Ezekiel 9:3

My Notes

What Does Ezekiel 9:3 Mean?

"And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer's inkhorn by his side." The glory of God MOVES — lifting from its place above the cherubim in the Most Holy Place and moving to the THRESHOLD of the Temple. The departure has begun. The glory that dwelt between the cherubim is now at the door. God is leaving His own house, and the departure is staged — first to the threshold, then to the east gate (10:19), then to the mountain east of the city (11:23). The leaving is gradual, reluctant, and observable.

The phrase "gone up from the cherub" (na'alah me'al hakkeruv — went up from upon the cherub) describes the BEGINNING of the departure: the glory's traditional resting place was above the cherubim on the mercy seat (Exodus 25:22). The going-up from that position is the first movement of departure. The glory is leaving the place where it has dwelt since Moses.

The "man clothed with linen, which had the writer's inkhorn" is the angelic figure commissioned to MARK the righteous before the judgment falls (verse 4): the linen-clothed scribe will mark foreheads with a sign. The marking happens while the glory moves. The departure and the protection operate simultaneously.

Reflection Questions

• 1.Is God's presence moving in your life — and have you noticed the staged departure?
• 2.What does the glory pausing at the threshold teach about divine reluctance to leave?
• 3.How does protection (marking the righteous) happening simultaneously with departure show God's dual nature?
• 4.What threshold is God standing at in your community — and what would prevent the departure?

Devotional

The glory moves. From the cherubim — where it has rested since Moses — to the threshold. The door. God's presence is leaving the Temple. The departure isn't sudden. It's staged: cherubim to threshold. Threshold to east gate. East gate to the mountain. Each stage is a step further from the house. Each movement is another degree of departure. God is RELUCTANTLY leaving.

The 'gone up from the cherub' is the first movement of the most catastrophic departure in Israel's history: the glory that rested above the cherubim in the Most Holy Place — the same glory that filled Solomon's Temple at its dedication (1 Kings 8:10-11) — is now moving. The presence that was SETTLED is now DEPARTING. The going-up from the cherubim is the beginning of the end of God's dwelling in the Temple.

The movement to the THRESHOLD is the staged nature of the departure: God doesn't vanish instantly. He moves to the DOOR first — as though pausing, as though giving one last chance, as though reluctant to cross the threshold into absence. The threshold is the last indoor position. After the threshold comes the courtyard, then the gate, then the mountain, then — gone. The glory lingers at the door.

The 'man clothed in linen with the writer's inkhorn' acts while the glory moves: even as God prepares to leave, He commissions the marking of the righteous. The departure includes protection. The leaving includes saving. The glory that's departing the Temple is simultaneously ensuring that the faithful are marked and preserved.

Is the glory moving — in your life, in your community — and are you at the threshold of a departure you haven't recognized?

Commentary

Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.

Cross References

Related passages throughout Scripture