The glory mounts from the cherubim to the threshold; coals of fire are scattered over the city, and the chariot of wheels and wings prepares to depart.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
Then I looked, and, behold, upon the firmament that was over the head of the cherubim, there appeared above them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne.
verse value 3705
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 59 letters. Verse gematria: 3705 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "that" (אֲשֶׁר֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "upon·the·firmament" (אֶל־הָרָקִ֙יעַ֙, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "upon·the·firmament" (אֶל־הָרָקִ֙יעַ֙), "stone" (כְּאֶ֣בֶן), "appeared" (נִרְאָ֖ה). The root ראה appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 341x in Ezekiel); "above·them" (root על, 272x in Ezekiel); "and·I·saw" (root ראה, 74x in Ezekiel). First appearance of the root אבן ("stone") in Ezekiel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'throne', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 2 words. Full calculation: וָאֶרְאֶ֗ה [and·I·saw] (213) + וְהִנֵּ֤ה [and·behold] (66) + אֶל־הָרָקִ֙יעַ֙ [upon·the·firmament] (416) + אֲשֶׁר֙ [that] (501) + עַל־רֹ֣אשׁ [over·head·of] (601) + הַכְּרֻבִ֔ים [the·cherubim] (277) + כְּאֶ֣בֶן [stone] (73) + סַפִּ֔יר [sapphire] (350) + כְּמַרְאֵ֖ה [as·sight·of] (266) + דְּמ֣וּת [likeness·of] (450) + כִּסֵּ֑א [throne] (81) + נִרְאָ֖ה [appeared] (256) + עֲלֵיהֶֽם [above·them] (155) = 3705.
Rashi
“Upon the heads of the cherubim.” Upon the heads of the four living creatures of the chariot. And in this passage, He returned to calling them “cherubim,” because the face of the ox was transformed into the face of a cherub, as it is written in this passage. And our Sages said: Ezekiel sought mercy, and He transformed it into a cherub. He said before Him: “Master of the Universe, an accuser cannot become a defender.”
Radak
"And I looked, and behold, unto the firmament." Like "upon the firmament," and so too "unto the mountains I have not eaten," and cases like these are many.
"Which were above the heads of the cherubim." This is what was stated in the first prophetic vision: "And above the expanse that was over their heads," for the living creatures mentioned in that vision are the cherubim mentioned in this vision, as it will be stated below: "And I knew that they were cherubim."
Metzudat David
“Upon the heads of the cherubim.” These are the four living creatures of the Chariot, and similarly it is stated there: “And the likeness of the firmament was over their heads” (above, 1:22). And He called them “cherubim” because “cherub” is Aramaic for “child.” And the description of the appearance of the body of all the living creatures was in the form of a human being, as it is stated: “And this was their appearance: the likeness of a man” (ibid.).
Like a sapphire stone. The firmament was upon something shining like a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne:
It appeared above them. Above the cherubim in the firmament that is above them; and the matter is repeated for the sake of additional clarification.
Metzudat Zion
"to the firmament." Upon the firmament:
The cherubim. The Targum translates the word *tenuq* as *ravya*:
Malbim
And I saw then, behold, a vision of the Throne of Glory, as if the Lord was seated on the Throne of Mercy to lighten their punishment somewhat through the merits mentioned above and to leave them a remnant. And since, according to the governance of the Ophanim—which is the world of the celestial spheres, the system, and nature—it would have been fitting for all of them to fall by the sword, and then He would not have burned the city and the Temple but would have killed them all in His anger against them, the Lord changed Nebuchadnezzar's choice so that he would burn the city and the Temple and leave a remnant of the people under Gedaliah, and exile some of them, and not kill them all, and His wrath was spent on the wood and the stones. And since this matter was one of providence and not of the system, it appeared to him that this command issued from the world of the Throne, which is above the governors of the Ophanim, and He said to the man clothed in linen: Since the burning of the city and the Temple was due to mercy, as mentioned above, He commanded this to the one who teaches merit, that he should do this. And in the allegory, He commanded Jeremiah to prophesy about the burning of the city and the Temple, for this was for the benefit of Israel and their salvation. And He said, "Come between the wheels." The wheel is not the Ophan itself, as I explained in the Beur HaMilot [Explanation of the Words], but rather the thing that rolls the Ophan, which is the legs of the living creatures, whose feet are like the feet of a calf, which roll the Ophanim. Therefore, He said, "Underneath the cherub," meaning in the place of the soles of the feet of the cherubim. And He said to fill his hands with coals of fire from there, for it is impossible to take fire from the Ophanim and the system itself, for according to the system, only the destruction of the nation was obligated, not the burning. Rather, the cherubim moved the system outside of its nature and ravaged the system by the command of the One Who sits high on the Throne, to burn the city and to save the remnant of Israel.
And He spoke to the man clothed in linen, and said: ‘Go in between the wheelwork, even under the cherub, and fill both your hands with coals of fire from between the cherubim, and dash them against the city.’ And he went in in my sight.
verse value 5243
Insights
Verse structure: 19 words, 94 letters. The shortest word is "go" (בֹּא֩, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·between" (אֶל־בֵּינ֨וֹת, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 257: and·said, and·said. 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "to·between" (אֶל־בֵּינ֨וֹת), "and·fill" (וּמַלֵּ֨א), "your·handfuls" (חׇפְנֶ֤יךָ). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·said" (root אמר, 362x in Ezekiel); "to·the·man" (root איל, 238x in Ezekiel); "go" (root בוא, 175x in Ezekiel). First appearance of the root גלגל ("to·the·wheel") in Ezekiel. First appearance of the root זרק ("and·scatter") in Ezekiel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'against·the·city', dividing the verse into phrases of 17 and 2 words.
Rashi
Between the wheels. Between the wheels: wherever it is stated "and He said, and He said," it is only for the purpose of deriving that the Holy One, blessed be He, spoke to Gabriel, and he inquired of the cherub to grant them to him, so that the coals might be cooled and the decree lightened. And so it is explicitly stated in this matter: "and he put them into the palms of the one clothed in linen."
“And throw them upon the city.” He did not cast them immediately; and even though he received them clothed in the linen breeches, he did not discard them until after six years from the time of their receipt, so that the coals would grow dim in his hand for all those six years. And you may know this, for this prophecy was spoken in the sixth year, and the city was destroyed in the eleventh year.
