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Ezekiel 8:2

in Ezekiel 8

Then I looked and saw a figure like that of a man. From His waist down His appearance was like fire, and from His waist up He was as bright as the gleam of amber.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Then I beheld, and, lo, a likeness as the appearance of fire; from the appearance of his loins and downward, fire; and from his loins and upward, as the appearance of brightness, as it were glowing metal.

KJV

Then I beheld, and lo a likeness as the appearance of fire: from the appearance of his loins even downward, fire; and from his loins even upward, as the appearance of brightness, as the colour of amber.

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This verse in Ezekiel 8

Commentary

8 notes on this verse

A commentator

Jerome

Commentary on Ezekiel · Written before 420.

(Version 2.) And there fell upon me the hand of the Lord God there. And I saw, and behold, a likeness as the appearance of fire from the appearance of his loins, and downward fire: and from his loins and upward, as the appearance of brightness, as the sight of lightning. LXX: And the hand of Adonai the Lord came upon me: and I saw and behold, a likeness as the form of a man from his loins, and downward fire, and from his loins, and upward as the sight of the aura, like the sight of lightning.

This site's exposition

the hand of the Lord GOD fell upon me

on Ezekiel 8:1-2

A second dated vision opens, fourteen months after Ezekiel 1:1, with “the elders of Judah” sitting before the prophet. He sees fire “From His waist down” and “as bright as the gleam of amber” from the waist up. This is the glory seen by the Kebar in Ezekiel 1:27.

This site's exposition

a figure like that of a man

Ezekiel sees a figure like a man, fire below the waist and bright as amber above, as in chapter 1. Albert Barnes identifies him with the one enthroned above the cherubim, now standing apart to guide the prophet. Many older Christian commentators take him to be Christ.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

He beheld a likeness, of a man we may suppose, for that was the likeness he saw before, but it was all brightness above the girdle and all fire below, fire and flame. This agrees with the description we had before of the apparition he saw, ch. i. It is probably that it was the same person, the man Christ Jesus.
And then one beheld, and lo a likeness as the appearance of fire,....

The Nineteenth Century3 voices

The appearance of fire - In margin reference, seen as the appearance of a man enthroned upon the cherubim. Here He stands apart from the throne revealing Himself to His servant. Compare Dan 3:25 note. Amber - See the margin reference note.

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

likeness--understand, "of a man," that is, of Messiah, the Angel of the covenant, in the person of whom alone God manifests Himself (Eze 1:26; The "fire," from "His loins downward," betokens the vengeance of God kindled against the wicked Jews, while searching and purifying the remnant to be spared.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

The appearance of fire - See the note on Eze 1:27.

The words behind it

15 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • וָאֶרְאֶ֗הand I saw

    vaerehH7200 →1300 times

  • וְהִנֵּ֤הand there!

    vehinehH2009 →843 times

  • דְמוּת֙a likeness

    demutH1823 →25 times

  • כְּמַרְאֵה־like [the] appearance of

    kemareh-H4758 →103 times

  • אֵ֔שׁfire

    ʾeshH784 →378 times

  • מִמַּרְאֵ֥ה[was] from [the] appearance of

    mimarehH4758 →103 times

  • מָתְנָ֛יוhips his

    matenavH4975 →47 times

  • וּלְמַ֖טָּהand <to> downwards

    ulematahH4295 →

  • אֵ֑שׁfire

    ʾeshH784 →378 times

  • וּמִמָּתְנָ֣יוand [was] from hips his

    umimatenavH4975 →47 times

  • וּלְמַ֔עְלָהand <to> upwards <towards>

    ulema'lahH4605 →140 times

  • כְּמַרְאֵה־like [the] appearance of

    kemareh-H4758 →103 times

  • זֹ֖הַרbrightness

    zoharH2096 →

  • כְּעֵ֥יןlike [the] appearance of

    keeinH5869 →887 times

  • הַחַשְׁמַֽלָה׃<the> shining substance towards

    hachashmalahH2830 →3 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

5 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Ezekiel 1:27From 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.9 worksEzekiel 1:4I looked and saw a whirlwind coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing back and forth and brilliant light all around it. In the center of the fire was a gleam like amber,6 worksEzekiel 1:26–27Above the expanse over their heads was the likeness of a throne with the appearance of sapphire, and on the throne high above was a figure like that of a man.4 worksDaniel 7:9–10As I continued to watch, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took His seat. His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze.3 worksRevelation 1:14–15The hair of His head was white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were like a blazing fire.3 works

The walk

5 stops

Each 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 1:4

    I looked and saw a whirlwind coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing back and forth and brilliant light all around it. In the center of the fire was a gleam…

    it leads to

    • Ezekiel 1:27

      From 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…

    • Jeremiah 23:19

      Behold, the storm of the LORD has gone out with fury, a whirlwind swirling down upon the heads of the wicked.

    • Jeremiah 25:32

      This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Behold! Disaster is spreading from nation to nation; a mighty storm is rising from the ends of the earth.”

    • Exodus 19:16–18

      On the third day, when morning came, there was thunder and lightning. A thick cloud was upon the mountain, and a very loud blast of the ram’s horn went out, so that all the…

    • Jeremiah 1:13–14

      Again the word of the LORD came to me, asking, “What do you see?” “I see a boiling pot,” I replied, “and it is tilting toward us from the north.”

Where this verse is studied

About Ezekiel

Ezekiel’s Vision of the Valley of Dry Bones, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Ezekiel’s Vision of the Valley of Dry Bones, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Ezekiel: the study guide →Read Ezekiel 8 →

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; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Ezekiel 8 →