Ezekiel 9:3

3 Then the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the creatures with wings, where it had been, to the place in the Temple where the door opened. He called to the man dressed in linen who had the writing case at his side.

Ezekiel 9:3 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 9:3

And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub,
whereupon he was
That is, the glorious God of Israel; or the glorious Shechinah, and divine Majesty, which dwelt between the cherubim over the mercy seat in the most holy place, removed from thence, as a token of his being about to depart from the temple, which in a short time would be destroyed. The Targum is,

``the glory of the God of Israel departed in the cherub on which he dwelt, in the house of the holy of holies;''

the cherubim removed with him, and were his chariot in which he rode; see ( Ezekiel 10:18 ) ( 11:22 ) ; to the threshold of the house;
of the holy of holies, as Jarchi interprets it; and so was nearer to the brasen altar, where the seven men stood, to give them their orders; of which an account follows: and he called to the man clothed with linen, which [had] the writer's
inkhorn by his side;
he, being the principal person, is called first; and his business being to preserve the Lord's people shows that this was the first care of God.

Ezekiel 9:3 In-Context

1 Then he shouted with a loud voice in my ears, "You who are chosen to punish this city, come near with your weapon in your hand."

2 Then six men came from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with his powerful weapon in his hand. Among them was a man dressed in linen with a writing case at his side. The men went in and stood by the bronze altar.

3 Then the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the creatures with wings, where it had been, to the place in the Temple where the door opened. He called to the man dressed in linen who had the writing case at his side.

4 He said to the man, "Go through Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of the people who groan and cry about all the hateful things being done among them."

5 As I listened, he said to the other men, "Go through the city behind the man dressed in linen and kill. Don't pity anyone, and don't show mercy.