These were the living creatures that I saw underneath the God of Israel by the Chebar canal; and I knew that they were cherubim.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights that Ezekiel knew these were cherubim, not necessarily because he was told, but because the details of the vision itself illuminated their identity. This implies that God's glory departing the temple, described in this chapter, served to reveal the true nature and function of these powerful angelic beings, connecting the visionary experience with the earthly symbols he might have known from temple worship.
These were the living creatures that I saw underneath the God of Israel by the Chebar canal; and I knew that they were cherubim.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Ezekiel is recognizing the beings he saw in his first vision by the Chebar canal, now understanding them as cherubim. This realization connects his earlier experience of God's glory departing to the cherubim mentioned in the temple's innermost sanctuary. He's seeing how these celestial beings are directly linked to God's presence and movement, even as His glory leaves the temple.
Ezekiel saw incredible visions, but sometimes understanding dawns slowly. This verse marks a key moment of recognition for the prophet.
A Moment of Clarity
Ezekiel is recounting a vision he had by the Chebar canal (found in chapter 1). In that first vision, he described awe-inspiring 'living creatures' supporting God's throne, but he didn't use the specific word 'cherubim' yet.
Now, in chapter 10, as the glory of God is departing from the temple, Ezekiel sees these same creatures again. He declares, 'I knew that they were cherubim.' This wasn't necessarily learning a new fact; rather, it was a profound realization. The repeated vision, combined with his priestly background and perhaps divine insight, allowed him to connect what he saw in exile with the cherubim known from the temple furnishings.
It’s like seeing a familiar symbol in a new context and suddenly grasping its deeper meaning.
What are these mysterious 'cherubim'? Their role in Scripture is far more than just decoration.
More Than Just Symbols
The word 'cherubim' might bring to mind statues in a museum, but in the Bible, they are active, divine beings.
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Imagine seeing the very presence of God physically depart from His holy place. This was Ezekiel's shocking reality.
A Departure, Not an Abandonment
This verse is poignant because it captures God's glory leaving the temple. This wasn't a minor event; it was the ultimate sign that God's people had pushed Him away through their sin and idolatry.
Ezekiel's profound vision of the cherubim and God's chariot occurring by the Chebar canal happens amidst the devastating exile of his people. This vision serves to reveal that God's presence is not confined to the destroyed Temple in Jerusalem but extends even to the exiles in Babylon, offering a glimmer of hope and divine sovereignty amidst despair.
c. 626 BC
Ezekiel's Call to Prophecy
Ezekiel, a young priest, is called by God to be a prophet to the exiled Judean community in Babylon. This marks the beginning of his ministry and visions.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
King Jehoiachin and many prominent citizens of Judah are taken captive to Babylon, initiating the first wave of exile. Ezekiel is among this group.
c. 597 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Jerusalem again, destroying Solomon's Temple and exiling more of the population, including King Zedekiah and Ezekiel. This event deeply impacts Ezekiel's prophetic message.
c. 593 BC— this verse
Ezekiel's Vision of the Divine Chariot
Ezekiel receives a profound vision by the Chebar canal, depicting the glorious throne-chariot of God, complete with living creatures (cherubim) and wheels. This vision emphasizes God's omnipresence beyond the destroyed Temple.
c. 586 BC
Final Fall of Jerusalem
The Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar raze Jerusalem completely, destroying the city and the last remnants of the Temple. This seals the doom of the southern kingdom.
This passage describes the same 'living creatures' from Ezekiel's initial vision by the Chebar canal, providing foundational imagery for the cherubim.
Exodus 25:18-20This describes the cherubim that were placed on the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies, offering a known earthly representation against which Ezekiel could compare his vision.
1 Kings 6:23-28This passage details the construction of cherubim in Solomon's Temple, further connecting the heavenly vision to the earthly sanctuary and its symbolism.
Psalm 18:10This Psalm poetically describes God riding on a cherub, linking the divine presence directly with these heavenly beings as a mode of transport or manifestation.
2 Kings 19:15This verse shows Sennacherib in prayer referencing God as the one 'enthroned between the cherubim,' highlighting their association with God's dwelling and sovereignty.
cambridgeEzekiel 10:20: "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."
20 . were the cherubims ] Were cherubim. The remark that he knew that the living creatures were cherubim is of very great difficulty. It would scarcely be in the sense of the prophet to suppose that he learned that the living creatures were cherubim from hearing them so called by the divine speaker ( Ezekiel 10:2; Ezekiel 10:6 ) because previous to thi…
pooleEzekiel 10:20: "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."
The living creature; though four in number, but one in form, mind, and work. The God of Israel; appearing as he did, Ezekiel 1:26-28 , in form of a man, it leads us to conclude it meant of Christ. I knew; either by special assurance as a prophet, or by comparing them with those which he had often, as priest about the temple, seen there.
The verse highlights that Ezekiel knew these were cherubim, not necessarily because he was told, but because the details of the vision itself illuminated their identity. This implies that God's glory departing the temple, described in this chapter, served to reveal the true nature and function of these powerful angelic beings, connecting the visionary experience with the earthly symbols he might have known from temple worship.
Ezekiel is recognizing the beings he saw in his first vision by the Chebar canal, now understanding them as cherubim. This realization connects his earlier experience of God's glory departing to the cherubim mentioned in the temple's innermost sanctuary. He's seeing how these celestial beings are directly linked to God's presence and movement, even as His glory leaves the temple.
Ezekiel is recognizing the beings he saw in his first vision by the Chebar canal, now understanding them as cherubim. This realization connects his earlier experience of God's glory departing to the cherubim mentioned in the temple's innermost sanctuary. He's seeing how these celestial beings are directly linked to God's presence and movement, even as His glory leaves the temple.
"These were the living creatures that I saw underneath the God of Israel by the Chebar canal; and I knew that they were cherubim." — The verse highlights that Ezekiel knew these were cherubim, not necessarily because he was told, but because the details of the vision itself illuminated their identity. This implies that God's glo…
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Last reviewed October 2026