Ezekiel 1:22-25

And the likeness The appearance or resemblance; of the firmament The expanse, as the word signifies. Upon the heads of the living creatures And, of course, of the wheels connected with them; was as the colour of the terrible crystal For splendour, purity, and solidity. All that was above these creatures and wheels was beautiful, majestic, and glorious, insomuch that none could behold it without being dazzled and astonished at it: it could not but impress the mind of every beholder with veneration, solemnity, and awe, and therefore it is said to be terrible. And under the firmament Below, at a great distance; were their wings straight That is, the living creatures stood with their wings stretched out, ready for motion. The one toward the other Prepared to concur in all their motions and actings. Every one had two, which covered on this side and on that side On the right hand and on the left. The sense seems to be the same with that of Ezekiel 1:11, denoting that two of the wings of each living creature were stretched upward, to express their readiness to obey the divine commands; and with the other two they covered their bodies: see note on Ezekiel 1:11. And when they went Were executing the commands of God; I heard the noise of their wings like the noise of great waters Denoting “the terribleness of the judgments which they were to execute upon Jerusalem and the whole Jewish nation.” As the voice of the Almighty It resembled great and dreadful thunder. The voice of speech like the noise of a host Like the confused murmur of an army, intending the army of the Babylonians. All these noises signified that the commands which God had given, or was now giving, to these ministering spirits, were of a dreadful nature. When they stood When they presented themselves before God, having performed their office; they let down their wings Put themselves in a posture of hearkening to God's voice, and as it were quietly waited to receive his commands. And there was a voice, &c., when they stood The Vulgate seems to give the sense of this verse more exactly, thus: Cum fieret vox-super caput eorum, stabant et submittebant alas suas: when there was a voice over their heads they stood, &c, namely, in an attentive posture.