Verse 1

Throne. It was a sky blue crystal or sapphire colour, (chap. i. 22, 26.) and was now empty, chap. i. The Lord spoke from the temple door, ver. 4. (Haydock)

Verse 2

Out, to purify (St. Jerome) or punish the city, (Theodoret) which would shortly be reduced to ashes. (Vatable) (Menochius)

Verse 3

Right, south of the priests' court.

Verse 4

Lifted up, before chap. ix. 3. (Calmet) --- A man seemed to be on the throne, (Worthington) or rather over the door of the holy place.

Verse 5

Court of the people. --- Speaking in thunder.

Verse 8

Wings. They would seem to be distinct, or (Calmet) fingers appeared at the end of the wings. (Grotius)

Verse 9

CHAPTER X.

Stone. Hebrew Tharsis. Symmachus, "Hyacinth." (Chap. i. 16.) (Calmet)

Verse 11

By four ways. That is, by any of the four ways, forward, backward, to the right, or to the left. (Challoner) (Worthington)

Verse 12

Wheels. These, as well as (Haydock) the cherubim, (Theodoret) were full of eyes. (Calmet)

Verse 13

Voluble. That is, rolling wheels: galgal, (Challoner) which means "rolling:" (Haydock) or "he said to the wheels, Turn around about." (Theodoret) --- This is the real import of Hebrew. (Calmet) --- Protestants have, "O wheel." (Haydock)

Verse 14

Cherub, or "ox." All four seem to have had the resemblance of a man, but one more than the rest, which had respectively the appearance rather of an ox, a lion, or an eagle: (Worthington) or the ox was predominant in all, as both the head and feet were of it; (Calmet) which, however, does not constitute the greatest part, chap. i. 5. (Haydock)

Verse 15

Creature. What I saw, was properly called cherubim. Charab, in Syriac means "to labour;" (Spencer) or cherubim may imply any composed and unusual figure, or "mixture," Exodus xxv. 18. (Calmet) --- Ezechiel being a priest, saw that the creatures resembled the cherubim of the temple. (Tirinus)

Verse 17

Life. They were not mere machines; (Haydock) or they were pushed forward by an impetuous wind.

Verse 19

East gate, leading from the city to the court of the people. (Calmet) -- How unwilling is this good father to leave his house! (Tirinus)

Verse 20

Creature. The cherubim and all the throne seemed alive. (Haydock)

Verse 22

Forward, thus shewing God's decree to abandon the synagogue. (Tirinus)