Bible Commentaries

Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the ^a cherubim there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne.

(a) Which in (Ezekiel 1:5) he called the four beasts.

And he spoke to the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels, [even] under the cherub, and fill thy hand with coals of fire from between the cherubim, and scatter [them] over ^b the city. And he entered in my sight.

(b) This signified that the city would be burnt.

Then the glory of the LORD ^c went 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.

(c) Meaning that the glory of God would depart from the temple.

And the ^d sound of the cherubim's wings was heard [even] to the outer court, as the voice of the Almighty God when he speaketh.

(d) Read (Ezekiel 1:24).

And when I looked, behold the four wheels by the cherubim, one wheel by one cherub, and another wheel by another cherub: and the appearance of the wheels [was] as the colour of a ^e beryl stone.

(e) Read (Ezekiel 1:16).

When they went, they went upon their four sides; they turned not as they went, but to the place where the head looked they followed it; they ^f turned not as they went.

(f) Until they had executed God's judgments.

When they stood, [these] stood; and when they were lifted up, [these] lifted up themselves [also]: for the ^g spirit of the living being [was] in them.

(g) There was one consent between the cherubims and the wheels.

^h Then the glory of the LORD departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubim.

(h) Read (Ezekiel 9:3).

This [is] the ⁱ living being that I saw under the God of Israel by the river of Chebar; and I knew that they [were] the cherubim.

(i) That is, the whole body of the four beasts or cherubims.