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Then I looked, and see, in the expanse that was over the head of the cherubim there appeared above them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne.
Verse 1. Throne. It was a sky blue crystal or sapphire colour, (Calmet. 1:22, 26) and was now empty. Calmet. 1. The Lord spoke from the temple door. verse 4. Bible.
or, lapis lazuli
He spoke to the man clothed in linen, and said, “Go in between the whirling wheels, even under the cherub, and fill both your hands with coals of fire from between the cherubim, and scatter them over the city.” He went in as I watched.
Verse 2. Out, to purify (Saint Jerome) or punish the city, (Theod.) which would shortly be reduced to ashes. Vat. Menochius.
Now the cherubim stood on the right side of the house when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court.
Verse 3. Right, south of the priests’ court.
The LORD’s glory mounted up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the LORD’s glory.
Verse 4. Lifted up, before Calmet. 9:3. Calmet.—A man seemed to be on the throne, ( Worthington.) or rather over the door of the holy place.
The sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of God Almighty when he speaks.
Verse 5. Court of the people.—Speaking in thunder.
It came to pass, when he commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, “Take fire from between the whirling wheels, from between the cherubim,” that he went in and stood beside a wheel.
The cherub stretched out his hand from between the cherubim to the fire that was between the cherubim, and took some of it, and put it into the hands of him who was clothed in linen, who took it and went out.
The form of a man’s hand appeared here in the cherubim under their wings.
Verse 8. Wings. They would seem to be distinct, or ( Calmet.) fingers appeared at the end of the wings. Grot.
I looked, and behold, there were four wheels beside the cherubim, one wheel beside one cherub, and another wheel beside another cherub. The appearance of the wheels was like a beryl stone.
Verse 9. Stone. Hebrew Tharsis. Sym. “Hyacinth.” Calmet. 1:16. Calmet.
As for their appearance, the four of them had one likeness, like a wheel within a wheel.
When they went, they went in their four directions. They didn’t turn as they went, but to the place where the head looked they followed it. They didn’t turn as they went.
Verse 11. By four ways. That is, by any of the four ways, forward, backward, to the right, or to the left. Challoner. Worthington.
Their whole body, including their backs, their hands, their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes all around, even the wheels that the four of them had.
Verse 12. Wheels. These, as well as ( Bible.) the cherubim, (Theod.) were full of eyes. Calmet.
As for the wheels, they were called in my hearing, “the whirling wheels”.
Verse 13. Voluble. That is, rolling wheels: galgal, ( Challoner.) which means “rolling:” ( Bible.) or “he said to the wheels, Turn around about.” Theodoret.—This is the real import of Hebrew Calmet.—Prot. have, “O wheel.” Bible.
Every one of them had four faces. The first face was the face of the cherub. The second face was the face of a man. The third face was the face of a lion. The fourth was the face of an eagle.
Verse 14. Cherub, or “ox.” All four seem to have had the resemblance of a man, but one more than the rest, which had respectively the appearance rather of an ox, a lion, or an eagle: ( Worthington.) or the ox was predominant in all, as both the head and feet were of it; ( Calmet.) which, however, does not constitute the greatest part. Calmet. 1:5. Bible.
The cherubim mounted up. This is the living creature that I saw by the river Chebar.
Verse 15. Creature. What I saw, was properly called cherubim. Charab, in Syr. means “to labour;” (Spencer) or cherubim may imply any composed and unusual figure, or “mixture.” Exodus 25:18. Calmet.—Ezechiel being a priest, saw that the creatures resembled the cherubim of the temple. Tirinus.
When the cherubim went, the wheels went beside them; and when the cherubim lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth, the wheels also didn’t turn from beside them.
When they stood, these stood. When they mounted up, these mounted up with them; for the spirit of the living creature was in them.
Verse 17. Life. They were not mere machines; ( Bible.) or they were pushed forward by an impetuous wind.
The LORD’s glory went out from over the threshold of the house and stood over the cherubim.
The cherubim lifted up their wings and mounted up from the earth in my sight when they went out, with the wheels beside them. Then they stood at the door of the east gate of the LORD’s house; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.
Verse 19. East gate, leading from the city to the court of the people. Calmet.—How unwilling is this good father to leave his house! Tirinus.
This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river Chebar; and I knew that they were cherubim.
Verse 20. Creature. The cherubim and all the throne seemed alive. Bible.
Every one had four faces, and every one four wings. The likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings.
As for the likeness of their faces, they were the faces which I saw by the river Chebar, their appearances and themselves. They each went straight forward.
Verse 22. Forward, thus shewing God’s decree to abandon the synagogue. Tirinus.