Ezekiel 1:27

From what seemed to be His waist up, I saw a gleam like amber, with what looked like fire within it all around. And from what seemed to be His waist down, I saw what looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded Him.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Ezekiel records his vision of the figure seated on the sapphire throne from Ezekiel 1:26, describing the divine manifestation he witnesses during his exilic revelations.

The words — The text employs חַשׁמַל (chashmal), literally a shining substance like amber, and אֵשׁ ('esh), meaning fire, to describe the glowing appearance surrounding the figure from the waist up and down.

The thread — This combination of fire, brilliant light, and a human-like figure appears in Ezekiel 1:4 and Ezekiel 8:2, while Hebrews 12:29 later references God as a consuming fire.

Why it lands — The vision demands recognition of God's overwhelming holiness and prompts immediate physical prostration, as Ezekiel falls facedown in Ezekiel 1:28 upon witnessing the glory of the LORD.

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

וָאֵ֣רֶא׀va./'E.re'and/ I saw כְּעֵ֣יןke./'Einlike/ [the] appearance of חַשְׁמַ֗לchash.Mala shining substance כְּמַרְאֵה־ke./mar.'eh-like/ [the] appearance of אֵ֤שׁ'eshfire בֵּֽית־beit-withinלָהּ֙la/hto/ itסָבִ֔יבsa.Viv[was] all around מִמַּרְאֵ֥הmi./mar.'Ehfrom/ [the] appearance of מָתְנָ֖יוma.te.Na/vhips/ his וּלְמָ֑עְלָהu./le./Ma.'e.la/hand/ <to>/ upwards/ <towards>וּמִמַּרְאֵ֤הu./mi./mar.'Ehand/ from/ [the] appearance of מָתְנָיו֙ma.te.Na/vhips/ his וּלְמַ֔טָּהu./le./Ma.tahand/ <to>/ downwards רָאִ֙יתִי֙ra.'I.tiI saw כְּמַרְאֵה־ke./mar.'eh-like/ [the] appearance of אֵ֔שׁ'Eshfire וְנֹ֥גַֽהּve./No.gahand/ brightnessל֖וֹl/oof/ himסָבִֽיב׃sa.Viv[was] all around

King James Version

And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.

Cross-references

Ezekiel 1:4 I looked and saw a whirlwind coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing back and forth and brilliant light all around it. In the center of the fire was a gleam like amber,
Ezekiel 8:2 Then I looked and saw a figure like that of a man. From His waist down His appearance was like fire, and from His waist up He was as bright as the gleam of amber.
Hebrews 12:29 “For our God is a consuming fire.”
Psalms 97:2 Clouds and darkness surround Him; righteousness and justice are His throne’s foundation.
Deuteronomy 4:24 For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
Psalms 50:3 Our God approaches and will not be silent! Consuming fire precedes Him, and a tempest rages around Him.
2 Thessalonians 1:8 in blazing fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
Revelation 1:14 The hair of His head was white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were like a blazing fire.