Die Propheten
The Glory of the Lord Leaves the Temple
Ezekiel sees the glory of the Lord above the cherubim. A man clothed in linen is commanded to take burning coals from between the cherubim and scatter them over the city as judgment. The glory of the Lord rises from the cherub, leaves the threshold of the house, and stands above the cherubim, which then lift themselves up and stop at the entrance of the east gate Ezekiel 10:1-19.
Hesekiel 10,1-19
1Then I looked, and above the vault over the heads of the cherubim appeared what looked like a sapphire stone, shaped like a throne.
וָאֶרְאֶ֗ה וְהִנֵּ֤ה אֶל־הָרָקִ֙יעַ֙ אֲשֶׁר֙ עַל־רֹ֣אשׁ הַכְּרֻבִ֔ים כְּאֶ֣בֶן סַפִּ֔יר כְּמַרְאֵ֖ה דְּמ֣וּת כִּסֵּ֑א נִרְאָ֖ה עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃
2And he said to the man clothed in linen, "Go in among the wheels, beneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with burning coals from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city." And he went in as I watched.
וַיֹּ֜אמֶר אֶל־הָאִ֣ישׁ ׀ לְבֻ֣שׁ הַבַּדִּ֗ים וַיֹּ֡אמֶר בֹּא֩ אֶל־בֵּינ֨וֹת לַגַּלְגַּ֜ל אֶל־תַּ֣חַת לַכְּר֗וּב וּמַלֵּ֨א חָפְנֶ֤יךָ גַֽחֲלֵי־אֵשׁ֙ מִבֵּינ֣וֹת לַכְּרֻבִ֔ים וּזְרֹ֖ק עַל־הָעִ֑יר וַיָּבֹ֖א לְעֵינָֽי׃
3The cherubim were standing on the south side of the temple when the man entered, and the cloud filled the inner court. [^1]
[^1]: Hebrew: to the right of the temple, that is, the south side.
וְהַכְּרֻבִ֗ים עֹֽמְדִ֛ים מִימִ֥ין לַבַּ֖יִת בְּבֹא֣וֹ הָאִ֑ישׁ וְהֶעָנָ֣ן מָלֵ֔א אֶת־הֶחָצֵ֖ר הַפְּנִימִֽית׃
4Then the glory of the LORD rose from above the cherub to the threshold of the temple. The temple was filled with the cloud, and the court was filled with the radiance of the glory of the LORD.
וַיָּ֤רָם כְּבוֹד־יְהוָה֙ מֵעַ֣ל הַכְּר֔וּב עַ֖ל מִפְתַּ֣ן הַבָּ֑יִת וַיִמָּלֵ֤א הַבַּ֙יִת֙ אֶת־הֶ֣עָנָ֔ן וְהֶֽחָצֵר֙ מָֽלְאָ֔ה אֶת־נֹ֖גַהּ כְּב֥וֹד יְהוָֽה׃
5And the sound of the cherubim's wings was heard as far as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty when he speaks.
וְקוֹל֙ כַּנְפֵ֣י הַכְּרוּבִ֔ים נִשְׁמַ֕ע עַד־הֶחָצֵ֖ר הַחִיצֹנָ֑ה כְּק֥וֹל אֵל־שַׁדַּ֖י בְּדַבְּרֽוֹ׃
6When he commanded the man clothed in linen, "Take fire from among the wheels, from among the cherubim," the man went in and stood beside a wheel.
וַיְהִ֗י בְּצַוֺּתוֹ֙ אֶת־הָאִ֤ישׁ לְבֻֽשׁ־הַבַּדִּים֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר קַ֥ח אֵשׁ֙ מִבֵּינ֣וֹת לַגַּלְגַּ֔ל מִבֵּינ֖וֹת לַכְּרוּבִ֑ים וַיָּבֹא֙ וַֽיַּעֲמֹ֔ד אֵ֖צֶל הָאוֹפָֽן׃
7Then one of the cherubim reached out his hand toward the fire that was among them, took some of it, and put it into the hands of the man clothed in linen, who took it and went out.
וַיִּשְׁלַח֩ הַכְּר֨וּב אֶת־יָד֜וֹ מִבֵּינ֣וֹת לַכְּרוּבִ֗ים אֶל־הָאֵשׁ֙ אֲשֶׁר֙ בֵּינ֣וֹת הַכְּרֻבִ֔ים וַיִּשָּׂא֙ וַיִּתֵּ֔ן אֶל־חָפְנֵ֖י לְבֻ֣שׁ הַבַּדִּ֑ים וַיִּקַּ֖ח וַיֵּצֵֽא׃
8Under the wings of the cherubim could be seen what looked like human hands.
וַיֵּרָ֖א לַכְּרֻבִ֑ים תַּבְנִית֙ יַד־אָדָ֔ם תַּ֖חַת כַּנְפֵיהֶֽם׃
9I looked, and there were four wheels beside the cherubim, one wheel beside each cherub, and the wheels gleamed like topaz.
