Ezekiel 1:14
New International Version
The creatures sped back and forth like flashes of lightning.

New Living Translation
And the living beings darted to and fro like flashes of lightning.

English Standard Version
And the living creatures darted to and fro, like the appearance of a flash of lightning.

Berean Standard Bible
The creatures were darting back and forth as quickly as flashes of lightning.

King James Bible
And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.

New King James Version
And the living creatures ran back and forth, in appearance like a flash of lightning.

New American Standard Bible
And the living beings ran back and forth like bolts of lightning.

NASB 1995
And the living beings ran to and fro like bolts of lightning.

NASB 1977
And the living beings ran to and fro like bolts of lightning.

Legacy Standard Bible
And the living creatures ran to and fro with the appearance of lightning.

Amplified Bible
And the living beings moved rapidly back and forth like flashes of lightning.

Christian Standard Bible
The creatures were darting back and forth like flashes of lightning.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The creatures were darting back and forth like flashes of lightning.

American Standard Version
And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.

Contemporary English Version
The creatures themselves moved as quickly as sparks jumping from a fire.

English Revised Version
And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The living creatures ran back and forth like lightning.

Good News Translation
The creatures themselves darted back and forth with the speed of lightning.

International Standard Version
The living beings moved around, in appearance resembling lightning.

Majority Standard Bible
The creatures were darting back and forth as quickly as flashes of lightning.

NET Bible
The living beings moved backward and forward as quickly as flashes of lightning.

New Heart English Bible
The living creatures darted back and forth, like the appearance of a flash of lightning.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.

World English Bible
The living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And the living creatures are running, and turning back, as the appearance of the flash.

Young's Literal Translation
And the living creatures are running, and turning back, as the appearance of the flash.

Smith's Literal Translation
And the living creatures ran and turned back as the appearance of lightning.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the living creatures ran and returned like flashes of lightning.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And the living creatures went and returned like flashes of lightning.

New American Bible
The creatures darting back and forth flashed like lightning.

New Revised Standard Version
The living creatures darted to and fro, like a flash of lightning.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the living creatures ran, but returned not, and their appearance was like a flash of lightning.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the living creatures were running and were not turning, like the appearance of a comet
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.

Brenton Septuagint Translation


Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Four Living Creatures
13In the midst of the living creatures was the appearance of glowing coals of fire, or of torches. Fire moved back and forth between the living creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it. 14The creatures were darting back and forth as quickly as flashes of lightning.

Cross References
Revelation 4:6-8
And before the throne was something like a sea of glass, as clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, covered with eyes in front and back. / 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. / And each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around and within. Day and night they never stop saying: “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”

Daniel 7:9-10
As I continued to watch, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took His seat. His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. / A river of fire was flowing, coming out from His presence. Thousands upon thousands attended Him, and myriads upon myriads stood before Him. The court was convened, and the books were opened.

Revelation 1:14-16
The hair of His head was white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were like a blazing fire. / His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and His voice was like the roar of many waters. / He held in His right hand seven stars, and a sharp double-edged sword came from His mouth. His face was like the sun shining at its brightest.

Zechariah 4:10
For who has despised the day of small things? But these seven eyes of the LORD, which scan the whole earth, will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.”

Revelation 19:12
He has eyes like blazing fire, and many royal crowns on His head. He has a name written on Him that only He Himself knows.

Isaiah 6:2-3
Above Him stood seraphim, each having six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. / And they were calling out to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts; all the earth is full of His glory.”

Matthew 24:27
For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Revelation 10:1
Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head. His face was like the sun, and his legs were like pillars of fire.

2 Kings 2:11
As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire with horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up into heaven in a whirlwind.

Revelation 8:13
And as I observed, I heard an eagle flying overhead, calling in a loud voice, “Woe! Woe! Woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the remaining three angels!”

Daniel 10:6
His body was like beryl, his face like the brilliance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of polished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.

Matthew 28:3
His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.