Radak
“And He said to the man clothed in linen.” This too is pronounced with a shva naḥ, in accordance with the rule for adjacent words.
“Between the wheels, under the cherub.” The lamed in “to the wheels” is in place of the definite article he, and similarly “to the cherub” is like “the cherub,” and “between the cherubim” is like “the cherubim.” And similar to this is “which leaned on the king’s arm, reaching up to the heavens,” as it says in Shir LaMa'alot.
“Lagalgol.” This is in the general sense, as if he had said “lagalgolim” (to the wheels). And similarly, it says “laofanim” (to the wheels); he calls them “galgol” in my ears. And similarly, it says “lakeruv” (to the cherub) in the general sense. And similarly, it says “mevinot lagalgol” (from between the wheel)—meaning “mevinot lakeruvim” (from between the cherubim).
"Al tachat." Just as [the word] "beinot" [is explained], and in His saying "tachat," He alluded that the wheel was beneath the cherub in its elevation.
“Coals of fire” refers to those situated between the cherubim. This is the same as “from beneath the cherubim”; this is what was said above concerning the first chariot: it walks among the living creatures, and there we explained the matter.
"And he came into My sight." He came to the space between the wheels, as He had commanded him, and I saw his coming, but he did not complete [the account of] what he did; rather, he interrupted the matter with the topic of the cherubim and said:
Metzudat David
"And He said." The One seated on the throne... and to be concise, we rely on the reader's understanding. The repetition of the word "And He said" indicates haste.
Between the wheel. "Between the wheels":
"Under the cherubim." This means: to the portion of the space that is beneath the cherubim, which is at the lower extremities of the wheels.
And to fill. This means: when you are there, you shall stretch out your hand to fill your palms with coals of fire from between the cherubim and throw them upon the city, and this is a sign of destruction, as if it were consumed by fire.
And he came into my sight. Dressed in the linen garments he came there, and I saw him coming:
Metzudat Zion
Between. From the language of “between”:
To the sphere. The letter lamed is in place of the definite article he, and they are the wheels, and He called them by the general name:
"to the cherub" – like "the cherub":
Chafnaich. Thus, the term "chafnaich" refers to the palm of the hand, as in the verse: "full of your handfuls" (Exodus 9:8).
To the cherubim. Like "the cherubim":
Now the cherubim stood on the right side of the house, when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court.
verse value 2917
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 50 letters. The shortest word is "filled" (מָלֵ֔א, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·the·cherubim" (וְהַכְּרֻבִ֗ים, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "and·the·cherubim" (וְהַכְּרֻבִ֗ים), "to·the·right·of" (מִימִ֥ין), "and·the·cloud" (וְהֶעָנָ֣ן). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "when·he·entered" (root בוא, 175x in Ezekiel); "to·the·house" (root בית, 159x in Ezekiel); "man" (root איש, 84x in Ezekiel). First appearance of the root ימין ("to·the·right·of") in Ezekiel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'man', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְהַכְּרֻבִ֗ים [and·the·cherubim] (283) + עֹ֥מְדִ֛ים [standing] (164) + מִימִ֥ין [to·the·right·of] (150) + לַבַּ֖יִת [to·the·house] (442) + בְּבֹא֣וֹ [when·he·entered] (11) + הָאִ֑ישׁ [man] (316) + וְהֶעָנָ֣ן [and·the·cloud] (181) + מָלֵ֔א [filled] (71) + אֶת־הֶחָצֵ֖ר [the·court] (704) + הַפְּנִימִֽית [inner] (595) = 2917.
Rashi
To the right of the house. In the south:
“The inner courtyard.” This is the Azarah.
Radak
"And the cherubim were standing on the right side of the house when the man came." God showed the prophet the cherubim on the right side of the house, because He had shown him the abominations that they were performing toward the north of the house, for the reason that we have written, He showed him the cherubim with their faces turned away.
“b’vo ha’ish” – Just as it says, “And she saw the child, and the man was clothed in linen,” so too here, “b’vo” means “when he came,” specifically when he came to stand between the wheels.
"And the cloud filled the inner court." The inner court is the Azarah, and the outer court is the Temple Mount. We have already explained the matter of the cloud in the first chariot vision, in the esoteric (mystical) tradition. When the Divine Presence was in the Temple, the cloud was in the court; and when the Divine Presence departed from the Temple to the court, the Temple was filled with the cloud.
And the court was filled with the splendor of the glory of the Lord. For the glory went forth by the way of the court.
Metzudat David
“From the right of the House, etc.” When He came there, clothed in linen, the cherubim stood in the southern wind of the House.
"The cloud was full." The cloud filled the inner courtyard, which is the Court of the Priests.
Malbim
And the cherubim stood to the right of the House, for then they pleaded merit on behalf of Israel and stood to the right, and the cloud still filled the inner courtyard, for the Divine Presence had not yet departed from the Temple.
And the glory of Hashem mounted up from the cherub to the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of Hashem’S glory.
verse value 3756
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 67 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָֽה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "to" (עַ֖ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "glory·of·Hashem" (כְּבוֹד־יְהֹוָה֙, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 417: the·house, the·house. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "and·rose" (וַיָּ֤רׇם), "and·he·was·filled" (וַיִּמָּלֵ֤א), "the·cloud" (אֶת־הֶ֣עָנָ֔ן). The root כבוד appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "from" (root על, 272x in Ezekiel); "the·house" (root בית, 159x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·house', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 8 words.
Rashi
“On the threshold of the house.” This is the very removal mentioned above:
Radak
And he lifted up. It is clear:
Metzudat David
And the glory of the Lord was lifted up. The Divine Presence withdrew from above the cherub on the Ark-cover and descended to the threshold of the Holy of Holies (and perhaps this is the withdrawal mentioned above, or perhaps it returned to the cherubim and then withdrew again):
"And the courtyard." This refers to the inner courtyard.
"The brightness." Illumination and rising from the Glory of the Lord:
Metzudat Zion
And he lifted up. The language of lifting up and removal.
