Ezekiel 10:14

Each of the cherubim had four faces: the first face was that of a cherub, the second that of a man, the third that of a lion, and the fourth that of an eagle.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Ezekiel records a vision for the exiled community, describing divine attendants as they hover near the temple throne. The description occurs immediately after the wheels are named and just before the cherubim lift upward.

The words — The Hebrew פָנִים (panim) denotes "faces" or countenances, while הָ/אֶחָד (ha./'echad) specifies "the one" or "the first," establishing the ordered sequence of the cherubim's features.

The thread — The four-faced motif recurs in Ezekiel 10:21, which adds four wings and human hands to the description, and appears in Revelation 4:7 with a lion, calf, man, and eagle. Temple craftsmanship in 1 Kings 7:36 similarly pairs cherubim and lions in sacred decoration.

Why it lands — The text demands recognition of the cherubim as complex, multi-faceted attendants rather than simple symbols. Readers must observe how the vision structures divine presence around ordered, composite imagery before the creatures move.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְאַרְבָּעָ֥הve./'ar.ba.'Ahand/ four פָנִ֖יםfa.Nimfaces לְאֶחָ֑דle./'e.Chad[belonged] to/ one פְּנֵ֨יpe.Nei[the] face of הָאֶחָ֜דha./'e.Chadthe/ one פְּנֵ֣יpe.Nei[was] [the] face of הַכְּר֗וּבha./ke.Ruvthe/ cherub וּפְנֵ֤יu./fe.Neiand/ [the] face of הַשֵּׁנִי֙ha./she.Nithe/ second פְּנֵ֣יpe.Nei[was the] face of אָדָ֔ם'a.Dama human וְהַשְּׁלִישִׁי֙ve./ha./she.li.Shiand/ the/ third [face]פְּנֵ֣יpe.Nei[was the] face of אַרְיֵ֔ה'ar.Yeha lion וְהָרְבִיעִ֖יve./ha./re.vi.'Iand/ the/ fourth [face]פְּנֵי־pe.nei-[was the] face of נָֽשֶׁר׃Na.sheran eagle

King James Version

And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.

Cross-references

Revelation 4:7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second like a calf, the third had a face like a man, and the fourth was like an eagle in flight.
1 Kings 7:36 He engraved cherubim, lions, and palm trees on the surfaces of the supports and panels, wherever each had space, with wreaths all around.
Ezekiel 10:21 Each had four faces and four wings, with what looked like human hands under their wings.
1 Kings 7:29 and on the panels between the uprights were lions, oxen, and cherubim. On the uprights was a pedestal above, and below the lions and oxen were wreaths of beveled work.
Ezekiel 1:6 but each had four faces and four wings.