Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 1:12
And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; [and] they turned not when they went.
12. went straightforward ] i.e. in the direction to which the living creature’s face was turned. The chariot had four sides facing the four quarters of the heavens; on each side of the chariot was a living creature whose principal face, the human, looked in the same direction as the side of the chariot on which it stood. Thus the whole, the chariot and living creatures, presented exactly the same front to each of the four directions, and there was no need to “turn.” See what is said of the wheels, Eze 1:15 seq.
whither the spirit was to go ] The “spirit” is the directing impulse. It did not belong to the individual living creatures but to the whole manifestation composed of living creatures, wheels, and the like.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The chariot, though composed of distinct parts, was to be considered as a whole. There was one spirit expressive of one conscious life pervading the whole, and guiding the motions of the whole in perfect harmony.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Eze 1:12
Whither the Spirit was to go, they went.
Led by the Spirit
By spirit, we are to understand, neither the will of angels, nor winds, nor the soul of man (for spirit in Scripture doth signify all these), but the essential and eternal Spirit of God. This is evident by Eze 1:20.
1. Angels, although exceeding wise, full of knowledge, active, and able to do great service, yet are not at their own disposal, they move not at their own pleasure, they went not where they listed. Let the abilities of the creature be never so excellent, they must be under the power of a superior, they must be ordered and directed by a higher cause.
2. It is the Spirit of God who is the great agent that sets angels to work; they perform nothing by their own virtue and strength, but at the command and impulse of the Spirit they act, they set out, proceed, finish, and return. As in a ship at sea, there are the winds without to drive it, and the pilot within to guide it to what place he pleaseth; so here is the command of the Spirit ab extra, externally, and the impetus intra, the inward influence, to carry out and order these. The great things angels have done, have been done by the Spirit of God: if they suggest good thoughts; if an angel strengthen Christ in His agony; if they reveal mysteries and things to come to Daniel and others; if they contend against princes, and agitate the great affairs of the kingdom, it is by virtue of the Spirit of God, that works efficaciously in them, and in good men, that are employed for the glory of God and the public good of Church or State.
3. Angels are led and easily led by the Spirit. They went–without dispute or delay–whither the Spirit would have them go. Offer up yourselves, freely and fully, to the conduct of the Spirit, and that will lead you into all truth and into the land of uprightness. (W. Greenhill, M. A.)
Spiritual activity
The poets tell us of a firefly in southern climates, said to be the most brilliant of all fireflies, which has this peculiarity, that it never shines at all except when going rapidly upon the wing, and then its brilliancy, can be seen afar. So it is with our immortal souls. When we are upon the wing, active and advancing, going forward in the Christian race toward God and toward heaven, our light shines out and all men see it; but when we stand still, it dies. (Christian Age.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 12. They went every one straight forward] Not by progressive stepping, but by gliding.
Whither the spirit was to go] Whither that whirlwind blew, they went, being borne on by the wind, see Eze 1:4.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
They went every one straightforward: see Eze 1:9. Which way soever they went, each living creature had one face looking straight forwards, and their other faces looking toward other coasts of the world; if the fore right were to the south, the other faces looked one to the east, one to the west, and the other to the north. Thus with rectitude, constancy, wisdom, and universal care Providence rules and guides affairs of the world, and especially of the church, to the glory of God.
Whither the spirit was to go; the wind moved, say some; but if there were a gale of wind, which blowing gently on these living creatures stirred them in the sight of the prophet, it was emblematical, and represented to his view the power and influence of the Spirit of God, which moved and acted these admirable creatures. The will, command, and breathing of the Spirit of God both gave and guided their motions to ends he himself designed. Going is attributed here to the Spirit of God by allusion, and not properly, for who is ever in every place cannot properly be said to go from or to any place.
They went; the living creatures readily observed the impressions of the Spirit of God, and obeyed.
They turned not when they went: see Eze 1:9. They looked not back as unwilling, they turned not out of the way as froward, they gave not over till they had completed their course.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
12. The same idea as in Eze1:9. The repetition is because we men are so hard to be broughtto acknowledge the wisdom of God’s doings; they seem tortuous andconfused to us, but they are all tending steadily to one aim.
the spiritthe secretimpulse whereby God moves His angels to the end designed. They do notturn back or aside till they have fulfilled the office assigned them.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And they went everyone straight forward,…. Or, “over against his face” q; for, which way soever they went, whether forward or backward, or on either side, they had a face to go before them, to direct the way, and steer their course; so the ministers of the Gospel have a face to go by and follow after, the word of God, to look to and direct them, which way soever they go, or whatsoever service they are called unto;
whither the spirit was to go they went; which may be meant of their own spirit, will, and inclination; so the Targum,
“to the place where it was their good pleasure to go they went;”
so Jarchi and Kimchi; but this is not always the case, see Ac 16:6; rather the Holy Spirit of God is intended, by whom holy men of God were moved, and spoke formerly; and by whom Gospel ministers are led into the truth, as it is in Jesus; and by whom they are directed where to go, and what to do; and they are sent, and go where the Spirit of God is designed to go, in order to work upon the hearts of men and effectually call them by his grace, which is usually done by the ministry of the word; and therefore Gospel ministers must go, and they do go where the Spirit of God has work to do by them; see Ac 16:6;
[and] they turned not when they went; they had no occasion to turn their bodies, because, which way soever they went, they had a face to go before them, and direct the way; [See comments on Eze 1:9].
