And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me in the vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to the exiles: As in verse 1 (see the comments there), the Spirit is better rendered “a spirit” or “a wind.” Once again it lifted up Ezekiel and carried him away, but this time it brought him into Chaldea, to the exiles, that is, to the community of Jewish people who were in exile in Babylonia (see the comments on 3.15). For Chaldea see 1.3; for exiles see 1.1. The phrase in the vision by the Spirit of God provides a closing summary of the whole vision of chapters 8–11. Everything that Ezekiel described in these chapters he experienced in a vision given by God. International Children’s Bible provides a good model for this phrase, saying “He did this in a vision given by the Spirit of God.” This whole sentence may be rendered “Then in my vision a wind [or, spirit] lifted me up and carried me to Babylonia where the people in exile were. This happened in a vision that God’s spirit gave me.” If readers understand the Spirit of God to refer to a ghost or a phantom, then it is better to say “the power of God” or simply “God” (see the comments on Ezek 11.5).

Then the vision that I had seen went up from me means the vision “ended” (New Century Version) or “faded away” (Contemporary English Version).

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 .