EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Ezekiel 1:4
4As I looked, I saw a great storm that was coming from the north. It was a large cloud, with bright lightning. Light shone all around the cloud. It was like a fire that had bright metal in the centre of it.
Ezekiel 1:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.
- New International Version (NIV)I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north—an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal,
- English Standard Version (ESV)As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud, with brightness around it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, as it were gleaming metal.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then I looked, and behold, a whirlwind was coming out of the north, a great cloud with raging fire engulfing itself; and brightness was all around it and radiating out of its midst like the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire.
Context of Ezekiel 1:4
2King Jehoiachin of Judah had been a prisoner in Babylon for five years. On the fifth day of the month, 3the Lord spoke to Ezekiel, the priest. He was the son of Buzi. He was standing beside the River Kebar in Babylon. While Ezekiel was there, the Lord came to him with power. As I looked, I saw a great storm that was coming from the north. It was a large cloud, with bright lightning. Light shone all around the cloud. It was like a fire that had bright metal in the centre of it. 5I could see something like four living things in the middle of the fire. Each of them had the shape of a human. 6But each of them had four faces and four wings.
Read all of Ezekiel 1Ezekiel 1:4 word by word
וָאֵ֡רֶא וְהִנֵּה֩ ר֨וּחַ סְעָרָ֜ה בָּאָ֣ה מִן־הַצָּפ֗וֹן עָנָ֤ן גָּדוֹל֙ וְאֵ֣שׁ מִתְלַקַּ֔חַת וְנֹ֥גַֽהּ ל֖וֹ סָבִ֑יב וּמִ֨תּוֹכָ֔הּ כְּעֵ֥ין הַחַשְׁמַ֖ל מִתּ֥וֹךְ הָאֵֽשׁ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And I lookedרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- and, behold, a whirlwindסְעָרָהsa‛ar se‛ârâh · tempestH5591
- and, behold, a whirlwindרוּחַrûach · spirit: breathH7307
- cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- out of the northצָפוֹןtsâphôn tsâphôn · northH6828
- a greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
- cloudעָנָן‛ânân · cloudH6051
- and a fireאֵשׁ'êsh · fireH784
- infoldingלָקַחlâqach · to take: fireH3947
- itself, and a brightnessנֹ֫גַהּnôgahh · brightnessH5051
- aboutסָבִיבsâbîyb sebîybâh · aroundH5439
- it, and out of the midstתָּ֫וֶךְtâvek · midstH8432
- thereof as the colourעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eye: appearanceH5869
- of amberחַשְׁמַלchashmal · amberH2830
Cross-references for Ezekiel 1:4
- Isaiah 21:1This is a message about the desert near the sea. Trouble is coming from the desert, like a strong wind that blows from the south. It comes from a land of great fear.
- Jeremiah 1:13The Lord asked me again. ‘What do you see?’ I replied, ‘I see in the north a pot with boiling water in it. It will pour its water in this direction.’ The Lord said,
- Jeremiah 4:6Lift up a flag that shows the way to Zion! Run quickly to a safe place! Do not wait! I will soon bring great trouble from the north. An enemy will destroy your country.
- Jeremiah 6:1You descendants of Benjamin, you must run away to be safe! Escape from Jerusalem! Make a noise with a trumpet in Tekoa! Light a fire to warn people in Beth-Hakkerem! A great army is coming from the north. It will come to destroy everything!
- Jeremiah 23:19But look! The Lord's anger will come like a strong storm. It will blow away the heads of those wicked people.
- Jeremiah 25:9So I, the Lord, tell you that I will call the nations in the north to come. I will call my servant, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, to come. I will bring them to attack this land and the people who live here. They will also attack all the nations that are around you. I will completely destroy this land, its people and all the nations around it. Their houses will become heaps of stones for ever. The land will become a terrible place. People will always see how foolish my people are.
- Habakkuk 1:8Their horses run faster than leopards. They are more cruel than wolves that attack in the evening. Their riders come on fast horses from places that are far away. They quickly attack their enemies, like hungry eagles that fly down to catch chickens.
- Ezekiel 10:2The Lord said to the man who was wearing linen clothes, ‘Go between the wheels that are under the cherubs. Pick up some of the hot coals that are burning among the cherubs. Fill your hands with them. Then throw them everywhere over the city.’ Then the man did this, as I watched him.
- Exodus 19:16On the morning of the third day, there was thunder and lightning. A thick cloud was there over the mountain. The people heard the noise of a loud trumpet. They were so afraid that their bodies were shaking.
- Exodus 24:16The Lord's bright glory appeared on Sinai mountain. The cloud covered the mountain for six days. On the seventh day, the Lord called out to Moses from inside the cloud.
- Deuteronomy 4:11At that time, you came and you stood at the edge of the mountain. You saw that the fire on the mountain reached up to the sky. But the sky was full of black clouds and it was dark.
- 2 Chronicles 5:13All these musicians made nice music together. They joined together to praise the Lord and to thank him. The singers sang loudly to the music of the trumpets, the cymbals and the other musical instruments. They loudly sang these words to praise the Lord: ‘He is good! His faithful love continues for ever!’ Then a cloud filled the Lord's temple.
- 2 Chronicles 6:1Then Solomon prayed, ‘Lord, you have said that you live in a dark cloud.
- 2 Chronicles 7:1When King Solomon had finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven. It destroyed the burnt offerings and the other sacrifices. The Lord's bright glory filled the temple.
- Psalms 18:11God covered himself with darkness. He hid himself in dark clouds that held rain.
- Psalms 50:3Our God is coming, and he does not come quietly! A fire burns up everything that is in front of him. There is a great storm all round him.
Commentaries on Ezekiel 1:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4A whirlwind came out of the north - Nebuchadnezzar, whose land, Babylonia, lay north of Judea. Chaldea is thus frequently denominated by Jeremiah. A great cloud, and a fire infolding itself - A mass of fire concentrated in a vast cloud, that the flames might be more distinctly observable, the fire never escaping from the cloud, but issuing, and then returning in upon itself. It was in a state of powerful agitation; but always involving itself, or…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Out of the north - From this quarter the Assyrian conquerors came upon the holy land. The vision, though seen in Chaldaea, had reference to Jerusalem, and the seer is to contemplate judgment as it is coming upon the holy land. Others consider the words expressive of the special seat of the power of Yahweh. The high mountain range of Lebanon that closed in the holy land on the north naturally connected to the inhabitants of that country the northern region…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4I … saw a whirlwind: This language describes a theophany (a visible manifestation of God; see study note on Ezekiel 1:4–28) as God appears in judgment. The fiery presence coming from the north, the direction from which Israel’s enemies traditionally came, increases the sense of danger. God was coming as a mighty warrior, not to rescue his people, but to bring judgment against them.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. whirlwind--emblematic of God's judgments (Jr 23:19; 25:32). out of the north--that is, from Chaldea, whose hostile forces would invade Judea from a northerly direction. The prophet conceives himself in the temple. fire infolding itself--laying hold on whatever surrounds it, drawing it to itself, and devouring it. Literally, "catching itself," that is, kindling itself [Fairbairn]. The same Hebrew occurs in Ex 9:24, as to the "fire mingled with the…Read the comment
Topics related to Ezekiel 1:4
In the dictionaries
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
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