As I looked: This clause ties verse 4 formally with the previous verses, but it is best to begin a new paragraph at this point, because verses 1-3 function as a heading for the book as a whole. This clause may be rendered “I looked” (New Jerusalem Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), “In my vision” (Revised English Bible), or “Here is what I saw” (Bible en français courant). Good News Translation has “I looked up,” which can give the wrong impression that Ezekiel had been looking down.

Behold renders the Hebrew word hinneh. This word provides some dramatic emphasis and vividness to the description of the vision.

A stormy wind came out of the north: A stormy wind is a violent windstorm or thunderstorm. Although there is no suggestion of rain, this wind must not be confused with a dust storm. In many languages “a storm” would be understood to be a rainstorm. Translators may also say “a violent wind” (Parole de Vie) or “a strong wind.” It was coming out of the north, that is, moving toward the south.

And a great cloud, with brightness round about it, and fire flashing forth continually is literally “a great cloud and fire flashing and brightness around it.” Along with the wind there was a great cloud, which was probably like a big cumulus thunderhead, and the fire flashing forth continually was the flashing of lightning. The brightness round about it was “a bright light around it” (New Century Version), but it is not clear what this light was surrounding. The Hebrew word order suggests the bright light was surrounding the lightning, but the grammar requires that it was surrounding the cloud. Thus the approaching storm cloud flashing with lightning was surrounded by very bright light.

And in the midst of the fire, as it were gleaming bronze: At the center of the lightning (fire), not of the cloud, was something that looked like gleaming bronze. It is not clear exactly what this was, as the following list of renderings for the Hebrew word translated gleaming bronze shows: “bronze” (Good News Translation, Jerusalem Bible), “brass” (Revised English Bible), “amber” (King James Version / New King James Version, New Jerusalem Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), “electrum” (New American Bible, Septuagint), “polished metal” (Contemporary English Version), “glowing metal” (New International Version, New Century Version, New American Standard Bible), “glistening gold” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch), and “flashing copper” (Luther 1984). But there is no doubt that it refers to something very bright, sparkling and gleaming like molten or polished metal. The best alternatives are “bronze,” “brass,” and “glowing metal,” but, if they are difficult for any language, it would be acceptable to render this whole clause as “and in the center of the fire it was very bright [like metal in a hot fire].”

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .