Ezekiel 1 · Verse 28

Ezekiel 1:28

As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.
Ezekiel 1:28, King James Version

Ezekiel 1:28 in other translations

BSBThe appearance of the brilliant light all around Him was like that of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell facedown and heard a voice speaking.
WEBAs the appearance of the rainbow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. This was the appearance of the likeness of the LORD’s glory. When I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of one that spoke.
ASVAs the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Jehovah. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.
YLTAs the appearance of the bow that is in a cloud in a day of rain, so is the appearance of the brightness round about.
DARBYAs the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Jehovah. And when I saw, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of one that spoke.
BBELike the bow in the cloud on a day of rain, so was the light shining round him. And this is what the glory of the Lord was like. And when I saw it I went down on my face, and the voice of one talking came to my ears.
WebsterAs the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness around. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one speaking.

What does Ezekiel 1:28 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
28. the bow ... in ... rain--the symbol of the sure covenant of mercy to God's children remembered amidst judgments on the wicked; as in the flood in Noah's days (Re 4:3). "Like hanging out from the throne of the Eternal a fing of peace, assuring all that the purpose of Heaven was to preserve rather than to destroy. Even if the divine work should require a deluge of wrath, still the faithfulness of God would only shine forth the more brightly at last to the children of promise, in consequence of the tribulations needed to prepare for the ultimate good" [Fairbairn]. (Is 54:8-10). I fell upon ... face--the right attitude, spiritually, before we enter on any active work for God (Eze 2:2; 3:23, 24; Re 1:17). In this first chapter God gathered into one vision the substance of all that was to occupy the prophetic agency of Ezekiel; as was done afterwards in the opening vision of the Revelation of Saint John.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 28 As the appearance of the bow - Over the canopy on which this glorious personage sat there was a fine rainbow, which, from the description here, had all its colors vivid, distinct, and in perfection - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. In all this description we must understand every metal, every color, and every natural appearance, to be in their utmost perfection of shape, color, and splendor. "And this," as above described, "was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord." Splendid and glorious as it was, it was only the "appearance of the likeness," a faint representation of the real thing. I have endeavored to explain these appearances as correctly as possible; to show their forms, positions, colors, etc. But who can explain their meaning? We have conjectures in abundance; and can it be of any use to mankind to increase the number of those conjectures? I think not. I doubt whether the whole does not point out the state of the Jews, who were about to be subdued by Nebuchadnezzar, and carried into captivity. And I am inclined to think that the "living creatures, wheels, fires, whirlwinds," etc., which are introduced here, point out, emblematically, the various means, sword, fire, pestilence, famine, etc., which were employed in their destruction; and that God appears in all this to show that Nebuchadnezzar is only his instrument to inflict all these calamities. What is in the following chapter appears to me to confirm this supposition. But we have the rainbow, the token of God's covenant, to show that though there should be a destruction of the city, temple, etc., and sore tribulation among the people, yet there should not be a total ruin; after a long captivity they should be restored. The rainbow is an illustrious token of mercy and love.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ezekiel 1:26-28

The eternal Son, the second Person in the Trinity, who afterwards took the human nature, is here denoted. The first thing observed was a throne. It is a throne of glory, a throne of grace, a throne of triumph, a throne of government, a throne of judgment. It is good news to men, that the throne above the firmament is filled with One who appears, even there, in the likeness of a man. The throne is surrounded with a…

Read the full comment on Ezekiel 1:26-28 →

Ezekiel 1:28 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

כְּמַרְאֵ֣הke.mar.'Ehlike [the] appearance ofH4758
הַקֶּ֡שֶׁתha.Ke.shet<the> rainbowH7198
אֲשֶׁר֩'a.SherwhichH834
יִֽהְיֶ֨הyih.Yehit isH1961
בֶעָנָ֜ןve.'a.Nanin the cloud[s]H6051
בְּי֣וֹםbe.Yomon [the] day ofH3117
הַגֶּ֗שֶׁםha.Ge.shem<the> rainH1653
כֵּ֣ןkensoH3651
מַרְאֵ֤הmar.'Eh[the] appearance ofH4758
הַנֹּ֙גַהּ֙ha.No.gahthe brightnessH5051
סָבִ֔יבsa.Vivall aroundH5439
ה֕וּאhu'thatH1931
מַרְאֵ֖הmar.'Eh[was] [the] appearance ofH4758
דְּמ֣וּתde.Mut[the] likeness ofH1823
כְּבוֹד\־ke.Vod-[the] glory ofH3519
יְהוָ֑הYah.wehYahwehH3068
וָֽאֶרְאֶה֙va.'er.'Ehand I saw [it]H7200
וָאֶפֹּ֣לva.'e.Poland I fellH5307
עַל\־'al-onH5921
פָּנַ֔יpa.Naiface myH6440
וָאֶשְׁמַ֖עva.'esh.Ma'and I heardH8085
ק֥וֹלKola voiceH6963
מְדַבֵּֽר\׃\ \סme.da.BerspeakingH1696

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Ezekiel 1:28

  • Revelation 10:1

    And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:

  • Revelation 4:3

    And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.

  • Genesis 17:3

    And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,

  • Ezekiel 3:23

    Then I arose, and went forth into the plain: and, behold, the glory of the Lord stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river of Chebar: and I fell on my face.

  • Exodus 24:16

    And the glory of the Lord abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.

  • Acts 9:4

    And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

  • Daniel 8:17

    So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision.

  • Ezekiel 8:4

    And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the vision that I saw in the plain.

  • Genesis 9:13-16

    I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.

  • Exodus 33:18-23

    And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: …

  • Revelation 1:17-18

    And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

  • 1 Corinthians 13:12

    For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
at the appearance of the bow.
Ge 9:13-16; Isa 54:8-10; Re 4:3; 10:1
This.
8:4; 10:19,20; 43:3; Ex 16:7,10; 24:16; 33:18-23; Nu 12:6-8
1Ki 8:10,11; 1Co 13:12
I fell.
3:23; Ge 17:3; Le 9:24; Da 8:17; 10:7-9,16,17; Mt 17:5,6; Ac 9:4
Re 1:17,18

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Ezekiel 1:27

    And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.

  • Ezekiel 1:28

    As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.

Read all of Ezekiel 1

Ezekiel 1:28 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Cual parece el arco del cielo que está en las nubes el día que llueve, así era el parecer del resplandor alrededor. Esta fué la visión de la semejanza de la gloria de Jehová. Y luego que yo la hube visto, caí sobre mi rostro, y oí voz de uno que hablaba.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Comme l’aspect de l’arc qui est dans la nuée en un jour de pluie, tel était l’aspect de la splendeur tout autour. C’était là l’aspect de la ressemblance de la gloire de l’ Éternel. Et je vis, et je tombai sur ma face, et j’entendis une voix qui parlait.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Wie das Aussehen des Bogens, der am Regentage in der Wolke ist, also war das Aussehen des Glanzes ringsum. Das war das Aussehen des Bildes der Herrlichkeit Jehovas. -Und als ich es sah, fiel ich nieder auf mein Angesicht; und ich hörte die Stimme eines Redenden.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
velut aspectum arcus cum fuerit in nube in die pluviæ. Hic erat aspectus splendoris per gyrum.