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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezekiel 1:1-3

The circumstances of the vision which Ezekiel saw, and in which he received his commission and instructions, are here very particularly set down, that the narrative may appear to be authentic and not romantic. It may be of use to keep an account when and where God has been pleased to manifest himself to our souls in a peculiar manner, that the return of the day, and our return to the place of the altar (Gen. 13:4), may revive the pleasing grateful remembrance of God's favour to us. ?Remember,... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezekiel 1:4-14

The visions of God which Ezekiel here saw were very glorious, and had more particulars than those which other prophets saw. It is the scope and intention of these vision, 1. To possess the prophet's mind with very great, and high, and honourable thoughts of that God by whom he was commissioned and for whom he was employed. It is the likeness of the glory of the Lord that he sees (Ezek. 1:28), and hence he may infer that it is his honour to serve him, for he is one whom angels serve. He may... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezekiel 1:15-25

The prophet is very exact in making and recording his observations concerning this vision. And here we have, I. The notice he took of the wheels, Ezek. 1:15-21. The glory of God appears not only in the splendour of his retinue in the upper world, but in the steadiness of his government here in this lower world. Having seen how God does according to his will in the armies of heaven, let us now see how he does according to it among the inhabitants of the earth; for there, on the earth, the... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezekiel 1:26-28

All the other parts of this vision were but a preface and introduction to this. God in them had made himself known as Lord of angels and supreme director of all the affairs of this lower world, whence it is easy to infer that whatever God by his prophets either promises or threatens to do he is able to effect it. Angels are his servants; men are his tools. But now that a divine revelation is to be given to a prophet, and by him to the church, we must look higher than the living creatures or... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 1:3

The word of the Lord came expressly ,.... Or, "in being was" F4 היה היה "essendo fuit", Pagninus, Montanus. Heb.; "existendo exstitit", Polanus. ; which phrase denotes the reality, certainty, substantiality and evidence of the word of the Lord to him: unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi ; which Buzi, some say, was Jeremiah. Kimchi observes, that, in the Jerusalem Targum, the Prophet Ezekiel is called the son of Jeremiah the prophet: and Jeremiah was called Buzi because... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 1:4

And I looked ,.... Being under the influence of the Spirit and power of God: and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north ; which some understand of Nebuchadnezzar and his army coming from Babylon, which lay north of Judea: see Jeremiah 1:14 ; but it seems to me to be, with what follows, only an apparatus to the following vision: and is designed to awaken the mind of the prophet, and to fix his attention to what should proceed from hence, and be seen by him; just as the Lord speared... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 1:5

Also out of the midst thereof ,.... The fire; or out of the whole that was seen; the whirlwind, cloud, fire, and the brightness about it: came the likeness of four living creatures ; not really four living creatures; they appeared like to such they were in the form of such; by which we are to understand, not the four monarchies; nor the four Gospels; nor the angels; but ministers of the Gospel; the true key for the opening of this vision is that which John saw, Revelation 4:6 ; the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 1:6

And or but everyone had four faces ,.... Which are described; see Gill on Ezekiel 1:10 . The Targum multiplies the faces in a strange monstrous manner, paraphrasing the words thus, "each had four faces, and there were four faces to everyone "of them", and every creature had sixteen faces; the number of the faces of the four creatures was sixty and four;' and everyone had four wings ; the seraphim in Isaiah 6:2 ; and the four beasts or living creatures in Revelation 4:8 ; had six... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 1:7

And their feet were straight feet ,.... And they went straight forward, as in Ezekiel 1:12 ; they made straight paths for their feet, and walked uprightly, according to the truth of the Gospel; did not go into crooked paths, or turn to the right hand, or the left; and having put their hand to the plough of the Gospel neither looked back, nor turned back. And or "for" the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot ; round, and the hoof divided, and fit for treading... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 1:8

And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides ,.... "Hands of a man" denote action, according to knowledge; ministers of the Gospel are men of practice and business, as well as have the theory and knowledge of things; and they act like men in a rational way, according to the will of God revealed in the word: and these being "on their four sides", show that they have much work to do all around, on every side; in ministering the word, administering ordinances;... read more

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