Ezekiel 1:28

1:28 like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds after the rain. ¹  This was the appearance of the surrounding brilliant light; it looked like the glory of the Lord. When I saw ²  it, I threw myself face down, and I heard a voice speaking.

Ezekiel 8:16

8:16 Then he brought me to the inner court of the Lord’s house. Right there ³  at the entrance to the Lord’s temple, between the porch and the altar, ⁴  were about twenty-five ⁵  men with their backs to the Lord’s temple, ⁶  facing east – they were worshiping the sun ⁷  toward the east!

Ezekiel 12:6

12:6 While they are watching, raise your baggage onto your shoulder and carry it out in the dark. ⁸  You must cover your face so that you cannot see the ground ⁹  because I have made you an object lesson ¹⁰  to the house of Israel.”

Ezekiel 12:12

12:12 “The prince ¹¹  who is among them will raise his belongings ¹²  onto his shoulder in darkness, and will go out. He ¹³  will dig a hole in the wall to leave through. He will cover his face so that he cannot see the land with his eyes.

[1:28]  ¹ sn Reference to the glowing substance and the brilliant light and storm phenomena in vv. 27-28a echoes in reverse order the occurrence of these phenomena in v. 4.

[1:28]  ² tn The vision closes with the repetition of the verb “I saw” from the beginning of the vision in 1:4.

[8:16]  ³ tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something.

[8:16]  ⁴ sn The priests prayed to God between the porch and the altar on fast days (Joel 2:17). This is the location where Zechariah was murdered (Matt 23:35).

[8:16]  ⁵ tc The LXX reads “twenty” instead of twenty-five, perhaps because of the association of the number twenty with the Mesopotamian sun god Shamash.

[8:16]  ⁶ sn The temple faced east.

[8:16]  ⁷ tn Or “the sun god.”

[12:6]  ⁵ tn Apart from this context the Hebrew term occurs only in Gen 15:17 in reference to the darkness after sunset. It may mean twilight.

[12:6]  ⁶ tn Or “land” (ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[12:6]  ⁷ sn See also Ezek 12:11, 24:24, 27.

[12:12]  ⁷ sn The prince is a reference to Zedekiah.

[12:12]  ⁸ tn The words “his belongings” are not in the Hebrew text but are implied.

[12:12]  ⁹ tc The MT reads “they”; the LXX and Syriac read “he.”