q “coram facie sua”, V. L. “in tractam faciei suae”, [objectum], Junius Tremellius, Piscator, Polanus “ante faciem suam”, Starckius.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Here the Prophet repeats, that the movement of the living creatures was in each case directed towards, or in the direction of its face: and he will say the same again: nor is this repetition superfluous, since, as we said yesterday and must repeat again, mankind can scarcely’ be induced to ascribe glory to the wisdom of God. For we are so stupid, that we think that God mingles all things inconsiderately, as if he were in the dark. Since, therefore, the actions of God appear to us distorted, it is needful to repeat this clause, viz., that angels proceed straight forward, that is, are constrained to obedience. For the son who wishes to imitate his father, and the servant his master, is often agitated and at a loss what to do. Since then, something always appears confused in creatures, the Prophet diligently enforces that angels proceed in the direction of their face, that is, they tend at once to their goal, and decline neither to one side or the other. What he announces with regard to angels, ought to be referred to God himself; because his intention was not to extol angelic wisdom, but he sets them before us as God’s ministers, that we may perceive here one of the fundamental principles of our faith, viz., that God so regulates his actions, that nothing is with him either distorted or uncontrolled.
He adds, wheresoever there was spirit for proceeding, they proceeded (36) Spirit is here used in the sense of mind or will: we know that it is often put metaphorically for wind, and also for the human soul, but here the will ought to be understood, and so the Prophet alludes to that very motion by which angels are borne along when God uses their assistance. Since, therefore, the vigor and swiftness of angels is so great that they fly like the wind, the Prophet seems to allude to this likeness. And what David says in the 104 Psalm, “God makes the winds his ministers,” the Apostle, in the first chapter of the Hebrews, aptly applies to the angels themselves. This analogy then, will stand very well, viz., that the angels proceeded wherever their will bore them; and yet by this word the Prophet points out that secret motion by which God bends his angels as he pleases. In the meantime, he confirms what we have lately seen, that angels are not rashly driven in every direction, but have a definite end, because God, who is the fountain of all wisdom, works through their means. He says again, they so proceed as not to return, that is, that they do not deviate from their course, for he afterwards says, they do turn backwards. But it is easy to reconcile these statements, because it only signifies that their course was not abrupt. While, therefore, they are proceeding in one direction, they go forward until they finish their allotted space, and then they return like lightning. For God does not so fit his angels for one single work, and that they should rest ever afterwards, but daily, nay, every moment, he exercises them in obedience. Since, then, the angels are continually occupied, it is not wonderful that the Prophet says, that they go and return, and yet not return, which is explained by their not receding until they have discharged their duty. Lastly, this vision has no other meaning than to inform the Prophet that God does not desert his works in the middle of their course, as he says in Psa 138:8. Since, therefore, in the works of God, there is nothing unfinished or mutilated, the angels go forward, and finish their allotted space till the goal: they afterwards return like lightning, as he will shortly say. It follows: —
(36) This rendering seems most in accordance with Calvin’s Interpretation, and is evidently better than Newcome’s, “whithersoever the Spirit was to go, they went.” The French reads, “ selon que l’esprit estoit pour cheminer, ils cheminoyent.” — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(12) Whither the spirit was to go.The one informing spirit which animated all the living creatures alike, and in accordance with which all their movements were ordered.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
12. The reason of their orderly movements is now given: there was a controlling spirit according to which they moved.
All are but parts of one stupendous whole
Whose body Nature is, and God the soul.
They turned not They did not need to turn. As each side was alike, each could be front, as willed by the spirit, and they could move “straight forward” to any point of the compass without turning.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And they went every one straight forward. Where the Spirit was to go they went. They turned not when they went.’
The idea behind this is total obedience. Their one purpose was to do what God wanted. Nothing could divert them. They obeyed the prompting of the Spirit of God, as God prompted them from His throne.
Alternative interpretations have been, 1). That ‘where the wind was to go they went’. But the idea is then similar for the wind was the wind of God. 2). That they followed the promptings of their own spirits (Eze 1:21). But the impression there is that their spirits follow the Spirit (Eze 1:20). They were not there to do their own will, but the will of Him whose throne they bore.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Eze 1:12. Whither the spirit was to go, they went Whither the wind or tempest bore them, they were borne: that great whirlwind spoken of in the fourth verse, which bore this magnificent chariot of the Lord.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Eze 1:12 And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; [and] they turned not when they went.
Ver. 12. And they went every one straight forward. ] See on Eze 1:9 .
Whither the Spirit was to go, they went.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
spirit. Hebrew. ruach. App-9.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
they went every: Eze 1:9, Eze 1:17, Eze 10:22
whither: Eze 1:20, Eze 1:21, Heb 1:14
Reciprocal: Eze 1:23 – their wings Eze 10:17 – for Eze 46:9 – he that entereth in
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Eze 1:12. Straight forward and turned not was explained at verse 9. The spirit that prompted the movements of these creatures will be explained later in the chapter.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Each creature moved straight forward without deviating, in the direction of the front of each body. Each one followed the lead of the Spirit without twisting as it went. In this context, the Spirit in view is probably the Holy Spirit of God. Other possibilities are the wind that brought the cloud, the spirit of the creatures themselves, or the "vital energy or impulse by which God from His throne acted upon them" [Note: G. A. Cooke, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Ezekiel, p. 15.]