The cherub. He called them by their general name:
Threshold. The doorsill:
Nogah. The matter is of illumination and shining:
Malbim
"And He lifted up" — And now the Divine Presence withdrew from the cherub to the threshold; that is to say, the matter that is to be done now is not by the power of the cherub, but solely by the power of the Lord and His providence. He will do this to command the burning of the Temple, as if He Himself were doing it to destroy His house and to spend His wrath upon it, in order that the punishment for Israel might be lightened. "And the house was filled with the cloud" — the Divine Presence moved into the house, just as it moved from the Holy of Holies to the outside; and the radiance was seen in the outer court, for there the Divine Presence had gone out, just as one leaves his house and moves from the inner chamber to the outer chamber.
And the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of God Almighty when He speaks.
verse value 2305
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 45 letters. The shortest word is "and·voice·of" (וְקוֹל֙, 4 letters) and the longest is "the·cherubim" (הַכְּרוּבִ֔ים, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "was·heard" (נִשְׁמַ֕ע), "to·the·court" (עַד־הֶחָצֵ֖ר), "outer" (הַחִֽיצֹנָ֑ה). The root קול appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "God·Almighty" (root איל, 238x in Ezekiel); "when·he·spoke" (root דבר, 101x in Ezekiel); "was·heard" (root שמע, 52x in Ezekiel). First appearance of the root חיצון ("outer") in Ezekiel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'outer', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְקוֹל֙ [and·voice·of] (142) + כַּנְפֵ֣י [wings·of] (160) + הַכְּרוּבִ֔ים [the·cherubim] (283) + נִשְׁמַ֕ע [was·heard] (460) + עַד־הֶחָצֵ֖ר [to·the·court] (377) + הַחִֽיצֹנָ֑ה [outer] (168) + כְּק֥וֹל [like·voice·of] (156) + אֵל־שַׁדַּ֖י [God·Almighty] (345) + בְּדַבְּרֽוֹ [when·he·spoke] (214) = 2305.
Rashi
"Until the outer courtyard." One might have thought that the Divine Voice was heard throughout the Temple Mount; however, since the Voice was low, Scripture states, "As the voice of the Almighty when He speaks", indicating that it was only heard up to the outer courtyard, and there it ceased.
Radak
"And the sound of the wings of the cherubim." It is explained in the first chariot:
Metzudat David
“And the sound of the wings of the cherubim.” At that time, the sound of the wings of the cherubim, which carried the chariot, was heard when they flew from there, and in their flight, the wings touched one another and made a sound.
"Until the outer courtyard." The voice was not heard beyond the outer courtyard, which is the Women's Court; and upon reaching that place, the voice would cease.
"As the voice of the Almighty when He speaks." In the place where the voice was heard, it was exceedingly strong, like the voice of the Almighty when He spoke at Sinai, as it is stated there: "He spoke these words" and "a great voice" (Deuteronomy 5).
Malbim
And the voice of the wings of the cherubim: I have already explained (1:24) that when the system is to be disrupted, it will be depicted that the cherubim raise their wings. And there I said, “And I heard the voice of their wings as the voice of many waters, as the voice of the Almighty,” for then they disrupt the system by the decree of the Most High. And since now it was necessary to change the arrangement, the voice of the wings of the cherubim was heard as the voice of the Almighty, and the voice is the command that went forth through them to the lower beings.
And it came to pass, when He commanded the man clothed in linen, saying: ‘Take fire from between the wheelwork, from between the cherubim’, that he went in, and stood beside a wheel.
verse value 4157
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 72 letters. The shortest word is "take" (קַ֥ח, 2 letters) and the longest is "clothed·in·the·linen" (לְבֻֽשׁ־הַבַּדִּים֙, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 508: between, between. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "when·he·commanded" (בְּצַוֺּתוֹ֙), "the·man" (אֶת־הָאִ֤ישׁ), "clothed·in·the·linen" (לְבֻֽשׁ־הַבַּדִּים֙). The root בין appears 2 times in this verse. 14 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "saying" (root אמר, 362x in Ezekiel); "and·it·was" (root היה, 335x in Ezekiel); "and·came" (root בוא, 175x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·the·cherubim', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 4 words.
Radak
"And it came to pass when he commanded." He returns to complete the matter of "And he came into my sight," which he said:
“And he stood by the wheel.” This is the wheel mentioned earlier. “By” means “between,” as mentioned previously. Or it may be said that “by” does not mean “between,” and he repeated the commandment here just as he repeated it regarding the taking of the fire from between the cherubim: he did not take it, but rather the cherub took it. The meaning of this is not to alter the commandment, but rather like a person who is afraid to enter a place that is higher and more sanctified than himself, so he stood by the wheel to see what would happen. And behold, the cherub took the fire from between the cherubim and placed it into his palms. And this cherub is one of the cherubim near whom the wheels are located; therefore, it says “from between the cherubim.”
Metzudat David
"And it came to pass when He commanded." Immediately as the Omnipresent commanded the man clothed in linen—who was standing between the wheels—to stretch out his hand to take fire from between the cherubim, he immediately came and stood by the wheel; that is to say, between the wheels.
Malbim
"And it came to pass when He commanded..." and he came and stood by the wheel, because the man was one who argued in favor of [Israel's] merit; he did not wish to take fire to burn [the Temple], for this was not his mission, since he was predisposed to kindness. Therefore, he stood by the wheel, for from the perspective of the wheel and the system, the burning of the Temple was not obligatory. He stood by it so that it might also defend the Temple from the perspective of the system, [arguing] that the burning was not obligatory. And he desired that the Lord should act with kindness toward Israel from the perspective of providence, and that He should also defend the Temple from the perspective of nature.
And the cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubim to the fire that was between the cherubim, and took thereof, and put it into the hands of him that was clothed in linen, who took it and went out.
verse value 4993
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 77 letters. The shortest word is "that" (אֲשֶׁר֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·the·cherubim" (לַכְּרוּבִ֗ים, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "his·hand" (אֶת־יָד֜וֹ), "to·the·fire" (אֶל־הָאֵשׁ֙), "between" (בֵּינ֣וֹת). The root כרוב appears 3 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 341x in Ezekiel); "to·the·fire" (root איל, 238x in Ezekiel); "and·gave" (root נתן, 207x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·linen', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 2 words.
