Ezequiel 10

ARC · Chapter 10/48

1Depois olhei, e eis que no firmamento, que estava por cima da cabeça dos cherubins, appareceu sobre elles como uma pedra de safira, como o aspecto da similhança d'um throno.

2E fallou ao homem vestido de linho, dizendo: Vae por entre as rodas, até debaixo do cherubim, e enche os punhos de brazas accesas d'entre os cherubins, e espalha-as sobre a cidade. E elle entrou á minha vista.

3E os cherubins estavam ao lado direito da casa, quando entrou aquelle homem; e uma nuvem encheu o atrio interior.

4Então se levantou a gloria do Senhor de sobre o cherubim para o umbral da casa; e encheu-se a casa d'uma nuvem, e o atrio se encheu do resplandor da gloria do Senhor.

5E o estrondo das azas dos cherubins se ouviu até ao atrio exterior, como a voz do Deus Todo-poderoso, quando falla.

6Succedeu pois que, dando elle ordem ao homem vestido de linho, dizendo: Toma fogo d'entre as rodas, d'entre os cherubins, entrou elle, e se poz junto ás rodas.

7Então estendeu um cherubim a sua mão de entre os cherubins para o fogo que estava entre os cherubins; e o tomou, e o poz nas mãos do que estava vestido de linho; o qual o tomou, e saiu.

8E appareceu nos cherubins uma similhança de mão de homem debaixo das suas azas.

9Então olhei, e eis quatro rodas junto aos cherubins, uma roda junto a um cherubim, e outra roda junto a outro cherubim; e o aspecto das rodas era como côr de pedra de turqueza.

10E, quanto ao seu aspecto, as quatro tinham uma mesma similhança; como se estivera uma roda no meio d'outra roda.

11Andando estes, andavam est'outras pelos quatro lados d'elles; não se viravam quando andavam, mas para o logar para onde olhava a cabeça para esse andavam; não se viravam quando andavam.

12E todo o seu corpo, e as suas costas, e as suas mãos, e as suas azas, e as rodas, as rodas que os quatro tinham, estavam cheias d'olhos em redor.

13E, quanto ás rodas, a ellas se lhes chamou a meus ouvidos Galgal.

14E cada um tinha quatro rostos: o rosto do primeiro era rosto de cherubim, e o rosto do segundo rosto de homem, e do terceiro era rosto de leão, e do quarto rosto de aguia.

15E os cherubins se elevaram ao alto: estes são os mesmos animaes que vi junto ao rio de Chebar.

16E, andando os cherubins, andavam as rodas juntamente com elles; e, levantando os cherubins as suas azas, para se elevarem de sobre a terra, tambem as rodas não se separavam d'elles.

17Parando elles, paravam ellas; e, elevando-se elles, elevavam-se ellas, porque o espirito de vida estava n'ellas.

18Então saiu a gloria do Senhor de sobre o umbral da casa do Senhor, e parou sobre os cherubins.

19E os cherubins alçaram as suas azas, e se elevaram da terra aos meus olhos, quando sairam; e as rodas os acompanhavam: e cada um parou á entrada da porta oriental da casa do Senhor; e a gloria do Deus de Israel estava em cima sobre elles.

20Estes são os animaes que vi debaixo do Deus de Israel, junto ao rio de Chebar, e conheci que eram cherubins.

21Cada um tinha quatro rostos e cada um quatro azas, e a similhança de mãos de homem debaixo das suas azas.

22E a similhança dos seus rostos era a dos rostos que eu tinha visto junto ao rio de Chebar, o aspecto d'elles e elles mesmos: cada um andava ao direito do seu rosto.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

Ezekiel sees the glory of the Lord rise up from within the temple and rest upon the cherubim, who are finally identified as the same living creatures seen by the Chebar River.

Explanation

This chapter marks the crucial turning point of God's presence departing from the temple of Jerusalem, a process that continues in chapter 11. Symbolically, this means God does not abandon his people on a whim, but withdraws because the temple itself had been defiled by the idolatry seen in chapter 8. The explicit identification of the creatures as 'cherubim' connects this vision to the cherubim embroidered on the temple veil and above the ark of the covenant, reinforcing that what Ezekiel saw was, in fact, God's mobile throne. The central message is that the true tragedy of Jerusalem would not be physical destruction, but the absence of the divine presence.

