The Skeptics Annotated Bible (627 page)

9 Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and the LORD seeth not.

10 And as for me also,
mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity
, but I will recompense their way upon their head.

(9.10) “Mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity.”

11 And, behold
, the man clothed with linen
, which had the inkhorn by his side,
reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me.

(9.11)
“The man clothed with linen … reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me.”

(10.1-2) A sapphire stone that looked like a throne appears in the firmament, and a man clothed with linen is told by God to scatter coals over the city.

10
Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubims there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne.

(10.1)
“In the firmament that was above … the cherubims there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne.”

2 And
he
spake unto the man clothed with linen, and
said, Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims, and scatter them over the city
. And he went in in my sight.

(10.2)
“He … said, Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims, and scatter them over the city.”

3 Now the cherubims stood on the right side of the house, when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court.

(10.4-5) The glory of the Lord filled a house with a clouldlike brightness and the beating of angel wings sounded just like God’s voice.

4
Then the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the LORD’S glory
.

(10.4)
“Then the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the LORD’s glory.”

5
And the sound of the cherubims’ wings was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of the Almighty God when he speaketh.

(10.5)
“And the sound of the cherubims’ wings was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of the Almighty God when he speaketh.”

(10.6-7) The “man clothed in linen” (God’s evil angel) takes fire from between the wheels and cherubim.

6 And it came to pass, that when
he
had
commanded the man clothed with linen, saying, Take fire from between the wheels, from between the cherubims; then he went in, and stood beside the wheels.

(10.6)
“He … commanded the man clothed with linen, saying, Take fire from between the wheels, from between the cherubims; then he went in, and stood beside the wheels.”

7
And one cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubims unto the fire that was between the cherubims, and took thereof, and put it into the hands of him that was clothed with linen: who took it, and went out.

(10.7)
“And one cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubims unto the fire that was between the cherubims, and took thereof, and put it into the hands of him that was clothed with linen: who took it, and went out.”

(10.8-10) A human hand appears under the wings of the cherubim, each of which has its own wheel, or a wheel within a wheel, or whatever.

8 And
there appeared in the cherubims the form of a man’s hand under their wings.

(10.8)
“There appeared in the cherubims the form of a man’s hand under their wings.”

9 And when I looked,
behold the four wheels by the cherubims, one wheel by one cherub, and another wheel by another cherub
: and the appearance of the wheels was as the colour of a beryl stone.

10 And as for their appearances, they four had one likeness, as if a wheel had been in the midst of a wheel.

(10.9-10)
“Behold the four wheels by the cherubims, one wheel by one cherub, and another wheel by another cherub … they four had one likeness, as if a wheel had been in the midst of a wheel.”

11 When they went, they went upon their four sides; they turned not as they went, but to the place whither the head looked they followed it; they turned not as they went.

(10.12-14) Ezekiel’s wheels and angels are covered with eyes; God screams at the wheels, saying, “O wheel”; every angel has four faces, those of an angel, man, lion, and eagle.

12 And
their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes round about, even the wheels that they four had.

(10.12)
“Their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes round about, even the wheels that they four had.”

13
As for the wheels, it was cried unto them in my hearing, O wheel.

(10.13)
“As for the wheels, it was cried unto them in my hearing, O wheel.”

14 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 eagle.

(10.14)
“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 eagle.”

15 And the cherubims were lifted up. This is the living creature that I saw by the river of Chebar.

16 And when the cherubims went, the wheels went by them: and when the cherubims lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth, the same wheels also turned not from beside them.

17 When they stood, these stood; and when they were lifted up, these lifted up themselves also: for the spirit of the living creature was in them.

(10.18-21) When the show was over, the glory of the Lord, the cherubim (with detached human hands under their wings), and the wheels took off, after hanging out over the house for a while.

18
Then the glory of the LORD departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubims.

(10.18)
“Then the glory of the LORD departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubims.”

19 And
the cherubims
lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight: when they
went out, the wheels also were beside them
, and every one stood at the door of the east gate of the LORD’S house;
and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above
.

(10.19)
“The cherubims … went out, the wheels also were beside them … and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.”

20 This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river of Chebar; and I knew that they were the cherubims.