Ezekiel 1:26

Ezekiel 1:26 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.
• New International Version (NIV)Above the vault over their heads was what looked like a throne of lapis lazuli, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with a human appearance.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it.

Context of Ezekiel 1:26

24When they moved, I could hear the sound of their wings. They made a noise like lots of water that pours along a river. It was also like the voice of the Almighty God, or the noise of a great army. When the living things stopped moving, they put their wings down at their sides. 25While they stood with their wings down at their sides, I heard a voice. It came from above the roof over their heads. Above the roof, there was something that looked like a throne. It was made of a blue jewel called sapphire. On the throne, high above, I saw something that looked like the shape of a man. 27The top part of his body shone like a fire with bright metal in the centre of it. The lower part of his body looked like flames of fire. All around the human shape, there was a very bright light. 28It shone with the colours of a rainbow in the clouds when there is rain. This bright light showed the glory of the Lord, who was there. When I saw this, I bent down low with my face on the ground. I heard a voice that was speaking to me.

Ezekiel 1:26 word by word

וּמִמַּ֗עַל לָרָקִ֙יעַ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־רֹאשָׁ֔ם כְּמַרְאֵ֥ה אֶֽבֶן־סַפִּ֖יר דְּמ֣וּת כִּסֵּ֑א וְעַל֙ דְּמ֣וּת הַכִּסֵּ֔א דְּמ֞וּת כְּמַרְאֵ֥ה אָדָ֛ם עָלָ֖יו מִלְמָֽעְלָה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And aboveמַ֫עַלma‛al · aboveH4605
• the firmamentרָקִיעַrâqîya‛ · expanseH7549
• over their headsרֹאשׁrô'sh · headH7218
• the likenessדְּמוּתdemûth · likenessH1823
• of a throneכִּסֵּאkissê' kissêh · throneH3678
• as the appearanceמַרְאֶהmar'eh · appearanceH4758
• of a sapphireסַפִּירsappîyr · sapphireH5601
• stoneאֶ֫בֶן'eben · stoneH68
• of a manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120

Cross-references for Ezekiel 1:26

• Ezekiel 1:22I saw something over the heads of the living things. It looked like a high roof that shone brightly like ice.
• Ezekiel 10:1In the vision, I saw something that looked like a throne. It was made from a blue jewel called sapphire. It was above the roof and it was high over the heads of the cherubs.
• Matthew 28:18Jesus went near to them and he said to them, ‘God has given me authority over everyone and everything. I have all authority in heaven and in this world.
• Ephesians 1:21There, Christ rules over every other ruler and leader. He rules over everything else that has authority. He is greater than any power which people respect. That is true for the rulers of this world now, and also the rulers of the world that will come.
• Philippians 2:9Because of that, God then raised Jesus Christ to the most important place. God gave him the name that is greater than every other name.
• 1 Peter 3:22After that, Jesus went into heaven. Now he is sitting at God's right side. He rules over angels and over everything that has authority and power.
• Psalms 45:6God, you will continue to rule as king always and for ever. Your authority as king will bring justice to your people.
• Isaiah 6:1In the year when King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord God. He was sitting high up, on a throne. The ends of his long coat filled the temple.
• Daniel 7:9While I looked, people put some thrones in their places. Then the God who has ruled for ever sat on his throne. His clothes were as white as snow. His hair was white like pure wool. His throne and the wheels under it burned with flames of fire.
• Zechariah 6:13It is he who will build the house of the Lord. He will sit on his special high seat and he will rule all the people. He will be a priest on the seat of a king. This one man will be priest and king.’ ”
• Matthew 25:13Then Jesus said to the people, ‘So you must watch carefully. You do not know on what day or at what time I will return.’
• Hebrews 1:8But this is what God says to his Son: ‘You are God and you will rule as King for ever! You will rule your kingdom in a completely good way.
• Hebrews 8:1The most important thing that we are saying is this: In Jesus, we do have this kind of special priest. He has now sat down to rule with God in heaven. He sits at the right side of God, who rules with all authority.
• Hebrews 12:2As we run, we must always look towards Jesus. He is the one who trusted God completely. Our faith starts with him, and he will help us to trust God all the way to the end. Jesus accepted punishment on the cross. He chose to receive much pain. He did not think about being ashamed to die like that. He knew that God had prepared something very good for him that would make him happy. Now he has sat down at the right side of God to rule with him in heaven.
• Revelation 4:2Immediately God's Spirit caused me to see and to hear more things. I saw a throne in heaven, with someone sitting on it.
• Revelation 5:13Then I heard everything that is alive singing. That was everything in heaven and everything on the earth, and everything under the earth and everything in the sea. They were singing: ‘We praise the one who sits on the throne. We praise the one who is the Lamb. We say that they are great! We worship them! They have power to rule for ever!’

Commentaries on Ezekiel 1:26

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 26A sapphire - The pure oriental sapphire, a large well cut specimen of which is now before me, is one of the most beautiful and resplendent blues that can be conceived. I have sometimes seen the heavens assume this illustrious hue. The human form above this canopy is supposed to represent Him who, in the fullness of time, was manifested in the flesh.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 26Sapphire - Clear heavenly blue. The appearance of a man - Deeply significant is the form of this manifestation. Here is no angel conveying God‘s message to man, but the glory of the Lord Himself. We recognize in this vision the prophetic annunciation of the Holy Incarnation. We are told little of the extent to which the human form was made evident to the prophet. For the vision was rather to the mind than to the bodily eye, and even inspired language was…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 26-28Verses 26-28 The eternal Son, the second Person in the Trinity, who afterwards took the human nature, is here denoted. The first thing observed was a throne. It is a throne of glory, a throne of grace, a throne of triumph, a throne of government, a throne of judgment. It is good news to men, that the throne above the firmament is filled with One who appears, even there, in the likeness of a man. The throne is surrounded with a rainbow, the well-known…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 26-27On God's throne was a figure that looked like a man. Ezekiel struggled to describe the scene because it was so magnificent. This human form showed the Lord's bright glory, which had once filled the tabernacle and the temple as a visible sign of God's presence (see Daniel 7:9–10; Revelation 1:12–17). God's presence in human form comforts his faithful people but warns of judgment for those who disobey him. This vision foretells God coming to earth as a man…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2626. The Godhead appears in the likeness of enthroned humanity, as in Ex 24:10. Besides the "paved work of a sapphire stone, as it were the body of heaven in clearness," there, we have here the "throne," and God "as a man," with the "appearance of fire round about." This last was a prelude of the incarnation of Messiah, but in His character as Saviour and as Judge (Re 19:11-16). The azure sapphire answers to the color of the sky. As others are called "sons…Read the comment

Topics related to Ezekiel 1:26

• Colors
• God
• Sapphire

In the dictionaries

• Cherub
• Living creatures
• Sapphire
• Ancient of Days
• Appearance
• Assyria
• Cherubim (1)
• Creature
• Luke, the Evangelist
• Prophecy; Prophets

Commentaries on Ezekiel 1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings