Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version In my thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. New Living Translation On July 31 of my thirtieth year, while I was with the Judean exiles beside the Kebar River in Babylon, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. English Standard Version In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by the Chebar canal, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. Berean Standard Bible In the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was among the exiles by the River Kebar, the heavens opened and I saw visions of God. Berean Literal Bible And it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth of the month, as I was in the midst of the captivity by the River Kebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. King James Bible 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. New King James Version Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on 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. New American Standard Bible Now it came about in the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was by the river Chebar among the exiles, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. NASB 1995 Now it came about in the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was by the river Chebar among the exiles, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. NASB 1977 Now it came about in the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was by the river Chebar among the exiles, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. Legacy Standard Bible Now it happened in the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was by the river Chebar among the exiles, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. Amplified Bible Now it came about [when I was] in my thirtieth year [of life], on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was among the exiles beside the River Chebar [in Babylonia], the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. Berean Annotated Bible In the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was among the exiles by the River Kebar (far-off), the heavens opened and I saw visions of God (from God). Christian Standard Bible In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, while I was among the exiles by the Chebar Canal, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. Holman Christian Standard Bible In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, while I was among the exiles by the Chebar Canal, the heavens opened and I saw visions of God. American Standard Version 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. English Revised Version 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. GOD'S WORD® Translation On the fifth day of the fourth month in the thirtieth year, while I was living among the exiles by the Chebar River, the sky opened, and I saw visions from God. Good News Translation On the fifth day of the fourth month of the thirtieth year, I, Ezekiel the priest, son of Buzi, was living with the Jewish exiles by the Chebar River in Babylonia. The sky opened, and I saw a vision of God. ( International Standard Version On the fifth day of the fourth month of the thirtieth year of the exile to Babylon, while I was among the captives on the bank of the Chebar River, heaven opened up and I saw visions from God. NET Bible In the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was among the exiles at the Kebar River, the heavens opened and I saw a divine vision. New Heart English Bible Now it happened in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth of the month, as I was among the captives by the river Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. Webster's Bible Translation 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 Kebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleIn the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was among the exiles by the River Kebar, the heavens opened and I saw visions of God. World English Bible Now 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, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd it comes to pass, in the thirtieth year, in the fourth [month], on the fifth of the month, and I [am] in the midst of the expulsion by the river Chebar, the heavens have been opened, and I see visions of God. Berean Literal Bible And it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth of the month, as I was in the midst of the captivity by the River Kebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. Young's Literal Translation 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. Smith's Literal Translation And it will be in the thirtieth year, in the fourth, in the fifth to the month, and I in the midst of the captivity by the river Chebar, the heavens were opened and I shall see visions of God. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleNow it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, when I was in the midst of the captives by the river Chobar, the heavens were opened, and I saw the visions of God. Catholic Public Domain Version And it happened that, in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth of the month, when I was in the midst of the captives beside the river Chebar, the heavens were opened, and I saw the visions of God. New American Bible In the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was among the exiles by the river Chebar, the heavens opened, and I saw divine visions. — New Revised Standard Version In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by the river Chebar, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleNOW it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on 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. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And it was in the thirtieth year in the fifth day of the fourth month, and I was within the captivity by the River Kebar, and the Heavens were opened and I saw visions of God OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917Now 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. Brenton Septuagint Translation 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. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Ezekiel's Vision by the River Kebar1 In the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was among the exiles by the River Kebar, the heavens opened and I saw visions of God. 2On the fifth day of the month—it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin—… Cross References In the thirtieth year, Numbers 4:3 men from thirty to fifty years old—everyone who is qualified to serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting. 1 Chronicles 23:3 The Levites thirty years of age or older were counted, and the total number of men was 38,000. 2 Samuel 5:4 David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years. on the fifth day of the fourth month, Ezekiel 8:1 In the sixth year, on the fifth day of the sixth month, I was sitting in my house, and the elders of Judah were sitting before me; and there the hand of the Lord GOD fell upon me. Ezekiel 20:1 In the seventh year, on the tenth day of the fifth month, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and they sat down before me. Ezekiel 24:1 In the ninth year, on the tenth day of the tenth month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying, while I was among the exiles Daniel 1:1-2 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. / And the Lord delivered into his hand Jehoiakim king of Judah, along with some of the articles from the house of God. He carried these off to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, where he put them in the treasury of his god. Jeremiah 24:5 “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Like these good figs, so I regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I have sent away from this place to the land of the Chaldeans. Psalm 137:1 By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. by the River Kebar, Ezekiel 3:15 I came to the exiles at Tel-abib who dwelt by the River Kebar. And for seven days I sat where they sat and remained there among them, overwhelmed. Ezekiel 10:15 Then the cherubim rose upward. These were the living creatures I had seen by the River Kebar. Ezekiel 43:3 The vision I saw was like the vision I had seen when He came to destroy the city and like the visions I had seen by the River Kebar. I fell facedown, the heavens opened Matthew 3:16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. Suddenly the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and resting on Him. Mark 1:10 As soon as Jesus came up out of the water, He saw the heavens breaking open and the Spirit descending on Him like a dove. Acts 7:56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” and I saw visions of God. Ezekiel 8:3 He stretched out what looked like a hand and took me by the hair of my head. Then the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and carried me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the inner court, where the idol that provokes jealousy was seated. Treasury of Scripture 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. in the thirtieth. Numbers 4:3 From thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all that enter into the host, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation. Luke 3:23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, as I. Ecclesiastes 9:1,2 For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them… Jeremiah 24:5-7 Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good… captives. Ezekiel 1:3 The word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him. Ezekiel 3:15,23 Then I came to them of the captivity at Telabib, that dwelt by the river of Chebar, and I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days… Ezekiel 10:15,20,22 And the cherubims were lifted up. This is the living creature that I saw by the river of Chebar… Chebar. Ezekiel 1:20 Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. the heavens. Matthew 3:16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: Luke 3:21 Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, John 1:51 And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man. I saw. Ezekiel 8:3 And he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy. Ezekiel 11:24 Afterwards the spirit took me up, and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to them of the captivity. So the vision that I had seen went up from me. Genesis 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. Jump to Previous Captives Chebar Exiles Fifth Fourth Heavens Kebar Midst Month Open Opened Prisoners Removed River Thirtieth VisionsJump to Next Captives Chebar Exiles Fifth Fourth Heavens Kebar Midst Month Open Opened Prisoners Removed River Thirtieth VisionsEzekiel 1 1. The time of Ezekiel's prophecy at Chebar.4. His vision of four cherubim; 15. of the four wheels; 26. and of the glory of God. In the thirtieth year This phrase likely refers to Ezekiel's age at the time of his vision. The age of thirty was significant for priests in Israel, as it was the age at which they began their official duties (Numbers 4:3). Ezekiel, being from a priestly lineage, would have been acutely aware of this milestone, which adds a layer of personal significance to the timing of his prophetic call. on the fifth day of the fourth month while I was among the exiles by the River Kebar the heavens opened and I saw visions of God Persons / Places / Events 1. EzekielA priest and prophet, Ezekiel is the central figure in this verse. He is among the exiles in Babylon, and his prophetic ministry is marked by vivid visions and symbolic actions. 