Ezekiel 1

Verse 1. And is either superfluous, as at the beginning of most of the sacred books, ( Calmet.) or shews the connection of what is written with what the prophet saw or heard internally. Saint Augustine in Ps. iv. Saint Gregory Worthington.—Year: either of the age of Ezechiel, or (as others will have it) from the solemn covenant made in the eighteenth year of Josias; (4 Kennicott. 23. Challoner. Worthington. Calmet.) or he alludes to the era of Nabopolassur, used at Babylon, ( Menochius.) or to the last jubilee. See Sanct. The thirtieth year, from the prediction of Holda to Josias, ( Bible.) concurs with the fifth of the prophet’s captivity. Calmet. 17:12. Usher, A. 3410.—Fourth of the sacred year, ( Calmet.) on Friday, 24th July, (Usher) or in Jan. Saint Jerome—Chobar, or Aboras, which runs westward into the Euphrates, above Thapsacus. Strabo.—The captives were in those parts, though not present. Calmet.—Opened, in spirit, ( Bible.) by faith. S. Jerom—The prophet fell prostrate. Calmet. 2:1. Bible.

The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim).

Verse 2. Captivity. Lit. “transmigration,” ( Bible.) which is more agreeable to the Hebrew and so forth Jechonias delivered himself up. Six years after this, Sedecias was taken. S. Jerom.

Verse 3. Hand; power, energy of the Holy Spirit. Theod.

When rendered in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, “LORD” or “GOD” is the translation of God’s Proper Name (Hebrew “יהוה”, usually pronounced Yahweh).

Verse 4. North, denoting the invasion of Judea by the Chaldees. Isaiah 14:31. Sanct.—The Jews thought the following vision inexplicable, and deliberated about rejecting the book, when Ananias offered to answer every difficulty. They assigned him three hundred barrels of oil to light his lamp, while he performed the task. Rabbins.—This hyperbole shews their idea of its obscurity. Calmet.—Amber, (electri) a compound of four parts of gold and one of silver, (Pliny xxxiii. 4.) more precious than either. Saint Jerome—It may also mean orichalchum, or a mixture of gold and brass, (Bochart, anim. 2 b. vi. 16.) which was also preferred before gold alone, as it had the hardness of brass. Lucret. Serv. in xii. Æneid.

—alboque orichalcho

Circumdat loricam humeris.

—Two vessels are mentioned, probably of this composition. 1 Ezra 8:27. Calmet.

“Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.

Verse 5. Living creatures. Cherubims, (as appears from Eccles. 49:10) represented to the prophet under these mysterious shapes, as supporting the throne of God, and as it were drawing his chariot. All this chapter appeared so obscure and full of mysteries to the ancient Hebrews, that, as we learn from S. Jerom, (ep. ad Paulin.) they suffered none to read it before they were thirty years old. Challoner.—The pagans had many such compound figures as are here represented. Parkhurst, p. 411. Bible.—Sanchoniathon (ap. Eus. præp. 2.) seems to have borrowed his description from this place.—In them. They stood upright and had some parts of the human figure. Calmet.—Indeed, it seems to have been predominant. Bible.

Verse 6. Faces. This sometimes means shapes; and Pererius supposes that the animal had the head of a man, and the breast covered with lions’ hair, the feet or round cloven hoofs of an ox, and the wings of an eagle. But it had rather four faces as well as wings, the faces of the man and lion being to the right, and the other two to the left; ( Calmet. Tirinus.) or the eagle was behind ( Bible.) or above the head of the man, and the lion and ox at his right and left. Corn. a Lapide. Menochius.

Verse 7. Straight. Hebrew “a straight foot.” Prot. prefer “feet.” Bible.—Of a calf. Aquila reads to the same import hagol, “round,” instead of hegel, ( Bible.) “a calf.” Sym. has “winged feet,” like Mercury. Calmet.—Septuagint omit this, says S. Jerom, though we have his version of Sym. as if it belonged to the Sept.; and it occurs in Grabe as genuine.—Brass. Septuagint add, “and their feathers were very light.” Bible.

