Ezekiel 1:24 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

And when they went; so soon and as often as they, i.e. the living creatures, moved, were on their work, executing God's commands. I heard, and attended to know what it was. The noise of their wings: though some of God's judgments are executed with silence, and are in the dark, yet here is an alarm, and they may be heard. Like the noise of great waters: when the sea rageth and swells as though it would overwhelm the earth, so when the just and dreadful judgments of God are executed, they threaten the overflowing of all. As the voice of the Almighty; thunder, called God's voice, Psalms 29:3. The voice of speech; the prophet heard the voice in an articulate manner declaring the will of God, as if the wings had tongues to speak as well as power to fly. As the noise of an host: this voice was not of friends saluting each other, or comforting, but it was the voice and noise of a host, a tumultuous voice of men, a confused noise of warlike weapons and instruments; some suppose it is meant of the army of the Chaldeans, which those winged living creatures had now fetched in to spoil the Jews, which they did with terrible outcries, as enraged, merciless adversaries use to do. When they stood, they let down their wings; having done their office, they present themselves before God, and let down their wings, not out of weariness, but out of a sense that they must never act but by commission. And now with wings let down and covering their bodies, they do humbly watch as servants for the commands of their lord.