Ezekiel 1:20
Context1:20 Wherever the spirit 1 would go, they would go, 2 and the wheels would rise up beside them because the spirit 3 of the living being was in the wheel.
Ezekiel 3:5
Context3:5 For you are not being sent to a people of unintelligible speech 4 and difficult language, 5 but 6 to the house of Israel –
1 tn Or “wind”; the same Hebrew word can be translated as either “wind” or “spirit” depending on the context.
2 tc The MT adds the additional phrase “the spirit would go,” which seems unduly redundant here and may be dittographic.
3 tn Or “wind.” The Hebrew is difficult since the text presents four creatures and then talks about “the spirit” (singular) of “the living being” (singular). According to M. Greenberg (Ezekiel [AB], 1:45) the Targum interprets this as “will.” Greenberg views this as the spirit of the one enthroned above the creatures, but one would not expect the article when the one enthroned has not yet been introduced.
4 tn Heb “deep of lip” (in the sense of incomprehensible).
5 tn Heb “heavy of tongue.” Similar language occurs in Exod 4:10; Isa 33:19.
6 tn The conjunction “but” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied from the context.