Radak
“And he sent, and he took, and he went out.” He went out to complete the commandment of God, blessed be He, which was to cast the fire upon the city. And in the midrash it is said that Gabriel, who was clothed in linen, asked the cherub to give them to him, so that the coals would cool quickly from hand to hand, and the decree would be lightened. Furthermore, he held them in his palms for six years, so that the coals would grow cold in his hand, thereby further lightening the decree; for this prophecy occurred in the sixth year, yet the city was not destroyed until the eleventh year.
Metzudat David
And the cherub stretched out. One of the cherubim extended his hand between the cherubim toward the fire that was between them.
And he took. He took from there fire and placed it into the palms of the man clothed in linen:
"And he took." The man clothed in linen took the fire from the hand of the cherub and went out from there.
Metzudat Zion
And he sent. The matter of "sent" implies extending:
And he lifted. The meaning of "taking" is akin to "He shall receive a blessing" (Psalms 24:5):
Malbim
And the cherub stretched forth his hand: This teaches that then the cherub stretched forth his hand and placed the fire in his cupped hands, for the fire came from a decree from Above, and he placed it in the cupped hands of the man clothed in linen, who would cool the fire through the merit of his intercession, as our Sages of blessed memory stated that the measure of strict justice was cooled in the hands of the man clothed in linen, and thus the Temple was not destroyed immediately.
And there appeared in the cherubim the form of a man’s hand under their wings.
verse value 2453
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "under" (תַּ֖חַת, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·the·cherubim" (לַכְּרֻבִ֑ים, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "hand·man" (יַד־אָדָ֔ם). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·appeared" (root ראה, 74x in Ezekiel); "hand·man" (root אדם, 41x in Ezekiel); "to·the·cherubim" (root כרוב, 31x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·the·cherubim', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיֵּרָ֖א [and·appeared] (217) + לַכְּרֻבִ֑ים [to·the·cherubim] (302) + תַּבְנִית֙ [pattern] (862) + יַד־אָדָ֔ם [hand·man] (59) + תַּ֖חַת [under] (808) + כַּנְפֵיהֶֽם [their·wings] (205) = 2453.
Radak
"And He saw." From the fact that it says "He saw" and then "the likeness," to show that it was not all literal, but rather in the vision of prophecy, that the cherubim did not have hands, feet, and wings as the words literally imply. And it said "on one of them" to indicate the others.
Metzudat David
"And he saw." It appeared that there was on the cherubim a form resembling a human hand extending beneath their wings, with which one of them took the fire.
Malbim
"And it appeared to the cherubim": This means that now they spread their wings, which is to say that the matter of their activity was in a manner of Divine providence above the natural order, which is depicted by flying. And then the "hands of man" were revealed, as stated above (1:8), which is to say that then their actions were through choice and will, not through natural necessity, which is the depiction of the "hands of man," namely that they are prepared to accept repentance and to turn around to do good, according to the preparation of the recipient, as explained there above.
And I looked, and behold four wheels beside the cherubim, one wheel beside one cherub, and another wheel beside another cherub; and the appearance of the wheels was as the colour of a beryl stone.
verse value 4045
Insights
Verse structure: 21 words, 91 letters. Notable word values: "one" (אֶחָ֗ד) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "beside" (אֵ֣צֶל, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·cherubim" (הַכְּרוּבִים֒, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 233: cherub, cherub. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "wheels" (אוֹפַנִּים֮), "and·wheel" (וְאוֹפַ֣ן), "and·sight·of" (וּמַרְאֵה֙). The root אופן appears 4 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "one" (root אחד, 104x in Ezekiel); "and·I·saw" (root ראה, 74x in Ezekiel); "as·eye·of" (root עין, 73x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'one', dividing the verse into phrases of 16 and 5 words.
Rashi
And behold, there are four wheels. Since one of the faces had changed, it was necessary to return and alter here the entire description of the living creatures as at the beginning, lest you say that it is a different chariot.
Radak
And I saw. It is explained in the first chariot in the hidden (mystical) tradition:
Metzudat David
One wheel. For each cherub there was one wheel:
Like the appearance of the tarshish stone, so is the appearance of the tekhelet.
Metzudat Zion
Like. As in the phrase: "Like the color"
Malbim
And I saw, and behold, four wheels. I have already written (8:2) that in this vision he perceived from above downward: that which he perceived at the end in the first vision, he perceived at the beginning in this vision. He first perceived the chashmal, then the throne, then the wheels, and then the living creatures. In the first instance, he called them "living creatures," and in this instance, he called them "cherubim." For in the first instance, he saw how the living creatures would guide the wheels according to the order of the celestial arrangement, and such was the guidance during the days of the exile. The primary guidance of the living creatures over the wheels was in their natural order, which is depicted in walking, not in flying, as it is stated (even though they showed him their wings, they did not then use the wings). Therefore, they were called "living creatures" that walk on their feet. Now, since they showed him a guidance that is outside the obligation of the celestial arrangement—namely, the burning of the Temple and the salvation of Israel, which is alluded to by flying, that they would fly above the earth and the natural order—therefore he called them "cherubim," for the essence of the cherub is its flying wings. And since the living creatures receive this influence from the Throne of Glory from above, therefore he saw the throne first, for it is the primary element in this guidance. And they showed him that even in this guidance, in which the celestial arrangement is overturned, the wheels are connected with the cherubim. Therefore, they showed him the wheels a second time. And what is stated, "And I saw, and behold, four wheels," has already been explained in detail in the first chariot vision regarding what it alludes to; see there (verses 15, 16, 17).
And as for their appearance, they four had one likeness, as if a wheel had been within a wheel.
verse value 2771
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 43 letters. Notable word values: "one" (אֶחָ֖ד) = 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "one" (אֶחָ֖ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·their·appearance" (וּמַ֨רְאֵיהֶ֔ם, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 142: wheel, wheel. The root אופן appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "as" (root אשר, 341x in Ezekiel); "it·will·be" (root היה, 335x in Ezekiel); "in·midst·of" (root תוך, 111x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'for·four·of·them', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 5 words. Full calculation: וּמַ֨רְאֵיהֶ֔ם [and·their·appearance] (302) + דְּמ֥וּת [likeness] (450) + אֶחָ֖ד [one] (13) + לְאַרְבַּעְתָּ֑ם [for·four·of·them] (743) + כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר [as] (521) + יִהְיֶ֥ה [it·will·be] (30) + הָאוֹפַ֖ן [wheel] (142) + בְּת֥וֹךְ [in·midst·of] (428) + הָאוֹפָֽן [wheel] (142) = 2771.
