1321 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Whithersoever the spirit was to go they went,.... That is, the Spirit of God; wherever that leads and directs, whether in the paths of faith or duty, they follow; they walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit; he guides their feet in the way of peace, and into all truth; and leads them in a right way to the land of uprightness: thither [was...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
When those went, [these] went; and when those stood, [these] stood,.... When ministers are active and lively, then the churches are; but when they are indolent, dull, and inactive, then the churches are so likewise: and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them; [See comments on Ezekiel 1:19]; for the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature,.... This was not a real firmament, but the likeness of one; it was like the firmament which God created on the second day, which divided between the waters above and below, and which he called Heaven; and is no other than the airy and starry heavens. Its name is in Hebrew...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And under the firmament [were] their wings straight, the one toward the other,.... A further account is here given of the wings of the living creatures, which were under the firmament: two of their wings were stretched straight upwards towards the firmament, and joined each other; [See comments on Ezekiel 1:9]; everyone had two, which covered on...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And when they went,.... In their ministrations, preaching the Gospel, and administering ordinances: I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters: so the voice of Christ, which is no other than his Gospel preached by his ministers, is said to be as the sound of many waters, Revelation 1:15; which is heard a great way off, as the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And there was a voice from the firmament that [was] over their heads,.... Which was the voice of Christ upon the throne, above the firmament, over the heads of the living creatures; which directed them when and where to go, and what to do, and when and where to stop: when they stood, [and] had let down their wings; either encouraging them to lift...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And above the firmament that [was] over their heads,.... The heads of the living creatures: [was] the likeness of a throne; a symbol of Christ's kingly power and authority, who is the person that sat upon it; as he is God, he is on the same throne with his Father; as Mediator, he is King of saints, and was so from eternity; he exercised his office...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And I saw as the colour of amber,.... That is, the man upon the throne looked like the colour of amber; of which [See comments on Ezekiel 1:4]; as the appearance of fire round about within it; which may denote the deity of Christ, or Christ as God, who is a consuming fire to his enemies; a fire enlightening and warming to his people; as a wall of...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain,.... The rainbow, which is no other than the reflection of the rays of the sun in a thin watery cloud on a rainy day: so [was] the appearance of the brightness round about it; so Christ is represented as clothed with a cloud, and a rainbow about his head, Revelation 10:1; which...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
INTRODUCTION TO Ezekiel 2 This chapter contains me prophet's call, commission, and instruction to prophesy. The preparation to it is in Ezekiel 2:1; being fallen upon his face, he is bid to stand upon his feet, with a promise to speak to him; and the Spirit entering into him, he is set by him on his feet, and he hears what is spoken to him; then...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And he said unto me,.... The glorious Person who sat upon the throne, whose appearance is described in the latter part of the preceding chapter: son of man; as he was to be that spake unto him; and so it may denote relation, affection, and familiarity; or otherwise it is expressive of humiliation; of the frail, mean, and low estate of man, through...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the spirit entered into me,.... Not his own spirit or soul; for it does not appear that that went out of him upon the sight of the vision; nor any of the ministering spirits, the angels, who are never said to enter into the prophets or people of God; but the Holy Spirit of God; the same Spirit that was in the living creatures, and in the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And he said unto me, son of man,.... Now follow his mission and commission, and an account of the persons to whom he was sent: I send thee to the children of Israel; that were captives in Babylon, in Jehoiakim's captivity; so Christ was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, Matthew 15:24; to a rebellious nation, that hath rebelled...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
For [they are] impudent children,.... "Hard of face" (w); as is commonly said of impudent persons, that they are brasen faced; they had a whore's forehead, and refused to be ashamed, and made their faces harder than a rock, Jeremiah 3:3; they declared their sin as Sodam, and hid it not; they sinned openly, and could not blush at it: and...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear,.... Or "cease" (y); that is, from hearing, as Jarchi and Kimchi interpret it; or from sinning, as the Targum. The sense is, whether they would hear the word of the Lord, as spoken by the prophet, attend unto it, receive it, and obey it; or whether they would reject it, turn their...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them,.... Of any of them, the greatest among them, their princes and nobles; who, by their grandeur and authority, their stern looks, and big words, might awe and terrify him; wherefore it follows: neither be afraid of their words; of their calumnies, revilings, and reproaches, their scoffs and jeers, their...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And thou shall speak my words unto them,.... Not his own words, but those the Lord should put into his mouth. The Targum is, "and thou shall prophesy the words of my prophecy unto them:'' whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear; [See comments on Ezekiel 2:5]; for they are most rebellious; or "rebellion" (c) itself; as the carnal mind...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee,.... Which was necessary because he was to speak not his own words, but the Lord's, and therefore ought to hear before he spoke; and indeed those that speak in a public way, for the instruction of others, ought to hear and learn of Christ first: be not thou rebellious, like that rebellious house; who...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And when I looked, behold, an hand [was] sent unto me,.... Not of an angel, but of Christ himself, in a visionary way; for this was not a real hand, but the likeness of one, as in Ezekiel 8:3; and so the Targum here, "and I saw, and behold, the likeness of a hand stretched out on the side to me.'' This symbol was to show that his prophecy, that he...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And he spread it before me,.... Unrolled it, that what was written in it might he seen and read; that so, understanding it, he might deliver the contents of it to the people: thus the Gospel, and the mysteries of it, must be explained by Christ to his ministers; and their understandings must be opened before they will be capable of making them...