Fun facts

  • The Hebrew word for 'wheels' used here is the same one from which 'Galgal' derives, cited in the text as the name given to them — a rare moment where the text explains its own terminology.
  • The gradual departure of God's glory (temple → threshold → east gate, chapters 9-11) is read by commentators as a careful, sorrowful portrayal, almost like a reluctant farewell rather than an abrupt expulsion.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Ezequiel 10:1The vision returns to the image of the sapphire throne already seen in chapter 1, now directly tied to the cherubim sustaining the scene inside the temple.
  2. Ezequiel 10:2The coals scattered over the city, taken from among the cherubim, tie the scene of destruction to a source: the fire of judgment comes from the temple’s own most sacred space, not from outside.
  3. Ezequiel 10:3A thick cloud fills the inner court, a recurring biblical sign of God’s presence manifesting itself in a visible, intense way.
  4. Ezequiel 10:4The movement of God’s glory continues, step by step: it now moves to the threshold, filling temple and court with cloud and brightness.
  5. Ezequiel 10:5The sound of the wings becomes so intense it is heard even in the outer court — compared to the very voice of God, to show the magnitude of the scene.
  6. Ezequiel 10:6The man in linen receives a new instruction, tied to the earlier order to scatter coals over the city — the scene loops back to this point to spell out how the fire was taken.
  7. Ezequiel 10:7One of the cherubim hands the fire directly to the man in linen — the fire of judgment literally comes out from within the most sacred presence.
  8. Ezequiel 10:8This repeats a detail already seen in chapter 1: human hands under the creatures’ wings, reinforcing that this is the same vision revisited in greater detail.
  9. Ezequiel 10:9The same wheels from chapter 1 reappear here, one for each cherub, with the same bright appearance of precious stone.
  10. Ezequiel 10:10It confirms this is exactly the same strange shape of the wheels described before — one wheel set inside another, allowing free movement in any direction.
  11. Ezequiel 10:11The movement of the wheels follows the same pattern as before: always toward wherever the “head” pointed, with no need to turn the whole assembly.
  12. Ezequiel 10:12Bodies, hands, wings, and wheels — all covered with eyes all around, reinforcing once again the idea of total watchfulness, with no blind spot.
  13. Ezequiel 10:13The wheels of the vision are given a name here, galgal, a word suggesting spinning or a whirl; it is the same assembly described in chapter 1, now named because the vision is being repeated and expanded.
  14. Ezequiel 10:14The creatures’ four faces reappear, but here the first one is called the face of a “cherub” instead of an ox — the text uses “cherub” as the name for these same creatures described in chapter 1.
  15. Ezequiel 10:15The text explicitly confirms that the cherubim in this vision are the same “living creatures” described by the river Chebar in chapter 1 — it is the same scene seen again, up close.
  16. Ezequiel 10:16This repeats the synchrony between wheels and cherubim already seen before: wherever one goes, the other follows, without separation.
  17. Ezequiel 10:17The explanation for this perfect synchrony is given again: the same spirit that animates the cherubim is also in the wheels, joining the two as a single thing.
  18. Ezequiel 10:18This is one of the most important moments in the book: the glory of the LORD departs from inside the temple and stops at the east gate, still within the complex, but already preparing to leave for good. For those hearing this at the time, it was about the gravest news possible.
  19. Ezequiel 10:19The cherubim go out carrying the glory of God to the east gate of the temple — the second stage of a departure that will still continue on to the Mount of Olives.
  20. Ezequiel 10:20Ezekiel confirms for the second time that he recognized these creatures as the same ones from chapter 1, now identified by the name “cherubims.”
  21. Ezequiel 10:21This sums up once more the details already described: four faces, four wings, and human hands — the text reaffirms each element before the vision moves forward.
  22. Ezequiel 10:22The chapter closes by confirming once more that this vision is identical to the one from the beginning of the book, only now revisited with Ezekiel already inside the temple itself in Jerusalem.

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