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Ezekiel 10

Ezekiel 10:11

God’s Glory Exits the Temple · Ezekiel 10:1–22
Read Ezekiel 10

Translations

Modern
When they moved, they would go in any of the four directions, without turning as they moved. For wherever the head faced, the cherubim would go in that direction, without turning as they moved.
Traditional
When they went, they went upon their four sides; they turned not as they went, but to the place whither the head looked they followed it; they turned not as they went.
Literal
In their going toward four directions, they did go; they did not turn aside in their going; for the place where the head turned, toward it they would go; they did not turn aside In their going.
Latin
Cumque ambularent, in quatuor partes gradiebantur, et non revertebantur ambulantes: sed ad locum ad quem ire declinabat quæ prima erat, sequebantur et ceteræ, nec convertebantur.

Original

Hebrew
English
When they moved, they would go in any of the four directions, without turning as they moved. For wherever the head faced, the cherubim would go in that direction, without turning as they moved.

Notes

Ezekiel 10:3–22

The glory of the Lord did not leave the temple all at once. It moved slowly, step by step, almost as if it was unwilling to depart (Ezekiel 10:4).

First, the glory of the Lord moved from above the cherubim in the Most Holy Place. Then it went to the entrance of the temple and stopped there for a time. After that, it rose above the cherubim again (Ezekiel 10:18) and moved to the east gate of the courtyard, where it paused once more (10:19). Eventually, the glory of the Lord left the city completely (11:23).

Ezekiel 10:1–22

The temple was the earthly place where the Lord’s glory dwelled among his people. This was one of the greatest blessings of the covenant.

But this blessing depended on the people being holy (set apart for God and living in obedience to him). When they filled the temple with sin and idolatry, they defiled it.

Because of their unfaithfulness, the Lord left his house. Once his presence departed, the temple and the city were left unprotected. They became vulnerable to the coming attack by the Babylonians.

Ezekiel 8:1–11:25

This section describes how the people defiled (made unclean by sin) the temple in Jerusalem (Ezekiel 8). Because of this sin, the Lord left the temple. After he left, the city and the temple were destroyed (9:1–11:13).

At first, this sounds like only bad news. But for those already living in exile, it was also good news. The Lord was not limited to the temple in Jerusalem. He would come to be with his people in exile.

By coming to dwell with them, the Lord showed that the exiles were not forgotten. They were the ones who carried hope for the future of God’s people.

Events

Glossary

Cherub, Cherubim Ezekiel, Book of Glory Haggai, Book of Pillar of Fire and Cloud Remnant Son of Man Temple Wheel

Topics

Cherubim: Engaged in Accomplishing the Purposes of God Wheel: Symbolical