Now when the man went in, the cherubim were standing on the south side of the temple, and a cloud filled the inner court.
Parallel translations
- WEB Now the cherubim stood on the right side of the house, when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court.
- KJV Now the cherubims stood on the right side of the house, when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court.
- NKJV Now the cherubim were standing on the south side of the temple when the man went in, and the cloud filled the inner court.
- NASB Now the cherubim were standing on the right side of the temple when the man entered, and the cloud filled the inner courtyard.
- NLT The cherubim were standing at the south end of the Temple when the man went in, and the cloud of glory filled the inner courtyard.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The cherubim stand on the temple's south side as the man enters, and a cloud fills the inner court. It marks the manifest presence of God filling the temple before His departure.
Overview
The cloud filling the court recalls the glory-cloud that filled the tabernacle and Solomon's temple, signs of God's dwelling. Here, however, the cloud accompanies the prelude to judgment and departure. God's presence, once a blessing, now attends His withdrawal. The movement of His glory reminds us that God is not bound to a place, and that His true dwelling would come in Christ and His people.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- Ezek 9:3Then the glory of the God of Israel rose from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. And He called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side.
- Ezek 43:4and the glory of the LORD entered the temple through the gate facing east.
- Ezek 8:16So He brought me to the inner court of the house of the LORD, and there at the entrance to the temple of the LORD, between the portico and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs to the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east; and they were bowing to the east in worship of the sun.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The promise of one Shepherd-King David, a new heart and new Spirit, and the river of life flowing from the temple all stream toward Christ, the good Shepherd who gives the Spirit.
How Ezekiel 10:3 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.