Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 1:21
When those went, [these] went; and when those stood, [these] stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature [was] in the wheels.
This verse is a confirmation and further illustration of what is said in the 20th, and being almost word for word the same with the 20th, needs no distinct paraphrase. I shall only note how God doth fully assert his over-ruling and ever-ruling wise providence in the affairs of his church and the world, both against,
1. The profane thoughts of atheists and epicures, which ever abound in those times, when sinners of the world and church are ripe for harvest.
2. Against the distrust and fears of his own suffering people.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
21. over againstrather,”along with” [HENDERSON];or, “beside” [FAIRBAIRN].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
When those went, [these] went; and when those stood, [these] stood,…. When ministers are active and lively, then the churches are; but when they are indolent, dull, and inactive, then the churches are so likewise:
and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them; [See comments on Eze 1:19];
for the spirit of the living creature [was] in the wheels; or, “the spirit of life”, as in Eze 1:20; see Re 11:11.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
He continues the same sentence, that the wheels were fixed, not that they fell but stood without motion, which we know to be unnatural, for a wheel cannot stand on any part of its rim, but will either fall on one side or the other, or will roll on: for the Prophet says that the wheels were immovable. Whence it follows that their moving force was external to themselves. Afterwards he confirms the same by additional words. For as the living creatures and the wheels stood together, so they moved and were elevated together. Here the Prophet enlarges upon what he had just touched upon. For although the matter is obscure, yet this copiousness excites attention, and leads us to understand that the motion of the wheels is not uselessly transferred to the living creatures, and that the cause resides there: because if this had been said briefly, it might have been transmitted carelessly, but since the Prophet so often asserts the motion of the wheels to be derived from the living creatures, hence it follows that all changes of things which are seen in the world have their origin from some external source, as I have formerly said. The reason, too, is repeated — that the spirit of the living creatures or animals was in the wheels: for here as before there is an alteration in the number. Though the Prophet understood the spirit of the living creatures to be in the wheels, yet the wheels do not comprehend anything, but receive vigor, as the moon obtains its brightness from the sun. So we perceive that the wheels are impelled, not that the intelligence of the living creatures had been transfused through the wheels. For God does not give mind and judgment to either winter or summer, to either peace or war, to either the calm or the storm, the pestilence or anything else. What then? Neither air, nor earth, nor sea, have any rigor by themselves, unless so far as God by his angels directs the earth to this use, or while he bends the minds of men in one direction or the other, to either war or peace. Now, therefore, we clearly see the meaning of the spirit of the living creatures being in the wheels, viz., that God transfuses his influence through angels, so that not even a sparrow falls to the earth without his foresight, as Christ says, (Mat 10:29; Luk 12:6.) Therefore, whenever the confusion of our affairs urges us to despair, let us try to remember this sentiment, that the spirit of the living creatures is in the wheels. And truly when we tremble in doubtful circumstances, what can we do but acquiesce in this doctrine — viz., that the end of everything will be according to God’s decree, because nothing is carried on without his permission, and that there, is no motion, no agitation under the heavens, unless he has inspired it by his angels. Now it follows —
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
Eze 1:21 When those went, [these] went; and when those stood, [these] stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature [was] in the wheels.
Ver. 21. When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood. ] This is but the same again as before, but more fully and plainly. See the similar passage in Joh 1:2 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
When those went: Eze 1:19, Eze 1:20, Eze 10:17
of the living creature: or, of life, Rom 8:2
Reciprocal: Eze 1:12 – whither
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Eze 1:21. This verse is virtually the same as the preceding one, and the concluding clause of each is exactly tbe same. The co-operation of the creatures and the wheels signifies that they represent the same thing which is tbe four world empires noted at verse 5, As to the appropriateness of two different kinds of illustrations for the same thing, see the comments at verse 15.