New Living Translation
Ezekiel 1:4
4As I looked, I saw a great storm coming from the north, driving before it a huge cloud that flashed with lightning and shone with brilliant light. There was fire inside the cloud, and in the middle of the fire glowed something like gleaming amber.
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
2This happened during the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity. 3(The Lord gave this message to Ezekiel son of Buzi, a priest, beside the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians, and he felt the hand of the Lord take hold of him.) As I looked, I saw a great storm coming from the north, driving before it a huge cloud that flashed with lightning and shone with brilliant light. There was fire inside the cloud, and in the middle of the fire glowed something like gleaming amber. 5From the center of the cloud came four living beings that looked human, 6except that each 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 message came to me concerning Babylon—the desert by the sea: Disaster is roaring down on you from the desert, like a whirlwind sweeping in from the Negev.
- Jeremiah 1:13Then the Lord spoke to me again and asked, “What do you see now?” And I replied, “I see a pot of boiling water, spilling from the north.”
- Jeremiah 4:6Raise a signal flag as a warning for Jerusalem: ‘Flee now! Do not delay!’ For I am bringing terrible destruction upon you from the north.”
- Jeremiah 6:1“Run for your lives, you people of Benjamin! Get out of Jerusalem! Sound the alarm in Tekoa! Send up a signal at Beth-hakkerem! A powerful army is coming from the north, coming with disaster and destruction.
- Jeremiah 23:19Look! The Lord’s anger bursts out like a storm, a whirlwind that swirls down on the heads of the wicked.
- Jeremiah 25:9I will gather together all the armies of the north under King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, whom I have appointed as my deputy. I will bring them all against this land and its people and against the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy you and make you an object of horror and contempt and a ruin forever.
- Habakkuk 1:8Their horses are swifter than cheetahs and fiercer than wolves at dusk. Their charioteers charge from far away. Like eagles, they swoop down to devour their prey.
- Ezekiel 10:2Then the Lord spoke to the man in linen clothing and said, “Go between the whirling wheels beneath the cherubim, and take a handful of burning coals and scatter them over the city.” He did this as I watched.
- Exodus 19:16On the morning of the third day, thunder roared and lightning flashed, and a dense cloud came down on the mountain. There was a long, loud blast from a ram’s horn, and all the people trembled.
- Exodus 24:16And the glory of the Lord settled down on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from inside the cloud.
- Deuteronomy 4:11“You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, while flames from the mountain shot into the sky. The mountain was shrouded in black clouds and deep darkness.
- 2 Chronicles 5:13The trumpeters and singers performed together in unison to praise and give thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments, they raised their voices and praised the Lord with these words: “He is good! His faithful love endures forever!” At that moment a thick cloud filled the Temple of the Lord.
- 2 Chronicles 6:1Then Solomon prayed, “O Lord, you have said that you would live in a thick cloud of darkness.
- 2 Chronicles 7:1When Solomon finished praying, fire flashed down from heaven and burned up the burnt offerings and sacrifices, and the glorious presence of the Lord filled the Temple.
- Psalms 18:11He shrouded himself in darkness, veiling his approach with dark rain clouds.
- Psalms 50:3Our God approaches, and he is not silent. Fire devours everything in his way, and a great storm rages around 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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