Ezekiel 1:1

Ezekiel 1:1

Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.

a. ASV: Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.

b. YLT: And it cometh to pass, in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth of the month, and I am in the midst of the Removed by the river Chebar, the heavens have been opened, and I see visions of God.

c. Amplified Bible Classic: Now [when I was] in [my] thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was in the midst of captivity beside the river Chebar [in Babylonia], the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.

d. Septuagint: Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, that I was in the midst of the captivity by the river of Chobar; and the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.

e. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: It happened in the thirtieth year, in the fourth [month], on the fifth of the month, as I was among the exile by the River Chebar; the heavens opened and I saw visions of God.

1. “Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month…”

a.  [Now] it came to pass [Strong: 1961 hayah haw-yaw a primitive root (Compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit (one-)self, require, X use.]

b. [in the] thirtieth [Strong: 7970 shᵉlôwshîym, shel-o-sheem'; or שְׁלֹשִׁים shᵉlôshîym; multiple of H7969; thirty; or (ordinal) thirtieth:—thirty, thirtieth.]

c. year [Strong: 8141 shâneh, shaw-neh'; (in plural or (feminine) שָׁנָה shânâh; from H8138; a year (as a revolution of time):— whole age, × long, old, year(× -ly).]

d. [in the] fourth [month] [Strong: 7243  rᵉbîyʻîy, reb-ee-ee'; or רְבִעִי rᵉbiʻîy; from H7251; fourth; also (fractionally) a fourth:—foursquare, fourth (part).]

e. [in the] fifth [day] [Strong: 2568 châmêsh, khaw-maysh'; masculine חֲמִשָּׁה chămishshâh; a primitive numeral; five:—fif(-teen), fifth, five (× apiece).]

f. [of the] month [Strong: chôdesh, kho'-desh; from H2318; the new moon; by implication, a month:—month(-ly), new moon.]

1). Albert Barnes Commentary:The thirtieth year - being closely connected with as I, is rather in favor of considering this a personal date. It is not improbable that Ezekiel was called to his office at the age prescribed in the Law for Levites Numbers 4:23, Numbers 4:30, at which age both John the Baptist and our Lord began their ministry.

2. “...as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar…”

a. [as] I [was] [Strong: 589 'aniy an-ee' contracted from 595; I:--I, (as for) me, mine, myself, we, X which, X who.]

b. among [Strong: 8432 tâvek, taw'-vek; from an unused root meaning to sever; a bisection, i.e. (by implication) the centre:—among(-st), × between, half, × (there-, where-), in(-to), middle, mid(-night), midst (among), × out (of), × through, × with(-in).]

c. [the] captives [Strong: 1473  gôwlâh, go-law'; or (shortened) גֹּלָה gôlâh; active participle feminine of H1540; exile; concretely and collectively exiles:—(carried away), captive(-ity), removing.]

d. by [Strong: 5921 `al al properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications (as follow):--above, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than, through(-out), to, touching, X with.]

e. [the] river [Strong: 5104 nâhâr, naw-hawr'; from H5102; a stream (including the sea; expectation the Nile, Euphrates, etc.); figuratively, prosperity:—flood, river.]

f. [of] Chebar [Strong: 3529 Kᵉbâr, keb-awr'; the same as H3528; length; Kebar, a river of Mesopotamia:—Chebar.]

1). J. Vernon McGee: Ezekiel was a priest (Ezekiel 1:3) but never served in that office, as he was still a young man when he was taken captive during the reign of Jehoiachin (2 Kings 24:10-16). Daniel was taken captive in the first captivity during Jehoiakim’s reign, about eight years before Ezekiel was taken captive. [D.C.: Daniel 1:1-6] Ezekiel was contemporary with Jeremiah and Daniel. Jeremiah was an old man who spoke to the remnant that remained in the land; Daniel spoke in the court of the king of Babylon; Ezekiel spoke to the captives who had been brought to the rivers of Babylon. While the other captives wept when they remembered Zion, Ezekiel exulted in the greatest visions ever given to any prophet.

2). Unger’s Bible Dictionary: Ezekiel was taken captive along with Jehoiachin in 597 B.C, 2 Kings 24:12-15

3. “...that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.”

a. [that the] heavens [Strong: 8064 shâmayim, shaw-mah'-yim; dual of an unused singular שָׁמֶה shâmeh; from an unused root meaning to be lofty; the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve):—air, × astrologer, heaven(-s).]

b. [were] opened [Strong: 6605 pâthach, paw-thakh'; a primitive root; to open wide (literally or figuratively); specifically, to loosen, begin, plough, carve:—appear, break forth, draw (out), let go free, (en-) grave(-n), loose (self), (be, be set) open(-ing), put off, ungird, unstop, have vent.]

c. [and I] saw [Strong: 7200 râʼâh, raw-aw'; a primitive root; to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative):—advise self, appear, approve, behold, × certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, × indeed, × joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), mark, meet, × be near, perceive, present, provide, regard, (have) respect, (fore-, cause to, let) see(-r, -m, one another), shew (self), × sight of others, (e-) spy, stare, × surely, × think, view, visions.]

d. visions [Strong: 4759 marʼâh, mar-aw'; feminine of H4758; a vision; also (causatively) a mirror:—looking glass, vision.]

e. [of] God [Strong: 430 ʼĕlôhîym, el-o-heem'; plural of H433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative:—angels, × exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), × (very) great, judges, × mighty.]