12 Their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes all around, (even) the wheels that the four of them had.
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
And their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings,.... This is to be understood not of the wheels, to whom body or flesh, backs, hands, and wings, do not belong, but of the cherubim; and the sense is, that as the wheels were alike, and had one and the same form and appearance, so had the cherubim; they were exactly alike in their body, backs, hands, and wings; denoting the agreement between Gospel ministers, in their doctrine, work, and conversation:
and the wheels were full of eyes round about; that is, the rings or circles of the wheels, as in Ezekiel 1:18; signifying that churches consisted of enlightened persons, who had a sight of their sin and danger, and looked to Christ for salvation, and walked circumspectly, and watched over one another:
even the wheels that they four had: the wheels that belonged to the four living creatures or cherubim.
body--literally, "flesh," because a body consists of flesh.
wheels . . . full of eyes--The description (Ezekiel 1:18) attributes eyes to the "wheels" alone; here there is added, on closer observation, that the cherubim themselves had them. The "eyes" imply that God, by His wisdom, beautifully reconciles seeming contrarieties (compare 2-Chronicles 16:9; Proverbs 15:3; Zac 4:10).
And - Now he describes both the cherubim and wheels as full of wisdom, and as governed by an excellent wisdom. The wheels - Which the four cherubim had to move, govern, and direct.
*More commentary available at chapter level.