Radak
And their appearance. This too is explained:
Metzudat David
And their appearance: The appearance of the form of the four wheels was such that one was like the other, and they were like the appearance of a wheel made within a wheel, this one from east to west and this one from north to south, so that it could roll in any direction without turning back.
When they went, they went toward 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.
verse value 4455
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 71 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֥א, 2 letters) and the longest is "toward·four" (אֶל־אַרְבַּ֤עַת, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 492: in·their·going, in·their·going, in·their·going. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "where·it·faced" (אֲשֶׁר־יִפְנֶ֤ה), "head" (הָרֹאשׁ֙). The root הלך appears 5 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 213x in Ezekiel); "but" (root כי, 114x in Ezekiel); "in·their·going" (root הלך, 66x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·their·going', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 9 words.
Radak
“בלכתם” (When they go). For the place that the head turns toward is the cherub, and the wheel moves after the cherub, because the spirit of the living creature is in the wheels. And Jonathan rendered it: “The head is the foremost.”
Metzudat David
"In their going forth." By this, the verse preceding it is explained, to say: Behold, for this reason, on all four sides of them, when they desired to go, they would go, and they would not turn aside in their going forth, since they were rolling in every direction.
“Which shall turn the head.” This is the cherub, which is the mover and the source of the motion.
"After him they shall go." After the head, the wheels went; they did not turn themselves around as they walked, for they were able to go in any direction without turning.
Metzudat Zion
“their quarters.” The Targum renders it as “their sides,” and this is from the word “quarter,” for every side is a quarter, since there are four sides.
They turned around. From the language of "turning around" and "turning aside":
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.
verse value 2448
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 61 letters. Verse gematria: 2448 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "round·about" (סָבִ֔יב, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·the·wheels" (וְהָאוֹפַנִּ֗ים, 8 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "and·all·their·flesh" (וְכׇל־בְּשָׂרָם֙), "and·their·backs" (וְגַבֵּהֶ֔ם), "and·their·hands" (וִידֵיהֶ֖ם). The root אופן appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "round·about" (root סביב, 112x in Ezekiel); "and·their·hands" (root יד, 75x in Ezekiel); "eye" (root עין, 73x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·their·wings', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 6 words. Full calculation: וְכׇל־בְּשָׂרָם֙ [and·all·their·flesh] (598) + וְגַבֵּהֶ֔ם [and·their·backs] (56) + וִידֵיהֶ֖ם [and·their·hands] (75) + וְכַנְפֵיהֶ֑ם [and·their·wings] (211) + וְהָאוֹפַנִּ֗ים [and·the·wheels] (198) + מְלֵאִ֤ים [filled] (121) + עֵינַ֙יִם֙ [eye] (180) + סָבִ֔יב [round·about] (74) + לְאַרְבַּעְתָּ֖ם [for·four·of·them] (743) + אוֹפַנֵּיהֶֽם [their·wheels] (192) = 2448.
Rashi
And their hands. These are the hands of the wheels; they are the hole in which the axle rotates, which in the vernacular of France they call "bueil" [wheel-hub], and the Targum [renders it as] "and they fixed them, and their sockets."
“On its four wheels.” On the four wheels of the living creatures:
Radak
"And all their flesh." One must ponder why it mentions flesh regarding the wheels (ofanim) but not the cherubim; this is elucidated in the esoteric teachings.
And their height. The letter yod of the plural suffix is missing from the written text:
"And their hands." Jonathan [ben Uzziel] translates, "And their shoulders," referring to the matter of the "shoulders" of the summit, which is a sloping place.
“Unto their four, their wheels.” This is an addition of clarity, like “unto them, to the children of Israel,” and “with them were Heman and Jeduthun, trumpets, and their like,” and in some cases one mention sufficed, as the matter is mentioned nearby, and it would have sufficed had He said “unto their four” alone. Rather, the practice of adding clarification is observed in places, and the designation “their faces” refers to themselves, as is the practice with the designation of numbers, such as “Go forth, the three of you,” and “the seven of them fell.”
To the four of them. Jonathan’s Targum renders: “To the four of them, the wheels.”
Metzudat David
“And all their flesh.” This refers to the flesh of the bodies of the animals.
And their backs. It is the back, which is the rear part of the body:
"The eyes were full all around." They were filled with many changing hues all around them, but their principal appearance, specific to the wheels, was like the appearance of a beryl, as stated above; and the principal appearance, specific to the living creatures, was like coals of fire, as stated: "And the appearance of the living creatures was like coals of fire" (above 1:13).
“Each of the four had its wheels.” This means that this was the case for all four living creatures and their wheels: in addition to their unique appearance, they were filled with many alternating colors.
Metzudat Zion
“their flesh.” It is stated regarding their bodies in the language of a metaphor:
And "their backs." So is the rear of the body called, as in "upon my back the plowers plowed" (ibid. 129).
Eyes. From the expression "eye":
Malbim
"And all their flesh": the sense is, all their flesh and their backs would go wherever the head turned—this means that according to the turning of the Cherubim who guide them, they shall turn in accordance with how the head that is upon them in the world of the Throne turns, so that between the Wheels and the Cherubim, and the very substance of the Wheel and their backs, and likewise the hands of the living creatures and their wings (for this guidance is termed "wings" and "hands of man," as stated above), all shall turn toward the place where the head that rides upon the Throne turns. And the Wheels also are full of eyes—the eyes of the Lord that patrol with particular providence.
As for the wheels, they were called in my hearing The wheelwork.
verse value 740
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 24 letters. The shortest word is "to·them" (לָהֶ֛ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·the·wheels" (לָא֖וֹפַנִּ֑ים, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "to·the·wheels" (לָא֖וֹפַנִּ֑ים), "was·called" (קוֹרָ֥א), "wheel" (הַגַּלְגַּ֖ל). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·them" (root הם, 166x in Ezekiel); "to·the·wheels" (root אופן, 25x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·the·wheels', dividing the verse into phrases of 1 and 4 words. Full calculation: לָא֖וֹפַנִּ֑ים [to·the·wheels] (217) + לָהֶ֛ם [to·them] (75) + קוֹרָ֥א [was·called] (307) + הַגַּלְגַּ֖ל [wheel] (71) + בְּאׇזְנָֽי [in·My·ears] (70) = 740.
