Verse 4
4. whirlwind—emblematic of God's judgments (Jeremiah 23:19; Jeremiah 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 Exodus 9:24, as to the "fire mingled with the hail."
brightness . . . about it—that is, about the "cloud."
out of the midst thereof—that is, out of the midst of the "fire."
colour of amber—rather, "the glancing brightness (literally, 'the eye', and so the glancing appearance) of polished brass. The Hebrew, chasmal, is from two roots, "smooth" and "brass" (compare Ezekiel 1:7; Revelation 1:15) [GESENIUS]. The Septuagint and Vulgate translate it, "electrum"; a brilliant metal compounded of gold and silver.
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