Ezekiel 1:13

In the midst of the living creatures was the appearance of glowing coals of fire, or of torches. Fire moved back and forth between the living creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it.

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — Ezekiel records a visionary encounter with four living creatures moving forward in direct response to the spirit.

The words — The Hebrew דְּמ֣וּת (də.mût) conveys a visible likeness or appearance, while גַחֲלֵי־אֵ֗שׁ (ga.cha.lei-'eš) literally means coals of fire.

The thread — Fire imagery recurs as divine manifestation in Genesis 15:17, Psalm 104:4, and Revelation 4:5.

Why it lands — The text describes fire and lightning moving between the creatures before offering any theological inference. It demands recognition of divine presence as both illuminating and consuming, requiring the reader to observe the vision's structure before drawing conclusions.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וּדְמ֨וּתu./de.Mutand/ [the] likeness of הַחַיּ֜וֹתha./chai.Yotthe/ living creatures מַרְאֵיהֶ֣םmar.'ei./Hemappearance/ their כְּגַחֲלֵי־ke./ga.cha.lei-[was] like/ coals of אֵ֗שׁ'Eshfire בֹּֽעֲרוֹת֙bo.'a.rOtburning כְּמַרְאֵ֣הke./mar.'Ehlike/ [the] appearance of הַלַּפִּדִ֔יםha./la.pi.Dim<the>/ torches הִ֕יאhi'it מִתְהַלֶּ֖כֶתmit.ha.Le.khet[was] moving about בֵּ֣יןbeinbetween הַחַיּ֑וֹתha./chai.Yotthe/ living creatures וְנֹ֣גַהּve./No.gahand/ brightness לָאֵ֔שׁla./'Esh[belonged] to the/ fire וּמִן־u./min-and/ from הָאֵ֖שׁha./'Eshthe/ fire יוֹצֵ֥אyo.Tze'[was] coming out בָרָֽק׃va.Raklightning

King James Version

As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.

Cross-references

Psalms 104:4 He makes the winds His messengers, flames of fire His servants.
Revelation 4:5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder. Before the throne burned seven torches of fire. These are the seven spirits of God.
Genesis 15:17 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, behold, a smoking firepot and a flaming torch appeared and passed between the halves of the carcasses.
Ezekiel 1:7 Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the hooves of a calf, gleaming like polished bronze.
Daniel 10:5 I lifted up my eyes, and behold, there was a certain man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist.
Matthew 28:3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.
Revelation 10:1 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head. His face was like the sun, and his legs were like pillars of fire.
Revelation 18:1 After this I saw another angel descending from heaven with great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his glory.