“As for the appearance
Of their faces,
Each had
The face
Of a human being
In front.
Each had
The face
Of a lion
On the right side.
Each had
The face
Of an ox
On the left side.
Each had
The face
Of an eagle
At the back.
Such were their faces.
Their wings
Were spread out above.
Each creature
Had two wings.
Each wing
Touched the wing
Of another.
The two wings
Covered their bodies.”
Each creature had the face of a human being in front. Then there was a face of a lion on the right side with a face of an ox on the left side. In the back was the face of an eagle. Interesting enough this is similar to the idea of cherubim in Assyrian and Babylonian times. They had a statue of a god who had the head of a human, the body of a lion, the paws of an ox, with wings. This same symbolism was later taken up as the symbols of the four Christian evangelists, as well as the 4 creatures of the apocalypse in the Book of Revelation. There is also the interpretation that these animal heads symbolize mobility, intelligence, and strength. Their wings were spread out above each of these creatures, so that they touched each other. Thus these wings covered the bodies of these creatures.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 