3 The word H1697 of the LORD H3068 came expressly unto Ezekiel H3168 the priest, H3548 the son H1121 of Buzi, H941 in the land H776 of the Chaldeans H3778 by the river H5104 Chebar; H3529 and the hand H3027 of the LORD H3068 was there upon him.
But now bring H3947 me a minstrel. H5059 And it came to pass, when the minstrel H5059 played, H5059 that the hand H3027 of the LORD H3068 came upon him.
And the hand H3027 of the LORD H3068 was on Elijah; H452 and he girded up H8151 his loins, H4975 and ran H7323 before H6440 Ahab H256 to the entrance H935 of Jezreel. H3157
And it came to pass in the sixth H8345 year, H8141 in the sixth H8345 month, in the fifth H2568 day of the month, H2320 as I sat H3427 in mine house, H1004 and the elders H2205 of Judah H3063 sat H3427 before H6440 me, that the hand H3027 of the Lord H136 GOD H3069 fell H5307 there upon me.
The hand H3027 of the LORD H3068 was upon me, and carried me out H3318 in the spirit H7307 of the LORD, H3068 and set me down H5117 in the midst H8432 of the valley H1237 which was full H4392 of bones, H6106
In the five H2568 and twentieth H6242 year H8141 of our captivity, H1546 in the beginning H7218 of the year, H8141 in the tenth H6218 day of the month, H2320 in the fourteenth H702 H6240 year H8141 after H310 that the city H5892 was smitten, H5221 in the selfsame H6106 day H3117 the hand H3027 of the LORD H3068 was upon me, and brought H935 me thither.
Then the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 came unto me, saying, H559
Now it came to pass in the thirtieth H7970 year, H8141 in the fourth H7243 month, in the fifth H2568 day of the month, H2320 as I was among H8432 the captives H1473 by the river H5104 of Chebar, H3529 that the heavens H8064 were opened, H6605 and I saw H7200 visions H4759 of God. H430
The word H1697 of the LORD H3068 that came unto Hosea, H1954 the son H1121 of Beeri, H882 in the days H3117 of Uzziah, H5818 Jotham, H3147 Ahaz, H271 and Hezekiah, H3169 kings H4428 of Judah, H3063 and in the days H3117 of Jeroboam H3379 the son H1121 of Joash, H3101 king H4428 of Israel. H3478
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Ezekiel 1
Commentary on Ezekiel 1 Matthew Henry Commentary
An Exposition, With Practical Observations, of
The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel
Chapter 1
In this chapter we have,
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. When such a God of glory speaks, it concerns us to hear with attention and reverence; it is at our peril if we do not.
Eze 1:1-3
The circumstances of the vision which Ezekiel saw, and in which he received his commission and instructions, are here very particularly set down, that the narrative may appear to be authentic and not romantic. It may be of use to keep an account when and where God has been pleased to manifest himself to our souls in a peculiar manner, that the return of the day, and our return to the place of the altar (Gen. 13:4), may revive the pleasing grateful remembrance of God's favour to us. "Remember, O my soul! and never forget what communications of divine love thou didst receive at such a time, at such a place; tell others what God did for thee.'
Eze 1:4-14
The visions of God which Ezekiel here saw were very glorious, and had more particulars than those which other prophets saw. It is the scope and intention of these vision,
Now, to answer these ends, we have in these verses the first part of the vision, which represents God as attended and served by an innumerable company of angels, who are all his messengers, his ministers, doing his commandments and hearkening to the voice of his word. This denotes his grandeur, as it magnifies an earthly prince to have a splendid retinue and numerous armies at his command, which engages his allies to trust him and his enemies to fear him.
Eze 1:15-25
The prophet is very exact in making and recording his observations concerning this vision. And here we have,
Eze 1:26-28
All the other parts of this vision were but a preface and introduction to this. God in them had made himself known as Lord of angels and supreme director of all the affairs of this lower world, whence it is easy to infer that whatever God by his prophets either promises or threatens to do he is able to effect it. Angels are his servants; men are his tools. But now that a divine revelation is to be given to a prophet, and by him to the church, we must look higher than the living creatures or the wheels, and must expect that from the eternal Word, of whom we have an account in these verses. Ezekiel, hearing a voice from the firmament, looked up, as John did, to see the voice that spoke with him, and he saw one like unto the Son of man, Rev. 1:12, 13. The second person sometimes tried the fashion of a man occasionally before he clothed himself with it for good and all; and the Spirit of prophecy is called the Spirit of Christ (1 Pt. 1:11) and the testimony of Jesus, Rev. 19:10.
Lastly, We have the conclusion of this vision. Observe,