And the cherubim mounted up. These were the living creatures that I saw by the Chebar canal.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This isn't just a visual recall; it's God repeating a vision. The prophet seeing the cherubim lift up again, and then recognizing them from by the Chebar canal, emphasizes that the same divine power and presence he saw before is now departing from the Temple, not just moving in it. This repetition is meant to drive home the profound significance of God's imminent absence.
And the cherubim mounted up. These were the living creatures that I saw by the Chebar canal.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Ezekiel is witnessing the departure of God's glory from the temple, a profoundly sobering sight. He identifies these moving, winged creatures now ascending as the very same divine beings he saw by the Chebar canal years earlier. This repetition emphasizes that God's presence is leaving, not just the temple building, but the entire land, due to its deep corruption.
The glory of God is leaving! What does this mean for His presence and for His people?
In Ezekiel 10:15, the prophet sees the cherubim, the divine beings that accompanied God's glory, lifting up. This isn't just a static image; it's a dynamic action. They are moving, preparing to depart. This departure signifies a profound shift: God's manifest presence is leaving the Temple.
This scene is intended to shock the Israelites. Their Temple, the symbol of God's dwelling among them, is being abandoned. This act underscores the severity of their sin and the holiness of God. He cannot remain in a place defiled by their wickedness. The lifting up of the cherubim is a visible sign of God's judgment and His withdrawal.
Why does Ezekiel keep mentioning the Chebar canal? What's the significance of this repeated identification?
Ezekiel is intentionally linking the vision in the Temple (chapter 10) with his earlier vision by the Chebar canal (chapter 1). He identifies the cherubim he sees now as 'the living creature that I saw by the Chebar canal.' This repetition isn't accidental.
It serves to confirm the divine message. For the Israelites, who might be confused or doubt the validity of the new vision, seeing these familiar, awe-inspiring creatures from a previous revelation reassures them that this is indeed from God. It reinforces that God's judgment and departure are real and established truths, not a fleeting message. It's like God saying, 'What I showed you before, and what I'm showing you now, are connected—pay attention!'.
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chayyah · Hebrew Noun
A composite creature symbolizing the fullness and sovereignty of God’s creation: the lion (wild power), the ox/human (reason/service), and the eagle (swiftness/heavenly perspective). They are the primary agents of God’s movement and the throne-bearers in the heavenly court.
Kebar · Hebrew Noun
A specific location in Babylon where the prophet Ezekiel received his visions while in exile; it serves as a geographic marker for where God revealed His glory to His displaced people.
This vision directly links the departure of God's glory from the Temple with Ezekiel's earlier prophetic experience by the Chebar canal, emphasizing that the same divine presence, now moving away from His forsaken sanctuary, is the one who initially called him to prophecy.
c. 597 BC
First Deportation of Jerusalem Elite
The Babylonian army under Nebuchadnezzar II deports King Jehoiachin and many prominent citizens, including Ezekiel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the exile and a period of immense national trauma for Judah.
c. 593 BC
Ezekiel's First Vision by Chebar Canal
While in exile in Babylon, Ezekiel receives his initial prophetic commission through a powerful vision of God's glory involving living creatures and wheels, seen by the Chebar canal.
c. 587 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
The Babylonians conquer Jerusalem, destroy the city and the Temple, and deport the remaining population. This catastrophic event fulfills many prophecies and deepens the crisis for the exiles.
c. 586 BC— this verse
Ezekiel's Vision of God's Glory Departing Temple
Ezekiel experiences a vision where God's majestic glory, previously seen by the Chebar canal, is depicted as physically departing from the desecrated Temple in Jerusalem. This signifies God's judgment and abandonment of the unfaithful city.
c. 586-571 BC
Ezekiel's Prophetic Ministry in Babylon
Throughout the exile, Ezekiel delivers messages of judgment and hope to the exiles, emphasizing God's holiness, justice, and ultimate plan for restoration, using vivid imagery and symbolic acts.
This passage directly describes the first vision of the living creatures by the Chebar canal, establishing the identity and appearance of the cherubim that Ezekiel sees again in chapter 10.
Ezekiel 1:15This verse, also from the initial vision by the Chebar, further details the appearance of the living creatures, reinforcing the connection to the cherubim in chapter 10 and highlighting their unified, yet complex, form.
Ezekiel 10:20This verse immediately follows the passage in question and reiterates the identity of the cherubim with the living creatures seen by the Chebar, emphasizing the continuous nature of God's presence and judgment across these visions.
John 1:14This verse speaks of the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us, paralleling the concept of God's glory (represented by the cherubim) dwelling within His people and temple, and the profound significance when that presence moves or departs.
Revelation 4:6This passage describes the four living creatures around the throne in heaven, providing a celestial parallel to Ezekiel's vision and underscoring the majestic and active role these heavenly beings play in God's presence and dominion.
cambridgeEzekiel 10:15: "And the cherubims were lifted up. This is the living creature that I saw by the river of Chebar."
15 . were lifted up ] The prophet identifies the manifestation with that seen at the Chebar when he perceives its movement. The verse is resumed in Ezekiel 10:19 .
pooleEzekiel 10:15: "And the cherubims were lifted up. This is the living creature that I saw by the river of Chebar."
Were lifted up; or lifted up themselves, ready to attend on the Lord of glory, who was now departing from his polluted and impenitent people. The living creature: see Ezekiel 1:13-15,19-22 .
This isn't just a visual recall; it's God repeating a vision. The prophet seeing the cherubim lift up again, and then recognizing them from by the Chebar canal, emphasizes that the same divine power and presence he saw before is now departing from the Temple, not just moving in it. This repetition is meant to drive home the profound significance of God's imminent absence.
Ezekiel is witnessing the departure of God's glory from the temple, a profoundly sobering sight. He identifies these moving, winged creatures now ascending as the very same divine beings he saw by the Chebar canal years earlier. This repetition emphasizes that God's presence is leaving, not just the temple building, but the entire land, due to its deep corruption.
Ezekiel is witnessing the departure of God's glory from the temple, a profoundly sobering sight. He identifies these moving, winged creatures now ascending as the very same divine beings he saw by the Chebar canal years earlier. This repetition emphasizes that God's presence is leaving, not just the temple building, but the entire land, due to its deep corruption.
"And the cherubim mounted up. These were the living creatures that I saw by the Chebar canal." — This isn't just a visual recall; it's God repeating a vision. The prophet seeing the cherubim lift up again, and then recognizing them from by the Chebar canal, emphasizes that the same divine powe…
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Last reviewed October 2026