Keraia
Ezekiel 1

Ezekiel 1:24

The Divine Glory · Ezekiel 1:22–28
Read Ezekiel 1

Translations

Modern
When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings like the roar of many waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army. When they stood still, they lowered their wings.
Traditional
And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings.
Literal
And I heard the voice of their wings, like the voice of many waters, like the voice of Shaddai, in their going—the voice of a tumult like the voice of an army—and in their standing, they would slacken their wings.
Latin
Et audiebam sonum alarum, quasi sonum aquarum multarum, quasi sonum sublimis Dei: cum ambularent, quasi sonus erat multitudinis ut sonus castrorum: cumque starent, demittebantur pennæ eorum.

Original

Hebrew
English
When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings like the roar of many waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army. When they stood still, they lowered their wings.

Notes

Ezekiel 1:22–25

The surface that looked like the sky, shining like crystal, separated God’s realm from the human realm. It marked the boundary between heaven (the place of God’s presence) and earth.

The vision includes images of the sky, the cherubim (see study note on Ezekiel 1:11–14), and the rainbow (Ezekiel 1:28). These images remind us of the opening chapters of Genesis. They suggest that the story about to unfold concerns the destruction of what God had created, followed by its re-creation (making it new again).

In Genesis, God destroyed the world with a flood and later restored it through Noah. In a similar way, Ezekiel’s world was being undone and would later be restored.

Ezekiel 1:4–28

The language of this opening vision describes a theophany (a visible appearance of God; see study note on Deuteronomy 1:33). Ezekiel found it hard to describe what he saw. He often used phrases such as "the appearance of," "looked like," and "the likeness of." These words show that the vision was beyond normal human experience.

Even so, the message is clear and serious. The vision combines movement with symbols of judgment. It warns that God’s judgment would surely come upon rebellious Jerusalem.

Ezekiel 1:1–3:27

Old Testament prophetic books often begin with a “call narrative.” A call narrative describes how God chose and sent a prophet to serve in this role (for example, Jeremiah 1:4–19).

This account showed that the prophet’s message was legitimate. It made clear that the prophet spoke as the Lord’s ambassador (a representative sent with authority). The call narrative also introduced important themes that the book would explain more fully later.

In Ezekiel, the call narrative focuses on the Lord’s coming judgment on his people.

Theme notes and profiles

God’s Glory with His People

Events

People

LORD: Names or title used to refer to God

Glossary

Amber Cherub, Cherubim Ezekiel (Person) Ezekiel, Book of Firmament God, Names of Pillar of Fire and Cloud Prophet, Prophetess Throne Wheel

Topics

Angel (A Spirit): Unclassified Scriptures Relating To Anthropomorphisms: Miscellaneous Figures Cherubim: Sound of Their Wings Was As the Voice of God Voice of God