Ezekiel 10:13 kjv
As for the wheels, it was cried unto them in my hearing, O wheel.
Ezekiel 10:13 nkjv
As for the wheels, they were called in my hearing, "Wheel."
Ezekiel 10:13 niv
I heard the wheels being called "the whirling wheels."
Ezekiel 10:13 esv
As for the wheels, they were called in my hearing "the whirling wheels."
Ezekiel 10:13 nlt
I heard someone refer to the wheels as "the whirling wheels."
Ezekiel 10 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference Note |
|---|---|---|
| Ez 1:15-21 | "Now as I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the earth beside the living creatures... Their appearance and their structure were like a wheel within a wheel..." | Detailed description of the wheels, their form and motion. |
| Ez 1:12 | "Wherever the spirit would go, they went, and they did not turn as they went." | The wheels' omnidirectional and Spirit-guided movement. |
| Ez 1:20-21 | "Wherever the spirit went, the creatures went, and the wheels went beside them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels." | Interconnectedness of Spirit, creatures, and wheels. |
| Ez 11:22 | "Then the cherubim lifted up their wings... and the wheels beside them... and the glory of the God of Israel was over them." | The departure of God's glory with the wheels. |
| Ps 77:18 | "The sound of your thunder was in the whirlwind; your lightnings lit up the world; the earth trembled and shook." | Divine presence manifested through sound and power. |
| Ps 103:20 | "Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word!" | Heavenly beings' instant obedience to God's command. |
| Dan 7:9 | "As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat... His throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire." | Vision of God's throne with fiery wheels, showing divine authority. |
| Hab 3:8 | "Did the LORD rage against the rivers, or was your anger against the rivers... that you rode on your horses, on your chariots of salvation?" | God depicted with chariots for swift action/salvation. |
| Zec 6:1-8 | "Again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, four chariots came out from between two mountains... These are the four spirits of heaven, going out from standing before the Lord of all the earth." | Divine agents (like spirits) acting on earth via chariots. |
| Rev 4:6-8 | "And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind..." | Similar heavenly beings around God's throne, full of eyes. |
| Rev 1:19 | "Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this." | Prophetic instruction to write what is seen and heard. |
| Ps 68:17 | "The chariots of God are twice ten thousand, thousands upon thousands; the Lord is among them..." | Vast numbers of God's heavenly chariots. |
| Isa 5:28 | "Their horses' hoofs will seem like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind." | Describing speed and destructive power likened to a whirlwind. |
| Ex 13:21 | "And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud... and by night in a pillar of fire..." | God's visible and guiding presence, moving with His people. |
| Isa 66:15 | "For behold, the LORD will come in fire, and his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury..." | God's divine manifestation of power and judgment. |
| Jn 14:12 | "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do..." | Obedience to divine will empowering action, though human. |
| Jer 25:32 | "Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'Behold, disaster is going forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind is rising from the farthest parts of the earth!'" | God's judgment enacted across the earth, likened to a whirlwind. |
| Job 37:9-10 | "From the chamber comes the whirlwind, and cold from the scattering winds. By the breath of God ice is given..." | God's control over natural phenomena like wind and whirlwinds. |
| Zeph 1:15 | "A day of wrath is that day, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness." | The nature of God's coming judgment, often associated with atmospheric disturbances and divine movement. |
| Mt 8:9 | "For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” | Analogy of command and obedience, illustrating divine authority over creation. |
Ezekiel 10 verses
Ezekiel 10 13 Meaning
Ezekiel 10:13 states, "And as for the wheels, it was cried unto them in my hearing, O wheel!" This verse captures a moment of intense divine activity within Ezekiel's vision of God's moving throne-chariot. The exclamation "O wheel!" (Hebrew: hagḡalgāl) heard by the prophet, is best understood as a command, an instruction, or an identification revealing the very nature of these mysterious components. It signifies the wheels' immediate and absolute responsiveness to the divine will, ensuring rapid, omnidirectional, and unwavering execution of God's purposes. It underscores their dynamic essence, embodying perpetual, divinely directed motion.
