Ezekiel 10:12

Eze 10:12 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.

Ver. 12. And the whole body,] viz., Of the cherubims. {as Eze 1:19-21} The wheels are said to be full of eyes. God, who overruleth all, is ολοφθαλμος, All eye. His providence is like a well drawn picture, which vieweth all that are in the room. {a}

{a} Omnia in omnes partes illustrat Dei providentia. - Jun. Dei providentia oculatissima. - A Lap., Diod.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Eze_10:12

Full of eyes round about.

Divine vigilance

God has been called All eye. This is the terrible pain of living, that there is no privacy, no solitude, no possibility of a man getting absolutely with himself and by himself. Wherever we are we are in public. We can, indeed, exclude the vulgar public, the common herd, the thoughtless multitude; a plain deal door can shut out that kind of world: but what can shut out the beings who do the will of Heaven, and who are full of eyes, their very chariot wheels being luminous with eyes, everything round about them looking at us critically, penetratingly, judicially? We live unwisely when we suppose that we are not being superintended, observed, criticised, and judged. Thou God seest me; The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth. We need not regard this aspect of Divine providence as alarming. The aspect will be to us what we are to it. Faithful servants are encouraged by the remembrance of the fact that the taskmasters eye is upon them; unfaithful servants will regard the action of that eye as a judgment. Thus God is to us what we are to God. If we are humble, He is gracious; if we are froward, He is haughty; if we are sinful, He is angry; if we are prayerful, He is condescending and sympathetic. Let the wicked man tremble when he hears that the whole horizon is starred with gleaming eyes that are looking him through and through; but let the good man rejoice that all heaven is one eye looking upon him with complacency, watching all his action that it may come to joy, reward, rest, and higher power of service in the generations yet to dawn. (J. Parker, D. D.)

The eyes of Providence

Full of eyes round about. Here is a difference from that in Eze_1:18. It is said there the rings were full of eyes; here, that all, even wheels and cherubims, were full of eyes, and He that sat on the throne, even the Lord, He is full of eyes.

1. The motions of causes and creatures here below are not casual or disorderly. The wheels and cherubims are full of eyes, they see and know their way, the work they have to do, the place they are to go unto; the eye of Providence is in every creature and every motion. When things fall out contrary, or beside our expectations, you say they are mischances; but you are mistaken: in sea or land affairs, in martial, magisterial, or ministerial, yea domestic affairs, whatever falls out is an act of Providence; surprising or sinking of ships, disappointment of counsels, defeating of armies, escape of prisoners, interception of letters, firing of towns, drownings, self-murderings, divisions of brethren, clandestine marriages, abortions, divorces, the eyes of Providence are in them all, and heavens intentions are accomplished in them.

2. There is much glory and beauty in the works of Divine providence. All the wheels and cherubims are full of eyes; the wheels have eyes round about, not in one place, but in every place; the cherubims, their bodies, backs, hands, and wings are full of eyes; and (Rev_4:8) they are full of eyes within, they are inwardly and outwardly glorious, beautiful. Mans eyes add not so much beauty and glory to his face, as these eyes do to the works of God in the world. The peacocks train, which is full of eyes, how beautiful and glorious is it! yet far short of the beauty and glory which is in Gods government of the world. When the queen of Sheba saw so much wisdom in a man, so much glory and beauty in the order of his house, she admired, and had no spirit left in her (1Ki_10:4-5). And could we see the wisdom which is in God, the glory and beauty which is in His ordering the wheels, we would be so far from complaining of any wheels motion that we would admire every wheel, the order and motion of it; but oh, how blind are we, who hardly have an eye to see any of these eyes! When a man is on a high hill, there are many hedges, ditches, and separations of one piece of land from another; there are low shrubs and higher trees, here a hill and there a river; yet all contribute something to make a beautiful and glorious prospect to the eye: and so it is in the works of providence. If we were lifted up by the Spirit to view the wheels and their motions, we should find that all these things that seem grievous to us, our wars, divisions, taxes, burdens, and such like, do contribute much towards a glorious prospect. (W. Greenhill, M. A.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

10:12 covered with eyes: The elders’ earlier statement that “the Lord doesn’t see us” (8:12) was foolish and false.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Or, trents.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

body--literally, "flesh," because a body consists of flesh.

wheels . . . full of eyes--The description (Eze 1:18) attributes eyes to the "wheels" alone; here there is added, on closer observation, that the cherubim themselves had them. The "eyes" imply that God, by His wisdom, beautifully reconciles seeming contrarieties (compare Ch2 16:9; Pro 15:3; Zac 4:10).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