Acts 2:2-3
Suddenly a sound like a mighty rushing wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. / They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.

Revelation 11:19
Then the temple of God in heaven was opened, and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple. And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and a great hailstorm.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. / After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.


Treasury of Scripture

And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.

Psalm 147:15
He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth: his word runneth very swiftly.

Daniel 9:21
Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.

Zechariah 2:3,4
And, behold, the angel that talked with me went forth, and another angel went out to meet him, …

Jump to Previous
Appearance Beings Bolts Creatures Flash Flashes Forth Fro Lightning Quickly Ran Running Sped Thunder-Flame Turning
Jump to Next
Appearance Beings Bolts Creatures Flash Flashes Forth Fro Lightning Quickly Ran Running Sped Thunder-Flame Turning
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.














The creatures
In the context of Ezekiel 1, "the creatures" refer to the living beings or cherubim that Ezekiel describes in his vision. These are not ordinary creatures but are heavenly beings that serve as attendants to God's throne. The Hebrew word used here is "חַיּוֹת" (chayot), which is often associated with life and vitality. In the broader biblical context, cherubim are depicted as guardians of sacred spaces, such as the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:24) and the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25:18-22). Their presence in Ezekiel's vision underscores the holiness and majesty of God's presence.

were darting back and forth
This phrase captures the dynamic and energetic movement of the creatures. The Hebrew verb "רָצָא" (ratsa) conveys a sense of rapid, purposeful motion. This movement symbolizes the readiness and swiftness of these heavenly beings to execute God's will. In a spiritual sense, it reflects the idea that God's purposes are carried out with precision and urgency, reminding believers of the active and living nature of God's work in the world.

as quickly as flashes of lightning
The comparison to "flashes of lightning" emphasizes the speed and brilliance of the creatures' movements. Lightning, in the ancient Near Eastern context, was often associated with divine presence and power. The Hebrew word for lightning, "בָּרָק" (barak), conveys both the visual intensity and the suddenness of the phenomenon. This imagery serves to highlight the awe-inspiring and otherworldly nature of the vision Ezekiel is witnessing. For the believer, it is a reminder of the transcendent power and glory of God, who is both imminent and beyond human comprehension.

(14) A flash of lightning.--Not only was the appearance of the cherubim thus glittering, but also their speed as they "ran and returned" was that of the lightning.

The vision up to this point, so far as we may venture to interpret its object, seems designed to show forth the power and activity, the irresistible energy of the agencies employed for the fulfilment of the Divine purposes, and at the same time their perfectly harmonious action, controlled by one supreme will. We now enter upon a fresh phase of the vision, in which the same things are represented still further by an additional and peculiar symbolism.

Verse 14. - Ran and returned. Compare the "to and fro" of Zechariah 4:10. The comparison implies at once suddenness (as in Matthew 24:27) and overwhelming brightness.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The creatures
וְהַחַיּ֖וֹת (wə·ha·ḥay·yō·wṯ)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 2416: Alive, raw, fresh, strong, life

were darting back and forth
רָצ֣וֹא (rā·ṣō·w)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 7519: To run, to delight in

as quickly as
כְּמַרְאֵ֖ה (kə·mar·’êh)
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4758: Sight, appearance, vision

flashes of lightning.
הַבָּזָֽק׃ (hab·bā·zāq)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 965: A flash of lightning


Links
Ezekiel 1:14 NIV
Ezekiel 1:14 NLT
Ezekiel 1:14 ESV
Ezekiel 1:14 NASB
Ezekiel 1:14 KJV

Ezekiel 1:14 BibleApps.com
Ezekiel 1:14 Biblia Paralela
Ezekiel 1:14 Chinese Bible
Ezekiel 1:14 French Bible
Ezekiel 1:14 Catholic Bible

OT Prophets: Ezekiel 1:14 The living creatures ran and returned as (Ezek. Eze Ezk)
Ezekiel 1:13
Top of Page
Top of Page