Add parallel Print Page Options

Chapter 10

Then I looked and there above the firmament over the heads of the cherubim was something like a sapphire, something that looked like a throne.(A) [a]And he said to the man dressed in linen: Go within the wheelwork under the cherubim; fill both your hands with burning coals from the place among the cherubim, then scatter them over the city. As I watched, he entered.(B) Now the cherubim were standing to the south of the temple when the man went in and a cloud filled the inner court. The glory of the Lord had moved off the cherubim to the threshold of the temple; the temple was filled with the cloud, the whole court brilliant with the glory of the Lord. The sound of the wings of the cherubim could be heard as far as the outer court; it was like the voice of God Almighty speaking.(C) He commanded the man dressed in linen: Take fire from within the wheelwork among the cherubim. The man entered and stood by one of the wheels. Thereupon a cherub stretched out a hand from among the cherubim toward the fire in the midst of the cherubim, took some, and put it in the hands of the one dressed in linen. He took it and came out. Something like a human hand was visible under the wings of the cherubim. I also saw four wheels beside the cherubim, one wheel beside each cherub, and the wheels appeared to have the sparkle of yellow topaz. 10 And the appearance of the four all seemed alike, as though one wheel were inside the other. 11 When they moved, they went in any of the four directions without veering as they moved; in whatever direction the first cherub faced, the others followed without veering as they went. 12 Their entire bodies—backs, hands, and wings—and wheels were covered with eyes all around like the four wheels.(D) 13 I heard the wheels called “wheelwork.” 14 Each living creature had four faces: the first a cherub, the second a human being, the third a lion, the fourth an eagle.(E) 15 [b]When the cherubim rose up, they were indeed the living creatures I had seen by the river Chebar.(F) 16 When the cherubim moved, the wheels went beside them; when the cherubim lifted up their wings to rise from the earth, even then the wheels did not leave their sides. 17 When they stood still, the wheels stood still; when they rose up, the wheels rose up with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in them. 18 Then the glory of the Lord left the threshold of the temple and took its place upon the cherubim. 19 The cherubim lifted their wings and rose up from the earth before my eyes as they departed with the wheels beside them. They stopped at the entrance of the eastern gate of the Lord’s house, and the glory of the God of Israel was up above them.(G) 20 [c]These were the living creatures I had seen beneath the God of Israel by the river Chebar. Now I knew they were cherubim.(H) 21 Each of them had four faces and four wings, and something like human hands under their wings. 22 Their faces looked just like the faces I had seen by the river Chebar; and each one went straight ahead.

Footnotes

  1. 10:2–13 The burning coals, a sign of the divine presence (cf. 28:14; Ps 18:9), represent the judgment of destruction that God is visiting upon the city; they may also represent the judgment of purification that prepares the land to become the Lord’s sanctuary (cf. Is 6:6–7).
  2. 10:15–19 The throne represents God’s presence as ruler and protector of the land. In chap. 1, God is revealed as the lord of the world who can appear even in a far-off land; here God is about to abandon the Temple, that is, hand the city over to its enemies. God and the throne return again in 43:1–3.
  3. 10:20–22 The repetition of description from the preceding verses is a device intended to suggest the rapid, constantly changing motion of the vision and the difficulty of describing the divine in human language.

Vision of Yahweh’s Glory Departing the Temple

10 Then I looked, and behold, in the [a](A)expanse that was over the heads of the cherubim something like a (B)sapphire stone, in appearance in the likeness of a (C)throne, appeared above them. And He spoke to the man clothed in linen and said, “Enter between the (D)whirling wheels under the [b]cherubim and fill your hands with (E)coals of fire from between the cherubim and scatter them over the city.” And he entered in my sight.

Now the cherubim were standing on the right side of the house when the man entered, and the cloud filled the (F)inner court. Then the (G)glory of Yahweh rose up from the cherub to the threshold of the house, and the (H)house was filled with the cloud, and the court was filled with the (I)brightness of the glory of Yahweh. Moreover, the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard as far as the outer court, like the (J)voice of [c]God Almighty when He speaks.

