Bible Strands
Ezekiel 11:22
Then the cherubim, with the wheels beside them, spread their wings, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Ezekiel records a vision of divine judgment and departure during the exile. The prophet observes the cherubim and wheels preparing to move immediately after God declares judgment on those pursuing detestable things.
The words — The Hebrew וַיִּשְׂאוּ (va-yiś’û) literally means "and they lifted up," describing the cherubim raising their wings. The phrase וּכְבוֹד אֱלֹהֵי (u-kᵊḇôd ’ĕlōhê) translates to "and the glory of the God," indicating the divine presence positioned above the moving creatures and wheels.
The thread — This coordinated movement of cherubim and wheels appears in Ezekiel 10:19 and Ezekiel 1:19. The same sequence repeats as the glory rises from the city to stand over the eastern mountain in Ezekiel 11:23.
Why it lands — The text records the physical withdrawal of divine presence following judgment, requiring recognition that God’s proximity is not automatic but tied to covenant obedience. Readers must account for the reality that divine glory departs when hearts pursue detestable things.
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
King James Version
Then did the cherubims lift up their wings, and the wheels beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.
Cross-references
- Ezekiel 10:19 As I watched, the cherubim lifted their wings and rose up from the ground, with the wheels beside them as they went. And they stopped at the entrance of the east gate of the house of the LORD, with the glory of the God of Israel above them.
- Ezekiel 1:19 So as the living creatures moved, the wheels moved beside them, and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose.