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 Ezekiel 1... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN I LOOKED, AND, BEHOLD,.... After the vision of the destruction of the greater part of the inhabitants of Jerusalem by the six men with slaughter weapons, and of the preservation of a few by the man clothed with linen; another vision is seen by the prophet, in some things like to that he saw, of... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SPAKE UNTO THE MAN CLOTHED WITH LINEN,.... That is, the God of Israel, or the glory of the Lord, that sat upon the throne before described; he gave orders to the man clothed in linen, who appears in another character, and represents the Chaldean or Roman army: AND SAID, GO IN BETWEEN THE WHE... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THE CHERUBIM STOOD ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HOUSE,.... According to the Targum, it was the south side of the house; and so Jarchi interprets it opposite to the north, where the gross idolatries were committed, Ezekiel 8:3; standing at the greatest distance from them, and bearing their testimony... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THE GLORY OF THE LORD WENT UP FROM THE CHERUB,.... Or, "cherubim"; those that were upon the mercy seat, between which the Shechinah or glorious majesty of God dwelt, in the most holy place: this is a token and intimation of the Lord's leaving of the temple; and a little before the destruction o... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE SOUND OF THE CHERUBIM'S WINGS WAS HEARD [EVEN] TO THE OUTER COURT,.... Or outward court. The sound of the Gospel, which is a joyful sound; a sound of love, grace, and mercy; of life, liberty, peace, pardon, righteousness, and salvation by Christ; the sound of this in the swift ministry of th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT CAME TO PASS, [THAT] WHEN HE HAD COMMANDED THE MAN CLOTHED WITH LINEN,.... After the orders were given by him that was upon the throne to the man thus described: SAYING, TAKE FIRE FROM BETWEEN THE WHEELS, FROM BETWEEN THE CHERUBIM; as in Ezekiel 10:2; THEN HE WENT IN; immediately, into the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND [ONE] CHERUB STRETCHED FORTH HIS HAND FROM BETWEEN THE CHERUBIM,.... One of the four living creatures, or cherubim, put out his hand from among the rest: UNTO THE FIRE THAT [WAS] BETWEEN THE CHERUBIM; so fire is said to go up and down among them, Ezekiel 1:13; to which the reference is here: A... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE APPEARED IN THE CHERUBIM,.... The Septuagint version is, "I saw the cherubim"; and so the Syriac version, "I saw in the cherubim"; what follows: THE FORM OF A MAN'S HAND UNDER THEIR WINGS; one of them put forth his hand, which was seen by the prophet, as declared in Ezekiel 10:7; but this... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN I LOOKED, BEHOLD, THE FOUR WHEELS BY THE CHERUBIM,.... The churches by the ministers: of these "wheels", and why the churches are so called, and of their number "four", and their situation "by" the cherubim, Ezekiel 1:15; ONE WHEEL BY ONE CHERUB, AND ANOTHER WHEEL BY ANOTHER CHERUB: a mini... [ Continue Reading ]
AND [AS FOR] THEIR APPEARANCES, THEY FOUR HAD ONE LIKENESS,.... They were exactly like one another; they were all composed of the same matter, had all the colour of a beryl stone, were all in the same form of a wheel; and in matter, form, and shape, entirely tallied and agreed one with another, as t... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THEY WENT, THEY WENT UPON THEIR FOUR SIDES,.... Which four sides they had, by being made in the transverse way before mentioned; just as the New Jerusalem church state is said to be foursquare, Revelation 21:16; and this may denote the uniformity of Gospel churches in every state and condition,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEIR WHOLE BODY, AND THEIR BACKS, AND THEIR HANDS, AND THEIR WINGS,.... This is to be understood not of the wheels, to whom body or flesh, backs, hands, and wings, do not belong, but of the cherubim; and the sense is, that as the wheels were alike, and had one and the same form and appearance,... [ Continue Reading ]
AS FOR THE WHEELS, IT WAS CRIED TO THEM IN MY HEARING,.... Or they were called, as the prophet heard in the vision, by the following name: O WHEEL, or, "the wheel": for though there are several particular churches, yet they make up but one general assembly and Church of the firstborn, written in he... [ Continue Reading ]
AND EVERYONE HAD FOUR FACES,.... That is, everyone of the wheels, for of these the words are continued; and which agrees with Ezekiel 1:15; Ezekiel 1:15: THE FIRST FACE [WAS] THE FACE OF A CHERUB; this being in the room of the ox's face, Ezekiel 1:10, shows that the face of an ox and a cherub are... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE CHERUBIM WERE LIFTED UP,.... From the earth; Ezekiel 1:19; THIS [IS] THE LIVING CREATURE THAT I SAW BY THE RIVER CHEBAR: a river in Chaldea, where the prophet was when he had the vision of the living creatures recorded in the "first" chapter; and hence it is out of doubt that the living cr... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THE CHERUBIM WENT, THE WHEELS WENT BY THEM,.... Ministers being guides to the churches in doctrine, worship, devotion, and conversation; Ezekiel 1:19; AND WHEN THE CHERUBIM LIFTED UP THEIR WINGS TO MOUNT UP FROM THE EARTH, THE SAME WHEELS ALSO TURNED NOT FROM BESIDE THEM; ministers and ch... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THEY STOOD, [THESE] STOOD,.... When the one were inactive, lifeless, and without motion, making no progress in knowledge, experience, and practice, the other were so likewise; Ezekiel 1:21; AND WHEN THEY WERE LIFTED UP, [THESE] LIFTED UP THEMSELVES [ALSO]; like people, like priest, whether in... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THE GLORY OF THE LORD DEPARTED FROM OFF THE THRESHOLD OF THE HOUSE,.... Whither he had removed from the cherub or the cherubim, between the mercy seat, Ezekiel 10:4; taking another step towards a general departure from the temple and city, of which this was another signal and warning: AND STOO... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE CHERUBIM LIFTED UP THEIR WINGS,.... As birds do, when they are about to remove and fly away; these being upon the motion, ready to depart, as well as the glory of the Lord: AND MOUNTED UP FROM THE EARTH IN MY SIGHT: the land of Judea, where the Gospel was first preached; but this being slig... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS [IS] THE LIVING CREATURE THAT I SAW UNDER THE GOD OF ISRAEL, BY THE RIVER OF CHEBAR,.... This is repeated from Ezekiel 10:15; not only for the confirmation of it; but with an addition, to show that the appearance of the man upon the throne, Ezekiel 1:26, is no other than the God of Israel; and... [ Continue Reading ]
EVERY ONE HAD FOUR FACES APIECE,.... Every one of the four living creatures, or cherubim, had four faces; which were the face of a man, of a lion, of an ox, and of an eagle, Ezekiel 1:10; AND EVERYONE FOUR WINGS: the Septuagint version reads eight wings; and the Syriac version "six"; so many in all... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LIKENESS OF THEIR FACES [WAS] THE SAME FACES,.... Or their faces were like the same, WHICH I SAW BY THE RIVER OF CHEBAR; which prove that the living creatures and the cherubim must be the same: THEIR APPEARANCE AND THEMSELVES; were exactly the same there was no difference in their faces or... [ Continue Reading ]