Ezekiel 1:27
in Ezekiel 1From what seemed to be His waist up, I saw a gleam like amber, with what looked like fire within it all around. And from what seemed to be His waist down, I saw what looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded Him.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And I saw as it were glowing metal, as the appearance of fire within it round about, from the appearance of his loins and upward; and from the appearance of his loins and downward I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness round about him.
KJV
And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about 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 round about.
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This verse in Ezekiel 1
Commentary
10 notes on this verseThe color of amber - There are specimens of amber which are very pure and beautifully transparent. One which I now hold up to the light gives a most beautiful bright yellow color. Such a splendid appearance had the august Being who sat upon this throne from the reins upward; but from thence downward he had the appearance of fire, burning with a clear and brilliant flame. For farther particulars see the notes on Ezekiel 10 (note).
This site's exposition
a sapphire stone
on Ezekiel 1:26-28
Above the firmament stands a throne of sapphire, and upon it a likeness as the appearance of a man, the chapter's most careful sentence, likeness of the appearance of a man, because the prophet will not say more than he saw. Fire and amber brightness surround the figure from the loins up and down, and the whole is finally named, the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord, framed by the ordinary sign of a rainbow after rain so the reader has one familiar thing to hold onto. Calvin and Keil both stress the guarded grammar as reverence rather than vagueness, and the prophet's response matches it exactly, he falls on his face before he hears a word spoken.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
In fact, even in Ezekiel, from what looked like from his waist upward God resembled amber, but from his waist downward he resembled fire. Whatever is above is gold, and whatever is below is ready for purgation in Gehenna.
(Verse 27, 28.) And I saw something like the appearance of electrum, like the appearance of fire within it all around. From the appearance of his loins and upward, I saw something like the appearance of glowing fire all around, like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day. This was the appearance of the splendor of the Lord's glory. When I saw it, I fell facedown and heard a voice speaking. The electrum had the appearance of fire both inside and outside.
The Medieval Church2 voices
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistHomilies on Ezekiel, Book 1, Homily 8 · Written before 604.
proposed
"And I saw something like the appearance of amber." And so that the holy prophet might show that he had seen the union of both natures in His person, he immediately added: "And I saw something like the appearance of amber." What is it that the appearance of a man is seen upon the throne as the likeness of amber, except that in amber, as we said far above, gold and silver are mixed, so that one thing is made from two metals? In which both the brightness of the gold is tempered through the silver, and through the brightness of the gold the appearance of the silver is made bright. But in our Redeemer both natures, that is of divinity and humanity, are united and joined to each other without confusion and inseparably, so that through his humanity the brightness of his divinity could be tempered to our eyes, and through his divinity the human nature in him would be made bright, and being exalted would have splendor beyond what it had been created with.
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistHomilies on Ezekiel, Book 1, Homily 8 · Written before 604.
proposed
"As the appearance of fire within all around, from his loins and upward; and from his loins downward I saw as it were the appearance of shining fire round about." What is it that the Mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus, is described as having the appearance of fire inwardly round about from the loins and upward, and from the loins and downward the appearance of shining fire round about? For we must investigate why from the loins and upward He is said to have fire inwardly, yet not shining fire; but from the loins and downward He is said to have the appearance of fire, yet it is not mentioned that He has it inwardly, because He is described as having it both shining and round about. For what is expressed by the name of loins, if not the propagation of mortality? On account of which it is also said of Levi that he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met Abraham. From the loins of Abraham indeed the Virgin Mary came forth, in whose womb the Only-begotten of the Father deigned to become incarnate through the Holy Spirit. From which incarnation God became known to the whole world, as it is said through the Psalmist: Gird your sword upon your thigh, O most mighty one. For the Most Mighty took His sword upon His thigh, because the word of His preaching gained strength from His incarnation. But what does this fire signify, if not the ardor of the Holy Spirit, who sets ablaze the hearts that He has filled? Of which the Truth Himself says: I came to cast fire upon the earth. […]
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Amber - In this colour does Christ appear against the rebellious Jews; he that would have visited them clothed with the garments of salvation, now puts on the garments of vengeance, expressed by such metaphors. Brightness - Majesty, justice, and unstained holiness, shine round about him.
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And I saw as the colour of amber,....
