Bible Commentaries
Ezekiel 10

Verses 1-22

Renewal o£ the Vision of God (10:1-22)

Chapter 10 is a conglomerate which in all probability must be credited to an editor, although its content is substantially the same as that of chapter 1. The apocalyptic figure of destruction dressed in linen (ch. 9) is now related to the God whose presence has been seen in the plain in Mesopotamia. Already the unmarked citizens of the city are dead; now the city itself must be destroyed. To obtain the destructive fire of God the man in linen is ordered to get coals from among the wheels and scatter them over the city. Once this connection is made, a descriptive paragraph follows which locates the glory of the Lord and follows the movement thereof. It has moved from the cherubim to the threshold of the house, the attendant noise being heard as far out as the outer court. God is preparing to leave the sanctuary which is no longer worthy to be his dwelling place (vss. 3-5). Following this, the order for destruction is given, and it is carried out by the man in linen.

Verses 9-17 are a shorter description of the inaugural vision of the prophet. It is quite possible that the vision was actually renewed in the prophet’s experience at this time, but the description of the vision is, as we would expect, patterned after the literary material in chapter 1 mixed with apocalyptic elements.

Verses 18-19 reveal the major purpose or theme of the chapter, namely, the withdrawal of God’s presence from his traditional dwelling place. Reasons for this have been detailed in the previous chapters; now only the act itself remains to be carried out. The cherubim, over whom the divine presence (Shekinah) stood, rose from the Holy of Holies and came to the East Gate of the Temple. There at the gate where the cherubim were poised, the glory of the Lord was seen, rather than in the Holy of Holies where it had long been housed.

Verses 20-22 identify this vision with the prophet’s inaugural vision seen by the River Chebar. Descriptive details are given as evidence that this "glory of the Lord" about to depart from the Temple is the same glory as that which was seen by the prophet in Mesopotamia.