Verse 2

And he spake unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims, and scatter them over the city. And he went in in my sight.

He — That sat on the throne.

Scatter — That it may take fire in all parts, and none may escape.

Verse 3

Now the cherubims stood on the right side of the house, when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court.

The right side — The north-side, the side towards Babylon, from whence the fire came which consumed the city.

The man — Christ, the Lord of angels, who now attend his coming and commands.

The cloud — As the sign of God's presence.

The inner court — The court of the priests, who were chief in the apostacy.

Verse 4

Then the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the LORD's glory.

The glory — The visible token of the presence of the God of glory.

Went up — In token of his departure from the temple.

And stood — Shewing his unwillingness to leave, and giving them time to return to him, he stands where he might he seen, both by priests and people, that both might be moved to repentance.

Verse 5

And the sound of the cherubims' wings was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of the Almighty God when he speaketh.

Was heard — As a mighty and terrible thunder.

Verse 6

And it came to pass, that when he had commanded the man clothed with linen, saying, Take fire from between the wheels, from between the cherubims; then he went in, and stood beside the wheels.

And stood — Either as one that deferred execution, to try whether the city would repent, or as one who was to give some farther order to the angels, that were to be the ministers of his just displeasure.

Verse 7

And one cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubims unto the fire that was between the cherubims, and took thereof, and put it into the hands of him that was clothed with linen: who took it, and went out.

One Cherub — One of the four.

And took — As a servant that reaches what his master would have.

Went out — Out of the temple.

Verse 9

And when I looked, behold the four wheels by the cherubims, one wheel by one cherub, and another wheel by another cherub: and the appearance of the wheels was as the colour of a beryl stone.

Looked — Attentively viewed.

Beryl stone — Of sea-green.

Verse 10

And as for their appearances, they four had one likeness, as if a wheel had been in the midst of a wheel.

They — The wheels. This intimates the references of providence to each other, and their dependences on each other: and the joint tendency of all to one common end, while their motions appear to us intricate and perplexed, yea, seemingly contrary.

Verse 11

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.

When — The wheels moved by the cherubim, or that spirit of life, which moved the living creatures.

They went — They were so framed, that they could move on all four sides without the difficulty and delay of turning.

Head — Of the living creatures.

Verse 12

And their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes round about, even the wheels that they four had.

And — Now he describes both the cherubim and wheels as full of wisdom, and as governed by an excellent wisdom.

The wheels — Which the four cherubim had to move, govern, and direct.

Verse 13

As for the wheels, it was cried unto them in my hearing, O wheel.

The wheels — As to their frame and motion.

It was cried — Still there was one who guided, as by vocal direction.

Unto them — To each of them.

Verse 14

And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.

Every one — Of the living creatures, chap1:6.

Verse 17

When they stood, these stood; and when they were lifted up, these lifted up themselves also: for the spirit of the living creature was in them.

For — There is a perfect harmony between second causes in their dependence on, and subjection to, the one infinite, wise, good, holy, and just God. The spirit of God directs all the creatures, upper and lower, so that they shall serve the divine purpose. Events are not determined by the wheel of fortune, which is blind, but by the wheels of providence, which are full of eyes.

Verse 18

Then the glory of the LORD departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubims.

And stood — On the right side of the house, where the cherubim were in the inner court.

Verse 19

And the cherubims lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight: when they went out, the wheels also were beside them, and every one stood at the door of the east gate of the LORD's house; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.

And every one — The glory, the cherubim, the wheels, all stood, respiting execution, and giving opportunity of preventing the approaching misery.

The east gate — The last court, the court of the people.

Verse 20

This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river of Chebar; and I knew that they were the cherubims.

I knew — Either by special assurance as a prophet, or by comparing them with those which he had often seen in the temple.