H0212 H0212
wheel — a rotating circular component of chariots, temple lavers, threshing carts, and Ezekiel's vision
Ophan (plural ophannim) is a masculine noun meaning 'wheel,' appearing 35 times across four distinct settings. The most prosaic usage describes chariot wheels: Pharaoh's army lost their chariot wheels in the Red Sea (Exod 14:25), and Nahum's chariots rattle with clashing wheels (Nah 3:2). Solomon's temple lavers stood on elaborately crafted bronze wheels with axles, rims, spokes, and hubs (1 Kgs 7:30-33). The most spectacular usage dominates Ezekiel's throne-vision, where the ophannim are living, eye-covered wheels within wheels that move in concert with the four-faced creatures (Ezek 1:15-21; 10:6-19). Proverbs 20:26 deploys the threshing-cart wheel as a metaphor for royal justice. Later Jewish angelology personified these wheels as a class of angelic beings, the Ophanim.
Senses
1. wheel — A wheel or rotating disc, denoting a functional mechanical component across several contexts: chariot wheels removed in divine judgment at the Sea (Exod 14:25) or clattering in battle (Nah 3:2); the ornate bronze wheels of Solomon's temple laver-stands with axles, rims, and spokes (1 Kgs 7:30-33); the threshing-cart wheel as an instrument of winnowing or punishment (Isa 28:27; Prov 20:26); and most dramatically, the celestial 'wheel within a wheel' (ophan betokh ha-ophan) of Ezekiel's merkavah vision, alive with eyes and spirit (Ezek 1:15-21; 10:6-19). French 'roues,' Spanish 'ruedas,' German 'Raeder' uniformly render the mechanical sense, though Ezekiel's visionary wheels transcend ordinary taxonomy. 35×
AR["الـ-بَكَراتُ", "الـ-بَكَراتِ", "الـ-بَكَرَةُ", "الـ-بَكَرَةِ", "الْبَكَرَاتُ", "الْبَكَرَاتِ", "الْبَكَرَةُ", "الْبَكَرَةِ", "عَجَلَاتٍ", "عَجَلَاتِ", "عَجَلَةِ", "وَ-الـ-بَكَراتُ", "وَالْبَكَرَاتُ"]·ben["-চাকা", "-চাকাগুলো", "-চাকাগুলোর", "-চাকাদের", "-চাকার", "আর-চাকাগুলি", "আর-চাকাগুলিও", "আর-চাকাগুলো", "চাকা", "চাকাগুলিও"]·DE["der-Rad", "die-Raeder", "und-der-Raeder", "wheel-von", "wheels-von"]·EN["and-the-wheels", "the-wheel", "the-wheels", "wheel-of", "wheels-of"]·FR["et-le-roues", "le-roue", "les-roues", "wheel-de", "wheels-de"]·heb["אופן", "אופני", "ה-אופן", "ה-אופנים", "ו-ה-אופנים"]·HI["और-पहिये", "ता-पहिया", "ते-पहिये", "ते-पहियों", "पहिए", "पहिया", "पहिये", "पहियों"]·ID["dan-roda-roda-itu", "roda", "roda-itu", "roda-roda-itu"]·IT["e-ruota", "ruota", "ruota-di", "ruote-di", "wheel-di"]·jav["lan-rodha-punika", "lan-rodha-rodha-punika", "rodha", "rodha-punika", "rodha-rodha-punika"]·KO["그-바퀴가", "그-바퀴들의", "그-바퀴들이", "그-바퀴의", "그리고-그-바퀴들이", "그리고-바퀴들은", "그리고-바퀴들이", "바퀴들의", "바퀴를", "바퀴의"]·PT["a-roda", "as-rodas", "e-as-rodas", "roda-de", "rodas-de"]·RU["и-колёса", "колеса", "колесо", "колёс", "колёса", "с-колесом"]·ES["la-rueda", "las-ruedas", "rueda-de", "rueda-de-", "ruedas-de", "y-las-ruedas"]·SW["gurudumu", "magurudumu", "manne", "na-magurudumu", "wa-magurudumu", "ya-gurudumu", "ya-magurudumu"]·TR["içinde", "olurdu", "tekerlekler", "tekerleklerin", "tekerleği", "tekerleğin", "tekerleğini", "ve-tekerlekler", "yanlarında", "yükselirlerdi"]·urd["اور-پہیے", "پہیا", "پہیوں-کا", "پہیوں-کی", "پہیوں-کے", "پہیہ-ہے", "پہیے", "پہیے-کے"]
Exod 14:25, 1 Kgs 7:30, 1 Kgs 7:32, 1 Kgs 7:32, 1 Kgs 7:32, 1 Kgs 7:33, 1 Kgs 7:33, Prov 20:26, Isa 28:27, Ezek 1:15, Ezek 1:16, Ezek 1:16 (+23 more)
Related Senses
H2719 1. sword, weapon of war (410×)H4196 1. altar (place of sacrifice) (403×)H7393 1. chariot, chariotry (117×)H7198 1. bow (weapon) (72×)H7979 1. table (71×)H7782 1. ram's horn trumpet (69×)H4294 2. staff, rod, scepter (63×)H4043 1. shield, defensive weapon (60×)H0646 1. ephod (priestly garment) (49×)H8504 1. blue (violet-blue yarn/fabric) (49×)H2595 1. spear, lance (48×)H2671 1. arrow, projectile weapon (46×)H4818 1. chariot, war-chariot (44×)H3658 1. lyre, harp (stringed instrument) (42×)H1537 1. Gilgal (place name) (41×)H0713 1. purple (fabric/dye) (38×)H0905 3. poles, staves (37×)H7392 1. Qal participle: rider, charioteer (37×)H4501 1. cultic lampstand (menorah) (36×)H7626 2. rod, staff, stick (33×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† אוֹפַן, אוֹפָן n.m.Ez 1:20 wheel.—abs. אוֹפַן 1 K 7:32 +; אוֹפָן Ez 1:16 +; cstr. אוֹפַן 1 K 7:33 Is 28:27; אֹפַן Ex 14:25; pl. אוֹפַנִּים 1 K 7:32 +; cstr. אוֹפַנֵּי 1 K 7:30; אוֹפַנֵּיהֶם Ez 10:12, etc.— a. wheel of chariot (מֶרְכָּבָה) Ex 14:25 1 K 7:33 Na 3:2; of (threshing) cart (עֲגָלָה) Is 28:27 cf. Pr 20:26 (as instr. of punishment). b. wheels in Ezek.’s vision Ez 1:15, 16(×3), 19(×2),…