Ezekiel 1:13
in Ezekiel 1In the midst of the living creatures was the appearance of glowing coals of fire, or of torches. Fire moved back and forth between the living creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches: the fire went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.
KJV
As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.
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This verse in Ezekiel 1
Commentary
9 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Lamps - “like the appearance of” flames. Omit the “and” before “like.” The “bright flames” resembled “coals of fire.” It went up - i. e. “fire went up.”
This site's exposition
glowing coals of fire
on Ezekiel 1:13-14
Among the creatures was “the appearance of glowing coals of fire, or of torches.” The creatures matched the fire, “darting back and forth as quickly as flashes of lightning.” The word “appearance” here, like the word likeness in Ezekiel 1:26, is the prophet’s repeated way of giving the nearest comparison.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Vers. 13, 14.) And the likeness of the creatures, and their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of torches. This was the vision running among the creatures, a gleam of fire, and lightning coming forth from the fire. And the creatures went and returned like the flashing of lightning. LXX: And in the midst of the creatures a vision like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches running among the creatures; and a gleam of fire, and lightning came forth from the fire.
The Medieval Church1 voice
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistHomilies on Ezekiel, Book 1, Homily 5 · Written before 604.
proposed
It follows: "And the likeness of the living creatures, and their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps." Fire of burning coals and of lamps is compared to the appearance of the living creatures. For whoever touches a coal is set on fire, because he who clings to a holy man receives from the constancy of seeing him, from the practice of speaking with him, and from the example of his work, so that he is kindled in the love of truth, flees the darkness of his sins, burns with desire for the light, and now burns with true love, he who before lay as dead in iniquity as he was cold. But lamps spread their light farther, and while they are in one place, they shine in another. For he who is powerful in the spirit of prophecy, in the word of teaching, and in the grace of miracles, his reputation shines far and wide like a lamp; and all who hear of his good deeds, because through these things they rise to the love of heavenly things, shine as if from the light of a lamp in that they display themselves through good works. Therefore, because holy men kindle certain ones placed near them, as if by touching them, to love of the heavenly fatherland, they are coals. But because they shine for certain ones placed far away, they become lamps for their journey, lest they fall into the darkness of sin. But between coals and lamps there is this difference: coals indeed burn, but do not expel the darkness of the place in which they lie; lamps, however, because they shine with a great light of flames, drive away the darkness spread all around. From this matter it should be noted that there are many of the saints who are so simple and hidden, concealing themselves in lesser places under great silence, that their life can scarcely be recognized by others. What therefore are these if not coals? […]
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
(1.) He saw them by their own light, for their appearance was like burning coals of fire; they are seraphim-burners, denoting the ardour of their love to God, their fervent zeal in his service, their splendour and brightness, and their terror against God's enemies. When God employs them to fight his battles they are as coals of fire ( Ps. xviii.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
The fire - This fire stood not still, but as the Hebrew is, Made itself walk up and down. It moved itself, which is too much to ascribe to creatures: God only moved all these living creatures.
As for the likeness of the living creatures,....
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
So in Isa 6:2, 6, instead of cherubim, the name "seraphim," the burning ones, is applied, indicating God's consuming righteousness; whence their cry to Him is, "Holy! holy! holy!" and the burning coal is applied to his lips, for the message through his mouth was to be one of judicial severance of the godly from the ungodly, to the ruin of the latter. lamps--torches.
Like burning coals of fire - The whole substance appeared to be of flame; and among them frequent coruscations of fire, like vibrating lamps, often emitting lightning, or rather sparks of fire, as we have seen struck out of strongly ignited iron in a forge. The flames might be something like what is called warring wheels in pyrotechny. They seemed to conflict together.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
it was going among the living beings That appearance (מַרְאָה) was going among all the living beings.