He adds, that the wheels were full of eyes. Hence we gather, that although by the events of things God may seem to sport and to have various erratic circuits, yet all things are governed by his inestimable wisdom: for this reason the wheels are said to be full of eyes The Prophet uses the word flesh inappropriately for the very body of the wheels. But we know that the language which he used in exile was not very elegant, and hence it is by no means wonderful if it is rather rough and savors of asperity. Yet the sense is not doubtful, since the whole body of the wheels in their back and their hands was all full of eyes: he next adds, the wheels themselves, not to mark anything different, but afterwards when he speaks of the flesh, the back and the hands, he names the wheels simply: as if he had said that they were full of eyes in every part. Now we see how things contrary in appearance may be best reconciled. For the events of things are as unstable as if any one kept turning’ a wheel: then they become complicated, as if wheel was within wheel: but in the meantime God so tempers all things among themselves which seem to us confused, that it may appear that he perceives best what is necessary to be done, and that the events of things are full of eyes. But whence does this arise? This clearness depends on the angelic inspiration, for the wheels are not turned in different directions of their own accord, but each follows its own leader and head. It is also said, in appearance like the stone Tharsis, (beryl.) Jerome thought the Cilician sea was intended, and so translated it sky-colored: but because we know that this name beryl occurs among the precious stones, I therefore retain the simple sense. Now it follows —

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

12. their whole body] Lit. flesh, a strange term to be used of the living creatures. LXX. omits. The word “backs” is used of the felloes of the wheels in ch. Eze_1:18, and in this verse the living creatures and the wheels are confused together.

wheels that they four had] More naturally: even their four wheels, lit. even they four, their wheels, where “they” anticipates “wheels.”

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings,.... This is to be understood not of the wheels, to whom body or flesh, backs, hands, and wings, do not belong, but of the cherubim; and the sense is, that as the wheels were alike, and had one and the same form and appearance, so had the cherubim; they were exactly alike in their body, backs, hands, and wings; denoting the agreement between Gospel ministers, in their doctrine, work, and conversation:

and the wheels were full of eyes round about; that is, the rings or circles of the wheels, as in Eze 1:18; signifying that churches consisted of enlightened persons, who had a sight of their sin and danger, and looked to Christ for salvation, and walked circumspectly, and watched over one another:

even the wheels that they four had: the wheels that belonged to the four living creatures or cherubim.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Wheels. These, as well as (Haydock) the cherubim, (Theodoret) were full of eyes. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Now he describes both cherubims and wheels as full of wisdom, and as governed by an excellent wisdom.

Their whole body: angels have not bodies of flesh, but

body here is figurative, as also

back, and

wings, and

hands. The two latter are expressly ascribed to the cherubims, Eze 10:8; the two former not mentioned before, (as I think,) but all full of eyes, i.e. wisdom, foresight, watchfulness, and diligence.

That they four had; the four cherubims had to move, govern, and direct.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

12. The prophet now sees, what escaped him at the first appearance of these creatures (Eze_1:5-13), that they, as well as the wheels, were full of eyes. Though the movements of the living creatures and the wheels were like lightning there was nothing capricious or blind about these. An infinite knowledge guided their activity. (Compare Rev_4:6.) As has been said, the prophet receives here a new impression of the all-seeing eye of Jehovah. Everywhere as he stands face to face with the forces of nature he can say — must say, within himself — “Thou God seest me!”

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And their whole body. Here there is distinctly a new feature. Eze_1:18 the "rings" of the wheels were "full of eyes." Here the eyes are everywhere. It is not hard to interpret this part of the vision. The prophet receives a new impression of the all-seeing eye of Jehovah. Everywhere, as he stands face to face with the forces of nature, he can say, must say, within himself, "Thou God seest me". (Gen_16:13) There is an eye that looks upon him where he least expects it. The same thought appears in the stone with seven eyes in Zec_3:9. St. John reproduces it in the same form as Ezekiel, with the exception of the wheels, which form no part of his vision, in Rev_4:6.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And - Now he describes both the cherubim and wheels as full of wisdom, and as governed by an excellent wisdom. The wheels - Which the four cherubim had to move, govern, and direct.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Their whole body

"The whole bodies of the cherubim"

wheels

Translate the word "wheels" as in Ezekiel 1:15.

the wheels were called, "Whirling."

The word "Whirling" means "Spinning." Here it is the name of the wheels. This can be stated in active form. AT: "someone called the wheels, 'Whirling.'" or "the name of the wheels was 'Whirling.'" (See: Active or Passive)

They had four faces each

"Each cherub had four faces" or "Each of the cherubim had four faces." Each creature had a face on the front, a face on the back, and a face on each side of its head. See how you translated this in Ezekiel 1:6.

translationWords

lions

eagle

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

and their hubs Heb. וִידֵיהֶם of the wheels. They are the hole in which the [axle of the] chariot turns, called boyol, nave, hub. Jonathan, however, renders: וְאֲשְּׁדַתְהוֹן, and their pourings.

to their four wheels To the four wheels of the living beings.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.