Ezekiel 11:22
in Ezekiel 11Then the cherubim, with the wheels beside them, spread their wings, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then did the cherubim lift up their wings, and the wheels were beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.
KJV
Then did the cherubims lift up their wings, and the wheels beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.
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This verse in Ezekiel 11
Commentary
7 notes on this verseGradually, the glory of the Lord departed from Jerusalem. First leaving the temple, it stood in the courtyard or at the threshold of the house, and afterwards at the entrance of the Eastern Gate; finally, with its wings and accompanying wheels lifted up, it stood upon the mountain, which is towards the east of the city, no doubt signifying the Mount of Olives, from where the Savior ascended to the Father.
This site's exposition
spread their wings
on Ezekiel 11:22-23
Then “the glory of the LORD rose up from within the city and stood over the mountain east of the city,” the Mount of Olives. The glory that filled the temple now stands outside the walls, and its return in chapter 43 comes from the same east side.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
It is possible for us to see this literally fulfilled in another way even today, since believers in Christ all congregate from all parts of the world, not as of old time because of the glory of Jerusalem or that they may worship in the ancient temple at Jerusalem; but they rest there that they may learn both about the city being taken and devastated as the prophets foretold and that they may worship at the Mount of Olives opposite to the city, whither the glory of the Lord migrated when it left the former city.
And to this present day, in a wondrous manner, the glory of the Lord, which abandoned the temple, stands upon the Mount of Olives, shining forth in the sign of the cross, gazing upon the once-Jewish temple, dissolved into ashes and rubble.
(Verse 22, 23.) And the Cherubim lifted their wings, and the wheels with them, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them. And the glory of the Lord ascended from the midst of the city: and stood upon the mountain, which is towards the east of the city. Gradually, the glory of the Lord departed from Jerusalem. First leaving the temple, it stood in the courtyard or at the threshold of the house, and afterwards at the entrance of the Eastern Gate; finally, with its wings and accompanying wheels lifted up, it stood upon the mountain, which is towards the east of the city, no doubt signifying the Mount of Olives, from where the Savior ascended to the Father. And the glory of the Lord stood and went from the city of Jerusalem over the Mount of Olives, as a sign of resurrection and light, so that from there it might behold Jerusalem about to perish and be consumed. And it says: 'The glory departs from the midst of the city' (John 14:31), in other words, the Lord speaks to his disciples: 'Rise, let us go from here' (Luke 13:35). And to the Jews: 'Your house will be left to you desolate' (Matthew 23). Josephus also reports the voice heard in the temple of angels and celestial powers that were previously in the city's defense: 'Let us go from these seats' (Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews). And to this present day, in a wondrous manner, the glory of the Lord, which abandoned the temple, stands upon the Mount of Olives, shining forth in the sign of the cross, gazing upon the once-Jewish temple, dissolved into ashes and rubble.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Then did the cherubim lift up their wings,.... In order to remove, as in Eze 10:19; and the wheels beside them; which were lifted up also along with the cherubim: and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above; both cherubim and wheels.
We left the glory of the Lord last at the east gate of the temple ( ch. x. 19 ), which is here said to be in the midst of the city. Now here we are told that, finding and wondering that there was none to intercede, none to uphold, none to invite its return, it removed next to the mountain which is on the east side of the city (
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The words behind it
11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּשְׂא֤וּ | vaiyisu | and they lifted up | H5375 → | 656 times |
| הַכְּרוּבִים֙ | hakeruvim | the cherubim | H3742 → | 91 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כַּנְפֵיהֶ֔ם | kanfeihem | wings their | H3671 → | 109 times |
| וְהָאֽוֹפַנִּ֖ים | vehaofanim | and the wheels | H212 → | 35 times |
| לְעֻמָּתָ֑ם | leumatam | [were] <to> close by them | H5980 → | 32 times |
| וּכְב֧וֹד | ukhevod | and [the] glory of | H3519 → | 200 times |
| אֱלֹהֵֽי־ | ʾelohei- | [the] God of | H430 → | 2601 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם | ʾaleihem | [was] above them | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| מִלְמָֽעְלָה׃ | milmaelah | from to above <towards> | H4605 → | 140 times |
וַיִּשְׂא֤וּand they lifted up
vaiyisuH5375 →656 times
הַכְּרוּבִים֙the cherubim
hakeruvimH3742 →91 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כַּנְפֵיהֶ֔םwings their
kanfeihemH3671 →109 times
וְהָאֽוֹפַנִּ֖יםand the wheels
vehaofanimH212 →35 times
לְעֻמָּתָ֑ם[were] <to> close by them
leumatamH5980 →32 times
וּכְב֧וֹדand [the] glory of
ukhevodH3519 →200 times
אֱלֹהֵֽי־[the] God of
ʾelohei-H430 →2601 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֛לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם[was] above them
ʾaleihemH5921 →5755 times
מִלְמָֽעְלָה׃from to above <towards>
milmaelahH4605 →140 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 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
Ezekiel 10:19As I watched, the cherubim lifted their wings and rose up from the ground, with the wheels beside them as they went. And they stopped at the entrance of the east gate of the…
it leads to
- Ezekiel 10:1
And I looked and saw above the expanse, above the heads of the cherubim, the likeness of a throne of sapphire.
- Ezekiel 11:22–23
Then the cherubim, with the wheels beside them, spread their wings, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.
- Ezekiel 8:16
So He brought me to the inner court of the house of the LORD, and there at the entrance to the temple of the LORD, between the portico and the altar, were about twenty-five…
- Ezekiel 43:4
and the glory of the LORD entered the temple through the gate facing east.
- Ezekiel 1:17–21
As they moved, they went in any of the four directions, without pivoting as they moved.
- Ezekiel 10:1
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies5
About Ezekiel
This page draws on Carl Friedrich Keil, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Ezekiel; Eusebius of Caesarea, PROOF OF THE GOSPEL 6:18; Jerome, COMMENTARY ON EZEKIEL 3:11.22-23; Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Patrick Fairbairn, An Exposition of Ezekiel.