Verse 8. Wings. Their arms were covered with feathers, and the hand appeared at the extremity; or they had four arms under the wings. Calmet. 10:8. They all came from the shoulders, so as to correspond with the four faced animal, verse 6. Calmet.—Others believe that each face had four wings, so that the animal would have sixteen. Maldonat.—In Isaiah 9:2 the cherub has six wings. The form was variable, as there was nothing in nature similar. They were perhaps designed to represent the eternity and dominion of God over the whole creation. verse 28. Bible.

Verse 9. Another. Two above were extended so as to support the throne, which seemed to rest on these eight wings connected together. The others were joined so as perfectly to cover what was below the breast. Calmet.—Septuagint “And the wings of those four were touching each other, and their faces (Calmet reads with Chal. and Hebrew wings) turned not,” and so forth Bible.—The wings did not imitate those of birds, going to and fro, but were constantly in the same direction; or the animals did not change their respective situations: as they had four faces, there was always one of them turned to the opposite quarters of the world. Calmet.—They turned not about, (verse 12) but having faces on every side, were ready to go any way. Worthington.

Verse 10. Over. This is not specified in Hebrew Chal. Septuagint or Saint Jerome Calmet.—“The face of an eagle for all the four.” It mist have been above or behind the man, as the situation of the other two faces is here determined. verse 6. Bible.

Verse 11. Faces. Septuagint “wings:” and indeed it does not appear how their faces were stretched upwards, ( Calmet.) unless they looked earnestly that way; though, out of respect, they covered their faces with two wings.

Verse 14. Flashes. Hebrew Bazak. Bible.—Theodotion retains the original. His version seems to have been inserted in the Septuagint ( Calmet.) who omitted this verse, as seeming to contradict verse 9 and 12. Saint Jerome—Yet it only signifies that the motion was quick as lightning, though they did not alter their situation with respect to each other.

Verse 15. Faces. One wheel crossed another at right angles, so that it was ready to move in any direction, (verse 17. Calmet.) like a globe. Bible.

Verse 16. Sea: sky blue. Hebrew “Tharsis,” which Sym. renders “the hyacinth;” a precious stone. Exodus 28:20. Calmet.—Midst. The evangelists and New Testament agree perfectly with the Old. Saint Gregory hom. vi. Worthington.

Verse 17. Parts. When they went, they went by their four parts. That is, indifferently to any of their sides, either forward or backward, to the right or to the left. Challoner.—Their motion was connected with the chariot. verse 20. Calmet.

Verse 18. Eyes, like Argus, or the tail of a peacock. Calmet.—The eye is sometimes put for a colour. Grot.

Verse 20. Life. They were moved like the rest by the whirlwind, or by living creatures. They seemed to be animated, as Homer describes Vulcan’s tripods.

Verse 22. Crystal, or sapphire. verse 26. Calmet. 10:1. This shining sky was like the footstool of the Lord, and rested on eight wings. verse 9, 23.

Verse 24. Voice. The motion of the wings made a noise like a torrent, or thunder.—God. Hebrew “self-sufficient,” as Septuagint and so forth render it, ikanou. Calmet.—Prot. “like the voice of the Almighty.” Bible.—Down; or rather ceased to make such a noise. verse 25. Calmet.

Verse 26. Upon it. This might be omitted, as the Vulg. has only desuper, above. Bible.—God was pleased to assume the shape of a man, seated on the throne.

or, lapis lazuli

Verse 27. Amber, or orichalcum. verse 4.

Verse 28. Rainbow, encircling the sky blue throne and the flame. Nothing could be more dazzling, nor better manifest the subjection of man. Calmet.—The prophet saw four visions at once; the whirlwind, (verse 4) the living creatures, (verse 5) the wheels, (verse 15) and the man seated on a throne, in the sky, verse 26. To explain all these mysteries, a large commentary would scarcely suffice. Worthington.—The tempest, cloud, and fire, shew the impending ruin of the Jews. The ministers of God are over ready to execute his orders. The wisdom of Providence is denoted by the name of the cherubim, the connection of causes by the four wheels, and so forth Menochius.—God appears in his chariot going to war. He denounces vengeance on the guilty. Calmet. 2 and 43. See Corn. a Lapide. Bible.