And the more we are acquainted, and the more intimately we converse, with the glory of God in these three branches of it, the more commanding influence will divine revelation have upon us and the more ready shall we be to submit to it, which is the thing aimed at in prefacing the prophecies of this book with these visions.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
colour of amber--"the glitter of chasmal" [FAIRBAIRN]. See on Eze 1:4; rather, "polished brass" [HENDERSON]. Messiah is described here as in Da 10:5, 6;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וָאֵ֣רֶא׀ | vaere' | and I saw | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| כְּעֵ֣ין | keein | like [the] appearance of | H5869 → | 887 times |
| חַשְׁמַ֗ל | chashmal | a shining substance | H2830 → | 3 times |
| כְּמַרְאֵה־ | kemareh- | like [the] appearance of | H4758 → | 103 times |
| אֵ֤שׁ | ʾesh | fire | H784 → | 378 times |
| בֵּֽית־ | beit- | within | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| לָהּ֙ | lah | to it | ||
| סָבִ֔יב | saviv | [was] all around | H5439 → | 336 times |
| מִמַּרְאֵ֥ה | mimareh | from [the] appearance of | H4758 → | 103 times |
| מָתְנָ֖יו | matenav | hips his | H4975 → | 47 times |
| וּלְמָ֑עְלָה | ulemaelah | and <to> upwards <towards> | H4605 → | 140 times |
| וּמִמַּרְאֵ֤ה | umimareh | and from [the] appearance of | H4758 → | 103 times |
| מָתְנָיו֙ | matenav | hips his | H4975 → | 47 times |
| וּלְמַ֔טָּה | ulematah | and <to> downwards | H4295 → | |
| רָאִ֙יתִי֙ | raiti | I saw | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| כְּמַרְאֵה־ | kemareh- | like [the] appearance of | H4758 → | 103 times |
| אֵ֔שׁ | ʾesh | fire | H784 → | 378 times |
| וְנֹ֥גַֽהּ | venogah | and brightness | H5051 → | 19 times |
| ל֖וֹ | lo | of him | ||
| סָבִֽיב׃ | saviv | [was] all around | H5439 → | 336 times |
וָאֵ֣רֶא׀and I saw
vaere'H7200 →1300 times
כְּעֵ֣יןlike [the] appearance of
keeinH5869 →887 times
חַשְׁמַ֗לa shining substance
chashmalH2830 →3 times
כְּמַרְאֵה־like [the] appearance of
kemareh-H4758 →103 times
אֵ֤שׁfire
ʾeshH784 →378 times
בֵּֽית־within
beit-H1004 →2046 times
לָהּ֙to it
lah
סָבִ֔יב[was] all around
savivH5439 →336 times
מִמַּרְאֵ֥הfrom [the] appearance of
mimarehH4758 →103 times
מָתְנָ֖יוhips his
matenavH4975 →47 times
וּלְמָ֑עְלָהand <to> upwards <towards>
ulemaelahH4605 →140 times
וּמִמַּרְאֵ֤הand from [the] appearance of
umimarehH4758 →103 times
מָתְנָיו֙hips his
matenavH4975 →47 times
וּלְמַ֔טָּהand <to> downwards
ulematahH4295 →
רָאִ֙יתִי֙I saw
raitiH7200 →1300 times
כְּמַרְאֵה־like [the] appearance of
kemareh-H4758 →103 times
אֵ֔שׁfire
ʾeshH784 →378 times
וְנֹ֥גַֽהּand brightness
venogahH5051 →19 times
ל֖וֹof him
lo
סָבִֽיב׃[was] all around
savivH5439 →336 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
Hebrews 12:29“For our God is a consuming fire.”
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 9:3
But understand that today the LORD your God goes across ahead of you as a consuming fire; He will destroy them and subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 4:24
For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:8
in blazing fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
- Isaiah 66:15
For behold, the LORD will come with fire—His chariots are like a whirlwind—to execute His anger with fury and His rebuke with flames of fire.
- Hebrews 10:27
but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume all adversaries.
- Deuteronomy 9:3
Through
Deuteronomy 4:24For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
it leads to
- Hebrews 12:29
“For our God is a consuming fire.”
- Nahum 1:6
Who can withstand His indignation? Who can endure His burning anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; even rocks are shattered before Him.
- Hebrews 12:29
Through
Psalms 97:2Clouds and darkness surround Him; righteousness and justice are His throne’s foundation.
it leads to
- Psalms 89:14
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; loving devotion and faithfulness go before You.
- Psalms 89:14
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; Carl Friedrich Keil, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Ezekiel; Gregory the Dialogist, Homilies on Ezekiel, Book 1, Homily 8; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, HOMILIES ON THE PSALMS 56 (PS 146); Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Calvin, Commentaries on the First Twenty Chapters of the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