Now it happened that 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. Then the cherub sent forth his hand from between the cherubim to the fire which was between the cherubim, took some up, and put it into the hands of the one clothed in linen, who took it and went out. And the cherubim appeared to have the form of a man’s hand under their wings.

Then I looked, and behold, (K)four wheels beside the cherubim, one wheel beside each cherub; and the appearance of the wheels was like the gleam of a [d](L)Tarshish stone. 10 As for their appearance, all four of them had the same likeness, as if one wheel were within another wheel. 11 As they went, they went (M)in any of their four [e]directions without turning as they went; but they went in the direction which [f]they faced, without turning as they went. 12 And their (N)whole body, their backs, their hands, their wings, and the (O)wheels 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 (P)each 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 (Q)living creatures that I saw by the river Chebar. 16 Now as the cherubim went, the wheels went 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 [g]the cherubim (R)stood still, [h]the wheels would stand still; and when they rose up, [i]the wheels would rise with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in them.

18 Then the glory of Yahweh departed from the threshold of the house and stood (S)over the cherubim. 19 When (T)the 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 house of Yahweh, and the glory of the God of Israel [j]hovered over them.

20 These are the (U)living creatures that I saw beneath the God of Israel by (V)the river Chebar; so I knew that they were cherubim. 21 (W)Each one had four faces and each one four wings, and beneath their wings was the likeness 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.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 10:1 Or firmament
  2. Ezekiel 10:2 As in Gr; Heb cherub
  3. Ezekiel 10:5 Heb El Shaddai
  4. Ezekiel 10:9 Possibly beryl
  5. Ezekiel 10:11 Lit sides
  6. Ezekiel 10:11 Lit the head turned
  7. Ezekiel 10:17 Lit they
  8. Ezekiel 10:17 Lit they
  9. Ezekiel 10:17 Lit they
  10. Ezekiel 10:19 Lit over them from above

God’s Glory Departs From the Temple

10 I looked, and I saw the likeness of a throne(A) of lapis lazuli(B) above the vault(C) that was over the heads of the cherubim.(D) The Lord said to the man clothed in linen,(E) “Go in among the wheels(F) beneath the cherubim. Fill(G) your hands with burning coals(H) from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city.” And as I watched, he went in.

Now the cherubim were standing on the south side of the temple when the man went in, and a cloud filled the inner court. Then the glory of the Lord(I) rose from above the cherubim and moved to the threshold of the temple. The cloud filled the temple, and the court was full of the radiance of the glory of the Lord. The sound of the wings of the cherubim could be heard as far away as the outer court, like the voice(J) of God Almighty[a] when he speaks.(K)

When the Lord commanded the man in linen, “Take fire from among the wheels,(L) from among the cherubim,” the man went in and stood beside a wheel. Then one of the cherubim reached out his hand to the fire(M) that was among them. He took up some of it and put it into the hands of the man in linen, who took it and went out. (Under the wings of the cherubim could be seen what looked like human hands.)(N)

I looked, and I saw beside the cherubim four wheels, one beside each of the cherubim; the wheels sparkled like topaz.(O) 10 As for their appearance, the four of them looked alike; each was like a wheel intersecting a wheel. 11 As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the cherubim faced; the wheels did not turn about[b] as the cherubim went. The cherubim went in whatever direction the head faced, without turning as they went. 12 Their entire bodies, including their backs, their hands and their wings, were completely full of eyes,(P) as were their four wheels.(Q) 13 I heard the wheels being called “the whirling wheels.” 14 Each of the cherubim(R) had four faces:(S) One face was that of a cherub, the second the face of a human being, the third the face of a lion,(T) and the fourth the face of an eagle.(U)

15 Then the cherubim rose upward. These were the living creatures(V) I had seen by the Kebar River.(W) 16 When the cherubim moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the cherubim spread their wings to rise from the ground, the wheels did not leave their side. 17 When the cherubim stood still, they also stood still; and when the cherubim rose, they rose with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in them.(X)

18 Then the glory(Y) of the Lord departed from over the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim.(Z) 19 While I watched, the cherubim spread their wings and rose from the ground, and as they went, the wheels went with them.(AA) They stopped at the entrance of the east gate of the Lord’s house, and the glory(AB) of the God of Israel was above them.

