The Four Living Creatures
και ενωπιον του θρονου θαλασσα υαλινη ομοια κρυσταλλω και εν μεσω του θρονου και κυκλω του θρονου τεσσαρα ζωα γεμοντα οφθαλμων εμπροσθεν και οπισθεν
kai enwpion tou qronou ws qalassa ualinh omoia krustallw kai en mesw tou qronou kai kuklw tou qronou tessara zwa gemonta ofqalmwn emprosqen kai opisqen
Rev 4.6 and a glassy sea before the throne, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne and around the throne were four living creatures, full of eyes before and behind.
και το ζωον το πρωτον ομοιον λεοντι και το δευτερον ζωον ομοιον μοσχω και το τριτον ζωον εχον το προσωπον ως ανθρωπος και το τεταρτον ζωον ομοιον αετω πετωμενω
kai to zwon to prwton omoion leonti kai to deuteron zwon omoion moscw kai to triton zwon ecwn to proswpon ws anqrwpou kai to tetarton zwon omoion aetw petomenw
Rev 4.7 And the first living creature was like a lion; and the second living creature like a calf; and the third living creature having a face like a man; and the fourth living creature like an eagle flying.
και τεσσαρα ζωα εν καθ εαυτο ειχον ανα πτερυγας εξ κυκλοθεν και εσωθεν γεμοντα οφθαλμων και αναπαυσιν ουκ εχουσιν ημερας και νυκτος λεγοντα αγιος αγιος αγιος κυριος ο θεος ο παντοκρατωρ ο ην και ο ων και ο ερχομενος
kai ta tessara zwa en kaq en autwn ecwn ana pterugas ex kukloqen kai eswqen gemousin ofqalmwn kai anapausin ouk ecousin hmeras kai nuktos legontes agios agios agios kurios o qeos o pantokratwr o hn kai o wn kai o ercomenos
Rev 4.8 And the four living creatures each one had six wings around, and within being full of eyes. And they had no rest day and night, saying, "Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty," the One who was, and is, and is coming! Isa. 6:3
Compare to 53.17…
مَا زَاغَ الْبَصَرُ وَمَا طَغَى
Ma zagha albasaru wama tagha
53.17 The eyes turned aside not, and did not wander from its orbit.
زَاغَ = “zagha”
“zagha” definition:
Perfect tense, 3rd person, masculine singular. He turned aside, deviated. As pertaining to 53.17…the eye, or eyes, or the sight, became dim, or dull. The rook; a small bird of the crow-kind, inclining to white, that does not eat carrion, and is allowed to be eaten; or a crow-kind bird like the pigeon, black, with a dusky color in its head; or, as some say, inkling to white; that does not eat carrion; or a small black crow-kind bird that that is eaten. A Persian word that has been Arabicized; originally applied to crows, whether small or large; but when Arabicized, applied peculiarly to one species thereof. He, or it, (a thing), declined, deviated, swerved, or turned aside, from the right course or direction, and from the truth To be inclined downwards, turn aside, deviate, decline (sun), be troubled or dim (sight).
References:
An Arabic-English Lexicon, E.W. Lane, volume three, p. 1277
The Dictionary of the Holy Qur’an, 1st edition, Abdul Mannan Omar, p 240
A Dictionary and Glossary of the Koran, John Penrice, p. 64
Concordance of the Koran, Gustav Flugel, p. 88
Occurrences of “zagha” in the Koran: 1
Location: 53.17
Occurrences of the root “zagha” and its 7 forms in the Koran: 9
Locations: 3.7, 3.8, 9.117, 33.10, 34.12, 38.63, 53.17, 61.5(2x),
Observe the Koranic usages…
• 3.7…deviated from truth
• 3.8…do not deviate from truth
• 9.117…deviate
• 33.10…eyes deviated
• 34.12…deviate
• 38.63…eyes deviated
• 61.5…deviated
ْبَصَرُ = “basaru”
“basaru” definition:
Noun. Sight, eyesight, sense of seeing. It comes from the root “basara”, which means he saw; i.e. be became seeing; to see, look at, understand. He was, or became, endowed with mental perception; or belief, or firm belief; or knowledge, understanding, intelligence, or skill.
