English · CJB

Ezekiel10

Ezekiel witnesses a command for a man clothed in linen to scatter coals of fire over Jerusalem, symbolizing divine judgment. The glory of the LORD then ascends from the cherubim to the temple threshold, filling the house with its brightness. Subsequently, the glory departs from the threshold and ascends with the cherubim and their accompanying wheels. They ultimately move towards and stand at the east gate of the temple.

The Command to Scatter Fire

1
Then I looked, and suddenly, on the dome over the heads of the k'ruvim, there appeared above them something like sapphire that seemed to take the form of a throne. ​
2
He spoke to the man clothed in linen; he said, "Go in between the wheels under the k'ruvim, fill both your hands with fiery coals from between the k'ruvim, and throw them on the city." As I watched, he went. ​
3
Now the k'ruvim were standing to the right of the house when the man entered, and the cloud filled the inner courtyard.
4
The glory of ADONAI rose from above the keruv to the threshold of the house, leaving the house filled with the cloud and the courtyard full of the brilliance of ADONAI's glory. ​
5
The sound of the wings of the k'ruvim could be heard even in the outer courtyard sounding like the voice of God, Shaddai, when he speaks.
6
When he ordered the man clothed in linen to take fire from between the wheels, from between the k'ruvim, he went in and stood next to a wheel;
7
and a keruv put out his hand from between the k'ruvim into the fire between the k'ruvim, took some of it, and put it in the hands of the one clothed in linen, who took it and went out. ​

Description of the Cherubim and Wheels

8
Now there appeared among the k'ruvim the form of a man's hand under their wings.
9
I looked and saw four wheels next to the k'ruvim, one wheel next to one keruv and another wheel next to another keruv: the wheels had the color of beryl.
10
Their shape was the same for all four, like a wheel inside a wheel.
11
When they moved, they could go in any of the four directions without turning as they moved; rather, wherever the head looked, they followed without turning as they moved. ​
12
Their whole bodies, including their backs, hands and wings, and also the wheels, were full of eyes all around - even the wheels of the four k'ruvim. ​
13
As for the wheels, I heard them called "the wheel apparatus."
14
Every one [of the k'ruvim] had four faces: the first face was the face of a keruv, 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 k'ruvim rose. These were the living creatures I had seen by the K'var River.
16
When the k'ruvim moved, the wheels went with them; and when the k'ruvim lifted their wings to rise off the ground, these wheels did not stop going with them.
17
When [the k'ruvim] stood still, [the wheels] stood still; and when the former rose, the latter rose with them; because the spirit of the living creatures was in them. ​

The Glory of the Lord Departs

18
Now the glory of ADONAI left the threshold of the house and halted above the k'ruvim. ​
19
The k'ruvim lifted their wings and rose off the earth - I was watching as they went off with the wheels next to them. They paused at the entrance to the east gate of ADONAI's house, with the glory of the God of Isra'el over them, from above. ​
20
This was the living creature I had seen beneath the God of Isra'el by the K'var River, so I knew they were k'ruvim. ​
21
Each of the four had four faces, and each had four wings, and what looked like a man's hands was under their wings.
22
As for how their faces looked, they were the faces I had seen by the K'var River, identical in appearance. Each one moved straight ahead.

Study Notes for Ezekiel 10

Verse 1

This vision confirms the appearance of the sapphire throne above the cherubim, recalling the description of God’s glory in the initial call vision (Ezek 1:26) and the revelation at Sinai (Exod 24:10).

Verse 2

The fire taken from the mobile throne symbolizes divine judgment and wrath, paralleling the destruction of Jerusalem with the purification of the temple by fire. The man clothed in linen is the executioner of God’s decree (cf. Ezek 9:2).

Verse 4

The *kavod* (glory) moving to the threshold is the first step in the divine withdrawal from the temple. The cloud filling the house recalls the dedication of Solomon’s Temple (1 Kings 8:10-11), but here it precedes judgment, not consecration.

Verse 7

The cherubim, guardians of the holy space, actively participate in the judgment by delivering the coals of fire to the linen-clothed man, emphasizing the divine origin of the impending destruction.

Verse 11

The description of the wheels moving without turning emphasizes the instantaneous and directed nature of God's judgment and movement; the divine vehicle is always ready to move in any direction.

Verse 12

The creatures and wheels being 'full of eyes' symbolizes their comprehensive knowledge and vigilance. This detail reinforces the theme of divine omnipresence and the absolute awareness of God’s judgment.

Verse 14

Ezekiel clarifies the identity of the four faces. The 'face of a cherub' here likely corresponds to the 'ox' or 'bull' face found in the initial vision (Ezek 1:10), serving as a clarification of the nature of these angelic guardians.

Verse 17

The unity of movement between the wheels and the cherubim is explained by the 'spirit of the living creature' being within the mechanism, confirming that the entire apparatus is animated by divine power and intelligence.

Verse 18

This verse marks the theological climax: the visible departure of the *kavod* (Glory of the Lord) from the inner temple. This signals that God has permanently withdrawn his presence due to the temple's defilement, sealing the city’s fate.

Verse 19

The glory settles over the East Gate, the outer boundary of the temple complex. This position prepares for the final departure eastward, toward the location of the exiles in Babylon (Ezek 11:23).

Verse 20

Ezekiel confirms the identity of the complex, mobile creatures he saw by the Chebar river. Recognizing them as cherubim links his vision to the traditional temple guardians and the protectors of Eden (Gen 3:24).

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