“Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubims there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne.”
Throne. It was a sky blue crystal or sapphire colour, (chap. i. 22, 26.) and was now empty, chap. i. The Lord spoke from the temple door, ver. 4. (Haydock)
“And he spake unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims, and scatter them over the city. And he went in in my sight. thine hand: Heb. the hollow of thine hand”
Out, to purify (St. Jerome) or punish the city, (Theodoret) which would shortly be reduced to ashes. (Vatable) (Menochius)
“Now the cherubims stood on the right side of the house, when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court.”
Right, south of the priests’ court.
“Then the glory of the LORD 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. went up: Heb. was lifted up”
Lifted up, before chap. ix. 3. (Calmet) — A man seemed to be on the throne, (Worthington) or rather over the door of the holy place.
“And the sound of the cherubims' wings was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of the Almighty God when he speaketh.”
Court of the people. — Speaking in thunder.
“And there appeared in the cherubims the form of a man's hand under their wings.”
Wings. They would seem to be distinct, or (Calmet) fingers appeared at the end of the wings. (Grotius)
“And when I looked, behold the four wheels by the cherubims, one wheel by one cherub, and another wheel by another cherub: and the appearance of the wheels was as the colour of a beryl stone.”
Stone. Hebrew Tharsis. Symmachus, “Hyacinth.” (Chap. i. 16.) (Calmet)
“When they went, they went upon their four sides; they turned not as they went, but to the place whither the head looked they followed it; they turned not as they went.”
By four ways. That is, by any of the four ways, forward, backward, to the right, or to the left. (Challoner) (Worthington)
“And their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes round about, even the wheels that they four had. body: Heb. flesh”
Wheels. These, as well as (Haydock) the cherubim, (Theodoret) were full of eyes. (Calmet)
“As for the wheels, it was cried unto them in my hearing, O wheel. it was: or, they were called in my hearing, wheel, or, galgal”
Voluble. That is, rolling wheels: galgal, (Challoner) which means “rolling:” (Haydock) or “he said to the wheels, Turn around about.” (Theodoret) — This is the real import of Hebrew. (Calmet) — Protestants have, “O wheel.” (Haydock)
“And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.”
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, chap. i. 5. (Haydock)
“And the cherubims were lifted up. This is the living creature that I saw by the river of Chebar.”
Creature. What I saw, was properly called cherubim. Charab, in Syriac means “to labour;” (Spencer) or cherubim may imply any composed and unusual figure, or “mixture,” Exodus xxv. 18. (Calmet) — Ezechiel being a priest, saw that the creatures resembled the cherubim of the temple. (Tirinus)
“When they stood, these stood; and when they were lifted up, these lifted up themselves also: for the spirit of the living creature was in them. of: or, of life”
Life. They were not mere machines; (Haydock) or they were pushed forward by an impetuous wind.
“And the cherubims lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight: when they went out, the wheels also were beside them, and every one 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.”
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 of Chebar; and I knew that they were the cherubims.”
Creature. The cherubim and all the throne seemed alive. (Haydock)
“And the likeness of their faces was the same faces which I saw by the river of Chebar, their appearances and themselves: they went every one straight forward.”
Forward, thus shewing God’s decree to abandon the synagogue. (Tirinus)