Ezekiel 10

Vision of God's Glory Departing from the Temple

1 Then I looked, and behold, in the ¹expanse that was over the heads of the cherubim something like a ²sapphire stone, in appearance resembling a ³throne, appeared above them.

2 And He spoke to the man clothed in linen and said, "Enter between the ⁴whirling wheels under the cherubim and fill your hands with ⁵coals of fire from between the cherubim and scatter them over the city." And he entered in my sight.

3 Now the cherubim were standing on the right side of the temple when the man entered, and the cloud filled the ⁶inner court.

4 Then the ⁷glory of the LORD went up from the cherub to the threshold of the temple, and the ⁸temple was filled with the cloud and the court was filled with the ⁹brightness of the glory of the LORD.

5 Moreover, the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard as far as the outer court, like the ¹⁰voice of God Almighty when He speaks.

6 It came about when He commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, "Take fire from between the whirling wheels, from between the cherubim," he entered and stood beside a wheel.

7 Then the cherub stretched out his hand from between the cherubim to the fire which was between the cherubim, took some and put it into the hands of the one clothed in linen, who took it and went out.

8 The cherubim appeared to have the form of a man's hand under their wings.

9 Then I looked, and behold, ¹¹four wheels beside the cherubim, one wheel beside each cherub; and the appearance of the wheels was like the gleam of a ¹²Tarshish stone.

10 As for their appearance, all four of them had the same likeness, as if one wheel were within another wheel.

11 When they moved, they went ¹³in any of their four directions without turning as they went; but they followed * in the direction which they faced *, without turning as they went.

12 Their ¹⁴whole body, their backs, their hands, their wings and the ¹⁵wheels were full of eyes all around, the wheels belonging to all four of them.

13 The wheels were called in my hearing, the whirling wheels.

14 And ¹⁶each one had four faces. The first face was the face of a cherub, the second face was the face of a man, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.

15 Then the cherubim rose up. They are the ¹⁷living beings that I saw by the river Chebar.

16 Now when the cherubim moved, the wheels would go beside them; also when the cherubim lifted up their wings to rise from the ground, the wheels would not turn from beside them.

17 When the cherubim ¹⁸stood still, the wheels would stand still; and when they rose up, the wheels would rise with them, for the spirit of the living beings was in them.

18 Then the glory of the LORD departed from the threshold of the temple and stood ¹⁹over the cherubim.

19 When ²⁰the cherubim departed, they lifted their wings and rose up from the earth in my sight with the wheels beside them; and they stood still at the entrance of the east gate of the LORD'S house, and the glory of the God of Israel hovered * over them.

20 These are the ²¹living beings that I saw beneath the God of Israel by ²²the river Chebar; so I knew that they were cherubim.

21 ²³Each one had four faces and each one four wings, and beneath their wings was the form of human hands.

22 As for the likeness of their faces, they were the same faces whose appearance I had seen by the river Chebar. Each one went 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.

Cross References

• 1. Ezekiel 1:22, 26
• 2. Exodus 24:10
• 3. Revelation 4:2, 3
• 4. Ezekiel 1:15-21; Ezekiel 10:13
• 5. Psalms 18:10-13; Isaiah 6:6; Ezekiel 1:13; Revelation 8:5
• 6. Ezekiel 8:3, 16
• 7. Ezekiel 9:3; Ezekiel 11:22, 23
• 8. Exodus 40:34, 35; Isaiah 6:1-4
• 9. Ezekiel 1:28
• 10. Job 40:9; Ezekiel 1:24; Revelation 10:3
• 11. Ezekiel 1:15-17
• 12. Daniel 10:6; Revelation 21:20
• 13. Ezekiel 1:17
• 14. Revelation 4:6, 8
• 15. Ezekiel 1:18
• 16. 1 Kings 7:29, 36; Ezekiel 1:6, 10; Ezekiel 10:21; Revelation 4:7
• 17. Ezekiel 1:3, 5
• 18. Ezekiel 1:21
• 19. Psalms 18:10
• 20. Ezekiel 11:22
• 21. Ezek 1:5, 22, 26; Ezekiel 10:15
• 22. Ezekiel 1:1
• 23. Ezekiel 1:6, 8; Ezekiel 10:14; Ezekiel 41:18, 19

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "firmament"
• [b]. So with Gr; Heb "cherub"
• [c]. Lit "house," and so throughout the ch
• [d]. Heb "El Shaddai"
• [e]. Perhaps, "beryl"
• [f]. Lit "sides"
• [g]. Lit "the head turned"
• [h]. Lit "they"
• [i]. Lit "they"
• [j]. Lit "they"
• [k]. Lit "over them from above"

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.