Ezekiel 10

1 At that moment I saw a form of a throne in the dome above the heads of the winged creatures. It appeared above them, and it looked like lapis lazuli.

2 He said to the man clothed in linen: Go in between the wheels under the winged creatures. Fill your hands with fiery coals from between the winged creatures, and scatter them over the city. As I watched, he went in.

3 Now the winged creatures were standing to the right of the temple when the man went in, and the cloud filled the inner courtyard.

4 Then the LORD's glory rose from above the winged creatures and moved toward the temple's threshold. The temple was filled with the cloud, and the courtyard was filled with the brightness of the LORD's glory.

5 The sound of the winged creatures' wings could be heard as far as the outer courtyard. It was like the sound of God Almighty when he speaks.

6 When he instructed the man clothed in linen to take fire from between the winged creatures and their wheels, the man went and stood next to the wheel.

7 Then one of the winged creatures stretched a hand between the winged creatures into the fire that was between them, and he drew out some of it and set it in the palm of the one clothed in linen. He took it and went out.

8 It appeared that the winged creatures had the form of a human hand under their wings.

9 Suddenly, I saw four wheels next to the winged creatures. There was a wheel next to each winged creature, and the appearance of the wheels was like sparkling topaz.

10 It appeared that there was one shape for all four of them, as if one wheel were inside another.

11 When they moved in any of the four directions, they moved without swerving. Whichever way the leading one faced, they moved in that direction without swerving.

12 Their whole body—backs, hands, and wings—as well as their wheels, all four of them, were covered with eyes all around.

13 It was these wheels that were called "the wheels" in my hearing.

14 Each winged creature had four faces. The first face was that of a winged creature, the second face was that of a human being, the third that of a lion, and the fourth that of an eagle.

15 The winged creatures rose up, the same creatures that I had seen at the Chebar River.

16 When the winged creatures moved, the wheels moved beside them. When the winged creatures lifted their wings to ascend above the earth, the wheels remained beside them without swerving.

17 When they stood still, the wheels stood still; when they rose up, they rose up with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in them.

18 Then the LORD's glory went out from above the temple's threshold and it stood over the winged creatures.

19 While I watched, the winged creatures raised their wings and rose from the ground to leave, with their wheels beside them. They stopped at the entrance to the East Gate of the temple, and the glory of Israel's God was up above them.

20 These were the same living creatures that I saw underneath Israel's God at the Chebar River, and I realized that they were winged creatures.

21 Each had four faces and four wings, with the form of a human hand under their wings.

22 The forms of their faces were the same faces that I saw at the Chebar River. Their appearance was also the same. All four of them moved straight ahead.

Ezekiel 10 Commentary

Chapter 10

A vision of the burning of the city. (1-7) The Divine glory departing from the temple. (8-22)

Verses 1-7 The fire being taken from between the wheels, under the cherubim, ch. 1:13 , seems to have signified the wrath of God to be executed upon Jerusalem. It intimated that the fire of Divine wrath, which kindles judgment upon a people, is just and holy; and in the great day, the earth, and all the works that are therein, will be burnt up.

Verses 8-22 Ezekiel sees the working of Divine providence in the government of the lower world, and the affairs of it. When God is leaving a people in displeasure, angels above, and all events below, further his departure. The Spirit of life, the Spirit of God, directs all creatures, in heaven and on earth, so as to make them serve the Divine purpose. God removes by degrees from a provoking people; and, when ready to depart, would return to them, if they were a repenting, praying people. Let this warn sinners to seek the Lord while he may be found, and to call on him while he is near, and cause us all to walk humbly and watchfully with our God.

Footnotes

• [a]. LXX; MT creature
• [b]. LXX; MT creature
• [c]. Heb El Shaddai or God of the Mountain
• [d]. Or wind

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 10

In this chapter is a vision, very much like that in the first chapter, with some difference, and with a different view, the design of it being to represent the wrath of God against Jerusalem, and his departure from the city and temple. A throne much like that in Eze 1:26 is described, Eze 10:1; orders are given from it to scatter coals over the city, Eze 10:2; the situation of the cherubim when these orders were given, Eze 10:3; the removal of the glory of the Lord from the cherub to the threshold of the house, and the consequences of it; the house filled with smoke; the court with the brightness of the Lord's glory; and the sound of the cherubim's wings heard to the outer court, as the voice of God, Eze 10:4,5; the orders of taking and scattering fire over the city executed, and the manner in which they were, Eze 10:6,7; a description of the cherubim and the wheels, much like that in the first chapter, Eze 10:8-17; the departure of the glory of God from the threshold to the east gate of the Lord's house, with the motion of the cherubim and wheels along with him, Eze 10:18,19; and the chapter is concluded with observing, that the cherubim are the same with the living creatures seen in the vision of the first chapter, and had the same form, likeness, and motion, Eze 10:20-22.