The Church Fathers on this verse

Ezekiel 43:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

And he brought me to the gate that looked towards the east.

Douay-Rheims

וַיּוֹלִכֵ֖נִי אֶל־הַשָּׁ֑עַר שַׁ֕עַר אֲשֶׁ֥ר פֹּנֶ֖ה דֶּ֥רֶךְ הַקָּדִֽים׃

Hebrew (Masoretic text)

The Church Fathers on this verse

2 Church Fathers comment on this verse · 3 commentaries

Jerome of Stridon

4th centuryChurch Father

And he brought me to the gate that faced east. Behold, the glory of the God of Israel approached from that direction, and His voice was as the sound of many waters, illuminating the earth with His majesty. I witnessed a vision reminiscent of the one I had when I came to bring destruction upon the city, similar to the visions I had by the river Hobar, and I fell upon my face. The glory of the Lord entered the temple through the eastern gate. Then, the Spirit lifted me and guided me into the inner court, where the glory of the Lord filled the house. I heard a voice speaking to me from within the house, and the man standing beside me said, "Son of man, this is the location of my throne and the place of my footstool, where I will dwell among the children of Israel forever.

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The house of Israel will no longer profane my holy name, they and their leaders, through their unfaithfulness and the ruin of their leaders. They have set their threshold by my threshold and their doorposts beside my doorposts, with only a wall between us, and they have defiled my holy name through their detestable practices. Therefore, I poured out my anger upon them. But now, they will forsake their unfaithfulness and the ruin of their leaders, and I will dwell among them forever."

To clarify the difference in translation, it should be noted that the phrase "and brought me forth" does not occur in the Hebrew text. If he was brought to the gate that faced east, why would he have been brought out when he was meant to see what was at that gate? Also, when it states that His voice was as the sound of many waters, which John confirms in Revelation, the LXX translates this as "the sound of the camp was as the sound of a multitude aggravating." Moreover, in Hebrew, it reads: "I saw a vision like that which I saw when I came to bring destruction upon the city." This refers to the figure who, at the beginning of this prophecy, was clothed in linen and bore the instruments of a scribe, assigned to destroy rather than anoint the city, contrary to the LXX translation which mentions a vision of a chariot, a phrase absent from the Hebrew text.

Let us briefly consider these distinctions, as far as the complexities of explanation allow, so that in our pursuit of conciseness, both Moses and the prophet Ezekiel do not obscure the truth of the Lord that we wish to behold with unveiled faces.

Theodoret of Cyrus

5th centuryChurch Father

The glory of the God of Israel approached from the east, accompanied by the sound of the multitude, reminiscent of the voice of rushing waters. The earth radiated with the brilliance of His glory all around, and the vision I beheld mirrored the one I experienced when I entered to anoint the altar. The Prophet refers to a subsequent vision, where he observed individuals bringing axes and assaulting the inhabitants of the city, and one scattering embers across the entirety of it. Moreover, he noted a mark placed upon those who opposed the iniquities of the people. It is likely that the seventy, seeking to understand the significance of the message, referred to the mark on the foreheads of those spared from the punishment as an anointing.

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The vision of the chariot resembled that which I encountered by the river Hobar. Upon seeing it, the prophet declared that he fell down in awe. The glory of the Lord filled the temple, approaching through the gates facing east. He did not express it as 'The Lord entered,' since God's essence cannot be fully articulated, but rather stated, 'The glory of the Lord entered,' indicating the vision that was revealed.

The glory of the God of Israel was approaching from the east, accompanied by the sound of a multitude, resembling the roaring of many waters. The earth radiated with the brilliance of His glory all around. I beheld a vision similar to the one I had witnessed when entering to consecrate the hail, or, as found in both Hebrew and Syriac, when I went in to annihilate the hail. The Prophet refers to a subsequent vision where he observed axes being brought forth to strike down the residents of the city, and a figure scattering fiery coals across the entire city. He also witnessed a mark placed upon those who opposed the wickedness of the people.

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It is plausible that the seventy, having grasped the significance of the message, regarded the sign on the foreheads of those spared from the judgment as an anointing. The vision of the chariot resembled that which I had seen by the river Hobar. Upon seeing it, the prophet declares, he fell. The glory of the Lord filled the temple through the gates that face east. He did not state, 'The Lord entered,' since God's essence is beyond description; instead, he mentions, 'The glory of the Lord entered,' referring to the manifestation that was revealed.

Cross references

Passages read together with this verse.