INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 1 This chapter contains a vision, which is the introduction to the prophet's call and commission to perform his office; in the account of which may be observed the time when it was seen, Ezekiel 1:1; and the place both where the prophet was when he saw it, and the object or... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW IT CAME TO PASS IN THE THIRTIETH YEAR,.... Either from the last jubilee, as R. Joseph Kimchi r, Jarchi, and Abendana; or from the time that the book of the law was found by Hilkiah the priest s; so the Targum, which paraphrases the words thus, "and it was in the thirtieth year after Hilkiah the... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE FIFTH [DAY] OF THE MONTH,.... The month Tammuz, as before: (WHICH [WAS] THE FIFTH YEAR OF JEHOIACHIN'S CAPTIVITY); the same with Jeconiah and Coniah, as he is sometimes called; he was taken by the king of Babylon, when he had reigned but three months, and his captivity held seven and thirty... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME EXPRESSLY,.... Or, "in being was" d; which phrase denotes the reality, certainty, substantiality and evidence of the word of the Lord to him: UNTO EZEKIEL THE PRIEST, THE SON OF BUZI; which Buzi, some say, was Jeremiah. Kimchi observes, that, in the Jerusalem Targum, the P... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I LOOKED,.... Being under the influence of the Spirit and power of God: AND, BEHOLD, A WHIRLWIND CAME OUT OF THE NORTH; which some understand of Nebuchadnezzar and his army coming from Babylon, which lay north of Judea: see Jeremiah 1:14; but it seems to me to be, with what follows, only an app... [ Continue Reading ]
ALSO OUT OF THE MIDST THEREOF,.... The fire; or out of the whole that was seen; the whirlwind, cloud, fire, and the brightness about it: [CAME] THE LIKENESS OF FOUR LIVING CREATURES; not really four living creatures; they appeared like to such they were in the form of such; by which we are to under... [ Continue Reading ]
AND OR BUT EVERYONE HAD FOUR FACES,.... Which are described, Ezekiel 1:10. The Targum multiplies the faces in a strange monstrous manner, paraphrasing the words thus, "each had four faces, and there were four faces to everyone "of them", and every creature had sixteen faces; the number of the face... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEIR FEET [WERE] STRAIGHT FEET,.... And they went straight forward, as in Ezekiel 1:12; they made straight paths for their feet, and walked uprightly, according to the truth of the Gospel; did not go into crooked paths, or turn to the right hand, or the left; and having put their hand to the pl... [ Continue Reading ]
AND [THEY HAD] THE HANDS OF A MAN UNDER THEIR WINGS ON THEIR FOUR SIDES,.... "Hands of a man" denote action, according to knowledge; ministers of the Gospel are men of practice and business, as well as have the theory and knowledge of things; and they act like men in a rational way, according to the... [ Continue Reading ]
THEIR WINGS [WERE] JOINED ONE TO ANOTHER,.... "A woman to her sister" n, in the Hebrew; denoting the concord, harmony, and agreement of Gospel ministers, and their affection to one another; they preach the same Gospel; administer the same ordinances; do the same work of the Lord; have the same zeal... [ Continue Reading ]
AS FOR THE LIKENESS OF THEIR FACES, THEY FOUR HAD THE FACE OF A MAN,.... For these living creatures are men, redeemed from among men by the blood of Christ; their business lies with men, to preach the Gospel to them: and they should be humane, kind, and tender in their behaviour towards them; wounde... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS [WERE] THEIR FACES: AND THEIR WINGS [WERE] STRETCHED UPWARD,.... The former clause, "thus [were] their faces", either belongs to Ezekiel 1:10; and the meaning is, this, as now represented, was the likeness of their faces, and this the position of them: or it may be read in connection with the f... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY WENT EVERYONE STRAIGHT FORWARD,.... Or, "over against his face" q; for, which way soever they went, whether forward or backward, or on either side, they had a face to go before them, to direct the way, and steer their course; so the ministers of the Gospel have a face to go by and follow af... [ Continue Reading ]
AS FOR THE LIKENESS OF THE LIVING CREATURES,.... That is, of their bodies; for their faces, feet, hands, and wings are described before: THEIR APPEARANCE [WAS] LIKE BURNING COALS OF FIRE: because of their ministerial gifts; the gifts of the Spirit are compared to fire, and like coals of fire are to... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LIVING CREATURES RAN,.... Did their work with great readiness and swiftness; so, especially in the latter day, ministers of the Gospel shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased, Daniel 12:4; AND RETURNED; for though before it is said, "they turned not when they went", they kep... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW AS I BEHELD THE LIVING CREATURES,.... While he had the vision of them, and when he was considering their form and likeness, and what should be the meaning of them: BEHOLD, ONE WHEEL UPON THE EARTH; the Jews r understand this of an angel, who stood upon the earth, and his head reached to the liv... [ Continue Reading ]
