Ezekiel 10:6

10:1-7 The fire being taken from between the wheels, under the cherubim, ch. 1:13, seems to have signified the wrath of God to be executed upon Jerusalem. It intimated that the fire of Divine wrath, which kindles judgment upon a people, is just and holy; and in the great day, the earth, and all the works that are therein, will be burnt up.

And it came to pass, that when he had commanded the man clothed with linen,.... After the orders were given by him that was upon the throne to the man thus described: saying, take fire from between the wheels, from between the cherubim; as in Ezekiel 10:2; then he went in; immediately, into the place where the wheels and cherubim were; even under the firmament of heaven, and the throne that was in it: and stood beside the wheels, or "wheel"; to see what it was, as Kimchi thinks; or rather in order to go in between them, as he was bid to do, Ezekiel 10:2.

See Ezekiel 10:2 , which is the same in effect with this. What is said to be between the wheels is said also to be between the cherubims; which represent angels, the ministers of God’s providence; and so what now is observed to be among the wheels, in the effects or order of God’s providence, is among or between the angels, the ministerial causes thereof. Then he went in, readily obeyed, and stood beside the wheels; either as one that deferred execution, to try whether the city would repent, or as one that was to give some further order to angels, that were to be the ministers of his just displeasure; and whereas, Ezekiel 10:3 , the cherubims stood as servants waiting, here Christ stands as a Lord commanding; they obey him, he obeys his Father.

The angel scatters coals of fire over Jerusalem. - Ezekiel 10:1 . And I saw, and behold upon the firmament, which was above the cherubim, it was like sapphire-stone, to look at as the likeness of a throne; He appeared above them. Ezekiel 10:2 . And He spake to the man clothed in white linen, and said: Come between the wheels below the cherubim, and fill thy hollow hands with fire-coals from between the cherubim, and scatter them over the city: and he came before my eyes. Ezekiel 10:3 . And the cherubim stood to the right of the house when the man came, and the cloud filled the inner court. Ezekiel 10:4 . And the glory of Jehovah had lifted itself up from the cherubim to the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the splendour of the glory of Jehovah. Ezekiel 10:5 . And the noise of the wings of the cherubim was heard to the outer court, as the voice of the Almighty God when He speaketh. Ezekiel 10:6 . And it came to pass, when He commanded the man clothed in white linen, and said, Take fire from between the wheels, from between the cherubim, and he came and stood by the side of the wheel, Ezekiel 10:7 . That the cherub stretched out his hand between the cherubim to the fire, which was between the cherubim, and lifted (some) off and gave it into the hands of the man clothed in white linen. And he took it, and went out. Ezekiel 10:8 .

And there appeared by the cherubim the likeness of a man's hand under their wings. - Ezekiel 10:1 introduces the description of the second act of the judgment. According to Ezekiel 9:3 , Jehovah had come down from His throne above the cherubim to the threshold of the temple to issue His orders thence for the judgment upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and according to Ezekiel 10:4 He goes thither once more. Consequently He had resumed His seat above the cherubim in the meantime. This is expressed in Ezekiel 10:1 , not indeed in so many words, but indirectly or by implication. Ezekiel sees the theophany; and on the firmament above the cherubim, like sapphire-stone to look at, he beholds the likeness of a throne on which Jehovah appeared. To avoid giving too great prominence in this appearance of Jehovah to the bodily or human form, Ezekiel does not speak even here of the form of Jehovah, but simply of His throne, which he describes in the same manner as in Ezekiel 1:26 . אל stands for על according to the later usage of the language.