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Ezekiel 1:7

Old Testament Major Prophet ASV (1901)

What does Ezekiel 1:7 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf`s foot; and they sparkled like burnished brass.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf`s foot; and they sparkled like burnished brass.
Ezekiel 1:7 — American Standard Version

Context — Ezekiel 1

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
4And I looked, and, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, a great cloud, with a fire infolding itself, and a brightness round about it, and out of the midst thereof as it were glowing metal, out of the midst of the fire.
5And out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.
6And every one had four faces, and every one of them had four wings.
7And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf`s foot; and they sparkled like burnished brass.
8And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings [thus]:
9their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.
10As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of a man; and they four had the face of a lion on the right side; and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four had also the face of an eagle.
← Ezekiel 1:6Ezekiel 1:8 →
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And their feet [were] straight feet, &c.] And they went straight forward, as in (<260112>Ezekiel 1:12); they made straight paths for their feet, and walked uprightly, according to the truth of the Gospel; did not go into crooked paths, or turn to the right hand, or the left; and having put their hand to the plough of the Gospel neither looked back, nor turned back. And or “for” the sole of their feet [was] like the sole of a calf’s foot; round, and the hoof divided, and fit for treading out the corn, in which oxen were employed; denoting the firmness and constancy of ministers in their work, treading out the corn of the word for the nourishment of souls, to whom they minister. The Septuagint…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“straight feet--that is, straight legs. Not protruding in any part as the legs of an ox, but straight like a man's [GROTIUS]. Or, like solid pillars; not bending, as man's, at the knee. They glided along, rather than walked. Their movements were all sure, right, and without effort [KITTO, Cyclopedia]. sole . . . calf's foot--HENDERSON hence supposes that "straight feet" implies that they did not project horizontally like men's feet, but vertically as calves' feet. The solid firmness of the round foot of a calf seems to be the point of comparison. colour--the glittering appearance, indicating God's purity.”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“The “foot” seems here to mean the lower part of the leg, including the knee, and this was “straight,” i. e. upright like a man’s. The “sole” is the “foot” as distinguished from the “leg,” the leg terminated in a solid calf’s hoof. This was suitable for a being which was to present a front on each of its four sides. Ezekiel was living in a country on the walls of whose temples and palaces were those strange mixed figures, human heads with the bodies of lions and the feet of calves, and the like, which we see in the Babylonian and Assyrian monuments. These combinations were of course symbolic, and the symbolism must have been familiar to Ezekiel. But the prophet is not constructing his…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“Feet - Their thighs, legs and feet, were of a human shape. Straight - Not bowed to this or that part, which argues weakness. The sole - That which is properly the foot. A calf's - A divided hoof spake the cleanness of the creature. They - Their feet. Ezekiel 1:8”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“straight feet: Heb. a straight foot like the sole: Lev 11:3, Lev 11:47 the colour: Eze 1:13; Psa 104:4; Dan 10:6; Rev 1:15 Ezekiel 1:8”
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