God’s Glory Exits the Temple
וָאֶרְאֶ֗ה וְהִנֵּ֤ה אֶל־הָרָקִ֙יעַ֙ אֲשֶׁר֙ עַל־רֹ֣אשׁ הַכְּרֻבִ֔ים כְּאֶ֣בֶן סַפִּ֔יר כְּמַרְאֵ֖ה דְּמ֣וּת כִּסֵּ֑א נִרְאָ֖ה עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃
And I looked and saw above the expanse, above the heads of the cherubim, the likeness of a throne of sapphire.
וַיֹּ֜אמֶר אֶל־הָאִ֣ישׁ׀ לְבֻ֣שׁ הַבַּדִּ֗ים וַיֹּ֡אמֶר בֹּא֩ אֶל־בֵּינ֨וֹת לַגַּלְגַּ֜ל אֶל־תַּ֣חַת לַכְּר֗וּב וּמַלֵּ֨א חָפְנֶ֤יךָ גַֽחֲלֵי־אֵשׁ֙ מִבֵּינ֣וֹת לַכְּרֻבִ֔ים וּזְרֹ֖ק עַל־הָעִ֑יר וַיָּבֹ֖א לְעֵינָֽי׃
And the LORD said to the man clothed in linen, “Go inside the wheelwork beneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with burning coals from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city.” And as I watched, he went in.
וְהַכְּרֻבִ֗ים עֹֽמְדִ֛ים מִימִ֥ין לַבַּ֖יִת בְּבֹא֣וֹ הָאִ֑ישׁ וְהֶעָנָ֣ן מָלֵ֔א אֶת־הֶחָצֵ֖ר הַפְּנִימִֽית׃
Now when the man went in, the cherubim were standing on the south side of the temple, and a cloud filled the inner court.
וַיָּ֤רָם כְּבוֹד־יְהוָה֙ מֵעַ֣ל הַכְּר֔וּב עַ֖ל מִפְתַּ֣ן הַבָּ֑יִת וַיִּמָּלֵ֤א הַבַּ֙יִת֙ אֶת־הֶ֣עָנָ֔ן וְהֶֽחָצֵר֙ מָֽלְאָ֔ה אֶת־נֹ֖גַהּ כְּב֥וֹד יְהוָֽה׃
Then the glory of the LORD rose from above the cherubim and stood over the threshold of the temple. The temple was filled with the cloud, and the court was filled with the brightness of the glory of the LORD.
וְקוֹל֙ כַּנְפֵ֣י הַכְּרוּבִ֔ים נִשְׁמַ֕ע עַד־הֶחָצֵ֖ר הַחִיצֹנָ֑ה כְּק֥וֹל אֵל־שַׁדַּ֖י בְּדַבְּרֽוֹ׃
The sound of the wings of the cherubim could be heard as far as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty when He speaks.
וַיְהִ֗י בְּצַוֹּתוֹ֙ אֶת־הָאִ֤ישׁ לְבֻֽשׁ־הַבַּדִּים֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר קַ֥ח אֵשׁ֙ מִבֵּינ֣וֹת לַגַּלְגַּ֔ל מִבֵּינ֖וֹת לַכְּרוּבִ֑ים וַיָּבֹא֙ וַֽיַּעֲמֹ֔ד אֵ֖צֶל הָאוֹפָֽן׃
When the LORD commanded the man clothed in linen, saying, “Take fire from within the wheelwork, from among the cherubim,” the man went in and stood beside a wheel.
וַיִּשְׁלַח֩ הַכְּר֨וּב אֶת־יָד֜וֹ מִבֵּינ֣וֹת לַכְּרוּבִ֗ים אֶל־הָאֵשׁ֙ אֲשֶׁר֙ בֵּינ֣וֹת הַכְּרֻבִ֔ים וַיִּשָּׂא֙ וַיִּתֵּ֔ן אֶל־חָפְנֵ֖י לְבֻ֣שׁ הַבַּדִּ֑ים וַיִּקַּ֖ח וַיֵּצֵֽא׃
Then one of the cherubim reached out his hand and took some of the fire that was among them. And he put it into the hands of the man clothed in linen, who received it and went out.
וַיֵּרָ֖א לַכְּרֻבִ֑ים תַּבְנִית֙ יַד־אָדָ֔ם תַּ֖חַת כַּנְפֵיהֶֽם׃
(The cherubim appeared to have the form of human hands under their wings.)
וָאֶרְאֶ֗ה וְהִנֵּ֨ה אַרְבָּעָ֣ה אוֹפַנִּים֮ אֵ֣צֶל הַכְּרוּבִים֒ אוֹפַ֣ן אֶחָ֗ד אֵ֚צֶל הַכְּר֣וּב אֶחָ֔ד וְאוֹפַ֣ן אֶחָ֔ד אֵ֖צֶל הַכְּר֣וּב אֶחָ֑ד וּמַרְאֵה֙ הָא֣וֹפַנִּ֔ים כְּעֵ֖ין אֶ֥בֶן תַּרְשִֽׁישׁ׃
Then I looked and saw four wheels beside the cherubim, one wheel beside each cherub. And the wheels gleamed like a beryl stone.
וּמַ֨רְאֵיהֶ֔ם דְּמ֥וּת אֶחָ֖ד לְאַרְבַּעְתָּ֑ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר יִהְיֶ֥ה הָאוֹפַ֖ן בְּת֥וֹךְ הָאוֹפָֽן׃
As for their appearance, all four had the same form, like a wheel within a wheel.
