1:1 Now it came to pass in the a thirtieth year, in the fourth
[month], in the fifth [day] of the month, as I [was] among
the captives by the river of b Chebar, [that] the heavens
were opened, and I saw visions of c God.
The Argument - After Jehoiachin by the counsel of Jeremiah and
Ezekiel had yielded himself to Nebuchadnezzar, and so went
into captivity with his mother and various of his princes
and of the people, some began to repent and murmur that they
had obeyed the prophet's counsel, as though the things which
they had prophesied would not come to pass, and therefore
their estate would still be miserable under the Chaldeans.
By reason of which he confirms his former prophecies,
declaring by new visions and revelations shown to him, that
the city would most certainly be destroyed, and the people
grievously tormented by God's plagues, in so much that they
who remained would be brought into cruel bondage. Lest the
godly despair in these great troubles, he assures them that
God will deliver his church at his appointed time and also
destroy their enemies, who either afflicted them, or
rejoiced in their miseries. The effect of the one and the
other would be chiefly performed under Christ, of whom in
this book are many notable promises, and in whom the glory
of the new temple would perfectly be restored. He prophesied
these things in Chaldea, at the same time that Jeremiah
prophesied in Judah, and there began in the fifth year of
Jehoiachin's captivity.
(a) After that the book of the Law as found, which was the
eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah, so that
twenty-five years after this book was found, Jeconiah
was led away captive with Ezekiel and many of the
people, who the first year later saw these visions.
(b) Which was a part of Euphrates so called.
(c) That is, notable and excellent visions, so that it might
be known, it was no natural dream but came from God.
1:3 The word of the LORD came expressly to Ezekiel the priest,
the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river
Chebar; and the d hand of the LORD was there upon him.
(d) That is, the spirit of prophecy, as in
(Eze 3:22,37:1).
1:4 And I looked, and, behold, a e whirlwind came out of the
north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a
brightness [was] about it, and from the midst of it as the
colour of amber, from the midst of the fire.
(e) By this diversity of words he signifies the fearful
judgment of God and the great afflictions that would
come on Jerusalem.
1:5 Also from the midst of it [came] the likeness of f four
living beings. And this [was] their appearance; they had the
likeness of a man.
(f) Which were the four Cherubims that represented the glory
of God, as in (Eze 11:22).
1:9 Their wings [were] g joined one to another; they turned
not when they went; they went every one straight forward.
(g) The wing of the one touched the wing of the other.
1:10 As for the likeness of their faces, they four had h the
face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side:
and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they
four also had the face of an eagle.
(h) Every cherubim had four faces, the face of a man, and
of a lion on the right side, and the face of a bullock
and of an eagle on the left side.
1:14 And the living beings ran and i returned as the
appearance of a flash of lightning.
(i) That is, when they had executed God's will: for before
they returned not till God had changed the state of
things.
1:16 The appearance of the wheels and their work [was] like the
colour of a k beryl: and they four had one likeness: and
their appearance and their work [was] as it were a wheel in
the middle of a wheel.
(k) The Hebrew word is tarshish meaning that the colour was
like the Cilician Sea, or a precious stone so called.
1:24 And when they went, I heard the noise of their l wings,
like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the
Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host:
when they stood, they m let down their wings.
(l) Which declared the swiftness and the fearfulness of
God's judgments.
(m) Which signified that they had no power of themselves,
but only waited to execute God's commandment.
1:27 And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire
n around within it, from the appearance of his loins even
upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward,
I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had
brightness on all sides.
(n) By which was signified a terrible judgment toward the
earth.
1:28 As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the
day of rain, so [was] the appearance of the brightness
around. This [was] the appearance of the likeness of the
glory of the LORD. And when I saw [it], I fell o upon my
face, and I heard a voice of one speaking.
(o) Considering the majesty of God, and the weakness of
flesh.
