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the divine glory being borne upon the Cherubim; and a very great sound was produced by the wings of the Cherubim moving, so that one would suppose it to be thunder, or a divine voice; for "As the voice of God Shaddai"—"the thunder of the sufficient God" Symmachus and Theodotion translated; that is, You might compare the sound to the voice of the sufficient and powerful God; 81.893 instead of, to the thunder produced by divine energy. And he came, it says, and stood beside the wheels. (7) And the Cherub, it says, stretched out his hand from among the Cherubim, into the midst of the fire that was in the midst of the Cherubim; and he took, and gave it into the hands of him who was clothed in the holy robe, and he took it, and went out. From this one can also learn the difference of the invisible orders; for the six were not even commanded to approach the Cherubim; but he does approach, but does not dare to go into the midst of the Cherubim, but the Cherubim themselves offer the coals. 8. And I saw, it says, the Cherubim having the likeness of human hands under their wings. And the hands are indicative of actions; then he explains again the things concerning the wheels, having said all that we have already said before; but he says that he had seen only the appearance of the color changed; for there, according to Symmachus, he said he had seen it as the appearance of jacinth; but here, according to the Septuagint, as the appearance of a coal; so that from this we learn that he did not see the natures of the invisible beings themselves, but certain likenesses and images; for which reason he also sees them changed. And he saw this change also in the Cherubim; for there he said that the first face was like a man, the second a lion, the third a calf, and the fourth an eagle; but here the order was reversed, and he said he had seen first the face of the Cherub, which is that of a calf, second that of a man, then that of a lion, and that of an eagle. Therefore, the nature of the invisible powers is not such, but the Lord arranges such visions for the need. And I think, because he saw this vision in the temple, for this reason he saw the face of the calf set forth, since this is taken as a type of the priesthood. And it teaches that both their backs and their hands, and the wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes, being taught the multitude of their knowledge; which also the name Gelgel signifies. 13. To these wheels, it says, was called Gelgel, as I was listening. That is, they were commanded to revolve and to be set in motion. 