2 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
wherever would be the will Heb. רוּחַ, usually spirit, here means will: the will to go.
would run and return, like the appearance of the sparks Our Sages explained (Chag. 13b): They would run and return like the flame of a furnace, which constantly shoots out of the mouth of the furnace and hastens back to enter.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
18 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּדְמ֨וּת | udemut | and [the] likeness of | H1823 → | 25 times |
| הַחַיּ֜וֹת | hachaiyot | the living creatures | H2416 → | 498 times |
| מַרְאֵיהֶ֣ם | mareihem | appearance their | H4758 → | 103 times |
| כְּגַחֲלֵי־ | kegachalei- | [was] like coals of | H1513 → | 18 times |
| אֵ֗שׁ | ʾesh | fire | H784 → | 378 times |
| בֹּֽעֲרוֹת֙ | boarot | burning | H1197 → | 94 times |
| כְּמַרְאֵ֣ה | kemareh | like [the] appearance of | H4758 → | 103 times |
| הַלַּפִּדִ֔ים | halapidim | <the> torches | H3940 → | |
| הִ֕יא | hi' | it | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| מִתְהַלֶּ֖כֶת | mithalekhet | [was] moving about | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| בֵּ֣ין | bein | between | H996 → | 407 times |
| הַחַיּ֑וֹת | hachaiyot | the living creatures | H2416 → | 498 times |
| וְנֹ֣גַהּ | venogah | and brightness | H5051 → | 19 times |
| לָאֵ֔שׁ | laesh | [belonged] to the fire | H784 → | 378 times |
| וּמִן־ | umin- | and from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הָאֵ֖שׁ | haesh | the fire | H784 → | 378 times |
| יוֹצֵ֥א | yotze' | [was] coming out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| בָרָֽק׃ | varak | lightning | H1300 → | 21 times |
וּדְמ֨וּתand [the] likeness of
udemutH1823 →25 times
הַחַיּ֜וֹתthe living creatures
hachaiyotH2416 →498 times
מַרְאֵיהֶ֣םappearance their
mareihemH4758 →103 times
כְּגַחֲלֵי־[was] like coals of
kegachalei-H1513 →18 times
אֵ֗שׁfire
ʾeshH784 →378 times
בֹּֽעֲרוֹת֙burning
boarotH1197 →94 times
כְּמַרְאֵ֣הlike [the] appearance of
kemarehH4758 →103 times
הַלַּפִּדִ֔ים<the> torches
halapidimH3940 →
הִ֕יאit
hi'H1931 →1879 times
מִתְהַלֶּ֖כֶת[was] moving about
mithalekhetH1980 →1546 times
בֵּ֣יןbetween
beinH996 →407 times
הַחַיּ֑וֹתthe living creatures
hachaiyotH2416 →498 times
וְנֹ֣גַהּand brightness
venogahH5051 →19 times
לָאֵ֔שׁ[belonged] to the fire
laeshH784 →378 times
וּמִן־and from
umin-H4480 →1188 times
הָאֵ֖שׁthe fire
haeshH784 →378 times
יוֹצֵ֥א[was] coming out
yotze'H3318 →1067 times
בָרָֽק׃lightning
varakH1300 →21 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 104:4He makes the winds His messengers, flames of fire His servants.
it leads to
- Hebrews 1:7
Now about the angels He says: “He makes His angels winds, His servants flames of fire.”
- 2 Kings 2:11
As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire with horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up into heaven in a whirlwind.
- Hebrews 1:7
Through
Revelation 4:5From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings, and peals of thunder. Before the throne burned seven torches of fire. These are the seven Spirits of God.
it leads to
- Revelation 11:19
Then the temple of God in heaven was opened, and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple. And there were flashes of lightning, and rumblings, and peals of thunder, and an earthquake,…
- Revelation 8:5
Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it to the earth; and there were peals of thunder, and rumblings, and flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.
- Revelation 1:4
John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from Him who is and was and is to come, and from the seven Spirits before His throne,
- Revelation 5:6
Then I saw a Lamb who appeared to have been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven…
- Revelation 16:17–18
Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came from the throne in the temple, saying, “It is done!”
- Revelation 11:19
Through
Genesis 15:17When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, behold, a smoking firepot and a flaming torch appeared and passed between the halves of the carcasses.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 34:18–19
And those who have transgressed My covenant and have not fulfilled the terms of the covenant they made before Me, I will treat like the calf they cut in two in order to pass…
- Jeremiah 34:18–19
Where this verse is studied
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About Ezekiel
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Carl Friedrich Keil, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Ezekiel; Gregory the Dialogist, Homilies on Ezekiel, Book 1, Homily 5; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Patrick Fairbairn, An Exposition of Ezekiel.