בְּלֶכְתָּ֗ם אֶל־אַרְבַּ֤עַת רִבְעֵיהֶם֙ יֵלֵ֔כוּ לֹ֥א יִסַּ֖בּוּ בְּלֶכְתָּ֑ם כִּ֣י הַמָּק֞וֹם אֲשֶׁר־יִפְנֶ֤ה הָרֹאשׁ֙ אַחֲרָ֣יו יֵלֵ֔כוּ לֹ֥א יִסַּ֖בּוּ בְּלֶכְתָּֽם׃
When they moved, they would go in any of the four directions, without turning as they moved. For wherever the head faced, the cherubim would go in that direction, without turning as they moved.
וְכָל־בְּשָׂרָם֙ וְגַבֵּהֶ֔ם וִֽידֵיהֶ֖ם וְכַנְפֵיהֶ֑ם וְהָאֽוֹפַנִּ֗ים מְלֵאִ֤ים עֵינַ֙יִם֙ סָבִ֔יב לְאַרְבַּעְתָּ֖ם אוֹפַנֵּיהֶֽם׃
Their entire bodies, including their backs, hands, and wings, were full of eyes all around, as were their four wheels.
לָא֖וֹפַנִּ֑ים לָהֶ֛ם קוֹרָ֥א הַגַּלְגַּ֖ל בְּאָזְנָֽי׃
I heard the wheels being called “the whirling wheels.”
וְאַרְבָּעָ֥ה פָנִ֖ים לְאֶחָ֑ד פְּנֵ֨י הָאֶחָ֜ד פְּנֵ֣י הַכְּר֗וּב וּפְנֵ֤י הַשֵּׁנִי֙ פְּנֵ֣י אָדָ֔ם וְהַשְּׁלִישִׁי֙ פְּנֵ֣י אַרְיֵ֔ה וְהָרְבִיעִ֖י פְּנֵי־נָֽשֶׁר׃
Each of the cherubim had four faces: the first face was that of a cherub, the second that of a man, the third that of a lion, and the fourth that of an eagle.
וַיֵּרֹ֖מּוּ הַכְּרוּבִ֑ים הִ֣יא הַחַיָּ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר רָאִ֖יתִי בִּֽנְהַר־כְּבָֽר׃
Then the cherubim rose upward. These were the living creatures I had seen by the River Kebar.
וּבְלֶ֙כֶת֙ הַכְּרוּבִ֔ים יֵלְכ֥וּ הָאוֹפַנִּ֖ים אֶצְלָ֑ם וּבִשְׂאֵ֨ת הַכְּרוּבִ֜ים אֶת־כַּנְפֵיהֶ֗ם לָרוּם֙ מֵעַ֣ל הָאָ֔רֶץ לֹא־יִסַּ֧בּוּ הָאוֹפַנִּ֛ים גַּם־הֵ֖ם מֵאֶצְלָֽם׃
When the cherubim moved, the wheels moved beside them, and even when they spread their wings to rise from the ground, the wheels did not veer away from their side.
בְּעָמְדָ֣ם יַעֲמֹ֔דוּ וּבְרוֹמָ֖ם יֵר֣וֹמּוּ אוֹתָ֑ם כִּ֛י ר֥וּחַ הַחַיָּ֖ה בָּהֶֽם׃
When the cherubim stood still, the wheels also stood still, and when they ascended, the wheels ascended with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
וַיֵּצֵא֙ כְּב֣וֹד יְהוָ֔ה מֵעַ֖ל מִפְתַּ֣ן הַבָּ֑יִת וַֽיַּעֲמֹ֖ד עַל־הַכְּרוּבִֽים׃
Then the glory of the LORD moved away from the threshold of the temple and stood above the cherubim.
וַיִּשְׂא֣וּ הַכְּרוּבִ֣ים אֶת־כַּ֠נְפֵיהֶם וַיֵּר֨וֹמּוּ מִן־הָאָ֤רֶץ לְעֵינַי֙ בְּצֵאתָ֔ם וְהָאֽוֹפַנִּ֖ים לְעֻמָּתָ֑ם וַֽיַּעֲמֹ֗ד פֶּ֣תַח שַׁ֤עַר בֵּית־יְהוָה֙ הַקַּדְמוֹנִ֔י וּכְב֧וֹד אֱלֹהֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם מִלְמָֽעְלָה׃
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.
הִ֣יא הַחַיָּ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר רָאִ֛יתִי תַּ֥חַת אֱלֹהֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בִּֽנְהַר־כְּבָ֑ר וָאֵדַ֕ע כִּ֥י כְרוּבִ֖ים הֵֽמָּה׃
These were the living creatures I had seen beneath the God of Israel by the River Kebar, and I knew that they were cherubim.
אַרְבָּעָ֨ה אַרְבָּעָ֤ה פָנִים֙ לְאֶחָ֔ד וְאַרְבַּ֥ע כְּנָפַ֖יִם לְאֶחָ֑ד וּדְמוּת֙ יְדֵ֣י אָדָ֔ם תַּ֖חַת כַּנְפֵיהֶֽם׃
Each had four faces and four wings, with what looked like human hands under their wings.
וּדְמ֣וּת פְּנֵיהֶ֔ם הֵ֣מָּה הַפָּנִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר רָאִ֙יתִי֙ עַל־נְהַר־כְּבָ֔ר מַרְאֵיהֶ֖ם וְאוֹתָ֑ם אִ֛ישׁ אֶל־עֵ֥בֶר פָּנָ֖יו יֵלֵֽכוּ׃
Their faces looked like the faces I had seen by the River Kebar. Each creature went straight ahead.