15. And the Cherubim, it says, were lifted up. Then teaching us that he had already seen these things before, he says: "This is the living creature that I saw by the river Chebar." But at that time he enjoyed the vision, but did not know the name; but now he has learned this also. 16, 17. And when the Cherubim went, the wheels went, and these beside them; and when the Cherubim lifted up their wings to be raised from the earth, their wheels did not turn, and they themselves from those 81.896 beside them. And when they stood, they stood, and when they were raised up, they were raised up with them, because the spirit of life was in them. The wheels, it says, followed the Cherubim in all things, and when they moved, they moved with them, and when they flew, they followed, and when they stood, they stood, not being dragged by any force, but performing each of these things of their own accord; for they too spiritually participated in life. 18, 19. And the glory of the Lord went out from the threshold of the house, and went up upon the Cherubim. And the Cherubim took up their wings, and were raised up from the earth before me when they were lifted up, and they stood at the threshold of the gate of the Lord's house opposite, and the glory of the God of Israel was upon them from above. For when he ordered the coals to be taken, he seemed in a way to stand aside, so that the one who had been commanded might have courage to approach; and when that was done, he seems to return again, and to be borne; and the Cherubim, it says, were raised up, and were carried more easily through the air, using the movement of their wings instead of feet; and the wheels followed not even a little

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τῆς θείας δόξης ἐποχουμένης τῶν Χερουβίμ· μέγιστος δὲ ἦχος ἀπετελεῖτο τῶν πτερύγων κινουμένων τῶν Χερουβὶμ, ὡς ὑπολαμβά νειν βροντὴν εἶναι, ἢ θείαν φωνήν· τὸ γὰρ, "Ὡς φωνὴ Θεοῦ Σαδαῒ"-"ἱκανοῦ Θεοῦ βροντὴν" ὁ Σύμ μαχος καὶ ὁ Θεοδοτίων ἡρμήνευσαν· τουτέστιν, Εἰ κάσαις ἂν τὸν ἦχον τῇ τοῦ ἱκανοῦ καὶ δυνατοῦ Θεοῦ 81.893 φωνῇ· ἀντὶ τοῦ, τῇ κατὰ θείαν ἐνέργειαν ἀποτελου μένῃ βροντῇ. Καὶ ἦλθε, φησὶν, καὶ ἔστη ἐχόμενος τῶν τρο χῶν. (ζʹ.) Καὶ ἐξέτεινε, φησὶν, ὁ Χεροὺβ τὴν χεῖρα αὑτοῦ ἐκ τῶν ἀναμέσον τῶν Χερουβὶμ, εἰς μέ σον τοῦ πυρὸς τοῦ ὄντος ἐν μέσῳ τῶν Χερου βίμ· καὶ ἔλαβε, καὶ ἔδωκεν εἰς χεῖρας τοῦ ἐνδε δυκότος τὴν στολὴν τὴν ἁγίαν, καὶ ἔλαβε, καὶ ἐξῆλθε. Τὴν τῶν ἀοράτων ταγμάτων διαφορὰν καὶ ἐντεῦθεν ἔστι μαθεῖν· οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἓξ οὐδὲ πελά σαι τοῖς Χερουβὶμ προσετάχθησαν· ὁ δὲ πελάζει μὲν, οὐ κατατολμᾷ δὲ τοῦ μέσου τῶν Χερουβὶμ, ἀλλ' αὐτὰ τὰ Χερουβὶμ ὀρέγει τοὺς ἄνθρακας. ηʹ. Καὶ ἴδον, φησὶ, τὰ Χερουβὶμ ὅμοια χει ρῶν ἀνθρώπων ὑποκάτωθεν τῶν πτερύγων αὐτῶν. Ἐνεργείας δὲ αἱ χεῖρες σημαντικαί· εἶτα ἐξηγεῖται πάλιν τὰ κατὰ τοὺς τροχοὺς, πάντα μὲν εἰρηκὼς ἃ καὶ ἤδη προειρήκαμεν· τὸ δὲ εἶδος τῆς χρόας μόνον ἐνηλλαγμένον ἑωρακέναι φησίν· ἐκεῖ μὲν γὰρ, κατὰ τὸν Σύμμαχον, ὡς εἶδος ὑακίνθου ἔφη τεθεᾶσθαι· ἐν ταῦθα δὲ, κατὰ τοὺς Ἑβδομήκοντα, ὡς εἶδος ἄνθρακος· ὥστε