2. The Exiles These are the Israelites who have been taken captive to Babylon. Their situation is one of displacement and longing for their homeland. 3. Kebar River A canal or river in Babylon where the exiles, including Ezekiel, are located. It serves as the setting for Ezekiel's vision. 4. The Thirtieth Year This likely refers to Ezekiel's age, marking the beginning of his prophetic ministry, which aligns with the age when priests began their service in the temple. 5. Visions of God These are divine revelations given to Ezekiel, marking the beginning of his prophetic messages to the people of Israel. Teaching Points God's Presence in ExileEven in times of displacement and hardship, God is present and reveals Himself to His people. This encourages believers to seek God's presence in their own times of trial. The Role of Visions Visions are a means by which God communicates His will and purpose. Believers should be open to God's revelations, whether through Scripture, prayer, or other means. The Importance of Timing Ezekiel's age and the timing of his vision highlight God's perfect timing in calling and equipping His servants. Trust in God's timing for your own life and ministry. Faithfulness in Unfavorable Circumstances Ezekiel's faithfulness in exile serves as a model for maintaining faith and obedience, regardless of circumstances. Believers are called to remain steadfast in their faith. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Ezekiel 1:1?2. How does Ezekiel 1:1's vision relate to God's revelation in our lives? 3. What significance does "the heavens were opened" have for understanding divine encounters? 4. How can Ezekiel's experience by the river Chebar inspire our spiritual practices today? 5. In what ways does Ezekiel 1:1 connect to other biblical visions of God? 6. How can we prepare ourselves to receive visions or messages from God today? 7. What does Ezekiel 1:1 reveal about the nature of divine visions? 8. How does Ezekiel 1:1 challenge our understanding of prophetic experiences? 9. What historical context is essential for interpreting Ezekiel 1:1? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Ezekiel 1? 11. How does Ezekiel’s teaching in chapter 14 align with or contradict the New Testament emphasis on personal responsibility for sin? 12. How can the description of living creatures with multiple faces and wheels full of eyes (Ezekiel 1:5–18) be reconciled with any known scientific or natural phenomenon? 13. Ezekiel 4:12–15: How could using cow dung rather than human waste reconcile the apparent conflict with Jewish purity laws? 14. Could the bizarre imagery in Ezekiel 1 reflect extraterrestrial encounters or UFO sightings rather than divine revelation? What Does Ezekiel 1:1 Mean In the thirtieth year• Ezekiel quietly dates this moment to his own thirtieth birthday, the age priests began public service (Numbers 4:3: “from thirty to fifty years old, everyone who can serve in the work at the Tent of Meeting”). • Turning thirty was also when Joseph emerged from prison to serve Pharaoh (Genesis 41:46), and when Jesus stepped into ministry (Luke 3:23). • God’s timing is perfect: the very year Ezekiel would have entered the temple, the temple is far away—so the Lord meets him personally. on the fifth day of the fourth month • Precision anchors the vision in real history (Ezekiel 1:2; 33:21). • Jeremiah recorded the fall of Jerusalem on “the ninth day of the fourth month” (Jeremiah 39:2); only a few years later, this same month now carries hope as God speaks to the exiles. • Scripture’s habit of exact dating reminds us that God’s acts are verifiable, not mythical (Luke 1:3–4). while I was among the exiles • Ezekiel stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the deported people from Jehoiachin’s captivity (2 Kings 24:14–16). • The Lord’s word is not limited to Jerusalem. As He once spoke to Joseph in Egypt (Genesis 39:2) and Daniel in Babylon (Daniel 1:17), He now speaks in the refugee camp. • God draws near to the displaced, proving Psalm 34:18: “The LORD is near to the brokenhearted.” by the River Kebar • The Kebar Canal, an irrigation branch of the Euphrates, was a work site for captives (Ezekiel 3:15). • Here, in a mundane setting of forced labor, heaven breaks in—echoing how Jesus later taught beside Galilean waters (Matthew 4:18). • Geography never confines God’s presence (Psalm 139:7–10). the heavens opened • This phrase signals a breach between the invisible and visible realms (Matthew 3:16; Acts 7:56; Revelation 19:11). • When heaven opens, God initiates revelation; humanity does not pry it open. • The open heavens assure the exiles that the covenant God still watches over them (Deuteronomy 31:6). and I saw visions of God • Ezekiel receives a series of awe-inspiring scenes, beginning with the four living creatures (Ezekiel 1:4–14) and culminating in the radiant throne (1:25–28). • Such visions place him in the line of seers like Isaiah (“I saw the Lord,” Isaiah 6:1) and John (“I turned to see the voice,” Revelation 1:12). • The purpose is not spectacle but commissioning; the vision equips Ezekiel to speak God’s words faithfully (Ezekiel 2:1–7). summary Ezekiel 1:1 roots a breathtaking divine encounter in an exact time, an unlikely place, and a hurting community. On his thirtieth birthday, far from the temple, Ezekiel learns that no exile can bar heaven’s gate. God’s accurate timing, compassionate presence among the displaced, and powerful self-revelation assure readers today that the Lord still speaks, still sees, and still sends His servants—wherever they are. (1) The thirtieth year.