20 These were the living creatures I had seen beneath the God of Israel by the Kebar River,(AC) and I realized that they were cherubim. 21 Each had four faces(AD) and four wings,(AE) and under their wings was what looked like human hands. 22 Their faces had the same appearance as those I had seen by the Kebar River.(AF) Each one went straight ahead.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 10:5 Hebrew El-Shaddai
  2. Ezekiel 10:11 Or aside

The Glory Departs from the Temple

10 And I looked, and there in the (A)firmament[a] that was above the head of the cherubim, there appeared something like a sapphire stone, having the appearance of the likeness of a throne. (B)Then He spoke to the man clothed with linen, and said, “Go in among the wheels, under the cherub, fill your hands with (C)coals of fire from among the cherubim, and (D)scatter them over the city.” And he went in as I watched.

Now the cherubim were standing on the [b]south side of the [c]temple when the man went in, and the (E)cloud filled the inner court. (F)Then the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub, and paused over the threshold of the [d]temple; and (G)the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the Lord’s (H)glory. And the (I)sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard even in the outer court, like (J)the voice of Almighty God when He speaks.

Then it happened, when He commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, “Take fire from among the wheels, from among the cherubim,” that he went in and stood beside the wheels. And the cherub stretched out his hand from among the cherubim to the fire that was among the cherubim, and took some of it and put it into the hands of the man clothed with linen, who took it and went out. (K)The cherubim appeared to have the form of a man’s hand under their wings.

(L)And when I looked, there were four wheels by the cherubim, one wheel by one cherub and another wheel by each other cherub; the wheels appeared to have the color of a (M)beryl stone. 10 As for their appearance, all four looked alike—as it were, a wheel in the middle of a wheel. 11 (N)When they went, they went toward any of their four directions; they did not turn aside when they went, but followed in the direction the head was facing. They did not turn aside when they went. 12 And their whole body, with their back, their hands, their wings, and the wheels that the four had, were (O)full of eyes all around. 13 As for the wheels, they were called in my [e]hearing, “Wheel.”

14 (P)Each one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, the second face the face of a man, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle. 15 And the cherubim were lifted up. This was (Q)the living creature I saw by the River Chebar. 16 (R)When the cherubim went, the wheels went beside them; and when the cherubim lifted their wings to mount up from the earth, the same wheels also did not turn from beside them. 17 (S)When [f]the cherubim stood still, the wheels stood still, and when [g]one was lifted up, [h]the other lifted itself up, for the spirit of the living creature was in them.

18 Then (T)the glory of the Lord (U)departed from the threshold of the [i]temple and stood over the cherubim. 19 And (V)the cherubim lifted their wings and mounted up from the earth in my sight. When they went out, the wheels were beside them; and they stood at the door of the (W)east gate of the Lord’s house, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.

20 (X)This is the living creature I saw under the God of Israel (Y)by the River Chebar, and I knew they were cherubim. 21 (Z)Each one had four faces and each one four wings, and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings. 22 And (AA)the likeness of their faces was the same as the faces which I had seen by the River Chebar, their appearance and their persons. (AB)They each went straight forward.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 10:1 expanse
  2. Ezekiel 10:3 Lit. right
  3. Ezekiel 10:3 Lit. house
  4. Ezekiel 10:4 Lit. house
  5. Ezekiel 10:13 Lit. ears
  6. Ezekiel 10:17 Lit. they
  7. Ezekiel 10:17 Lit. they were
  8. Ezekiel 10:17 Lit. they lifted them
  9. Ezekiel 10:18 Lit. house