Rashi
The wheel calls to them, in my ears. I heard that the angel was calling the ofan a galgal (wheel):
He reads "the wheel." To them is given the name "wheel":
Radak
Regarding the "wheels," he calls them "ha-galgal in my ears." He did not say that the wheels would be called "wheels," for this is known to all masters of language that "ofan" (wheel) and "galgal" (wheel) are one name in different words, like "beged" (garment) and "simlah" (garment). And he said, "And an ofan and a cart," and he said, "And the galgal of his cart." And the matter is one. And what did the prophet come to teach? That he heard that to the wheels came a voice that called to them, the voice of the galgal. And it is a matter of calling, like "O generation, see the word of the Lord." For all the deeds that he mentioned regarding the wheels were by His command and His will, as if He were calling to him, "Perform this commandment, do thus and do thus." And the commandment of the ofan is the cherub.
“Kore” (He calls out). Since the name of its action is not mentioned from the dagesh, and the subject is the cherub that is constantly calling out, its calling out is not with a voice or with the organs of speech; rather, God made the prophet hear it through a prophetic auditory vision in order to understand the matter. And so it is with “And one called to another” (Isaiah 6:3).
Metzudat David
“to the wheels thereof.” This means: To those very wheels I heard with my ears a voice calling them by the name of “wheel.”
Malbim
Regarding the wheels, he explained that the sphere which is the legs of the living creatures that roll the wheels calls to the wheels; do not say that it rolls them through the meeting of body against body, for there is no body there; rather, it rolls them by means of its voice and its command, and it moves them with an intellectual movement, calling to them and commanding them to go wherever He commands.
And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of the 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.
verse value 3744
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 70 letters. Notable word values: "the·first" (הָאֶחָ֜ד) = 18, chai, 'life'. Verse gematria: 3744 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "face" (פְּנֵ֨י, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·third" (וְהַשְּׁלִישִׁי֙, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 140: face, face, face, face. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "and·third" (וְהַשְּׁלִישִׁי֙), "and·the·fourth" (וְהָרְבִיעִ֖י), "face·of·eagle" (פְּנֵי־נָֽשֶׁר). The root פנים appears 7 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "face" (root פנים, 150x in Ezekiel); "to·each" (root אחד, 104x in Ezekiel); "and·four" (root ארבע, 59x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·each', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 13 words.
Rashi
The face of the one was the face of the cherub. They were the face of the ox that was transformed into a cherub:
Radak
And four faces to one. To each of the cherubim:
“The face of the first was the face of a cherub.” The explanation is that the face of one of the faces, and likewise the second, the third, and the fourth, were four faces. He said, and regarding what it states “the face of a cherub” in the place where it mentioned in the first prophetic vision “the face of an ox,” it is known what our Sages of blessed memory said: Ezekiel pleaded for mercy on it, and turned it into a cherub. He said before Him, “Master of the Universe, an accuser does not become a defender.” And the explanation of “cherub” is “rabya,” for in Babylonia they call a child “rabya.” And they raised a difficulty: “The face of the first was the face of a cherub, and the face of the second was the face of a man.” Is man and cherub one and the same? And they answered: large faces and small faces. And we have explained this matter in the hidden teachings.
Metzudat David
To each one. For all living creatures there were four faces:
The face of the cherub. It was turned away from the face of the bull, for our Sages of blessed memory taught that Ezekiel prayed for mercy, saying, “A prosecutor should not become a defender,” for the face of the bull would recall the incident of the Golden Calf, in which Israel sinned. Therefore, the face of the bull was turned toward the face of the cherub, which is the small face of a human being.
“Face of man.” It is the great face of a human being.
Metzudat Zion
The cherub. The Targum renders "infant" as "rabya":
Malbim
And there were four faces to one, in that he now attained to the living creatures from the aspect that they receive from the World of the Throne and they conduct a miraculous governance, and there judgment is not above, for there mercy prevails; he did not see the face of the ox from the left, only the face of the cherub, for even the left there arouses mercy. And after the action emanating from above was an action of judgment to burn the Temple, in which the face of the left went first, and nevertheless his attribute was mercy to consume His anger upon the wood and stones, he saw the face of the left first and saw it in the form of a cherub.
And the cherubim mounted up—this is the living creature that I saw by the river Chebar.
verse value 2190
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 34 letters. The shortest word is "it" (הִ֣יא, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·cherubim" (הַכְּרוּבִ֑ים, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "and·mounted·up" (וַיֵּרֹ֖מּוּ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 341x in Ezekiel); "it" (root הוא, 86x in Ezekiel); "I·have·seen" (root ראה, 74x in Ezekiel). First appearance of the root רמם ("and·mounted·up") in Ezekiel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·cherubim', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 5 words. Full calculation: וַיֵּרֹ֖מּוּ [and·mounted·up] (262) + הַכְּרוּבִ֑ים [the·cherubim] (283) + הִ֣יא [it] (16) + הַחַיָּ֔ה [the·living·creature] (28) + אֲשֶׁ֥ר [that] (501) + רָאִ֖יתִי [I·have·seen] (621) + בִּֽנְהַר־כְּבָֽר [in·river·Chebar] (479) = 2190.
Radak
"And the cherubim lifted up." The term "lifted up" that is stated in this vision is a term of exaltation, as stated in the first vision. The matter is one, for "loftiness" and "exaltation" are one, and there we explained the matter in a concealed manner. And the word "and they lifted up" is from the nifal or hitpa'el conjugations of the doubled verbs.
Metzudat David
"And the cherubim rose up." See that the cherubim were removed from their place:
It is the living creature. This means that there is no other matter here, but rather it is the very same living creature that I saw by the Kebar River; only then it had the face of a bull, and now it has in its place the face of a cherub.
Metzudat Zion
And they removed. The matter is one of departure and separation:
The living creature. He called it by a general name:
Malbim
"And the cherubim lifted up" — for their function at that time was not to walk, but rather to be elevated above the ground; that is to say, to guide through the manner of providence, which is depicted by elevation and flight. Therefore, they were now called by the name "cherubim." This is the living creature that I saw by the river Chebar, for then he perceived them as "living creatures walking," that is to say, guiding according to the orders of the array. And here he perceived them as flying above the array. Therefore, their function changed now from "living creatures" to "cherubim."