וָאֶרְאֶ֗ה וְהִנֵּ֨ה אַרְבָּעָ֣ה אוֹפַנִּים֮ אֵ֣צֶל הַכְּרוּבִים֒ אוֹפַ֣ן אֶחָ֗ד אֵ֚צֶל הַכְּר֣וּב אֶחָ֔ד וְאוֹפַ֣ן אֶחָ֔ד אֵ֖צֶל הַכְּר֣וּב אֶחָ֑ד וּמַרְאֵה֙ הָא֣וֹפַנִּ֔ים כְּעֵ֖ין אֶ֥בֶן תַּרְשִֽׁישׁ׃
10In appearance the four of them were alike, each like a wheel within a wheel.
וּמַ֨רְאֵיהֶ֔ם דְּמ֥וּת אֶחָ֖ד לְאַרְבַּעְתָּ֑ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר יִהְיֶ֥ה הָאוֹפַ֖ן בְּת֥וֹךְ הָאוֹפָֽן׃
11When they moved, they went in any of the four directions without turning as they went; they followed wherever the head faced, never turning as they went.
בְּלֶכְתָּ֗ם אֶל־אַרְבַּ֤עַת רִבְעֵיהֶם֙ יֵלֵ֔כוּ לֹ֥א יִסַּ֖בּוּ בְּלֶכְתָּ֑ם כִּ֣י הַמָּק֞וֹם אֲשֶׁר־יִפְנֶ֤ה הָרֹאשׁ֙ אַחֲרָ֣יו יֵלֵ֔כוּ לֹ֥א יִסַּ֖בּוּ בְּלֶכְתָּֽם׃
12Their whole bodies—backs, hands, and wings—were covered with eyes all around, as were their four wheels.
וְכָל־בְּשָׂרָם֙ וְגַבֵּהֶ֔ם וִֽידֵיהֶ֖ם וְכַנְפֵיהֶ֑ם וְהָאֽוֹפַנִּ֗ים מְלֵאִ֤ים עֵינַ֙יִם֙ סָבִ֔יב לְאַרְבַּעְתָּ֖ם אוֹפַנֵּיהֶֽם׃
13I heard the wheels being called "the whirling wheels."
לָא֖וֹפַנִּ֑ים לָהֶ֛ם קוֹרָ֥א הַגַּלְגַּ֖ל בְּאָזְנָֽי׃
14Each of them had four faces: the first was the face of a cherub, the second the face of a human, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.
וְאַרְבָּעָ֥ה פָנִ֖ים לְאֶחָ֑ד פְּנֵ֨י הָאֶחָ֜ד פְּנֵ֣י הַכְּר֗וּב וּפְנֵ֤י הַשֵּׁנִי֙ פְּנֵ֣י אָדָ֔ם וְהַשְּׁלִישִׁי֙ פְּנֵ֣י אַרְיֵ֔ה וְהָרְבִיעִ֖י פְּנֵי־נָֽשֶׁר׃
15Then the cherubim rose upward. These were the living creatures I had seen by the Kebar River.
וַיֵּרֹ֖מּוּ הַכְּרוּבִ֑ים הִ֣יא הַחַיָּ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר רָאִ֖יתִי בִּֽנְהַר־כְּבָֽר׃
16When the cherubim moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the cherubim spread their wings to rise from the ground, the wheels did not leave their side.
וּבְלֶ֙כֶת֙ הַכְּרוּבִ֔ים יֵלְכ֥וּ הָאוֹפַנִּ֖ים אֶצְלָ֑ם וּבִשְׂאֵ֨ת הַכְּרוּבִ֜ים אֶת־כַּנְפֵיהֶ֗ם לָרוּם֙ מֵעַ֣ל הָאָ֔רֶץ לֹא־יִסַּ֧בּוּ הָאוֹפַנִּ֛ים גַּם־הֵ֖ם מֵאֶצְלָֽם׃
17When the cherubim stood still, the wheels stood still; when they rose, the wheels rose with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in them.
בְּעָמְדָ֣ם יַעֲמֹ֔דוּ וּבְרוֹמָ֖ם יֵר֣וֹמּוּ אוֹתָ֑ם כִּ֛י ר֥וּחַ הַחַיָּ֖ה בָּהֶֽם׃
18Then the glory of the LORD departed from the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim.
וַיֵּצֵא֙ כְּב֣וֹד יְהוָ֔ה מֵעַ֖ל מִפְתַּ֣ן הַבָּ֑יִת וַֽיַּעֲמֹ֖ד עַל־הַכְּרוּבִֽים׃
19While I watched, the cherubim spread their wings and rose from the ground, and as they went, the wheels went with them. They stopped at the entrance of the east gate of the LORD's house, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.
וַיִּשְׂא֣וּ הַכְּרוּבִ֣ים אֶת־כַּ֠נְפֵיהֶם וַיֵּר֨וֹמּוּ מִן־הָאָ֤רֶץ לְעֵינַי֙ בְּצֵאתָ֔ם וְהָאֽוֹפַנִּ֖ים לְעֻמָּתָ֑ם וַֽיַּעֲמֹ֗ד פֶּ֣תַח שַׁ֤עַר בֵּית־יְהוָה֙ הַקַּדְמוֹנִ֔י וּכְב֧וֹד אֱלֹהֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם מִלְמָֽעְלָה׃