Ezekiel 1:27

27 And I saw [something] like [the] outward appearance of amber, [something] like [the] appearance of fire, [with] a covering around [it], from the likeness of his loins and {upward}.[a] And from the likeness of his loins and {downward}[b] I saw [something] like [the] appearance of fire, and {it was radiant all around}.[c]

Ezekiel 1:27 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 1:27

And I saw as the colour of amber
That is, the man upon the throne looked like the colour of amber; of which (See Gill on Ezekiel 1:4); as the appearance of fire round about within it;
which may denote the deity of Christ, or Christ as God, who is a consuming fire to his enemies; a fire enlightening and warming to his people; as a wall of fire protecting them; and as a pillar of fire guiding and directing them, as he did the Israelites in the wilderness; and who has such light and glory in him, as is incomprehensible to us; and therefore this fire appeared round about within, the colour of amber, and under his human nature, through which it broke forth: from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance
of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire;
it reached upwards and downwards, as well as all around him: and it had brightness round about;
the fire; which shone through the human nature, and was upon it, in virtue of its union to the Son of God; and through the Gospel, in which, as in a glass, the glory of the Lord is seen; and which will be brighter and brighter in the latter day; which may be signified by the appearance of his loins downward.

Ezekiel 1:27 In-Context

25 And there was a sound from above the expanse that [was] above their heads, {and when they stood} they lowered their wings.
26 And from above the expanse that [was] above their heads [there was] the likeness of a throne, {looking like a sapphire}, and above the likeness of the throne [was] a likeness similar to [the] appearance of a human on it, [but] {above it}.
27 And I saw [something] like [the] outward appearance of amber, [something] like [the] appearance of fire, [with] a covering around [it], from the likeness of his loins and {upward}. And from the likeness of his loins and {downward} I saw [something] like [the] appearance of fire, and {it was radiant all around}.
28 Like the appearance of a bow that is in the cloud on {a rainy day}, such [was] the radiance around it; [thus was] the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Yahweh. And I saw, and I fell on my face, and I heard a voice speaking.

Footnotes 3

  • [a]. Literally "to above"
  • [b]. Literally "to down"
  • [c]. Literally "brightness [was] for it around"
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.