Read & explore together
Ezekiel’s Vision by the River Kebar
These opening verses set the scene for Ezekiel with careful dates, place and identity. They show Ezekiel among captives by the river Chebar, where the heavens are opened and God reveals himself.
Understanding the passage
The setting of this message
The passage marks the time in two ways and places Ezekiel among the captives by the river Chebar, in the land of the Chaldeans. It identifies him as Ezekiel the priest, son of Buzi, and says he saw visions of God, Yahweh’s word came to him, and Yahweh’s hand was there on him.
Ezekiel 1:1–3Main takeaway
These verses present Ezekiel’s experience with careful dates, location, and identity, and they explicitly describe visions of God, Yahweh’s word, and Yahweh’s hand on him.
Explore the message
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01A carefully dated openingThe passage begins with precise time markers: “the thirtieth year”, “the fourth month”, and “the fifth day of the month”.
Explanation
The passage begins with precise time markers: “the thirtieth year”, “the fourth month”, and “the fifth day of the month”. This gives the opening a specific setting. In that setting, Ezekiel says “the heavens were opened” and he saw “visions of God”, which introduces the passage as a vision.
02Among the captives by the river ChebarEzekiel says he was “among the captives by the river Chebar”. Verse 2 adds another date, “the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity”.
Explanation
Ezekiel says he was “among the captives by the river Chebar”. Verse 2 adds another date, “the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity”. Together, these details place the vision in a time of captivity and give readers another clear marker for when it happened.
03Ezekiel’s identity and locationVerse 3 names him clearly as “Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi”. It also places him “in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar”.
Explanation
Verse 3 names him clearly as “Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi”. It also places him “in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar”. The repeated location and full identification make the opening precise about who received this word and where he was.
04Yahweh reveals and speaksThe passage uses several expressions for God’s revelation. Ezekiel saw “visions of God”. Verse 3 then says “Yahweh’s word came” to him and “Yahweh’s hand was there on him”.
Explanation
The passage uses several expressions for God’s revelation. Ezekiel saw “visions of God”. Verse 3 then says “Yahweh’s word came” to him and “Yahweh’s hand was there on him”. These phrases show that the passage presents this moment as revelation from Yahweh.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01What details show that Ezekiel wanted readers to know exactly when this happened?
Look for each time marker, including the month, day, and the year connected to King Jehoiachin’s captivity.
02Where was Ezekiel when these visions and this word came to him?
Notice both the people he was among and the place name repeated in the passage.
03Which phrases in these verses describe God revealing himself to Ezekiel?
List the expressions about the opened heavens, visions of God, Yahweh’s word, and Yahweh’s hand.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Ezekiel 1:1–3
1Now 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.
2In the fifth of the month, which was the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity,
3Yahweh’s word came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and Yahweh’s hand was there on him.