And when the cherubim went, the wheels went beside them; and when the cherubim lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth, the same wheels also turned not from beside them.
verse value 4060
Insights
Verse structure: 15 words, 80 letters. The shortest word is "from·above" (מֵעַ֣ל, 3 letters) and the longest is "their·wings" (אֶת־כַּנְפֵיהֶ֗ם, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 283: the·cherubim, the·cherubim. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "to·the·height" (לָרוּם֙), "from·beside·them" (מֵאֶצְלָֽם). The root הלך appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "from·above" (root על, 272x in Ezekiel); "the·land" (root ארץ, 176x in Ezekiel); "and·in·lifting·of" (root נשא, 76x in Ezekiel). First appearance of the root גם ("also·they") in Ezekiel. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'beside·them', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 10 words.
Metzudat David
“And when they went.” This means that the movement did not change from what it had been; at the time the cherubim went, the wheels also went alongside them, and at the time the cherubim lifted their wings to rise from the ground and ascend upward, the wheels did not turn away from them.
Metzudat Zion
And when you lift it. From the language of lifting and raising:
Malbim
And when they go, and in all these matters, whether at the time when they walk, meaning that they proceed according to the order of the formation, or at the time when they fly above the order of the formation, the wheels will not turn away from them. For then the wheels would be compelled to move according to the spirit of the living creatures upon them, which disrupts the order of the formation. And all of this has been explained in detail regarding the first chariot.
When they stood, these stood, and when they mounted up, these mounted up with them; for the spirit of the living creature was in them.
verse value 1608
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 37 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֛י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·in·their·rising" (וּבְרוֹמָ֖ם, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "and·in·their·rising" (וּבְרוֹמָ֖ם), "they·mounted·up" (יֵר֣וֹמּוּ). The root עמד appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·them" (root הם, 166x in Ezekiel); "for" (root כי, 114x in Ezekiel); "spirit·of" (root רוח, 49x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'with·them', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 4 words. Full calculation: בְּעׇמְדָ֣ם [in·their·standing] (156) + יַעֲמֹ֔דוּ [they·will·stand] (130) + וּבְרוֹמָ֖ם [and·in·their·rising] (294) + יֵר֣וֹמּוּ [they·mounted·up] (262) + אוֹתָ֑ם [with·them] (447) + כִּ֛י [for] (30) + ר֥וּחַ [spirit·of] (214) + הַחַיָּ֖ה [the·living·creature] (28) + בָּהֶֽם [in·them] (47) = 1608.
Radak
“Be-omdam.” It is explained in the first vision, in the hidden matter:
And "when He exalted" (ve-romem). With a cholam:
Metzudat David
“Standing.” When the cherubim stand, the wheels also stand; and when they rise upward, the wheels rise with them, for the desire of the living creature is in the wheels, and as the living creatures act, so too do the wheels act.
And the glory of Hashem went forth from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubim.
verse value 1805
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 37 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "from·above" (מֵעַ֖ל, 3 letters) and the longest is "over·the·cherubim" (עַל־הַכְּרוּבִֽים, 9 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "over·the·cherubim" (עַל־הַכְּרוּבִֽים). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "from·above" (root על, 272x in Ezekiel); "the·house" (root בית, 159x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·house', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 2 words. Full calculation: וַיֵּצֵא֙ [and·he·went·forth] (107) + כְּב֣וֹד [glory] (32) + יְהֹוָ֔ה [Hashem] (26) + מֵעַ֖ל [from·above] (140) + מִפְתַּ֣ן [threshold] (570) + הַבָּ֑יִת [the·house] (417) + וַֽיַּעֲמֹ֖ד [and·stood] (130) + עַל־הַכְּרוּבִֽים [over·the·cherubim] (383) = 1805.
Radak
And he went out. It is explained:
Metzudat David
“From above the threshold of the house.” For that is where it was, as stated above.
Malbim
(18–19) “And He went out” — Now the Divine Presence moved a third time, from the threshold to the cherub, to fly above the earth and distance itself further from the Temple destined to be destroyed. It stood at the entrance of the eastern gate of the House of the LORD, as if exiting from the Temple. Since, in its departure from the Temple to go with them into exile, Divine providence would now clothe itself to guide through hidden miracles according to the natural order, it is destined to transform from cherub to living creature. For they are called “living creatures” at the time of their journey, meaning at the time when God guides them according to nature. This is what it says: “It is the living creature which I saw” — that now He perceived them again in the form of living creatures. “And I knew that they were cherubim” — by this he understood that even when He perceives them in the attribute of living creatures, they are influenced from above and they are also cherubim. This is what it says: “which I saw under the God of Israel” — meaning that even then they are under the God of Israel, for He is called so at the time when He watches over Israel with particular providence. Only that when they are living creatures, the miracles are hidden, and the cherub is concealed and secret. And now he will recount again their form as he perceived them in their going into exile.
And the cherubim lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight when they went forth, and the wheels beside them; and they stood at the door of the east gate of Hashem’S house; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.
verse value 6183
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 105 letters. The shortest word is "opening" (פֶּ֣תַח, 3 letters) and the longest is "God·of·Israel" (אֱלֹהֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 215: former, on·top. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "and·mounted·up" (וַיֵּר֨וֹמּוּ), "in·their·going·out" (בְּצֵאתָ֔ם). 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "house·of·Hashem" (root יהוה, 427x in Ezekiel); "over·them" (root על, 272x in Ezekiel); "from·the·earth" (root ארץ, 176x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·their·opposite', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 9 words.
Rashi
"The entrance of the gate of the House of the Lord." The opening of the Temple:
The eastern one, which is in the east; and this was the second journey of removal from the threshold of the Holy of Holies to the Temple Court.
Radak
“And the cherubim lifted up.” When they departed from the House, for initially he saw them to the right of the House.
And he stood. According to the general rule:
The cherubim. It is as if it said, “And they stood,” but it stated it in a general manner, for they stood as one.
“The entrance of the eastern gate of the House of the Lord.” When they exited from the threshold of the house, they stood at the entrance of the gate from the outside. They did not merely stand on the ground, but rather were elevated above the ground while standing. He caused them to stand there because of the people who were present, whose backs were turned toward the Temple, as if they were pushing the Divine Presence to exit and rise above the ground.
