Ézéchiel 1:22

La Bible David Martin

Et la ressemblance de ce qui était au-dessus des têtes des animaux, [était] une étendue semblable à la voir à un cristal [dont l'état] remplissait de respect, laquelle s'étendait sur leurs têtes par dessus.

Parallel Translations

La Bible Ostervald (1996)
Au-dessus des t�tes des animaux on voyait un ciel, pareil au cristal resplendissant, et qui s'�tendait en haut par-dessus leurs t�tes.

Darby's French Translation
Et au-dessus des t�tes de l'animal, il y avait la ressemblance d'une �tendue, comme l'apparence d'un cristal terrible �tendu sur leurs t�tes, en haut.

Louis Segond (1910)
Au-dessus des t�tes des animaux, il y avait comme un ciel de cristal resplendissant, qui s'�tendait sur leurs t�tes dans le haut.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the likeness: Ezekiel 1:26, Ezekiel 10:1, Exodus 24:10, Job 37:22, Revelation 4:3, Revelation 4:6, Revelation 21:11

crystal: The Hebrew kerach which generally denotes ice, doubtless here signifies crystal (ךסץףפבככןע, from ךסץןע, cold, ice, and ףפוככןלבי, to concrete), as it is rendered by the LXX and Vulgate. It is a very large class of silicious minerals, hard, pellucid, naturally colourless, of regularly angular figures, and of simple plates; not flexible, nor elastic, but giving fire with steel; not fermenting by acid menstrua, but calcinable in a strong fire. There are three orders of pure crystal. The first is perfect columnar crystals, with double pyramids, of eighteen planes, in an hexangular pyramid at each end; the second is that of perfect crystals, without a column, of twelve or sixteen planes, in two hexangular pyramids; and the third is that of imperfect crystals, with single pyramids, of ten or twelve planes, in an hexangular or pentangular column. Terrible crystal seems to denote that which was well cut and polished, vividly refracting the rays of light.

Reciprocal: Job 28:17 - crystal Psalms 150:1 - in the firmament Ezekiel 10:20 - the living

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature,.... This was not a real firmament, but the likeness of one; it was like the firmament which God created on the second day, which divided between the waters above and below, and which he called Heaven; and is no other than the airy and starry heavens. Its name is in Hebrew

רקיע, "an expanse"; from its being stretched out as a curtain, and a tent to dwell in; and a "firmament" from its firmness and continuance; and therefore called the firmament of his power, Genesis 1:8

Psalms 150:1; and this visionary one was "over the heads of the living creatures"; which shows that they could not be angels, for those have their habitation in the third heaven, above the firmament; much less in hieroglyphic of the trinity of Persons, who are the three that bear record in heaven, and are not under the firmament; but ministers of the Gospel, who are on earth, and are subject to Christ, whose throne is above the firmament, Ezekiel 1:26; and who receive their commission and gifts from him, and are accountable to him. This firmament

[was] as the colony of the tenable crystal; crystal is a very white, transparent, precious stone, resembling ice, from whence it has its name; hence Pliny t thought it was no other than ice vehemently frozen; and here it is called "terrible", because exceeding clear and bright, so that there was no looking upon it, without the eyes being dazzled with the glory of it. The sky is called a molten looking glass, in which the glory of God, and his handiwork, may be seen, Job 37:18; and as the throne of Christ was over this crystal firmament, it shows that, though he is in heaven, he sees all that is done on earth, and in his churches, and by his ministers; and the saints also see him by faith, and through the glass of the Gospel: it is only a crystal firmament that is between them,

stretched forth over their heads above; that is, over the heads of the living creatures, as before; said to be stretched out, in allusion to its name, an expanse, as before observed.

t Nat. Hit. l. 37. c. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

“The color” (Hebrew, “eye”) “of the terrible crystal” refers to the dazzling brightness of the “firmament,” a clear bright expanse between the “throne” and the “living creatures,” separating heaven from earth.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ezekiel 1:22. The colour of the terrible crystal — Like a crystal, well cut and well polished, with various faces, by which rays of light were refracted, assuming either a variety of prismatic colours, or an insufferably brilliant splendour. This seems to be the meaning of the terrible crystal. Newcome translates, fearful ice. The common translation is preferable.