Ezekiel 10 13 Context
Ezekiel 10:13 is situated within Ezekiel's second vision of the divine throne-chariot, which largely mirrors his initial vision in Chapter 1 but with added details and a somber focus. Chapters 8-11 describe the systematic departure of the glory of the Lord from the Jerusalem Temple due to the abominations committed there by the Israelites. This particular verse comes during a recap of the cherubim and wheels, as the divine glory is about to ascend and leave the Temple precincts. The description emphasizes the mobility, intricate design, and absolute responsiveness of God's celestial entourage. The divine voice crying "O wheel!" confirms that the elaborate machinery is not a static symbol but an active, obedient instrument of God's sovereign will, preparing to execute His judgment by leaving a defiled temple. For the exiles, this reiterated vision assured them that God was not confined to Jerusalem, but sovereign, portable, and active even in their foreign land, though His judgment was sternly applied.
Ezekiel 10 13 Word analysis
- And as for the wheels (וְלָאֹפַנִּים, wəlā’ōfannîm): The Hebrew 'ōfannîm (plural of 'ôfān) specifically means "wheels." This emphasizes the distinctive and crucial elements first introduced in Ezekiel 1. These wheels are not ordinary; they are part of a divine, living construct, intrinsically linked to the cherubim.
- it was cried (נִקְרָא, niqrā’): This is a passive verb (Niphal perfect) meaning "it was called" or "a cry was made." The subject doing the calling is not explicitly stated, suggesting a divine, authoritative source (an angelic voice or God's own voice implicitly) as it is received with prophetic significance. It highlights a verbal directive.
- unto them (אֶל-הֶם, ‘el-hem): Refers directly to the ‘ōfannîm (the wheels). This signifies that the wheels themselves are the direct recipients of this cry, indicating a capacity for receiving and obeying divine directives, a profound aspect of the vision.
- in my hearing (בְּאָזְנַי, bᵉ’āzᵉnay): "In my ears." This detail underscores Ezekiel's personal, direct, and unambiguous reception of the divine communication. It validates the prophecy as directly heard by the prophet, a witness to the divine operations.
- O wheel! (הַגַּלְגַּל, hagḡalgāl): The Hebrew galgal is a noun meaning "wheel," but here, preceded by the definite article ha-, and in an exclamation, it functions as an address or an emphatic statement.
- "O wheel!" The use of the singular galgal despite addressing plural "wheels" can be interpreted in several ways:
- A command for swiftness and obedience: Like "Roll, O wheel!" or "Go, O wheel!" It directs immediate action, confirming their purpose to move according to divine will.
- An affirmation of identity/essence: "Its very nature is 'Wheel-ness!'" It defines their intrinsic quality as movement, rotation, and readiness to act.
- A unified command: Though many wheels, they act as one cohesive unit under a single directive, hence addressed singularly. It speaks to the unity of God's action.
- "O wheel!" The use of the singular galgal despite addressing plural "wheels" can be interpreted in several ways:
Ezekiel 10 13 Bonus section
The profound interaction implied by the command "O wheel!" speaks to the living and active nature of God's entire creation, even its seemingly "mechanical" elements within a prophetic vision. It illustrates God's sovereignty extending to every intricate detail of His celestial retinue, implying that even the inanimate can respond to the divine voice. This echoes biblical themes where creation responds to God's word (Ps 33:9; Rom 8:19-22). The phrase emphasizes that divine movement is not a result of internal propulsion by the wheels themselves but a direct, instantaneous response to an external, divine directive. This direct command bypasses any intermediate action, underscoring the absolute control and efficiency of God's heavenly operations. It showcases the divine power that governs all things, from the largest cosmos to the smallest detail of a prophet's vision.
Ezekiel 10 13 Commentary
Ezekiel 10:13 serves as a profound pronouncement within the prophet's complex vision. The singular, authoritative cry of "O wheel!" addressed to the multi-wheeled divine chariot-throne encapsulates the very essence and purpose of these cosmic structures: unceasing, perfect obedience to God's will. It signifies not merely a description of the wheels but an active, divine engagement, a vocal command demonstrating absolute control. The voice, whether angelic or divine, is heard "in Ezekiel's hearing," lending prophetic weight and personal experience to the revelation. The wheels, despite their mechanical appearance, are portrayed as living, intelligent responders to divine direction, always ready for immediate movement without turning, as described earlier in Chapter 1. This divine articulation affirms that God's presence, authority, and mobility are absolute, even as His glory departs from a corrupt Jerusalem. It communicates dynamism, order, and precise execution in the heavenly realm, contrasting with human waywardness.