Ezekiel 10 15

Ezekiel 10:15 kjv

And the cherubims were lifted up. This is the living creature that I saw by the river of Chebar.

Ezekiel 10:15 nkjv

And the cherubim were lifted up. This was the living creature I saw by the River Chebar.

Ezekiel 10:15 niv

Then the cherubim rose upward. These were the living creatures I had seen by the Kebar River.

Ezekiel 10:15 esv

And the cherubim mounted up. These were the living creatures that I saw by the Chebar canal.

Ezekiel 10:15 nlt

Then the cherubim rose upward. These were the same living beings I had seen beside the Kebar River.

Ezekiel 10 verses

Ezekiel 10 15 Meaning

The verse describes the departure of the Cherubim's wheels from the Temple. It emphasizes the deliberate and visible movement of these divine beings and their associated mechanisms, signifying a divine judgment or impending change. The imagery points to God's presence moving away from the Temple.

Ezekiel 10 15 Context

Ezekiel 10 is part of a larger vision in Ezekiel where the prophet witnesses the departure of God's glory from the Jerusalem Temple. This vision occurs while Ezekiel is in exile in Babylon, receiving prophetic messages concerning the impending destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple due to the sins of the people. Chapter 10 specifically details the actions of the Cherubim and the wheels that are associated with God's divine chariot-throne, emphasizing the process by which the divine presence leaves the sanctuary, indicating divine judgment and abandonment of the holy city and its corrupted worship. The specific verse 15 marks a critical moment in this progression.

Ezekiel 10 15 Word Analysis

• wə·hî (וְהִי): "and it was" or "and they were." The conjunction "wə-" (and) connects this clause to the preceding action. "Hî" is the third-person feminine singular past tense of "hâ yâh" (to be), referring to the wheels' state or action.
• hac·cə·rū·ḇîm (הַכְּרוּבִים): "the cherubims." This refers to the angelic beings described in the vision.
• hôle·ḵîm (הֹלְכִים): "going" or "departing." This is the active participle, indicating continuous action. It highlights the movement away from their original position.
• mə·qō·w·mām (מְקוֹמָם): "from their place." Emphasizes the act of leaving a designated location.
• wə·hál·lî·yāh (וְהַעֲלִיָּה): "and lifting up" or "and they were lifted up." The conjunction "wə-" connects to the preceding noun. "Haʻălîyâ" is a noun form related to the verb "‘ā lû“ (to go up), indicating ascent.
• ha·‘óp̄·`a·lay·hîm (הָעֹופָפָיִם): "the wings." This describes the Cherubim's wings, which are instrumental in their movement.
• mə·‘al (מֵעַל): "from above." Indicates elevation and separation from the ground.
• lî·hâ·lîm (לִיהָלִים): "the wheels." This is a plural noun.
• wə·hî·tî·ḵəm (וְהִיתִיכֶם): "and beside them" or "accompanying them." The "wə-" (and) connects the wheels to the Cherubim's movement. "Hîtîḵəm" can relate to being alongside or within something.
• yā·ḵə·ḥî·w (יָחָיו): "beside them." This could refer to the wheels remaining near the Cherubim as they move, or perhaps positioned around them.
• wə·wərî·ḵê·hem (וּבְרִיחֵיהֶם): "and their axles" or "their spokes." This likely refers to the internal mechanism of the wheels, which also move with the Cherubim.
• lî·ṯə·`ō·we·wōt (לִיתְאָוֹת): "rolled" or "moved." This participle implies a smooth, rolling motion, characteristic of wheels.
• mə·qō·w·mam (מִקּוֹמָם): "from their place." Similar to "məqō·w·mām," emphasizing leaving their position.
• wə·hî·‘a·‘al (וְהִיא עַל): "and they were over." The conjunction "wə-" (and). "Hî" (she, referring to the presence). "‘al" (upon or over).
• wə·hî·yō·ṯe·ṯe·rō·ṯîm (וְהִיא יוֹתֵרֵת): "and the excess of their rings" or "the surrounding parts." This phrase is complex and can be interpreted in various ways related to the structure of the wheels.
• ə·ṯə·lə·hā·lim (את־הַגַּלְגַּלִּים): "the wheels." Reinforces the presence of the wheels moving.
• yə·ḥə·zə·qū·tîm (יַחְדּוּ): "together" or "unitedly." Implies the wheels moved in unison.
• qə·wə·lō·‘am (כְּנָפַיִם): "wings." Refers to the wings of the Cherubim.
• rû·a·ḥ ham·mə·ḵō·nā (רוּחַ הַמְּכוֹנָה): "the spirit of the living creatures" or "the spirit of the mechanism." This points to the animating force, identified as the Cherubim's spirit.
• ‘a·la·wē·hêm (עֲלֵיהֶם): "upon them." Indicates the location of God's presence.
• mā·rō·ōṯ · Yᵊ·ḇārē·ḵû·yᵊ·hā (מַרְאוֹת הַמְּרַאֶה): "the appearance of the appearance" or "the visible signs." This could refer to the overall visual spectacle of the divine chariot.
• qā·dôš Yᵊ·ḇārē·ḵû·yᵊ·hā (קָדוֹשׁ): "Holy." While not directly in this verse, the holiness of God is the backdrop for His departure from impurity.
• hâ·’ĕ·lō·hîm (הָאֱלֹהִים): "the God." Refers specifically to the God of Israel.
• yə·qô·wō·tā·nû (יִשְׂרָאֵל): "of Israel." Designates the covenantal God.
• mā·rō·ōṯ · Yᵊ·ḇārē·ḵû·yᵊ·hā (מַרְאֶה): "the presence" or "the appearance." Specifically, the visible manifestation of God's glory.
• rû·ḥam · Yᵊ·ḇārē·ḵû·yᵊ·hā (רוּחָם): "their spirit." Referring to the spirit of the Cherubim.
• qō·ḇa·ḥ yê·dî (קוֹבַץ יְדִי): "hand." Though not explicit here, hands are associated with divine action and the Cherubim in other parts of Ezekiel.
• tê·`ū·ḏî (תּוּתִי): "chariot." The vision depicts a divine chariot-throne.

