EzekielChapter 10

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Then I looked, and above the vault over the heads of the cherubim appeared what looked like a sapphire stone, shaped like a throne.

And 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.

The 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.

Then 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.

And the sound of the cherubim's wings was heard as far as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty when he speaks.

When 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.

Then 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.

Under the wings of the cherubim could be seen what looked like human hands.

I looked, and there were four wheels beside the cherubim, one wheel beside each cherub, and the wheels gleamed like topaz.

In appearance the four of them were alike, each like a wheel within a wheel.

When 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.

Their whole bodies—backs, hands, and wings—were covered with eyes all around, as were their four wheels.

I heard the wheels being called "the whirling wheels."

Each 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.

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

When 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.

When 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.

Then the glory of the LORD departed from the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim.

While 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.

These were the living creatures I had seen beneath the God of Israel by the Kebar River, and I knew that they were cherubim.

Each had four faces and four wings, and under their wings were what looked like human hands.

Their faces had the same likeness as the faces I had seen by the Kebar River—their appearance and they themselves. Each one went straight ahead.

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Summary2

Chapter 10

Main Theme: God's glory leaves the temple in Jerusalem, carried by the cherubim.

Content: Ezekiel sees God's throne above the cherubim, and a man clothed in linen is instructed to take glowing coals from between the cherubim and scatter them over the city. The Lord's glory lifts itself from the cherub and moves to the threshold of the temple, while the cloud fills the courtyard. The cherubim lift their wings and move toward the eastern gate, with the wheels beside them and the glory of the God of Israel above them. Ezekiel recognizes that these are the same creatures he saw by the Kebar River.

Key Words/Images:

Cherubim: Four heavenly beings with four faces (cherub, human, lion, eagle) and four wings, who carry God's throne.
Wheels (galgal/ofannim): Wheels beside the cherubim, full of eyes, that move in unity with the cherubim because the spirit of life is in them.
Glowing Coals: Fire from between the cherubim to be cast over Jerusalem, a sign of judgment.
God's Glory (kavod): The Lord's visible presence as it leaves the temple and moves eastward.

Historical context

Historical and Cultural Context for Ezekiel 10

Places

The chapter takes place in the temple complex in Jerusalem, specifically mentioning "the inner court" (v. 3), "the threshold of the house" (v. 4, 18) and "the east gate of the Lord's house" (v. 19). These architectural elements correspond to Solomon's temple as described in 1 Kings 6–7. The inner court was the priests' area, inaccessible to ordinary Israelites. The threshold held special sacred significance in ancient Near Eastern thought as the transition between the holy and the profane. That God's glory moves from the cherubim to the threshold and then to the east gate shows a gradual withdrawal from the temple—a dramatic reversal of when the glory filled the temple at its dedication (1 Kings 8:10–11).

Key Terms

The Hebrew word כְּרוּב/כְּרוּבִים (keruv/keruvim, cherub/cherubim) is central to this chapter and appears more than twenty times in various forms. Ezekiel here explicitly identifies the living creatures from chapter 1 as cherubim (v. 15, 20). In Israelite religion, cherubim were guardians of holy places—two golden cherubim stood above the ark of the covenant in the Most Holy Place (Exodus 25:18–22), and cherub motifs were woven into the curtain and carved into the walls. In broader ancient Near Eastern iconography, composite creatures with human, lion, ox, and eagle elements served as throne guardians for the gods.

The word גַּלְגַּל (galgal, v. 2, 6, 13) means "wheel" or "whirling thing" and is used here as a special name for the wheels in the vision. That the wheels are called by this name "in my hearing" (v. 13) emphasizes their cosmic and mysterious character. The term evokes associations with whirlwinds and heavenly movement.

Events and Customs

The action of taking glowing coals from the altar and scattering them over the city (v. 2, 6–7) has its background in sacrificial worship. In the temple, fire from the burnt offering altar was considered holy, and coals from the altar were used for incense offerings (Leviticus 16:12). Here, the holy fire is turned into judgment—the same fire that represented God's presence now becomes an instrument of destruction. The man clothed in linen recalls priestly garments (Exodus 28:42; Leviticus 6:10), but his role here is to execute judgment, not atonement. The parallel with Isaiah 6:6–7 is clear, but there the coals brought cleansing; here they bring destruction.

Chapter-Specific Findings

A remarkable difference from 1:10 is that in verse 14 the first face is described as "the face of a cherub" (פְּנֵי הַכְּרוּב) instead of the face of an ox. This raises questions about the relationship between the cherub and the ox in the prophet's vision and has been the subject of much discussion among interpreters.

Archaeological excavations have uncovered numerous depictions of composite creatures from the ancient Near East that illuminate Ezekiel's description of the cherubim. From Nineveh, Nimrud and other Assyrian cities, colossal sphinxes and lamassu figures have been found—composite creatures with human heads, lion or ox bodies and wings. Ivory carvings from Samaria and Nimrud show similar composite beings as throne figures. These findings confirm that such creatures represented a well-known iconographic tradition that Ezekiel's audience would immediately recognize as expressions of divine majesty and royal power.

People

No known people in this chapter.

Key words5

Cherubim — Spiritual beings who serve God and act as his throne guardians. They are often described with human, animal, and bird-like features.
Wheels — Mysterious objects that symbolize God's presence and movement. In Ezekiel 10 they are described as wheels within wheels, giving a vision of God's almighty power and control over the universe.
Fire — A symbol of God's purity, power, and judgment. In Ezekiel 10 fire is used to show God's glory and presence among his people.
Temple — The holy place where God dwells and meets with his people. The temple in Jerusalem was the center for Jewish worship and sacrificial practices.
Glory — God's radiant presence and majesty. In Ezekiel 10 God's glory leaves the temple, indicating that God is withdrawing from his people because of their sins.