الْبَصَرُ = “al” + “basaru” = “albasaru” = the eyes
References:
An Arabic-English Lexicon, E.W. Lane, volume one, pp. 210 – 212
The Dictionary of the Holy Qur’an, 1st edition, Abdul Mannan Omar, pp. 53 - 54
A Dictionary and Glossary of the Koran, John Penrice, p. 17
Concordance of the Koran, Gustav Flugel, p. 30
Occurrences of “albasaru”, “albasari”, “albasara”, “waalbasara” in the Koran: 7
Locations: 16.77, 17.36, 53.17, 67.3, 67.4(2x), 75.7
Observe the Koranic usages…
• 16.77…twinkling of an eye
• 17.36…the eyesight
• 67.3…the eyesight
• 67.4…the eyesight
• 75.7…the eyesight
طَغَى = “tagha”
“tagha” definition:
Perfect tense, 3rd person, masculine singular. To wander from its orbit, applied at 53.17 to the eyesight. He exceeded the limit, rose high, to rise high, be inquirious; mischievous; impious, tyrannical, inordinate, rebellious, exorbitant. To transgress, wander from its orbit, exceed the bound. He exceeded the just, or common, limit, or measure; was excessive, immoderate, inordinate, or exorbitant; and (particularly) in disobedience: he exalted himself, and was inordinate in infidelity: he was extravagant in acts of disobedience and in wrong-doing. Said of a torrent, or of water, it rose high, so as to exceed the ordinary limit in copiousness: said of a torrent, it brought much water: and said of the sea, its waves became raised, or in a state of commotion: and said of blood, it became roused, or excited.
References:
An Arabic-English Lexicon, E.W. Lane, volume five, pp.1856 – 1857
The Dictionary of the Holy Qur’an, 1st edition, Abdul Mannan Omar, p. 339
A Dictionary and Glossary of the Koran, John Penrice, p. 90
Concordance of the Koran, Gustav Flugel, p. 115
Occurrences of “tagha” in the Koran: 6
Locations: 20.24, 20.43, 53.17, 69.11, 79.17, 79.37
Observe the Koranic usages…
• 20.24…exceed the bounds
• 20.43…exceed the bounds
• 69.11…beyond its limits
• 79.17… exceed the bounds
• 79.37… exceed the bounds
Summary of 53.17:
• In addition to John’s description of the Four Living Creatures as being completely covered with eyes; he also describes them as having no rest day or night, via the feminine nouns “anapausis”, “hemera”, & “nux”
• Further, as already mentioned, the Four Living Creatures (covered with eyes) are described as “kuklo”, or encircling, the throne
• Further still, John tells us that the Four Living Creatures have wings like birds
• One of the Four Living Creatures is like an Eagle (“aetos”), since it does not usually go in quest of carrion
• 53.17 confirms and continues with the covering description set forth in 53.16, by concentrating on the subject noun “albasaru” (the eyes)
• Observing all Koranic instances of “albasaru”, “albasari”, “albasara”, “waalbasara”, we can be confident that it always references the eyes or eyesight
• 53.17 tells us two details of what the eyes did not do via the usage of the negative “ma”:
1. They did not “zagha”, or deviate/turn away
2. They did not “tagha”, or wander from their orbit
• Amazingly, “zagha” is also “a Persian word that has been Arabicized; originally applied to crows, whether small or large; but when Arabicized, applied peculiarly to one species thereof.”
• It is applied to a bird that does not eat carrion
• No doubt, the Koranic authors are referring to the John’s description of the Eagle
• Further, observing all Koranic usages of “zagha” and its derivatives, clearly shows it to indicate deviation – in many instances concerning the eyes
• Holding to the outline as mandated in the Book of Revelation, the verb “tagha” confirms that the eyes mentioned are in an orbit – i.e. they encircle the Throne as described in 53.16
• Already, we can see the Koranic descriptions of the Four Living Creatures taking shape
• Observe the parallel description to the Four Living creatures in Revelation:
1. Covered with eyes
2. Surrounding the Tree of Life
3. The eyes are encircling the Throne
4. The eyes never deviate
5. They are in likeness to a bird