complete verse (Ezekiel 10:10)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Ezekiel 10:10:

  • Kupsabiny: “All those wheels were the same/equal and as if they had entered one another.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “and their appearance was the-same. Each wheel had still another wheel that was-intersecting,” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “The wheels were all alike: Each had one wheel inside another wheel.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Ezekiel 10:9 - 10:10

Revised Standard Version takes verses 9-13 to refer only to the wheels, but in order to do so, Revised Standard Version had to omit two words in verse 12. It is better to follow some other translations which understand that parts of these verses refer to the cherubim instead. This applies especially in verses 11 and 12.

And I looked, and behold: This is the same expression that occurs at the beginning of verse 1 (see the comments there).

There were four wheels beside the cherubim, one beside each cherub: See the comments on 1.15. New Century Version renders the first half of verse 9 as “I saw the four wheels by the living creatures, one wheel by each living creature.”

And the appearance of the wheels was like sparkling chrysolite: See 1.16. Good News Translation says “The wheels shone like precious stones.”

And as for their appearance, the four had the same likeness, as if a wheel were within a wheel: See 1.16. A possible model here is “Each wheel was exactly the same and had a second wheel within it.”

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .