבְעֵיהֶ֑ם וּפְנֵיהֶ֥ם וְכַנְפֵיהֶ֖ם לְאַרְבַּעְתָּֽם

[וידו]  - 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, fdc, third person masculine singular
Root: אֹבֵד  
Sense: destruction.
(וִידֵ֣י)  The  hands  of 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, fdc
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
אָדָ֗ם  a  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
מִתַּ֙חַת֙  [were]  under 
Parse: Preposition-m
Root: מִתְחָה 
Sense: the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas.
כַּנְפֵיהֶ֔ם  their  wings 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: כָּנָף  
Sense: wing, extremity, edge, winged, border, corner, shirt.
אַרְבַּ֣עַת  four 
Parse: Number, masculine singular construct
Root: אַרְבַּע  
Sense: four.
רִבְעֵיהֶ֑ם  their  sides 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: רֶבַע  
Sense: fourth part, four sides.
וּפְנֵיהֶ֥ם  and  faces 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
וְכַנְפֵיהֶ֖ם  and  wings 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: כָּנָף  
Sense: wing, extremity, edge, winged, border, corner, shirt.
לְאַרְבַּעְתָּֽם  had  the  four 
Parse: Preposition-l, Number, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אַרְבַּע  
Sense: four.