κἀντεῦθεν ἡμᾶς μαθεῖν, ὡς οὐκ αὐτὰς εἶδε τῶν ἀοράτων τὰς φύσεις, ἀλλ' ὁμοιώματά τινα καὶ εἰκά σματα· διὸ καὶ ἐνηλλαγμένα θεωρεῖ. Ταύτην δὲ τὴν ἐναλλαγὴν καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν Χερουβὶμ ἐθεάσατο· ἐκεῖ μὲν γὰρ τὸ πρῶτον πρόσωπον ἀνθρώπῳ ἐοικέναι ἔφη, τὸ δὲ δεύτερον λέοντι, τὸ δὲ τρίτον μόσχῳ, τὸ δὲ τέταρ τον ἀετῷ· ἐνταῦθα δὲ ἀντεστραμμένην τὴν τάξιν, καὶ τὸ τοῦ Χερουβὶμ πρόσωπον, ὅπερ ἐστὶ μόσχου, πρῶτον ἔφη τεθεᾶσθαι, δεύτερον δὲ τὸ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, εἶτα τοῦ λέοντος, καὶ τὸ τοῦ ἀετοῦ. Οὐ τοίνυν τοιαύτη τῶν ἀοράτων δυνάμεων ἡ φύσις, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὴν χρείαν ὁ ∆εσπότης τὰς τοιαύτας οἰκονομεῖ θεω ρίας. Καὶ ἡγοῦμαι, ἐπειδὴ ἐν τῷ ναῷ ταύτην ἑώρα τὴν ὀπτασίαν, διὰ τοῦτο προτεταγμένον εἶδε τοῦ μό σχου τὸ πρόσωπον, ἐπειδὴ εἰς τύπον ἱερωσύνης τοῦτο παρείληπται. ∆ιδάσκει δὲ, ὅτι καὶ οἱ νῶτοι αὐτῶν καὶ αἱ χεῖρες αὐτῶν, καὶ αἱ πτέρυγες, καὶ οἱ τρο χοὶ, πλήρεις ἦσαν ὀφθαλμῶν, τῆς γνώσεως αὐτῶν τὸ πλῆθος διδασκόμενος· ὅπερ καὶ σημαίνει τὸ ὄνομα γελγέλ. ιγʹ. Τοῖς δὲ τροχοῖς τούτοις, φησὶν, ἐπεκλήθη γελγὲλ ἀκούοντός μου. Τουτέστιν, ἀνακυκλεῖσθαι καὶ ἀνακινεῖσθαι προσετάχθησαν. ιεʹ. Καὶ ἐπήρθη, φησὶ, τὰ Χερουβίμ. Εἶτα διδά σκων ἡμᾶς, ὡς ταῦτα καὶ ἤδη πρότερον ἐθεάσατο, φησίν· "Τοῦτο τὸ ζῶον ὃ εἶδον ἐπὶ τοῦ ποταμοῦ Χοβάρ." Ἀλλὰ τότε τῆς μὲν θεωρίας ἀπήλαυσε, τὴν δὲ προσηγορίαν ἠγνόησε· νῦν δὲ καὶ τοῦτο με μάθηκεν. ι ϛʹ, ιζʹ. Καὶ ἐν τῷ πορεύεσθαι τὰ Χερουβὶμ ἐπο ρεύοντο οἱ τροχοὶ, καὶ οὗτοι ἐχόμενοι αὐτῶν· καὶ ἐν τῷ ἐξαίρειν τὰ Χερουβὶμ τὰς πτέρυγας αὐ τῶν τοῦ μετεωρίζεσθαι ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς, οὐκ ἐπ έστρεφον οἱ τροχοὶ αὐτῶν, καί γε αὐτοὶ ἀπὸ τῶν 81.896 ἐχομένων ἀπ' αὐτῶν. Καὶ ἐν τῷ ἑστάναι αὐτὰ εἱστήκεισαν καὶ ἐν τῷ μετεωρίζεσθαι αὐτὰ ἐμε τεωρίζοντο μετ' αὐτῶν, διότι πνεῦμα ζωῆς ἐν αὐτοῖς. Εἵποντο, φησὶ, κατὰ πάντα τοῖς Χερουβὶμ οἱ τροχοὶ, καὶ κινουμένοις συνεκινοῦντο, καὶ πετο μένοις ἠκολούθουν, καὶ ἑστώτων εἱστήκεισαν, οὐχ ὑπό τινος βίας συρόμενοι, ἀλλ' αὐτόματοι τούτων ἕκαστον ἐνεργοῦντες· πνευματικῶς γὰρ καὶ αὐτοὶ ζωῆς ἐν μετουσίᾳ ἐτύγχανον. ιηʹ, ιθʹ. Καὶ ἐξῆλθε δόξα Κυρίου ἀπὸ τοῦ αἰ θρίου τοῦ οἴκου, καὶ ἐπέβη ἐπὶ τὰ Χερουβίμ. Καὶ ἀνέλαβε τὰ Χερουβὶμ τὰς πτέρυγας αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐμετεωρίσθησαν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἐνώπιον ἐμοῦ ἐν τῷ ἐξαίρειν αὐτὰ, καὶ ἔστησαν ἐπὶ τὰ πρόθυρα τῆς πύλης οἴκου Κυρίου τῆς ἀπέναντι, καὶ δόξα Θεοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἦν ἐπ' αὐτῶν ὑπεράνωθεν. Ἡνίκα μὲν γὰρ τοὺς ἄνθρακας ληφθῆναι προσέταξεν, ἔδοξέ πως ἀφίστασθαι, ἵνα καταθαῤῥήσῃ προσελθεῖν ὁ προστε ταγμένος· ἐκείνου δὲ γινομένου, πάλιν ἐπανιέναι δοκεῖ, καὶ ἐποχεῖσθαι· τὰ δὲ Χερουβίμ φησι μετ έωρα, καὶ ῥᾷον διὰ τοῦ ἀέρος ἐφέρετο, τῇ κινήσει τῶν πτερύγων ἀντὶ ποδῶν χρώμενα· εἵποντο δὲ οἱ τροχοὶ οὐδὲ βραχὺ