Revelation 4:7

ἔχων. With AB2; Text. Rec[161] reads ἔχον with אP.

[161] Rec. Textus Receptus as printed by Scrivener.

ὡς�. With A Primas[162] Vg[163]; א reads ὡς ὅμοιον�; B2 omits ὡς; Text. Rec[164] reads ὡς ἄνθρωπος with P 1.

[162] Primasius, edited by Haussleiter.
[163] Vulgate.
[164] Rec. Textus Receptus as printed by Scrivener.

7. The description of these living creatures does not exactly agree with any of the O.T. parallels: in Ezekiel 1, which is the nearest, the four Cherubim, as they are called, have human figures and calves’ feet; and each has four faces, of the same four animals as these: also they have each four wings, while these have six, like the Seraphim of Isaiah 6:2. Probably the meaning is, that these four represent the Cherubim and Seraphim who “continually do cry ‘Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabaoth’  ”. We have no reason to suppose that the Angels, or these super-angelic Beings, have proper bodies or invariable forms: they appear in such forms as may please God, or may be appropriate to the purpose for which He bids them appear. For further discussion as to their meaning, see Excursus I.

ἔχων. Is as likely to be a misspelling resting on mispronunciation as a false concord. Pausanias of Cæsarea in Cappadocia and a famous pupil of Herodes Atticus habitually confounded long and short letters, a common Syrian fault.