“Upon them.” Upon the cherubim. And why did he say “from above” after saying “upon them”? Because the Divine Presence was seen on the firmament above the heads of the living creatures, which are called cherubim.
Metzudat David
“And they lifted.” They lifted their wings upward.
“Before My eyes, when they went out.” “Before My eyes” means that I saw them at the time they exited from the Holy of Holies, over the threshold.
“And the wheels opposite them.” Likewise, the wheels were raised opposite the cherubim and on the same level as them.
"And he stood." The form of the chariot stood at the gate of the eastern gate of the House of the Lord, meaning at the entrance of the Temple that faces east, not the entrance that faces west toward the Holy of Holies.
"Upon it." Upon the cherubim:
Metzudat Zion
“Opposite them.” This means: equal to them.
The eastern one. The eastern one:
This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river Chebar; and I knew that they were cherubim.
verse value 3479
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 49 letters. The shortest word is "that" (כִּ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "God·of·Israel" (אֱלֹהֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל, 9 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "and·I·knew" (וָאֵדַ֕ע). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 341x in Ezekiel); "abundance" (root הם, 166x in Ezekiel); "that" (root כי, 114x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·river·Chebar', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 4 words. Full calculation: הִ֣יא [it] (16) + הַחַיָּ֗ה [the·living·creature] (28) + אֲשֶׁ֥ר [that] (501) + רָאִ֛יתִי [I·have·seen] (621) + תַּ֥חַת [under] (808) + אֱלֹהֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל [God·of·Israel] (587) + בִּֽנְהַר־כְּבָ֑ר [in·river·Chebar] (479) + וָאֵדַ֕ע [and·I·knew] (81) + כִּ֥י [that] (30) + כְרוּבִ֖ים [cherubim] (278) + הֵֽמָּה [abundance] (50) = 3479.
Rashi
This is the living creature. Since I saw in this chariot all the details of the first chariot, I say: "It is the one that I saw by the Kebar River."
"And I knew." For the face of the ox was transformed into the face of a cherub, and there were in it two faces of a man: small faces of a child and large faces of a man.
Radak
It is the living creature. It is explained:
Metzudat David
"This is the living creature." That is to say, it is the very same living creature that I saw, etc., except that now its face was like that of a cherub in place of the face of a bull.
"And I knew." I knew then that the cherubim that I saw were the living creature itself.
Every one had four faces apiece, and every one four wings; and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings.
verse value 2839
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 52 letters. The shortest word is "hand" (יְדֵ֣י, 3 letters) and the longest is "their·wings" (כַּנְפֵיהֶֽם, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 278: four, four. The root ארבע appears 3 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "face" (root פנים, 150x in Ezekiel); "to·each" (root אחד, 104x in Ezekiel); "hand" (root יד, 75x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·each', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 5 words. Full calculation: אַרְבָּעָ֨ה [four] (278) + אַרְבָּעָ֤ה [four] (278) + פָנִים֙ [face] (180) + לְאֶחָ֔ד [to·each] (43) + וְאַרְבַּ֥ע [four] (279) + כְּנָפַ֖יִם [wings] (200) + לְאֶחָ֑ד [to·each] (43) + וּדְמוּת֙ [and·likeness] (456) + יְדֵ֣י [hand] (24) + אָדָ֔ם [man] (45) + תַּ֖חַת [under] (808) + כַּנְפֵיהֶֽם [their·wings] (205) = 2839.
Radak
Four, four faces to one. For each of the cherubim, there were four faces and four wings:
"And the likeness of the hands of a man." And for each of them, the hands of a man were beneath their wings, and it is explained.
Metzudat David
“Four [living creatures]...” This means that each of the four faces, which were on every side, consisted of four [parts], and each face had four wings, and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings.
Malbim
(21–22) “Four faces to each one, etc., and the likeness of their faces, etc.”—that is, the face that was first attained in the first chariot.
And as for the likeness of their faces, they were the faces which I saw by the river Chebar, their appearances and themselves; they went every one straight forward.
verse value 4150
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 61 letters. Verse gematria: 4150 is divisible by 50, the years to the Jubilee (yovel). The shortest word is "abundance" (הֵ֣מָּה, 3 letters) and the longest is "by·river·Chebar" (עַל־נְהַר־כְּבָ֔ר, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 185: their·faces, face. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Ezekiel. Unique to this verse in Ezekiel (hapax): "face" (הַפָּנִ֗ים). The root פנים appears 3 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "which" (root אשר, 341x in Ezekiel); "toward·side" (root איל, 238x in Ezekiel); "abundance" (root הם, 166x in Ezekiel). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·themselves', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 4 words. Full calculation: וּדְמ֣וּת [and·likeness] (456) + פְּנֵיהֶ֔ם [their·faces] (185) + הֵ֣מָּה [abundance] (50) + הַפָּנִ֗ים [face] (185) + אֲשֶׁ֤ר [which] (501) + רָאִ֙יתִי֙ [I·have·seen] (621) + עַל־נְהַר־כְּבָ֔ר [by·river·Chebar] (577) + מַרְאֵיהֶ֖ם [their·sight] (296) + וְאוֹתָ֑ם [and·themselves] (453) + אִ֛ישׁ [man] (311) + אֶל־עֵ֥בֶר [toward·side] (303) + פָּנָ֖יו [his·face] (146) + יֵלֵֽכוּ [they·went] (66) = 4150.
Radak
"And the likeness of their faces": their appearance and them. And "their bodies" (atzmam): just as it says, "And the officers of the children of Israel saw them in evil," meaning that the very substance of their faces and their appearance was like the faces that I had seen by the river already.
Metzudat David
And the likeness of their faces. The form of their faces was the likeness of the faces which I saw by the river Chebar:
Their appearance. This means: This is their appearance that I saw by the River Chebar.
"And those." They themselves, whom I saw then.
A man. Each of them went straight forward in the direction of his face, for they had faces toward every direction, and wherever they went, they went straight forward without turning aside. And it is as though it were saying: Because of all this, I judged and understood that this is the very living creature which I saw by the River Chebar.
Metzudat Zion
"Them." And themselves. Likewise, "and they shall bring upon them an iniquity of guilt" (Leviticus 22:16).
Side. Corner and side:
Rashi
Radak
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim