10

11

earth; and Jehovah seeth not." Therefore as for me, mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity. Their way will I recompense upon their head. And lo, the man clothed with linen, who had the inkhorn by his side, † returned answer, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me.

CHAPTER X.

1 Then I looked, and lo, in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubim there appeared over them as it were a sapphire-stone, as the appearance of the likeness 2 of a throne. And he spake unto the man clothed with linen, and said; Go in ‡ between the wheels even || under the cherub, and fill thine hands with coals of fire from between the cherubim, and scatter them over the city. And he went in before mine eyes. (Now the cherubim stood on the right side of the house,

3

* H. upon his loins.

+ H. brought back word.

when the man went

H. to between.
H. to under.

11. returned answer.-See Prov. xviii, 13. xxiv. 26.

Most of this chapter has been explained in the notes on c. 1.

2. under the cherub.-See 27 ps. xviii. 11. c. ix. 3. The wheels were below the cherubim, and the firmament was above them.

-over the city.-A beautiful prophecy that Jerusalem should be burnt by the Babylonians.

3.

-the right side of the house. The right side is the south: for the east is the front, or forepart, according to the Hebrews. See Chald. Houbigant, and c. xvi. 46. The cherubim had moved from the situation mentioned c. viii. 3, 4.

when the man went in.-The ancients and Houbigant read &120; and Houbigant remarks that a circle over the word in MSS. points out the corrupt reading. But possibly w may be a gloss.

4 in; and the cloud filled the inner court: and the glory of Jehovah had been lifted up from the cherub to the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was filled with the brightness of 5 Jehovah's glory: and the sound of the cherubim's wings was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of Almighty God when he speaketh.) And it came to pass when he commanded the man clothed with linen, saying, "Take fire from between the wheels," and he went in and stood beside the wheel; that one cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubim to the fire that was between the cherubim, and took thereof, and put it into the hands of him that was clothed with linen: † who took it, and went out. And I saw in the cherubim the form of a man's hand under their wings. And when I looked, lo, four wheels by the cherubim; one wheel by one cherub, and another wheel by another cherub: and the appearance of the wheels was as the colour of a berylAnd as for their appearances, they four had one likeness; as if a wheel had been in the midst of a wheel. When they went, they went upon their four sides: they turned not about when they went: but to the place whither the head looked, || to that they went; they

8

9

10 stone.

11

5.

-had been lifted up.-See c. ix. 3.

-as the voice of Almighty God.—Probably, as thunder. Michaelis. 7. -from between the cherubim.—The hand towards the opposite cherub.

-went out.-To execute the divine command.

8. And I saw.-6. Syr. read 8. The English version requires

.תבנית to agree with,ותרא

11. —they turned not about.-Some MSS. edd. and versions read * twice. Vau precedes.

12. -body.w is thus used c. xi. 19.

and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the

*

wheels, were full of eyes round about, even the wheels 13 which they four had. As for the wheels, ‡ it was cried 14 unto them, O wheel, in mine || hearing. And § every

one had four faces: ** the first face was the face of a cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an 15 eagle. And the cherubim were lifted up: (this is the 16 living creature which I saw by the river Chebar:) and

when the cherubim went, the wheels went by them; and when the cherubim raised their wings to lift themselves up from the earth, the wheels also ++ turned not themselves 17 from beside them. When they stood, these stood; and when they were lifted up, these were lifted up with them: 18 for the spirit of the living creature was in them. Then the glory of Jehovah departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubim. And the

19

*H. their wheels to them four.

+ Or, To the wheels.

Or, one cried.

|| H. ears.

-and their backs.

& H. four faces were to every one. **H. the face of the first, &c. ++ H. they turned.

H. by.

MSS. and edd. But Michaelis renders

the word frons, from the Arab. Suppl. lex. Hebr.

be

---even the wheels which they four had.—The true reading seems to "to their four wheels." So V. 6. and thus 27 is used c. i. 8, 17. Houbigant omits 18. We may read by a transposition of two letters, 8: "to them four and to their wheels." 13. -O wheel.—The wheels were animated, therefore addressed; because capable of obeying the Great Charioteer. c. 1. 20.

Wheel within wheel undrawn,

Itself instinct with spirit.

Par. Lost. vi. 751.

Michaelis observes that the original word signifies a storm or whirlwind. Ps. lxxvii. 18.

14.

of a cherub.-Or ox. See c. i. 10. from 17 arare. Ch. Syr. as 7p, bos, from the Arab. terram vomere proscindere.

17.

19.

-with them.-, many MSS.

and every one stood.-Mr. Dimock reads with 6. Syr. 170y'ı, and they stood.

cherubim raised their wings, and were lifted up from the earth, before mine eyes: when they went out, the wheels also were beside them; and every one stood at the door of the east-gate of Jehovah's house; and the glory of the 20 God of Israel was over them above. This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river Chebar: and I knew that they were the cherubim. Every one had four faces apiece, and † every one four wings; and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their 22 wings. And as for the likeness of their faces, they were the faces which I saw by the river Chebar, their appearances and themselves: they went every one straight forward.

21

1

CHAPTER XI.

Then the spirit lifted me up, and brought me unto the east-gate of Jehovah's house, even to that which looketh eastward; and lo, at the || door of the gate five and twenty men; among whom I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azur, and 2 Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people. Then

H. four faces were to every one.
H. to every one.

H. towards the side of its face.
Or, entrance.

20. —and I knew that they were the cherubim.—From reading and hearing about those that were represented in the Holy of Holies. 22. their appearances and themselves.Sc. ''s, I saw. ut videtur, Ch. Syr. ut sit nominativus 18, ut, Josh. vii. 15, 1n18.

"6. et,

ומראיהם .Secker ". אותם ut abundet ומראיהם אותם Vel. potest legi

1 MS.

1. —and brought me.-Five MSS. and 1 edd. read 'nis.

-which looketh eastward.-The two original words may be a gloss. "which was open castward."

הפתוח Chald, reads

said he unto me; Son of man, these are the men that devise iniquity and * give wicked counsel in this city: 3 who say, "It is not near that we should build houses: 4 this city is the caldron, and we are the flesh." Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O Son of man.

5

6

And the spirit of Jehovah fell upon me; and he said unto me; Say,

Thus saith Jehovah: Thus have ye said, O house of Israel. For I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them. Ye have multiplied your slain in this city; and ye have filled the streets thereof with the 7 slain. Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Your slain whom ye have laid in the midst of it, they are the flesh, and this city is the caldron: and I will bring you

* H. counsel.

3. It is not near &c.-The time is not near that we should build houses in a foreign land. Chald. Jer. xxix. 5. Here we shall die in mature age; as the choice pieces are not taken out of the caldron till they are perfectly prepared. The image is suggested by the process at the Jewish sacrifices. See 1 Sam. ii. 13, 14. In opposition to this, God says, v. 7, that if Jerusalem is the caldron, it is the caldron of the slain : and, v. 11, that it should not be the caldron of many, who were destined to fly and to perish in the extreme parts of their country. See 2 Kings xxv. 6, 7, 21.

"The city is the caldron, and we are the flesh, is a proverb which means, We will share all fates with her; we will either be preserved or perish with her." Michaelis.

5.

-Thus have ye said.-Ye have advanced the assertion mentioned v. 3. "You have rightly said what you say: The city is the caldron, and we are the flesh, shall be fulfilled, but not as you understand it.—Many of you will perish in the city. For those it will be the caldron, and they will be the flesh boiled in it. But yourselves shall not be the flesh in the caldron but you shall be taken out, and elsewhere-cut in pieces.”— Michaelis.

-I know—every one of them.-The affix is distributive.

6. —and ye have filled.-MSS. and edd. read naboi. 7. -I will bring you forth.-Ready

bigant, and MSS. For the fact see Jer. lii. 27.

with the ancients, Hou