THE APPEARANCE OF THE WHEELS, AND THEIR WORK, [WAS] LIKE UNTO THE COLOUR OF A BERYL,.... Which is a precious stone; see Exodus 28:20; the Syriac version renders it a chrysolite; the Arabic, a jasper; and so may denote the preciousness, glory, and excellency of the churches, and the true members of... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THEY WENT, THEY WENT UPON THEIR FOUR SIDES,.... On either of their crossing rings, as they were directed by the living creatures, at whose side they stood: [AND] THEY RETURNED NOT WHEN THEY WENT; they had no need to turn about when they were to go east, west, north, or south, as wheels usually... [ Continue Reading ]
AS FOR THEIR RINGS, THEY WERE SO HIGH, THAT THEY WERE DREADFUL,.... The circles and circumferences of them were "high": which may denote the visibility and extensiveness of the churches of Christ, especially in the latter day; when they shall be exalted above the mountains and hills, the kingdoms an... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THE LIVING CREATURES WENT, THE WHEELS WENT BY THEM,.... When the ministers of the Gospel begin the worship of God, and move in acts of devotion, the churches join with them; see Revelation 4:9; and in their lives and conversations they are examples to them; and churches and members ought to... [ Continue Reading ]
WHITHERSOEVER THE SPIRIT WAS TO GO THEY WENT,.... That is, the Spirit of God; wherever that leads and directs, whether in the paths of faith or duty, they follow; they walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit; he guides their feet in the way of peace, and into all truth; and leads them in a ri... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THOSE WENT, [THESE] WENT; AND WHEN THOSE STOOD, [THESE] STOOD,.... When ministers are active and lively, then the churches are; but when they are indolent, dull, and inactive, then the churches are so likewise: AND WHEN THOSE WERE LIFTED UP FROM THE EARTH, THE WHEELS WERE LIFTED UP OVER AGAINS... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LIKENESS OF THE FIRMAMENT UPON THE HEADS OF THE LIVING CREATURE,.... This was not a real firmament, but the likeness of one; it was like the firmament which God created on the second day, which divided between the waters above and below, and which he called Heaven; and is no other than the a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND UNDER THE FIRMAMENT [WERE] THEIR WINGS STRAIGHT, THE ONE TOWARD THE OTHER,.... A further account is here given of the wings of the living creatures, which were under the firmament: two of their wings were stretched straight upwards towards the firmament, and joined each other; Ezekiel 1:9; EVER... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THEY WENT,.... In their ministrations, preaching the Gospel, and administering ordinances: I HEARD THE NOISE OF THEIR WINGS, LIKE THE NOISE OF GREAT WATERS: so the voice of Christ, which is no other than his Gospel preached by his ministers, is said to be as the sound of many waters, Revel... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE WAS A VOICE FROM THE FIRMAMENT THAT [WAS] OVER THEIR HEADS,.... Which was the voice of Christ upon the throne, above the firmament, over the heads of the living creatures; which directed them when and where to go, and what to do, and when and where to stop: WHEN THEY STOOD, [AND] HAD LET... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ABOVE THE FIRMAMENT THAT [WAS] OVER THEIR HEADS,.... The heads of the living creatures: [WAS] THE LIKENESS OF A THRONE; a symbol of Christ's kingly power and authority, who is the person that sat upon it; as he is God, he is on the same throne with his Father; as Mediator, he is King of saints,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I SAW AS THE COLOUR OF AMBER,.... That is, the man upon the throne looked like the colour of amber; of which Ezekiel 1:4; AS THE APPEARANCE OF FIRE ROUND ABOUT WITHIN IT; which may denote the deity of Christ, or Christ as God, who is a consuming fire to his enemies; a fire enlightening and war... [ Continue Reading ]
AS THE APPEARANCE OF THE BOW THAT IS IN THE CLOUD IN THE DAY OF RAIN,.... The rainbow, which is no other than the reflection of the rays of the sun in a thin watery cloud on a rainy day: SO [WAS] THE APPEARANCE OF THE BRIGHTNESS ROUND ABOUT IT; so Christ is represented as clothed with a cloud, and... [ Continue Reading ]