--On this date see Introduction, ? 4. It may be added here that the concurrence of the "fifth day of the month" in connection with this epoch, and with that of Jehoiachin's captivity in Ezekiel 1:2, shows that the years of the two epochs began at the same time.Among the captives.--i.e., in the midst of the region where they were settled. The vision which follows was seen by Ezekiel only, and was probably vouchsafed to him in solitudes" The captives," or rather, the captivity, as it is in the original, is the same word as is used of Jehoiachin in the next verse, and yet must be somewhat differently understood in the two cases. Jehoiachin was actually in prison for many years; his people, within certain limits, were free. They were more than exiles, but less than prisoners. (On "the heavens were opened," comp. Matthew 3:16; Acts 7:56.) Visions of God.--Not merely great visions, as the Divine name is often added in Scripture to express greatness or intensity (see Genesis 10:9; Psalm 36:6, marg., Psalm 80:10, marg.; Jonah 3:3, marg.; Acts 7:20, marg.), but Divine visions, visions sent from God, as in Ezekiel 8:3; Ezekiel 40:2. . . . Verse 1. - Now; literally, and. The use of the conjunction indicates here, as in Jonah 1:1, that the narrative that follows links itself on to something that has gone before. In Exodus 1:1 and 1 Samuel 1:1 it may point to a connection with the book that precedes it. Here the sequence is subjective. We may think of Ezekiel as retracing the years of his life till he comes to the thirtieth. Then, as it were, he pulls himself up. That must be the starting point of what he has to say. Our English use of "now" is nearly equivalent to this. In the thirtieth year. I incline, following Origen, Hengstenberg, Smend, and others, to refer the date to the prophet's own life. That year in Jewish reckoning was the age of full maturity. At that age the earlier Levites (Numbers 4:23, 20, 39, 43, 47) had entered on their duties. It is probable, though no written rule is found, that it was the normal age for the functions of the priesthood. In the case of our Lord (Luke 3:23) and of the Baptist it appears to have been recognized as the starting point of a prophet's work. Jeremiah's call as a "child" (Jeremiah 1:6; the word may, however, include adult manhood, as in 1 Samuel 30:17; 1 Kings 3:7) was obviously exceptional. Other theories are:(1) That the years are reckoned from the era of Nabopolassar, the father of Nebuchadnezzar ( B.C. 625), dating from his throwing off the sovereignty of Assyria, and giving here the date B.C. 595 (Michaelis, Rosenmuller, Ewald, and others); but against this it may be urged (a) that there is no evidence that that era was in use in Ezekiel's time, and (b) that he nowhere else uses a double historical chronology. . . . Hebrew In the thirtiethבִּשְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים (biš·lō·šîm) Preposition-b | Number - common plural Strong's 7970: Thirty, thirtieth year, שָׁנָ֗ה (šā·nāh) Noun - feminine singular Strong's 8141: A year in the fourth month, בָּֽרְבִיעִי֙ (bā·rə·ḇî·‘î) Preposition-b, Article | Number - ordinal masculine singular Strong's 7243: Fourth, a fourth on the fifth בַּחֲמִשָּׁ֣ה (ba·ḥă·miš·šāh) Preposition-b, Article | Number - masculine singular Strong's 2568: Five day, לַחֹ֔דֶשׁ (la·ḥō·ḏeš) Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 2320: The new moon, a month while I וַאֲנִ֥י (wa·’ă·nî) Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - first person common singular Strong's 589: I was among בְתֽוֹךְ־ (ḇə·ṯō·wḵ-) Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 8432: A bisection, the centre the exiles הַגּוֹלָ֖ה (hag·gō·w·lāh) Article | Noun - feminine singular Strong's 1473: Exile, exiles by עַל־ (‘al-) Preposition Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against the River נְהַר־ (nə·har-) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 5104: A stream, prosperity Kebar, כְּבָ֑ר (kə·ḇār) Noun - proper - feminine singular Strong's 3529: Chebar -- a river of Babylon the heavens הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם (haš·šā·ma·yim) Article | Noun - masculine plural Strong's 8064: Heaven, sky opened נִפְתְּחוּ֙ (nip̄·tə·ḥū) Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural Strong's 6605: To open wide, to loosen, begin, plough, carve and I saw וָאֶרְאֶ֖ה (wā·’er·’eh) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular Strong's 7200: To see visions מַרְא֥וֹת (mar·’ō·wṯ) Noun - feminine plural construct Strong's 4759: A vision, a mirror of God. אֱלֹהִֽים׃ (’ĕ·lō·hîm) Noun - masculine plural Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative Links Ezekiel 1:1 NIVEzekiel 1:1 NLT Ezekiel 1:1 ESV Ezekiel 1:1 NASB Ezekiel 1:1 KJV Ezekiel 1:1 BibleApps.com Ezekiel 1:1 Biblia Paralela Ezekiel 1:1 Chinese Bible Ezekiel 1:1 French Bible Ezekiel 1:1 Catholic Bible OT Prophets: Ezekiel 1:1 Now it happened in the thirtieth year (Ezek. 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