Ezekiel 10

1 And I saw, and lo! in the firmament that was on the head(s) of cherubims, as a sapphire stone, and as the form of likeness of a king's seat appeared thereon . (And I saw, and lo! in the firmament that was over the heads of the cherubim, a sapphire stone, in the form of the likeness of a king's throne, appeared above them.)
2 And he said to the man that was clothed in linen clothes, and spake, Enter thou in the midst of the wheels, that be under cherubims, and fill thine hand with coals of fire, that be betwixt cherubims, and shed thou out on the city. And he entered in my sight; (And he spoke to the man who was clothed in linen clothes, and said, Go thou into the midst of the wheels, that be under the cherubim, and fill thy hand with the coals of fire, that be between the cherubim, and pour thou them out upon the city. And he went in before my eyes;)
3 forsooth cherubims stood at the right side of the house (of the Lord), when the man entered, and a cloud filled the inner foreyard. (and the cherubim stood on the right side of the House of the Lord, when the man entered, and a cloud filled the inner courtyard.)
4 And the glory of the Lord was raised [up] from above cherubims to the threshold of the house (of the Lord); and the house was filled with a cloud, and the foreyard was filled with shining of the glory of the Lord. (And the glory of the Lord was raised up from above the cherubim to the threshold of the House of the Lord; and the House was filled with a cloud, and the courtyard was filled with the shining of the glory of the Lord.)
5 And the sound of wings of cherubims was heard till to the outermore foreyard, as the voice of Almighty God speaking. (And the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard unto the outer courtyard, like the voice of Almighty God speaking.)
6 And when he had commanded to the man that was clothed in linen clothes, and had said, Take thou fire from the midst of the wheels, that be betwixt cherubims, he entered, and stood beside the wheel[s]. (And when he had commanded to the man who was clothed in linen clothes, and had said, Take thou fire from the midst of the wheels, that be between the cherubim/Take thou fire from between the wheels, that be under the cherubim, he entered, and stood beside the wheels.)
7 And cherub stretched forth his hand from the midst of cherubims, to the fire that was betwixt cherubims; and took, and gave into the hands of him that was clothed in linen clothes; and he took, and went out. (And a cherub stretched forth his hand from the midst of the cherubim, to the fire that was between the cherubim; and took it, and gave it into the hands of him who was clothed in linen clothes; and he took it, and went out.)
8 And the likeness of the hand of a man appeared in cherubims, under the wings of those. (And the likeness of a man's hand appeared among the cherubim, under their wings.)
9 And I saw, and lo! four wheels were beside cherubims; one wheel beside one cherub, and another wheel beside another cherub; forsooth the likeness of wheels was as the sight of the stone chrysolyte. (And I saw, and lo! four wheels were beside the cherubim; one wheel beside one cherub, and another wheel beside another cherub, that is, one wheel beside each cherub; and the likeness of the wheels was like the sight, or the appearance, of a chrysolyte stone.)
10 And the beholding of those was one likeness of four, as if a wheel be in the midst of a wheel. (And the appearance of those four was of one form, of a wheel in the midst of a wheel.)
11 And when they went, they went into (the) four parts; those turned not again going, but to the place to which that that was the first wheel bowed to go, also [the] others followed, and turned not again. (And when they went, in any of the four directions, they did not turn from where they went, but the place to which the first wheel turned to go, the others also followed, and did not turn away from there.)
12 And all the body of those wheels, and the necks, and hands, and wings of the beasts, and the circles, were full of eyes, in the compass of (the) four wheels. (And all their bodies, and the necks, and hands, and wings of the creatures, or of the cherubim, and the wheels, were full of eyes, yea, even all around the four wheels.)
13 And he called those wheels voluble, or able to go all about, in mine hearing.
14 Forsooth one beast had four faces; one face was the face of cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and in the third was the face of a lion, and in the fourth was the face of an eagle; (And one creature, or one cherub, had four faces; the first face was the face of a cherub/the first face was the face of an ox, or of a bull, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third face was the face of a lion, and the fourth face was the face of an eagle;)
15 and the cherubims were raised [up]. That is the beast, which I had seen beside the flood Chebar. (and then the cherubim raised themselves up. These were the same creatures, which I had seen by the Chebar River.)
16 And when cherubims went, also the wheels beside those went together (with them); when the cherubims raised [up] their wings, that those should be enhanced from the earth, the wheels abided not still, but also those were beside cherubims. (And when the cherubim went, the wheels also went beside them; and when the cherubim raised up their wings, so that they would be lifted up from the earth, the wheels were not still, but they went up beside the cherubim.)
17 The wheels stood with those cherubims standing, and were raised [up] with the cherubims raised [up]; for the spirit of life was in those wheels. (The wheels stopped when the cherubim stopped, and were raised, or were lifted, up when the cherubim were lifted up; for the spirit of life was in those wheels.)
18 And the glory of the Lord went out from the threshold of the temple, and stood on the cherubims. (And the glory of the Lord went out from the threshold of the Temple, and stood above the cherubim.)
19 And [the] cherubims raised [up] their wings, and were enhanced from the earth before me; and when those went out, also the wheels followed; and it stood in the entering of the east gate of the house of the Lord, and the glory of God of Israel was on those. (And the cherubim raised up their wings, and were lifted up from the ground before me; and when they went out, the wheels followed them; and they stood at the east gate of the House of the Lord, and the glory of the God of Israel was over them.)
20 That is the beast, which I saw under God of Israel, beside the flood Chebar. And I understood that four cherubims (they) were; (These were the same creatures, which I had seen under the God of Israel, by the Chebar River. And now I understood that they were four cherubim;)
21 four faces were to one, and four wings to one; and the likeness of the hand of a man was under the wings of those. (each one had four faces, and four wings; and the likeness of a man's hand appeared under their wings.)
22 And the likeness of the cheers of those were those cheers which I had seen beside the flood Chebar; and the beholding of those, and the fierceness of each, was to enter before his face. (And the likenesses of their faces were like those faces which I had seen by the Chebar River; yea, their appearance, and the fierceness of each; and each one of them 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.

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.

Ezekiel 10 Commentaries

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.