Words Group Analysis:

• Cherubim and Wheels' Movement: The coordinated departure of the cherubim ("the cherubims went") and their associated wheels ("The wheels also were lifted up by them") highlights a unified, purposeful movement. This "going hence" signifies a departure.
• Divine Presence: The statement "the presence of the God of Israel was over them above" places God's glory, the manifest sign of His being, in a position of authority and leadership over the moving Cherubim and wheels. This suggests the movement is divinely directed and orchestrated.
• Transition and Judgment: The action signifies a transition, a moving away from the sacred space of the Temple, which serves as a strong indicator of God's judgment and separation from a sinful people and a desecrated sanctuary.

Ezekiel 10 15 Bonus Section

The vision of the moving cherubim and wheels in Ezekiel 10, of which this verse is a part, is often understood as a profound depiction of God's mobility and His presence transcending physical locations. Unlike pagan deities who were confined to their temples, the God of Israel, as revealed in Ezekiel's vision, is portable. This mobility, however, is not for leisure but is intrinsically linked to His holiness and His judgment upon sin. The synchronized movement described powerfully illustrates that God's justice and His presence are not separate but intimately intertwined; as His holiness departs from sin, His justice ensures its consequences. This imagery also provides a background for later New Testament concepts of God's omnipresence, not as a diffusion of being, but as a sovereign, dynamic presence that can withdraw from particular spaces when defiled, yet remain ever-present. The understanding of God's "presence" in this context emphasizes a manifest, visible indication of His favor and power, which can be withdrawn as a sign of displeasure.

Ezekiel 10 15 Commentary

This verse records a pivotal moment in Ezekiel's vision of the departing glory of God. The cherubim, the divine attendants, began to move from their positions within or associated with the Temple. Crucially, their wheels, complex mechanisms representing mobility and divine agency, also moved in conjunction with them. The verse doesn't just state their movement but highlights the deliberate coordination: "the wheels also were lifted up by them." This indicates that the cherubim, animated by the spirit described elsewhere in Ezekiel's vision, were the drivers of this procession. Above this entire celestial display of animated machinery and heavenly beings, the visible "presence of the God of Israel" hovered. This positioning underscores that the movement of the cherubim and wheels was not an independent event but was under the direct guidance and overarching sovereignty of God Himself. Their departure from the Temple was a terrifying sign for the exiled Israelites, symbolizing the abandonment of their beloved city and sanctuary due to their pervasive sinfulness, indicating that divine judgment was inevitable and had, in effect, commenced. The unity of movement between cherubim, wheels, and the overseeing divine presence paints a picture of God's holy power withdrawing, a consequence of covenant unfaithfulness.