4 And I look, and lo, a tempestuous wind is coming from the north, a great cloud, and fire catching itself, and brightness to it round about, and out of its midst as the colour of copper, out of the midst of the fire.
5 And out of its midst `is' a likeness of four living creatures, and this `is' their appearance; a likeness of man `is' to them,
6 and four faces `are' to each, and four wings `are' to each of them,
7 and their feet `are' straight feet, and the sole of their feet `is' as a sole of a calf's foot, and they are sparkling as the colour of bright brass;
8 and hands of man under their wings -- on their four sides, and their faces and their wings -- `are' to them four;
9 joining one unto another `are' their wings, they turn not round in their going, each straight forward they go.
10 As to the likeness of their faces, the face of a man, and the face of a lion, toward the right `are' to them four, and the face of an ox on the left `are' to them four, and the face of an eagle `are' to them four.
11 And their faces and their wings are separate from above, to each `are' two joining together, and two are covering their bodies.
12 And each straight forward they go, whither the spirit is to go, they go, they turn not round in their going.
13 As to the likeness of the living creatures, their appearances `are' as coals of fire -- burning as the appearance of lamps; it is going up and down between the living creatures, and brightness `is' to the fire, and out of the fire is going forth lightning.
14 And the living creatures are running, and turning back, as the appearance of the flash.
15 And I see the living creatures, and lo, one wheel `is' in the earth, near the living creatures, at its four faces.
16 The appearance of the wheels and their works `is' as the colour of beryl, and one likeness `is' to them four, and their appearances and their works `are' as it were the wheel in the midst of the wheel.
17 On their four sides, in their going they go, they turn not round in their going.
18 As to their rings, they are both high and fearful, and their rings `are' full of eyes round about them four.
19 And in the going of the living creatures, the wheels go beside them, and in the living creatures being lifted up from off the earth, lifted up are the wheels.
20 Whither the spirit is to go, they go, thither the spirit `is' to go, and the wheels are lifted up over-against them, for a living spirit `is' in the wheels.
21 In their going, they go; and in their standing, they stand; and in their being lifted up from off the earth, lifted up are the wheels over-against them; for a living spirit `is' in the wheels.
22 And a likeness `is' over the heads of the living creatures of an expanse, as the colour of the fearful ice, stretched out over their heads from above.
23 And under the expanse their wings `are' straight, one toward the other, to each are two covering on this side, and to each are two covering on that side -- their bodies.
24 And I hear the noise of their wings, as the noise of many waters, as the noise of the Mighty One, in their going -- the noise of tumult, as the noise of a camp, in their standing they let fall their wings.
25 And there is a voice from above the expanse, that `is' above their head: in their standing they let fall their wings.
26 And above the expanse that `is' over their head, as an appearance of a sapphire stone, `is' the likeness of a throne, and on the likeness of the throne a likeness, as the appearance of man upon it from above.
27 And I see as the colour of copper, as the appearance of fire within it round about, from the appearance of his loins and upward, and from the appearance of his loins and downward, I have seen as the appearance of fire, and brightness `is' to it round about.
28 As the appearance of the bow that is in a cloud in a day of rain, so `is' the appearance of the brightness round about.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Ezekiel 1
Commentary on Ezekiel 1 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
First Half - The Prophecies of Judgment - Ezekiel 1-32
The Consecration and Calling of Ezekiel to the Office of Prophet - Ezekiel 1-3:21
In a vision of God, Ezekiel beholds in a great cloud, through which shone the splendour of fire, and which a tempestuous wind drives from the north, the glory of the Lord above the cherubim upon a majestic throne in human form (Ezekiel 1), and hears a voice, which sends him as a prophet to Israel, and inspires him with the subject-matter of his announcements (Ezekiel 2:1-3:3). He is thereafter transported in spirit to Tel-abib on the Chebar, into the midst of the exiles, and the duties and responsibilities of his calling laid before him (3:4-21). By this divine appearance and the commission therewith connected is he consecrated, called, and ordained to the prophetic office. The whole occurrences in the vision are subdivided into the copious description of the theophany, Ezekiel 1, by which he is consecrated for his calling; and into the revelation of the word, Ezekiel 2:1-3:21, which prepares him for the discharge of the same. From these contents it clearly appears that these chapters do not constitute the first section of the book, but the introduction to the whole, to which the circumstantial notices of the time and place of this revelation of God at the commencement, Ezekiel 1:1-3, also point.
The Appearance of the Glory of the Lord. - Ezekiel 1:1-3. Time and place of the same. - Ezekiel 1:1. Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth (month), on the fifth (day) of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. Ezekiel 1:2 . On the fifth day of the month, it was the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's captivity, Ezekiel 1:3 . The word of the Lord came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Busi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was there upon him.